Chapter 91 - What if he’s one of them?

EMMA

Aldea is known for being the first town to be attacked by werewolves. People left when nothing remained of the quaint little town. Many lives were lost, not just women and girls with blue eyes. People didn’t know yet what they were dealing with. They didn’t know that fighting back would kill them.

Families were broken. The people who survived left the town to find a new home elsewhere. Somewhere away from the painful memories. Or so they thought. They didn’t know that the werewolves would follow and spread the violence to every corner of the continent.

The town stood abandoned for years before Dex and his little group settled here. Aldea is the closest town to the werewolf kingdom and nobody expects us to be here. It gives us security and anonymity.

This also means that visitors to the town are rare.

Every now and then people will arrive in Aldea. Most of them hear whispers of the rebellion. They want to help or join the vision Dex holds. These are all people who lost a lot during the war and despise werewolves. They hold on to the wrath and it burns bright enough that it motivates them to fight back.

We follow Dex to the town entrance. Kelsey and Alex share my curiosity, at least for any town gossip.

Dex walks in front of us and is flanked by Carter. Alex leans down next to me. “Just admit that you want to tap that.”

Blood rushes to my face and my heart pounds at the possibility that someone might hear. Sometimes my body still reacts like the people around me can hear everything. I look around and Kelsey has a knowing smirk.

“Why don’t you go for it yourself?” I have no interest in Dex. He’s just a friend, but almost everyone around acts like I’m his girlfriend or something.

Alex pulls away and holds up her hands. “I’m not touching what’s yours.”

Kelsey giggles at my expense and I roll my eyes. “You’re ridiculous.”

“What about Carter?” Kelsey asks Alex.

A grimace turns her face into a scowl. It makes her look fierce and threatening. “No way. Give me a guy that's half a head taller and can hold me down, then you have me”

Carter walks in front of us with his stocky, but short build. Alex is six feet tall and finding a guy half a head taller than her is a challenge. Especially living in a small town like Aldea.

The houses near the town entrance still stand abandoned and the road is overgrown with weeds. If someone arrives here, they would assume that nobody lives there. This is the front that Dex likes to keep.

People live in the center. A few cars are hidden away from the town. There is no bustle of people, nothing that might indicate that a rebellion has settled here.

My heart starts to beat faster for no particular reason. The heat flash threatens to return. Something itches at my skin and I can’t distinguish what. I feel nerves twist in my stomach. I’m confused by the reactions of my body.

Like something excites me.

In the distance, I can see Ben with his arms crossed. He’s waiting with two of the other guys from town and they surround a broken bench.

Somebody is sitting hunched over on the bench, but their frame is mostly obscured by the two other guys. The guys turn when they notice our arrival. They part and reveal the profile of a man sitting on the bench.

His elbows rest on his knees and his head hangs low on his shoulders. Black hair, with the pigment of a colorless night, hangs in front of him. I would recognize him from anywhere.

*Hadrian.*

His shoulders tense and he lifts his head. His withered amber eyes lock with mine. His eyes pull me in with the overwhelming pain in them. It shoots through my chest until I feel the same excruciating pain. Like my body is torn into pieces.

He gets up, but a hand on his chest holds him back. His eyes don't leave mine, but mine travel down the rest of his body. He lost weight and a significant amount of muscle in his chest and shoulders. But that’s not what shocks me the most.

It’s the blood. His clothes are ripped and gashes run along his shoulder.

“That’s what I’m talking about.” Alex purrs beside me. I look at her to see that she has a challenging gaze cast at Hadrian. Not because she realizes who he is, but because she sees a handsome man.

His height still surpasses any average man and his size is still considered large, but he looks more human than a werewolf now. The rips in his clothes reveal the muscles

I watch his injured arm and notice long blistering burns run over his underarms and hand. The skin is torn open and I gasp. “My gosh.”

“Not a chance girl, I call dibs.”

His eyes don't leave mine, but they are clouded. They lack the usual strength and he starts to buckle. I have to forcefully stand my ground.

People cannot know who he is. Every single one will want a chance to kill the Crown Prince, the son of the Alpha King. They don’t care about him as a person.

Dex and Carter carry a silver dagger at all times. If they don’t already know, then they will kill him when they find out. And everyone would do the same without a second thought. The hate runs that deep.

Hadrian falls to his knee when his legs give up. I automatically run forward. Hadrian places his hands on the ground and his breath is heavy.

Two hands wrap around my arms and Carter holds me in a tight grip. Dex watches me with confusion at my sudden movement.

“He needs a doctor,” I call and pray they’ll listen to me. If they know that Hadrian is a werewolf, then he’ll be dead soon. I won’t be able to stop them and the thought alone is devastating. But I can’t stand back and watch him die from his injuries.

“What do you want to do, Dex?” Carter asks behind me. I try to tear my arms free.

Dex directs a scowl at Carter. “You heard her, he needs a doctor.”

Carter lets go of me. “What if he’s one of them?” He objects and the suspicion is not only evident in his words. His tense posture and dark presence say enough.

Dex crosses his arms as he looks at Hadrian. “You don’t get those injuries from a human.” Dex moves toward Hadrian and hunches down to get a better look at him like he’s a wounded animal in the forest. “Besides, werewolves don’t stay injured like that.”

Hadrian sinks lower to the ground and by his clenched fists, I can see that he’s losing the battle of staying conscious.

Dex rises from the ground, he turns to Ben and the other guys. “Bring him to the infirmary.”

The three guys haul the barely conscious body of Hadrian away. Dex wraps a hand around my wrist and lightly spins me toward him. “Are you okay?" There's concern in his eyes and he looks me over.

I send him a forced smile and look over his shoulder to Hadrian. I watch them move away and out of reach. There is a tug in my chest pulling me towards him.

“Emma?” Dex asks and I turn my attention back to him. His thumb runs over my wrist and down my palm.

I gulp and I pull my hand away. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Dex looks down at my hand for a moment and schools his features. I think I detect a hint of melancholy. He smiles at me, but I can see the effort it takes. “Do you mind going with them? They might need your medicine.”