Chapter 26

He ran off into the woods, leaving me with the Lycan stranger. I should probably be afraid of him but I wasn’t. I somehow knew that he would not hurt me.
“Thank you,” I said to him.
“For what?” He asked, watching me with amusement.
“For saving my life,” I replied.
He shrugged. “I had to. I hate bullies.”
“Who are you?”
“A rogue Lycan,” he said.
“A rogue? Why? Where’s your pack?”
“Never mind that,” he said dismissively. “Let me take you home. Where is your pack?”
I hesitated. “Why are you helping me?”
He shrugged again. “Why not? You’re alone and defenceless and I can see that you need help getting back home. Trust me, I won’t harm you.”
I believed him. There was something about him that was so sincere. It was difficult for me to believe that this nice guy was the same beast that had just brutally killed members of my old pack. It was such an interesting contrast.
“Which pack do you belong to?” He asked me as we started walking together.
“The Gypsy Pack,” I replied. “We settled around here recently.”
“I see…” he said.
“Where are you from?”
“The far east.”
“I’ve never been to the east,” I said.
He smiled. “You should visit there someday.”
“Will you be there when I visit?”
“I don’t think so. I’m a rogue, remember?”
“Why did you become a rogue?”
He sighed. “That’s a story for another day. Is that your camp?”
I looked ahead and sure enough, the Gypsy Pack tents were right there in front of me. I had been enjoying the Lycan’s company that I didn’t notice how far we had walked.
“Come with me,” I said. “Let me show my pack the hero who saved my life tonight.”
He shook his head slowly, rejecting my offer. “There’s no need for that. You have already thanked me and that’s enough. I have to leave now.”
“Where are you going now? Where is your home?”
He grinned. “Everywhere is my home. That’s something Gypsies and rogues have in common.”
I felt sad that he was leaving. I wish I could have at least rewarded him properly for what he did for me.
“Will I see you again?” I asked him.
“I think so,” he replied. “I have a feeling that you and I will meet again. Until then, be safe.”
He turned around and walked away. I stayed there and watched until he disappeared into the woods. It occurred to me then that I hadn’t asked for his name. Maybe it was better that way. He obviously wasn’t ready to give up his identity.
Everyone was relieved to see me when I returned to the camp. They told me they had sent search parties to look for me but none of them found me. Hycinth came out of our tent when he heard all the noise.
“Jade, where have you been?” He asked with a worried frown. “We have been looking all over for you. What happened to you?”
I sighed. “It’s a long story. I don’t even know where to start.”
“And here I was thinking you had finally left us for good,” said Lola, rolling her eyes.
I gritted my teeth, hating how she was disrespecting me in public. “I’m sure you would like that very much, Lola, but I’m not going anywhere.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” she said with a smirk.
My skin crawled. Was there something this jealous bitch knew that I didn’t know about? What’s her game plan?
“Ignore Lola,” said Hycinth. “Come, let’s go inside. I need you to tell me everything that happened to you today.”
I followed Hycinth quietly and as we reached the entrance of our tent, I looked back and saw Lola still watching us. She grinned and winked at me before turning around to go to her tent.
I didn’t know why but something about her sassy behaviour tonight troubled me. What was my rival up to?

*********************

The unexpected ambush from my old pack didn’t sit well with Hycinth and the rest of the Gypsies. We decided to move again and this time, we sailed across the ocean to a territory not too far from the Highlands.
It felt weird to be close to the place where I spent four years of my life as a slave. However, I was more than happy to be far away from Apex Woods where Darius and Damian couldn’t reach me anymore.
Lola continued to get cheeky with me, talking in riddles and carrying on like the queen of the pack. Eventually, I was free from her disturbance when she fell sick and was confined to her tent for days.
One evening, her parents came to our tent to speak with Hycinth regarding her health.
“The pack physician has finally figured out what is wrong with Lola,” her father said. He was an elderly Beta who was well-respected in the pack for his wisdom.
“She is about three months into the pregnancy,” her mother said. “We thought you should know.”
“Why?” I asked curiously. “Do the rest of the pack announce their pregnancy to the Alpha or is there something special about Lola’s own?”
My question surprised them. Hycinth placed his hand on my arm to signal me to be quiet.
“Has she told you who is responsible for it?” He asked them calmly.
Lola’s parents exchanged a look before her father cleared his throat uncomfortably.
“Well… she said that… that you are responsible for her pregnancy, my lord,” he said.
I turned slowly to look at Hycinth. His face had gone white and he was staring that the elderly couple as if he were looking at a pair of ghosts. I waited for him to deny the accusation but he didn’t.
“Please, tell me this is not true,” I begged him quietly.
He avoided my eyes completely and he didn’t respond to my plea. He cleared his throat before speaking to Lola’s parents again.
“Let us continue this conversation another time, shall we?”
“Of course,” said Lola’s parents. They got up and left the tent.
“What is going on?” I asked him when we were alone.
He finally looked at me and his eyes told me everything I needed to know. “I am so sorry, Jade,” he whispered. “It only happened once.”
I covered my face with my palms and tried not to cry. Why was this happening to me? Why was there always something or someone messing with my happiness?
“It happened before we came here,” he explained. “When you left the camp and we couldn’t find you, I was so upset. I was in our tent brooding when Lola came to me.
“She came to console me because she knew I was troubled by your absence. I don’t remember who made the first move, but we ended up making love.”
“Making love?” I shouted at him. “Are you in love with her?”
“No,” he denied it immediately. “It was just sex, Jade. I was upset and she was just trying to help.”
“By sleeping with you in our bed?”
“I’m sorry, Jade.”
“Please, stop saying that. You’re not sorry you cheated on me. You’re sorry that you got caught. Why did you come for me when you already had Lola?”
“I never loved her. You’re the one I have always loved. Always.”
“But you didn’t remember that when you were sleeping with her while I was being attacked by a bunch of wolves! How could you, Hycinth? How?”
He sighed but said nothing.
“If I hadn’t come back, you would have moved on with her, wouldn’t you?”
Now, it all made sense how Lola went from avoiding me to becoming boldly rude to me. That was why when I returned that night, she said she had hoped that I was gone for good.
“Listen, Jade. This doesn’t change anything between us,” he said. “I promise, Lola will not come between us. I love you with all of my heart. You’re my world.”
“What about Lola and her child? What are they?”
He shrugged. “The child is mine but that’s it. Nothing will ever happen between me and Lola again. You have my word.”
His words reassured me and I calmed down. The matter was kept from the rest of the pack until Lola announced her pregnancy to Hycinth’s mother one evening. She rushed into our tent unannounced to confirm the news.