Chapter 101: Grace
I felt Rhys turn us slightly as Arlo marched past us, slamming the door to Sawyer’s room. He knew better than to let anyone be at his back, and I was grateful. It didn’t matter that he trusted Arlo. Arlo was mad, and that was dangerous, especially when you were the Alpha King. I couldn’t help but worry about Rhys.
Rhys sighed and ran a hand over his face tiredly. I turned in his arms and looked up at him, no longer feeling locked in my head.
“Are you okay?” I asked him, my voice barely above a whisper.
He let out a forced chuckle. “I don’t know.” He answered honestly, his voice shaking ever so slightly. “Why do you ask?”
“You look tired,” I told him, lifting my hand to his face, and tracing my thumb down his jaw.
“I am,” He answered, surprising me a little with his honesty.
“When can we go take a nap?” I asked. I could feel my own exhaustion deep in my bones, and I had the start of a headache to prove it.
“I don’t know.” He answered tiredly. “I kinda just wanted to be with my brother for a little while. But we can go back to our room if your too tired. But I figured we could lay low here and just be here with him.”
I shook my head, no, and led Rhys over to the small recliner chair that he would barely fit in next to the bed and pushed him into it.
He let out another tired sigh as I snapped the feet up for him. I then moved to take the small regular chair, but his hand wrapped around my arm, his eyes already closed.
“Stay.”
I bit my lip, hesitating for just a moment before giving into my desire to sit with him. The chair was for sure too small for the two of us, but it didn’t matter. We were together. Rhys wanted me. Whether I was a monster or not. He didn’t care. And for the first time since finding out I was Lycan, I let myself believe that maybe it was what we did with power that made us the monsters.
I woke up completely disoriented. There was all sorts of noise around and a busyness that scared me a bit. I curled my fingers into Rhys’ shirt, steadying myself with his heartbeat. He was here and I was safe.
Rhys ran his fingers through my knotted hair, and I looked up at him. I wasn’t sure if I had woken him or if the amount of people in the room had, but I was glad he was awake just the same.
“Are you okay?” He asked just loud enough for me to hear, his voice slightly husky with sleep.
I nodded against him and noticed there were two nurses next to Sawyer’s bed, and my heart raced.
“Is he okay?” I asked nervously, sitting up a little to see.
“He’s just very weak right now.” The nurse said with a tight smile. “We haven’t seen this before.”
This got Rhys’ attention. “What haven’t you seen before exactly?” He questioned, sitting us up straighter and lowering our feet.
“His healing is slowed. We’ve never seen anyone drained or zapped this way before.”
There was that word again... Zapped. What did they mean by that?
“Rhys...” I breathed, my anxiety skyrocketing.
“Go get the girl, and bring her to me, now,” Rhys growled.
I nodded and took off toward the room where we were keeping all of the children. The halls were all still so crowded, but I weaved my way through. I wasn’t completely sure that Rhys had given the order to me, but I’d be damned if I let anyone talk to that girl before I did. Especially the way Arlo had talked about her earlier.
“I’VE NEVER SEEN SUCH A LAZY GROUP OF KIDS BEFORE IN MY LIFE!” I heard someone bellow, and I increased my speed. Those kids were exhausted, and I’d be damned if someone was going to treat them on my watch the way I had been as a kid.
“Sir, they have been up for days. Everything has just settled down, please...” Alana’s calm but shaky voice responded.
I could see them now. Alana had her arms full of blankets, and I knew she was the right person to have been entrusted with the job. I also wasn’t surprised to find Arlo in the middle of the commotion, staring angrily past the guards at the kids.
“Tell me which one of these brats is the one who hurt Prince Sawyer?” He demanded.
“Arlo,” I tried to intervene but the glare he leveled at me made me pause for a moment, but someone had to protect these kids... “Arlo! You cannot go picking fights with children!”
“Someone has to pay!”
I could already see both Maizie and Michael were awake, but both were sitting on guard, and I knew they knew exactly what was going on, and they were ready to fight for their lives, which scared me more. They shouldn’t have to.
“They are children!” I reminded him firmly, and I could see Michael and Maizie both moving to their feet slowly.
“I challenge the culprit!” Arlo shouted.
“No.”
“You can’t tell me no, Grace,” Arlo looked at me with a sickening smile. “It is well within my rights to challenge a prisoner for their freedom, and you are not Queen Luna yet. You are nothing. So. Get. Out. Of. My. Way.”
I felt fear flood through me, and I reached for my bond with Rhys, but he was distracted by something, so I knew I was on my own.
“They are not prisoners,” I said slowly. “Nor will I allow you to fight a child, so if you need to fight someone, I volunteer in their place.”
“No!” I heard Maizie gasp from somewhere behind me, but I ignored it. She might be fully trained, but I would not let her go against a fully grown man, even if she had taken out Sawyer earlier.
Arlo’s face paled, but he didn’t back down. “Get out of my way, Grace. You don’t want to challenge me.”
“You’re right.” I answered him, feeling a confidence I had never felt in my life before. “I don’t want to fight you, but I also will not allow you to attack children.” I took a deep breath, “So. Take. Your. Pick. Which will it be? Are you going to walk away or are you challenging me?”
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