Chapitre 29

The evening was over.

The throne room had emptied. Many of the warriors wanted to rest from the long night, as did Luna Lilli, Alpha Fenrir and their child.

The plates were cold and only covered with sauce, but the knot in my stomach was bigger than a goose egg. Zelos didn't show anything at the table from our conversation in the chamber. He was talking to Eros and his blood-colored eyes shone darker than the red wine.

Why should I hate him?

What happened to him all of a sudden...

I sighed.

Tommy and Alice were long back on their feet, chasing each other between chairs and under tables.

I, on the other hand, sat like a statue in my seat, lead on my eyelids and a heart that could hardly beat slower. Fatigue weighed down on me despite the thoughts racing through my head.

"Got you," Alice said, giggling.

Tommy pulled up next to me, panting his heart out. His face was red as a tomato.

"I...can't...anymore," he said, picking up his glass from the table. He drained the water and looked at me. Childish joy shone in his eyes and melted my heart.

He dropped into the chair next to me. Then a yawn escaped his lips and he tried to hide it behind his hands.

"I think it's time for bed," I said, and he didn't even have the energy to argue.

"We'll join you there," said Ulf, taking his daughter's hand. "Say good night, Alice."

"Goodnight Tommy and Lizzy," she replied, smiling. "Goodnight Alpha Astor, goodnight Luna Dana."

Lia had her hands on her cheeks and almost cooed as she looked at the werewolf girl.

I turned to Zelos.

"I'll put Tommy to bed and then I'll go to bed myself," I said.

"I'll be right there," he replied.

There seemed to be something hidden in his eyes that only flashed from time to time. I swallowed my curiosity. She had to wait a few more minutes until we were alone.

I nodded and took Tommy's hand. To my relief, there were no arguments now that Alice was gone. We said our goodbyes and set off.

"Hey, Betty, did you enjoy the celebration?" Davin asked, joining us as we exited the throne room into one of the corridors.

"Yes, but we just have to make a little detour in the kitchen," I replied.

I wouldn't just leave the biscuits behind, otherwise Lia would tamper with them in the night. They were a present for Zelos and maybe they could even make him talk.

"In order..."

The door creaked open.

Tommy zoomed past me.

"See how big it is?" he asked, spinning in a circle. "And this is all mine..."

He yawned again and his eyes almost closed as he stood. With a glance he disappeared into the bathroom. I sighed.

This was no place for him.

He belonged at home, not in a palace among warriors and alphas. And especially not to an execution.

"Don't worry about him, Betty," Davin said, leaning against the door. "I'm going to take him on a trip into the woods tomorrow night. He won't know anything about what's happening here."

I smiled.

"Thank you David. You are the best" I replied.

He nodded and closed the door behind him. The bathroom door opened and Tommy came out. He rubbed his eyes and yawned again.

I walked over to the four-poster bed and pushed aside the sandy-beige sheets.

"Will you tell me another story?" Tommy asked as he climbed into the soft bed. I tucked him in and he snuggled into the pillows.

"What story would you like to hear?"

"The... of the Lycan..."

I smiled down at him. Tommy's eyes closed before he could even finish his wish. I leaned down and planted a kiss on his forehead. The tiredness of the journey had overcome him.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I see you too Lizzy..."

The door clicked shut.

Our room welcomed me with a crackling fire in the fireplace and my companion sitting on one of the sofas with his back to me. The flames reflected off his silvery blonde hair and he stared into it as if he could see something in the sparks.

I looked down at the plate of cookies in my hand.

Kerberos lay in front of the fireplace, every head busy gnawing on a leather ball.

Silence settled between us like a wall.

I crossed the carpet and put the pastries on the table between us. Zelos looked up from the flames, still deep in thought. Whatever was on his mind loosened its grip on him at the sight of the cookies.

"Are these for me?" he asked.

"Naturally."

His eyes focused on me for a few seconds, glowing warmer than the fire.

"Thank you," Zelos said and took one off the plate. But instead of eating it, he stared at the rough surface of the biscuit and looked at it from all sides.

I settled into the sofa, the flames warming me on one side.

"There were never biscuits in the dungeons..."

His eyes found mine again.

"And before that, they were only for the nobility . That's too long ago..."

Zelos shook his head.

"Tell me about it," I said, drawing a snort and grin from him.

"The world was different, the people were different... I was different," he said, the smile fading in the face of the flames. "It was colder then, maybe just because Kerberos and I were mostly out at night. The primeval wolf left a trail of chaos everywhere. The stench of blood still clings to my nostrils...'

'What about the packs?' I asked.

“Ha, back then there were hundreds on the map, small, large, young, old... spread over every forest in the world. Alphas and Lunas came and went, and there was always war somewhere. Only the moon has remained the same to this day..."

"Why did you turn away?" I asked. "At least that's what the fairy tales say."

"Averted?", Zelos asked and raised his brow. Amusement danced in his eyes belongs to Mountainshade today... only unfortunately I was the one of us who wasn't immune to silver... Kerberos wanted to finish it alone and thus free me from the chains... At the place where it all began."

Zelos paused. Kerberos laid his heads on his paws and listened to his master's story. A hail of sparks fell over the fire.

“ Created from water, purified with water . So did he. The primeval wolf wanted to kill him, but our mission wasn't fulfilled yet, so he just turned to stone."

Zelos looked up.

"And half a century later you stumbled into the dungeon," he said and a gentle smile brightened his Trains.

It lasted a few seconds before slinking away again.

"I'm scared," I whispered, pulling my knees to my chest. "Beta Talon threatened you... he said you were going to die, Zelos. And that the world would be plunged into chaos again... you did right, something will happen tomorrow at the execution."

The calm on his face gave way to a darkness I wasn't used to.

"He won't be able to do anything to you," answered Zelos. "I swear to you."

"I'm not worried about myself either. But what if he-”

His eyes hardened to rubies.

“Nobody, not even Beta Talon, will be able to harm me if I don't want to, understand?” he asked.

He looked away and ruffled his hair.

"Why don't you look at me?" I asked and jumped to my feet.

Suddenly I lost my footing and my back landed on the wall next to the fireplace. The force left me speechless and Zelos towered over me. His forehead was wrinkled .

"Please, Elizabeth," he whispered, leaning his elbow next to me so his forehead almost touched mine. "I don't want you to grieve. Please, trust me. It's the only way..."

"But Beta Talon will nothing to you, right?"

"No... I promise," Zelos replied.

Tomorrow was supposed to be a day to celebrate, but with the knot in my stomach I didn't feel like celebrating at all.

"Why don't you tell me what you're up to?" I asked, placing a hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes for a moment.

"Because you couldn't take it."

Snow fell on us.

He grabbed my shoulder and pushed me down.

"I'm sorry," he huffed.

The knife got to my neck and I froze.

"He has my family," Delta Ivan said, and I squirmed in his grip but could barely move.

"I'll do it quickly..."

I jumped up. Cold sweat soaked my skin and the pillow beneath me. My heart was still pounding in my chest from the Riverclaw nightmare.

The moonlight bathed our room in icy light. An arm was wrapped around my waist. The sheets rustled next to me.

"What's going on?" Zelos murmured half asleep and pulled me closer to his chest.

I exhaled the terror.

"Nothing, you can go back to sleep," I whispered, staring out the window, down at the snowy city with an almost full moon looming over it.

Zelos sighed.

"Delta Ivan again?" he asked and I swallowed.

I let the silence speak for me.

In a few hours the execution would begin and Astor would become the new Alpha. Why is my subconscious still torturing me with this?

"Zelos, what actually happens to us when this is all over?" I asked.

"What do you think?"

"Where should we go? I mean, what's going to happen to us?"

"It's too early," Zelos grumbled. "How do you even come up with something like that in the middle of the night? Can't we talk about it tomorrow, or better when else?"

“Ja..."

He stroked my stomach, and while it calmed my heart, my mind kept working without a break.

What would our future look like?

And where?

I sighed.

That would have to wait until tomorrow.

I no longer closed my eyes, but admired the hibernation behind the windows. The nightmare had robbed me of my sleep anyway. I pushed the sheets aside and carefully raised Zelo's paw.

He growled in annoyance and helped me get out of bed.

"What are you doing?" he asks without even lifting an eyelid. "It's not even 6 o'clock yet..."

"I'm only with Tommy for a short time. I still want to say goodbye to him. I'll be right back," I replied, planting a quick kiss on his forehead.

"Take Kerberos with you..." he murmured into his sleep.

My eyes fell on the giant dog who was curled up by the fireplace and seemed to be in deepest dreamland. There was no way I was going to wake him up. As quietly as I could be in the presence of a lycan, I slipped out into the corridor.

The chandeliers were off and only the moon gave me its cold light. Thanks to the carpet, I was able to sneak forward quietly to shake off the restless thoughts.

Maybe I could sleep better with Tommy.

The corridor lay deserted in front of me and only the faces of the people and wolves in the paintings looked down on me.

Soon Tommy and Davin would be off to get away from the morning hustle and bustle. Better if I stopped by now and said goodbye. Two guards met me at the end of the corridor as I got to the stairs. They nodded to me.

The maze of corridors on the floor below us snaked its way to Tommy's door. But it was only ajar, allowing a ray of moonlight to illuminate the aisle.

Were they gone already?

I pushed the door further open, and it gave with a creak. The moon cast large shadows in the room. The log fire had burned out, leaving nothing but gray ash. The bed covers were pulled up to the pillows. I got closer. There was no trace of Tommy.

Davin must have picked him up by now.

Maybe I should ask one of the guards-

"So, so, so... What do we have here?" a voice whispered.

My heart stopped in shock.

Yellow eyes flashed at me from the shadows by the mantelpiece. I took a few steps back, which only lured me further into the room.

"Who's there?" I asked. "Show yourself."

A wide grin joined the face in the penumbra and gave the yellow eyes a mad gleam.

"Oh Elizabeth, so many mistakes have been made," said the werewolf. "I don't even know where to begin..."

My stomach clenched at my name. Cold sweat wet my hands. Still, I lifted my chin.

"If you don't show yourself, I'll scream for help," I said.

The wolf giggled like a hyena before his eyes pierced me.

"Just scream, but if I die, your dear little brother will be dead too," he cooed. He took a step out of the shadows toward me. "And you especially... remember me?"

I narrowed my eyes.

The wolf bathed in the full moonlight.

Beta Leo.

He wore a guard's uniform, but the grin made him seem mad... like a savage. I looked back at the empty bed.

"Where's Tommy?" I asked, panic hiding beneath my tone.

If something had happened to him...

"Don't worry about him. He's down there somewhere in town," he replied, pointing through the window at the houses that were sinking under the masses of snow. "He's waiting for you down there somewhere, not alone, of course."

A sinking feeling turned my stomach.

Beta Leo enjoyed the desperation on my face. He played with me.

"What do you want?" I whispered.

"Why in such a hurry? Tommy is just getting cozy with Luna Mayra, too," he said, my features slipping away from me.

"What?"

He was with that crazy woman?

Beta Leo raised his hands playfully.

"Don't worry, he's fine. All the guards saw that when they left the palace. Although, you couldn't say that about Davin now," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "And now that I think about it, your brother had better behave himself. Luna Mayra isn't exactly a patient wolf."

My heart pounded against my ribs, sending hot waves crashing through my chest. I could picture Tommy crying in the clutches of this misanthrope.

"What do you want from me?"

My voice was hard as stone, but beneath it was my pounding heart.

"This isn't about what I want..."

A knife flashed between his leather-gloved hands... a silver knife. My heart was pounding in my throat. I stumbled backwards. Memories of Delta Ivan flashed before my eyes.

"Shh, this isn't for you," Leo said. "It's for someone else."

He toyed with the blade between his fingers and grinned at me from two shadowy sockets.

"If Zelos finds out about this-"

Anger made his eye twitch, and the tip of the knife gleamed in the moonlight.

"If the Lycan hears anything, Tommy's dead. If you tell him about this, Tommy's dead. If you even mention my name in front of him, he's dead. Do you understand how the game works?"

My throat swelled with each word he said.

I nodded.

I had no choice but to play his game.

"How nice that we understand each other," he said, calming down a bit. "So, you do something, your brother is dead. Simple as that. There's just one tiny little thing you have to do to make him safe and... to embrace unharmed."

"What should I do?"

"You have a choice, Elizabeth of Mountain Shadow ..." he said, speaking the name of his old pack with as much disdain as if he had never lived there. " Kill the Lycan, tomorrow before the execution. Or your brother will die."

The blood fled from my stomach and let it slide down.

"What?"

Beta Leo grinned and continued to play with the knife.

"You already understood me. Either the Lycan or your brother. "Your choice is yours," he replied. "And you should make your mind up quickly. The sun will be up soon. If Talon dies and your mate is still breathing... what does that mean for Tommy? I think you can guess."

He turned the knife around so he handed the handle to me.

"I can't kill anyone, especially not Zelos," I whispered.

"Not my problem," Beta Leo replied. "Then you're throwing your brother to the wolves. And if you tell anyone about this... these walls have ears. You never know who's listening."

He put the knife on the carpet between us.

"It comes with the best regards from Talon. who will you choose Your little brother, or your companion? Maybe you can kill someone after all if you want it enough..."

****

Zelos will die, I promise you.

The knife gleamed in the moonlight.

That had been Talon's plan all along. He wanted I to do it. He wanted me to kill my mate... Zelos. Because he couldn't. I would be the only one Zelos would let get close to him.

He trusted me.

Leo had left me alone with my tormenting thoughts and the sinking feeling in my whole body. I stared out the window at the city with countless houses. Somewhere down there Tommy was crouching, crying, scared, threatened...

Luna Mayra would play games with him... and kill him if she got the chance. Tears glazed my vision. I couldn't allow that.

I stared back at the knife lying in the carpet.

It gleamed innocently in the moonlight.

I stomped over to the gun and kicked it under the bed with my foot. Tears rolled down my cheeks and a desperate scream was building up in my throat. I pulled at my hair as if the pain could ease the agony in my heart. The walls seemed to get closer.

That's what Talon wanted.

He wanted me to kill Zelos.

My companions...

He had given me the same choice that Delta Ivan had given me. Zelos had protected me from Talon's bolt, but he wasn't immune to silver. If I stab him with that knife...

no

But if I didn't do anything...

Then Talon would die... and Tommy.

The walls have ears.

I looked around. How many allies did they really have here in the palace? I had a few hours to make a decision.

I fled the deserted room back into the corridor. I left the silver knife under the bed.

If a search party combs the city... it could take days. Luna Mayra would be able to hear her. She would just kick Tommy's neck...

A shaky breath escaped me and the tears ran down my cheeks in rivers. He must be scared, more than I was, in a cold hut, surrounded by enemies, and with no prospect of ever returning to us. The carpet blurred into a blood-red puddle before my eyes.

One step ahead of the other.

I pushed open the door to our room and stared at boots in front of me. I looked up and recognized the outline of Zelos. Apparently he was just about to go to the meeting with the Alphas. I wiped away the tears and tried to calm my breathing.

"What's the matter with you?" he asked, wrapping his hand around my elbow.

He pulled me into the room and closed the door behind us.

The sky beyond the window was a deep-sea blue that brightened with every passing minute. With every passing moment the day drew near, and the execution... and a decision between my brother and companions.

Paws rested on my cheeks and the warmth of Zelos let new tears roll down his fingers. How should I betray him? I couldn't... But I couldn't let Tommy down. If I told him about it...

"Elizabeth, what's wrong?", Zelos asked and his brows pointed down. He examined each of my features, then my body, as if he was looking for a cause for the tears.

"It's nothing..." I said.

"Nothing?" Zelos asked stunned. "I always cry torrents because of nothing ."

My heart hissed like a lion.

How could he feel like joking?

I slammed my fist into his chest, which I guess hurt me more than him.

"That's not funny," I replied, pulling away from his closeness. I fled the warmth, which only lulled me further into telling him the truth. I looked around. Kerberos was lying on the carpet, watching us with his three heads.

The walls have ears.

"What suddenly got into you?" Zelos asked. "Could you say goodbye to Tommy before the execution?"

His words were an unintentional stab in my heart. I stood there frozen and stared at the pattern of the carpet.

"No..."

I couldn't say goodbye. Maybe last night I saw him. Zelos put his arms around me and pressed my head to his chest.

"I know you love him. But please don't be so sad about it," he murmured, kissing my hair.

My tears continued to flow and seeped into his shirt. I wanted to tell him, just open my mouth and tell the truth, but that would only put Tommy in more danger.

Zelos leaned back and wiped my cheeks again. His ruby eyes studied my features and his warmth almost soothed me a little.

He trusted me.

I couldn't kill him.

My chin trembled.

"I love you," I said, doing everything I could to keep my facade from crumbling.

"Me too, Elizabeth," Zelos answered and grinned. "Everything will be fine after today."

More tears escaped the corners of my eyes.

nothing will be fine...

He frowned.

"Tomorrow we can talk about our future. morning , all right? I don't want you to be sad, please."

His intense gaze bored straight into my soul, leaving a trail of chaos in its wake. If it weren't for Zelos, none of this would have happened here. I wouldn't be here in a palace of warriors and murderers.

If I hadn't agreed to go with him then.

Then Tommy would be safe at home now and not in the clutches of Luna Mayra.

The storm in my stomach billowed.

If it wasn't for Zelos, I wouldn't have been almost killed by a silver bolt and I wouldn't have had a knife rammed into my shoulder. Beta Leo couldn't threaten Tommy right now.

I would not have to choose between him and my mate. My breathing got heavier with each breath past the anger in my chest. I broke away from Zelos as if he had burned me.

"What makes you so angry?" he asked, eyeing me like an eagle.

"Better go to Alpha Eros," I said through clenched teeth. The heart in my chest kept pounding against my ribs, angry at being ripped apart.

These walls have ears.

"No, I won't do that," Zelos answered and came towards me. "Not as long as my companion dissolves in front of me. What's the matter, Elizabeth?"

I balled my hands into fists and pierced him with my gaze.

"That's going on! We've been on the road for weeks, rushing from one pack to the next and why? Because you want it that way!" I cried, fresh tears accompanying my words. "I never meant to do that! I never wanted to interfere, it was always your plan! And yet I'm here, right? It's all your fault, you dragged me in here and now there's no going back..."

Sobs shook through my body and I shoved my hands in front of my face. My lips were happy to say it at last, but my heart regretted it the second after they faded.

" Elizabeth ..."

Zelo's pitying tone only made more brooks run down my cheeks. How should I betray him. But if Tommy died... then it was all my fault.

A blood-red morning awoke behind the windows, banishing the dark night sky with every moment. The execution was soon.

"I promised you I would. What got into you all of a sudden?" he asked, walking towards me.

But for the first time I backed away.

A storm boiled up in Zelo's eyes.

"Don't," I whispered.

"I'm going to be in meetings with the alphas all the time," he said. "I don't want us to split like that before the execution."

I wiped away my tears and shook my head.

"You were right about what you said in the closet," I said, and before my head could stop me, I said it out loud. "I hate you."

Zelos leaned back as if my words had given him a slap. He drew himself up to his full height and his usually warm eyes hardened.

I didn't want to lose him...

"What did you just say?"

I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, but there was no way around the guilt that was beginning to eat at me.

"You heard me," I said, unable to say the stinging words again.

Because they were wrong.

Zelos continued to freeze.

"As you wish," he said, turning and walking towards the door. He gave me one last look. "I didn't want us to break up like this... Goodbye, Elizabeth."

The door slammed shut and I fell to my knees. Control left my body and I clenched my hands in front of my chest as if they could draw out the pain. But he was deeply rooted in the throbbing.

Tears continued to pour down my cheeks. I whimpered to myself like a heap of misery. I had made Zelos hate me.

How am I supposed to stick a knife in his heart?

I narrowed my eyes.

Whose execution would it be today...?