Six

ARIADNE

Sleep eluded me no matter how much I tried. And not just that, my heart was pounding too fast anytime I thought about what Callan had said. Elira was alive. I had repeated the words so much it sounded like a mantra now, but it still felt like a dream. I needed to see her, needed to know she was safe and not hurting wherever she was at the citadel. She couldn't protect herself, and there were surely evil people lurking around, ready to take advantage of people like her. The thought made me shudder in my bed, forcing me to sit up now.

I wanted to wait for Callan but patience wasn't my strength. I doubted I would be able to wait any longer. I had to see her, I needed to. And that had to be now. Swinging my leg off the bed, I thought about it again. This was a bad idea, but my sister's safety was all that mattered to me in the moment. Throwing on my dress, I quickly slipped out of my chambers, down the staircase and through the hallways that didn't lead to the Alpha’s chambers. Those hallways were usually packed with guards, I couldn't risk running into any of them. Moving quickly, I made sure to keep to the dark corners and avoid the few guards I passed on the way. Despite my skill of evading them, I couldn't stop the pounding in my heart, how fast my breath came and how clammy my hands were with nerves. I was breaking the rules. Again. Alpha Magnus wouldn't smile if he heard about this. But I had to make sure he didn't.

I arrived at the citadel after a ten minute walk, and once I found my way into the servant's quarters, an odd feeling pricked my skin. There was an unsettling sensation that wouldn't leave me. It felt like I was being watched and I turned around sharply to find out the reason for my unease, but there was nothing to see- just cold stone walls and flickering torchlight mounted every few meters. The feeling, still, wouldn't leave me.

Luckily I found a map in one of the hallways, one that carried the outline of the mansion. The laundry room and kitchen were the ones that stood out to me, I had to check them out first and see if she was there. Not long after, I found the kitchen.

Ducking into it, I was hit by the scent of bread and roasting meat. The maids were bustling around and about, heads down and focused on their tasks. One of them who was gossiping saw me and quickly made a beeline for the oven, pretending she was working. That felt more odd.

I cleared my throat and tried speaking to one of them. "Excuse me-"

She passed, completely ignoring me with her eyes fixed on the floor. I turned to another servant but she turned her back before I could even speak. What was going on?

A chill ran down my spine. I wasn't used to being ignored, and given that this was a strange environment, I couldn't help the fear that was creeping up on me now.

"Hey, I'm talking to you," I said before grabbing a maid’s arm, already pissed by the unsettling silence.

To my shock, she gasped before throwing a hand over her head in an attempt to protect herself. Her whole body was trembling.

"Please, your Grace! Have mercy!" She pleaded, eyes wide with fear.

Why did she think I was going to hurt her? The answer came quickly. They weren't ignoring me because of my race. They were ignoring me because I was a man, presumably one of the top guards. Or at least, they thought I was.

I let go of her immediately, and watched as she scurried out of the room. "I'm not going to hurt anyone." I announced, looking around at the others who quickly averted their gazes once our eyes met.

That was the moment a woman stepped into the room. Her poise and dress was a stark contrast to the others, and there was an air of authority about her that told me she was the leader of this prosperous household.

Her face was tight with suspicion. "Should you be out of your chambers, my lord? The guards... do they know where you are?"

She asked, giving a curt bow while holding back the edges of her maxi.

I straightened my back and masked the unease I felt. "If you're so curious then maybe you can go ask the Alpha himself. I don't need anyone to protect me."

Her lips pressed into a thin line. She wasn't pleased with the answer no doubt and without another word, she turned on her heel before marching towards the guards stationed outside. What the hell did she think she was doing? I couldn't let the guards know I was here or Magnus would have a field day tomorrow.

The moment she stopped outside, I turned around and slipped off, darting through the wide hallway and towards the tunnels. If I took the hallways, I could run into the guards so I needed to lay low for a while before getting up to the surface and checking the laundry. The air here was damp, and for some reason it felt like I was walking into danger. My heart was hammering now. I took sharp turns at random, memorising each turn so I wouldn't get lost. But it wasn't long before the corridors started to blur together and the panic returned, this time it was even worse. I turned around in the darkness, and realised with a start that I was lost. I just had to make it out to the streets and maybe I would find my way out. I continued on my way down and soon stumbled out in the open air. But the incline where I was standing now led to a dimly lit alley surrounded by shadows.

I took a moment to survey and scan the area for any signs of guards or danger, but I was cut short when I heard a muffled cry at the base of the incline.

Elira?

Without thinking, I ran down the staircase towards the sound, but I was surprised to see it wasn't her. And there was a guard standing over the trembling, helpless maid. The shadow had covered him the whole time and having seen him, I doubled back, grabbing a loose brick from the wall and swung it hard towards the short, podgy sentinel who was oblivious of my presence. The brick landed with a thud, right on his head before the man crumpled to the ground with a grunt.

The trembling woman gasped, before standing and looking around wildly, then she spotted me.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

She bobbed her head, still sobbing. She'd already sustained a black eye from whatever beating the guard had given her.

She nodded. "Yes. W-who are you? You shouldn't be here? If the guards find you-"

"I am looking for someone and I need to find them. Her name is Elira, she's my sister, do you have any idea where she is?"

"Elira-" She considered the words on her tongue for a moment, while her eyes still darted around in fear. Then she said, "I haven't heard of her. But you must get out of here before the other guards come." She said, before bolting up the stairs I'd just come down from.

I stood there for a moment, not knowing where to turn. There were two ends. Deciding to try my luck, I took the one upfront, but midway towards it, I heard a thud of boots. I froze immediately as the stirring in my heart started again. That's when a trio of guards ran in, spotting me at once.

One of them yelled. "There! After him!"

"Shit, shit!" I hissed before I turned around and made a beeline for the other end of the alley, which thankfully, wasn't a dead end.

My legs were already burning now but I couldn't afford to get caught. I sprinted through the darkness, nearly catching my leg on a piece of iron masked by the darkness.

Some of the guards tripped on it and fell, buying me a few seconds. Turning to another corner sharply, I continued to run, pushing the confused Pack members who were standing in my way.

"Faster!" I heard one of the guards yell. "Don't let him get away!" I spotted an open doorway ahead and without thinking lunged towards it.

I closed the door before running down the darkness, looking for the windows. I soon found one, but the guards were trying to round the building, so I made my way back to the door and slipped into the darkness.

Once I was far away from the citadel, I continued running and didn't stop until I was back in my chambers. Opening the door to my room, I quickly strutted in and closed the door, allowing myself to breathe, wondering what the case would have been if I'd been caught. But the moment I let my guard down, a ripple of fear ran through me.

Something was wrong.

I wasn't alone.

That's when I saw it. There was a shadow, sitting on my bed, watching me.

Another shiver rippled through me. “Who's that?”