Chapter 49

Clara

I was surprised when I was given a little slip of paper. I was allowed to vote, too?

Apparently so.

I wrote my suggestion, which I doubted would be anywhere near the majority. Somehow I didn’t think they would agree with simply releasing the prince. But I wrote it anyways.

I waited for the votes to be counted. It took several minutes. There were a lot of people in the Warren.

Ronan, Healer Naomi, and a man Tracy explained was in charge of the kitchen each counted the votes. Then they compared their results.

“Huh,” Ronan said, and then stood up to announce the result. “It is the decision of the Warren that Gideon, First Lycan Prince, will be released.”

I was shocked. I was sure they would demand an execution for all the things Prince Gideon had done during the war.

“It’s war,” Jules said, seeing my confusion. “He’s no worse than any of the other kings or lords. He’s just done what his father orders. You were right. Hurting him will only give the king wolf an excuse to hunt us down and hurt us back.”

Ronan ordered Prince Gideon returned to his cell. “While I figure out how to set him free without bringing an entire army down on our heads,” he explained.

I went back to the room with Tracy. She didn’t ask me anything. She didn’t ask why I spoke up for Gideon or why I hadn’t wanted to talk to him. I was grateful, because I didn’t have any answers for those questions.

Ronan knocked at Tracy’s door a few minutes later.

“He wants to speak to you,” Ronan said. “I’m just as happy telling him where to put his demands, but I said I’d ask.”

I thought about it. They were going to let him go. I was staying with the Warren. I would likely never see Prince Gideon again after this.

I wondered if he would take a message to Nora for me. She would want to know I was safe. And I could tell her that Kyle was going to be dealt with.

Even though I was a stranger to them, the people of the Warren had listened to what I had to say about Gideon. They would probably listen to my accusations against Kyle, too. I could make sure that they knew what kind of person he was.

“I’ll see him,” I wrote.

“Okay, then. He’ll stay bound. I don’t trust him not to try something foolish,” Ronan said.

Ronan led me to where the Warren kept their prisoners. It wasn’t like the dungeon in the castle at all. The doors were heavy and secured by solid iron locks. There were no bars. The cell was brightly lit and had a cot to lie on.

“I’ll be right outside,” Ronan whispered to me. “Knock twice if you need out quickly. Three times when you’re done talking to him.”

I nodded my thanks and stepped inside. Prince Gideon sat on the cot. His hands were bound together, but he didn’t seem to be hurt or uncomfortable.

“You spoke for me at that farce of a trial,” he said, pausing to add, “Well, wrote for me.”

I nodded.

“Why?”

I took out my notebook. I had figured out that Prince Gideon did not have the best understanding of my signs. He knew battlefield signs and guessed the rest. I didn’t want him to misunderstand me now.

“It was the right thing to do,” I wrote. “Hurting you, killing you, would start a new war, against these people. They don’t deserve that.” I paused, and added. “You don’t deserve to die, either.”

Prince Gideon read my message. “I see. Well, once again I am in your debt.”

I tilted my head, confused.

“I know you’re the one who saved my life,” Prince Gideon said. “Not Nora.”

He thought Nora was the one who helped him? Well, that explained why he was so cold hearted towards me after being so gentle that first night.

“She’s sorry,” Gideon added. “For lying.”

I shrugged. I didn’t need Prince Gideon’s gratitude, not anymore. Nora did. It would honestly be better if he still thought she was the one who helped him.

“She did help you,” I wrote. “She carried your pen thing to the Beta.”

“Still. She should have told the truth,” Prince Gideon insisted.

“Don’t be angry with her,” I wrote. “She needed a way out, and someone to protect her.”

“From the vampire spy,” Prince Gideon said. “Is he here, too?”

I nodded. “They locked him up. I told them what he did to her, and they locked him up.” I paused. “Tell her that, please. And that I will miss her.”

Prince Gideon frowned. “What do you mean, you’ll miss her? You’re coming back with me.”

I backed away and shook my head.

“Clara, you have to come back. You don’t belong with these… these people.”

I wondered what he’d meant to say instead of people.

“I can’t go back,” I wrote.

“I’ll convince my father not to have you executed,” Prince Gideon promised. “Marcus is already talking to him. He’s your fated mate. He’s good at talking our father around. I’m sure when I tell him that you saved me, again, he’ll change his mind.”

I shook my head. It wasn’t just the king’s order that kept me away. I didn’t want to go back, at all.

My whole life, I had been bullied for being different, for being defective. I was ignored and scorned. My fated mate tried to have me killed.

Prince Gideon was no better. He hadn’t given me a chance to explain myself after the incident with the drugged wine. He’d had me lashed for something that was not my fault. I had not seduced him!

Here, though, people took the time to let me “speak” the only way I could. Tracy accepted me as family even though there was no real proof of it. The Warren accepted me as one of their own. I could belong here. I wanted to belong here.

“Clara, come with me,” Prince Gideon demanded.

I shook my head again. No. I was not going back there.

“Why do you want to stay here?” Prince Gideon asked. “These people are, are spies and vagabonds and Rogues. They’re just trash, discarded by both sides. You don’t belong with them.”

I glared. “I am defective,” I wrote. “An abomination. A half blood. Where else do I belong?”

Prince Gideon glared. “I get it. You tried to scheme and seduce your way into a more comfortable position in the castle. And when that failed, when what you really are got exposed, well, you ran to this place.”

I frowned. What was he talking about?

“You convinced my brother you’re his fated mate. I’m not sure how you pulled that off. I’m actually impressed,” Prince Gideon continued. “But you’ve decided to abandon that ploy. That’s how I know it’s just a scheme. If you were fated to him, you’d never be able to make yourself leave him.”

I flinched at the mention of Marcus. I was his mate. And, yes, I had abandoned him. But he’d tried to have me killed. Sure, he acknowledged me later, but that was only part of his schemes and plots. He’d never really consider me his mate.

“Who have you latched onto here, I wonder?” Prince Gideon asked. “I wish them luck.”

My hands shook as I wrote. “I do not care what you think of me. You owe me your life. Twice over.”

“So?” Prince Gideon scoffed.

“So I demand my reward now,” I wrote. “You go back. And you don’t ever tell anyone where you were. You don’t lead anyone back. You let me go. You let us go.”

Prince Gideon read my note. He nodded slowly.

“Fine,” he said. “You have my word. I won’t tell anyone where this place is.”

I knocked on the cell door three times, and rushed outside. Ronan glared at the prince.

“My scouts are going to take you back to your castle, or near it anyway,” Ronan announced. “Our healer is going to knock you out for the journey.”

“I gave my word,” Prince Gideon growled.

“And I’m sure that’s worth something to someone,” Ronan said with a shrug, “but I’ve got people to protect here.”