Chapter 33

I looked down at the map on my phone to confirm I had reached the right address. This was definitely where Rachel lived, but all that stood in front of me was a crumbling building in a rough neighborhood.

I stepped over dried grass and a broken beer bottle to get to the front door, where a large brass knocker hung lopsided on the door. There were tiny claw marks under the handle, like a pet cat had been trying to get inside.

I knocked, but there was no answer for several moments. I thought I saw a light flicker on briefly through the windows, but it died as soon as I noticed it. “Rachel?” I said, knocking again. “I’m looking for Rachel, is she home?”

No answer.

“I just want to talk, I promise I won’t be long.”

The door creaked, opening slightly. A dozen chains kept it from opening too far. But there was a face I had seen in my memories of my past life, the sharp features and dark hair. Rachel Plint.

“Hi, my name is Ruby and—“

”If Lucas sent you here for his money, you’re going to have to come back later. I’m not taking visitors and I don’t like people on my property.”

I stepped back, surprised by the power and anger in her voice. “No, I’m not with Lucas, I have nothing to do with him. I just want to talk to you—“

“Are you with Liam? I told him our deal was finished, I don’t owe him anything else and he can fuck off.” Her eyes narrowed down to dangerous slits like she thought she could cut me with her gaze.

“I’m here because I want to help you.” I said, pulling out the tone I used for royal political discussions. “I’m High Prince Caleb’s fiance, and we’re trying to take Lucas down.”

She raised an eyebrow, letting the door open an inch further. “Take him down how?”

I held back a smile, I had sparked her interest. Now I just had to keep it. “We know what he has been forcing you to do, that you have been sold out to the Bears like a whore so he could maintain alliances with them. We now he wants to use them to ruin the Alpha Ball. But we need your help to put a stop to it.”

Rachel considered me for a few moments, as if she was trying to figure out how much of a threat I was. Then, she slid the locks out of their places and removed the chains, finally opening the door to let me inside.

The hinges screeched behind me, and the first thing I noticed was the heavy scent of pine in the house. It was much darker than I expected, but surprisingly clean and tidy considering the state of the lawn outside.

“Come in,” she said, not particularly welcomingly. “It seems we have some things to discuss.”

I followed her into a sitting room off the front hallway, where there were two cushioned chairs and a coffee table with several burning candles. “It smells nice in here,” I said, trying to make polite conversation as she stared at me.

She sighed, gesturing to a pile of pine needle sachets in the room. “They like to smell it on me,” the fight sounded completely gone from her voice, and I realized how painful that admission must have been.

“We want to help you,” I said, leaning forward in my chair. “But in order for us to be able to do that, we need you to help us.”

Rachel rested her chin on her fist, “What kind of help are you offering?”

“We know that you’re in debt, and that Lucas is using that debt to blackmail you into this work. Caleb and I are prepared to pay off that debt and have your name removed from blacklists.”

Rachel nodded, “What are you looking for in return?”

“Names, dates, specifics, details. Anything you can tell us about what Lucas plans to have the Bears do at the Alpha Ball.”

“You understand how risky this is for me,” she said.

“I also understand how risky your current position is,” I responded back. “I’ve seen the assignments Lucas has given you, and I know what the reports look like on how you come back.”

Her head fell, her gaze on the floor.

I knew I had hit something, so I continued. “I’ve seen the photographs. Mating with Bears isn’t easy, is it? The scratches all over your body, the bruising and tearing from their knots. You physically can’t go on like this forever.”

“I know, but what choice do I have?” She said softly, her head in her hands. “I can’t pay back my debts, and any move I make against Lucas is going to come back to hurt me.”

I reached out to take her hand. “Don’t be afraid. You do have a choice.” I said. “Work with us, we want to stop Lucas as much as you do.”

”Are you sure you can keep me safe from him?” She asked, and I was shocked by how much hope there was sparkling in her eyes. This terrified woman was the same one who had lashed out at me a few moments before on her front steps?

I knew we had to do something. She didn’t deserve to live in thsi much fear.

“I promise.” I said sincerely. “You’ll never have to take them to your bed again, they will never rape you, and Lucas will never profit off of your body.”

She squeezed my fingers, releasing a shaky breath. “What do you need to know?” She asked.

I smiled encouragingly. “We need to know who is coming to the Alpha Ball, and what they’re planning to do.”

She nodded, and grabbed a notepad to begin writing down names. “There’s a group of them,” she said, “that have been in contact with Lucas for quite some time. He was planning this before the Alpha Ball was even announced.”

”He’s been so far ahead this whole time?”

“It’s worse,” she said, looking back up at me. “They have a false storyline they intend to use to frame Caleb and his supporters with. I don’t have any details on it, they kept me out of those conversations. But I heard snippets in between the Bears taking turns inside me.”

She shivered, and my heart broke.

“You have no idea how much this is going to help us, Rachel.” I said. “Are you willing to come meet Caleb with me? We can show you our plans and maybe you’d be willing to point out flaws?”

Rachel considered the offer, her fingers twitching nervously. But she looked up at me with the same fire in her eyes I had noticed when she first opened the door. “If it’s going to hurt Lucas,” she said, “hell yes.”