Chapter 34

Renee

Neil was blocking my view of Tyler, but I could see the woman and her entourage clearly. For one glorious second, I thought maybe they were on my side. But then I saw the crest on the woman’s lapel—something ancient and royal, unfamiliar even to me—and the way the others stood between her and the crowd like a shield.

There was only one princess in the area, and that had always been Vivian.

Goddess help me.

Whispers rippled around the crowd.

“Is that her?”

“I’ve never see her in person... She’s much scarier in person...”

“She’s prettier, too…”

“What is she doing here? I thought...”

My head was spinning, blood still trickling from my nose, but I caught the name as soon as someone said it.

“That’s her! That’s Arielle Volkov.”

My eyes snapped to the woman in black. Arielle?

By the Goddess, I hadn’t seen her in years—not since we were kids at some boring family event where she broke a boy’s fingers for pulling my braid. My mother’s side of the family always carried a sort of quiet menace with them, but Arielle had never been quiet about anything.

Mountainhowl wolves were known for two things: old money and old power. They weren’t as politically prominent as the Brightclaw, being their stance on inter-pack politics being a waste of energy and completely against our nature, but they held the majority of the wealth on the continent. They had no strict allegiances, lend their money and advice to only those they deemed worthy of it.

I had seen the head of the pack in magazines a couple of time and heard a few things about Arielle, but seeing her now as something totally different. Arielle was wrapped in designer suits and rumors of bodies that were never found.

I never forgot her name since that first meeting. Part of me had always wanted to be that type of fearless and fierce, but I figured out quickly that I wasn’t nearly as confrontational as I needed to be to do it.

I looked around, noticing the way everyone stared at her. Arielle hadn’t looked at me for more than a few moments, sweeping her gaze over the group. She glanced over Neil and tilted her head just a bit. Her lips curved into a sly smile.

Them, Vivian stepped forward like Arielle had arrived to help her. The thought that she might have, probably had, made me want to curl up and die. Why would I think that Arielle, or any of the Mountainhowl pack would remember me after all these years?

“Thank you,” Vivian said with a tight smile. “For your loyalty. I’m sure—”

“Mountainhowl is only loyal to it’s own.” Arielle didn’t even look at her. “Blood and bonds. You’re not who I was talking about.”

Vivian blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” Arielle finally turned her head, slow and cold. “Your daddy might be powerful, sweetheart, but you are no princess.”

Vivian stiffened, her jaw clenched so tight I thought her teeth might break. Behind her, the Brightclaw wolves bristled, snarling, murmuring threats—but none of them moved.

They couldn’t.

Gasps. Audible ones. Vivian looked like someone slapped her across the face. Arielle turned her gaze to me, scanning me with a more critical eye.

“I was talking about Renee.”

The words cracked through the courtyard like lightning. Cracking something in me. My throat grew tight. That tickling, prickling painful feeling between my eyes and right behind my nose, my stomach quivered. I couldn’t breathe. I thought of myself at that playground so many years ago, head hurting, hair a mess and the way Arielle had shown up, smaller than me at the time, but completely unafraid.

I remembered the way she held me then, comforting me and walking me back to my mom telling her that “the boy with the broken arm” was to blame. I wanted to burst into tears the way I had then, but I held back.

I already looked a mess. I couldn’t look even more pathetic than I already did. Arielle’s eyes flashed.

“Lord Blackfang’s dissection of your character is quite accurate if a bit kind.” She looked at Neil. “Lord Blackfang, do you have medical knowledge?”

Neil shifted, but he nodded.

“Good. Please look after the princess, for now, hm?” She turned her head. “Take note of who they are, photograph the scene. I want a report ready when campus police arrive.”

A small group of her entourage pulled out their phones, snapping photos, making voice recordings that sounded rather official. Someone else left the area, hurrying towards a door I hadn’t even noticed. I figured perhaps they were getting a copy of the surveillance footage.

When the photos had been taken, they started frisking people. Vivian stepped up.

“You can’t---”

“Quiet,” Arielle said not even look at her.

I felt the compulsion cut through the air, striking Vivian. She shut her mouth, her eyes went pale and she went completely still, fearful.

“Leave.”

Vivian turned around stiffly and practically ran away. I stared after her in shock. Vivian addressed the crowd.

“I’ll ask once. If you have footage of what happened, step forward... If I have to find you, your pack might not survive it.” Her voice lowered. “Given that you all stood by and did nothing, I still haven’t made up my mind on that.”

The line that formed to approach the woman Arielle assigned to take the footage from people was a marvel. The rest of them scattered and left, rushing away like they suddenly had an urgent matter to attend.

Neil crouched down beside me. “Your...”

“Cousin,” I said, breathlessly, watching her.

Neil let out a low whistle as she kept looking around.

“We’ve gotten their identifications and compiled the preliminary report, Luna.”

My eyes widened. She was Luna of the pack? She was... what? A year or two older than me? Had that been the case in my past life? I couldn’t remember.

“See it submitted against Brightclaw within the hour.” She turned. “Leave and report what you’ve done to your alpha.”

The Brightclaw wolves who had been held under compulsion collapsed to the ground with a weak shudder. No sooner had they dropped to the ground, they were crawling away. I could tell they were trying to resist, but they kept going. Tyler’s sister actually tripped over her own feet trying to get away.

Even Tyler had left, casting a glare at Neil, but it was a slower shuffle than the others. I supposed she hadn’t aimed the command at him.

I wiped the blood off my upper lip, trying to pull myself together.

Arielle walked toward me. Her heels clicked as she stopped just a breath too close and looked me over with a critical eye.

“You’ve gotten taller,” she said.

“You’ve gotten scarier,” I murmured before I could stop myself.

She smirked. “I try. You will, too, with a little tutelage.”

She cupped my face, turning my head to survey the damage.

“I’ll be sure to pull her teeth out,” she said crisply. Then, she turned to Neil.

He shifted beside me, but before he could speak, Arielle turned to him and extended a hand.

“Thank you for stepping in. You’ve got an impressive compulsion for someone so young.”

He took her hand, cautious. “I... I’m a friend.”

“Just a friend?” She cocked an eyebrow. “Hopefully not for much longer.”

My face heated. “A-Arielle!”

“You’re a much better catch than that weak-jawed mutt,” she added, nodding in Tyler’s direction.

He flinched, went stiff and hurried away, but I wasn’t sure if it was because he knew it was a warning.

Then, to my complete confusion, she pulled a tissue from her jacket pocket and handed it to me. “Your nose.”

I took it, blinking at her.

She waved to one of the wolves from her entourage, who immediately started unpacking a sleek leather kit. “Alcohol wipes, gauze, and Arnica gel. She’s bruising. Did we restock on potions?”

“Of course, Luna.”

I almost laughed. My eyes pricking with years. I sniffled, unable to stop myself. She wrapped her arms around me, stroking my hair.

“There, there princess... I’ll break his arm, too.”

A watery gurgle of a cry escaped me and I wrapped my arms around her, trying and failing to hold back the tears. I couldn’t remember anyone else coddling me like this after my mother’s death. We hadn’t spoken in years. I was sure that Mountainhowl had completely forgotten who I was, but here she was, fussing over me like I was something valuable. I didn’t know what to do with that.

Neil leaned toward me. “Do you want me to stay?”

I hesitated. His presence was comforting. Safe. But… I didn’t want to look weak.

“I’m okay,” I told him quietly. “We’re family.”

Even if I didn’t know what kind of family yet. I looked at him from the safety of her arms.

He searched my face, then gave me a subtle nod. “Text me if anything changes. I’ll check up on you in a few hours.”