Chapter 232

Just as the tension in the room feels like it’s at a boiling point, Samuel takes a step backwards, moving away from Gladys.

To the guard that stepped forward, he shouts, “Take Gladys to the dungeon.” As if suddenly remembering Bethany, he motions to her as well. “And this one. I tire of seeing either of their faces.”

The soldier behind me forces me to stand, while the other soldier helps Gladys up to her feet. Once we are both steady the soldiers usher us forward.

Gladys keeps her head tall, defiant even in this, even with a blooming bruise on her cheek. The soldiers lead the pair to the stairs and then guide them down, down, down, into the dark. They descend further then where Bethany was previously kept, down to the lowest level of the old fort.

There, they are pushed forward down a hallway of cells. Each cell does have a small, barred window along the ceiling. Perhaps during the day, some sunlight might creep in. Right now, at night, everything is dark.

Still, the torchlight illuminates some of the space. With it, Bethany spots a familiar face in one of the cells.

Tristan.

The King’s Beta is thinner than last Bethany saw him and his hair is longer. But those eyes of his are sharp as ever. He takes in Gladys and Bethany, and Bethany is willing to bet that he’s already pieced together what happened.

The soldiers lead Bethany and Gladys into a cell opposite Tristan’s. There’s a single wooden stool in the small space. Gladys immediately goes to it and sits. Bethany stays by the cell door, watching as the soldiers lock it up and then disappear down the hallway.

When they are gone, she turns to Tristan.

Before she can say one word, however, Gladys begins to loudly lament her situation. “After all I’ve done for that brat, he does this to me. I should have listened to my instincts about him. I always knew he was spineless…”

She continues on. Bethany listens for a moment, but then decides Gladys is just talking to herself and tunes her out.

Instead, she makes eye contact with Tristan.

“How are you here?” he asks.

“I came as Harper’s handmaiden to Gladys’s estate,” Bethany explains. “King Caleb was able to discern that this is where the rebel stronghold is…”

“Did he bring his army?” Tristan asks.

“No,” Bethany replies. “This was a scouting mission primarily.”

“Then he should have sent scouts.”

“The entire border is blocked off by armed forces. The only way to enter was for King Caleb himself to come.”

Tristan shakes his head.” A scout could have slipped past the guards. All they would have needed to do was spot the castle and report it, and that would have been enough.”

“Finding the stronghold was only part of the mission,” Bethany says.

This seems to surprise Tristan, who looks at her sharply. “What do you mean? What else could there be to accomplish?”

“Well, the other half of it is a rescue mission,” Bethany tells him.

She watches as realization settles on his face. “Me?” he asks, like he still can’t quite believe it.

“Did you think the King and consort wouldn’t attempt to rescue their Beta and friend?” Bethany asks.

“… friend?” He continues to puzzle for a moment. Then he says, “Tell me everything that happened. Wasn’t the King engaged to another? Where is the Luna?”

Bethany fills him in on all that’s occurred since his capture, including the embarrassing rejection of Annabelle and the dismissal of the rest of the harem.

Tristan had known for a long time that his king was in love with Harper, so he’s pleased to hear that the man finally allowed himself to be in love.

Yet, it’s still surprising to him that Bethany would assert the king and consort saw Tristan as a friend. He’s ever just been someone useful, the King’s Beta. Sure, he was someone the king trusted, but he never thought highly enough of himself to think the King might consider him a friend.

Bethany’s words speak otherwise, as do the actions of the King and consort. They came here, into this hostile pack’s lands not just to find the stronghold, but to also rescue Tristan.

It’s a big change in what Tristan knew of his king. Caleb was ruthless and proud. In the past, he likely would have left Tristan to find his own escape, one that had eluded him thus far.

Now, however, while Tristan still expected Caleb would be ruthless, he also seems to have a soft spot for those loyal to him.

This must be Harper’s influence. Her love must be teaching him that some vulnerability is not weakness. Not when it’s protected by family and friends.

“I’m glad he chose not to marry Annabelle,” Tristan says.

“Me, too,” Bethany replies. “Else they both might have been miserable.” She pauses, her face scrunching up like something is bothering her. “But I’m worried. They said there’s a hunt going on and Harper is the hunted?”

“Harper is poison for the rebellion,” Gladys says. “It was my honor to remove her.”

A Hunt. With Harper as the hunted. Gladys might think Harper is as good as dead, but with Caleb on her side, Tristan is not so sure.

If there’s a hunt, that means they are likely in the forest. Perhaps the very same forest that Tristan spied beyond the windows and balconies of the rooms he’s been interrogated in.

He glances up at the small window at his cell. Focusing, he attempts to hear beyond the walls of this cell, this old castle, and beyond.

Yes, distantly, he can hear the howls of wolves on a hunt. For these howls to persist means that Harper is still alive, the hunt not completed.

Then, among them, Tristan hears the distinctive howl of his king.

Caleb is here. He’s close.

Now is the time to act.

I run as fast as I can, but my two human legs are nothing compared to the four powerful legs of a wolf.

All around me, the howls are getting closer. They are in every direction, there is no safe direction for me to run.

The mud that covers me has maybe saved me this far, but my fear and sweat must be palpable scents. I don’t know how to hide them.

I long for Caleb.

Frightened, I start to slow. Perhaps I could hide again?

Yet as I search around, I see no hiding place as efficient as the tree hollow had been.

What do I do? Where do I go?

Another howl sounds, so much closer than the others. I shiver, knowing how close I am to being found.

Is there nothing I can do?

Glancing around, I grab a rock and lift it, ready to throw. Maybe it will buy me some time. I won’t go down without a fight.

Then, a wolf bounds out of the brush. He stops right in front of me. Seeing me, he emits a low growl.

At once, I throw the rock. My aim is true but the agile wolf simply hops out of the way. The rock lands harmlessly in the forest bed.

Panicked, I drop down, desperately searching for something else to defend myself.

At the same time, the wolf lunges right for me.