20. Elisabed

20

Elisabed

I couldn't stay cooped up in that room any longer. August had insisted I stay inside, that I rest, nest, and do whatever I was supposed to do after the heat. But I couldn't—my body felt too restless, too coiled up. I wouldn’t sit around all day waiting for him to come back and tell me what I could or couldn’t do.

I slipped out of the bed quietly, careful not to disturb the blankets too much, and pulled on the clothes I’d picked out earlier.

The house was still quiet, the air thick with the smell of breakfast from the kitchen below. I took a deep breath, the scent of fresh bread and roasted meats making my stomach growl. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was after everything that happened, but it wasn’t just food I was craving. I needed something else, something to fill the space inside me that had been left empty after the adrenaline rush of the last few days.

Slipping out the door, I walked through the winding hallways and into the courtyard. I would just get some fresh air and be back before anyone worried. The sunlight felt good against my skin, warmer than it should have been for this early in the day, but I wasn’t about to complain. The outside world was calling me, and I wouldn’t ignore it anymore.

The town stretched out before me. The empty stalls I saw last night were now part of a bustling marketplace, with vendors selling everything from trinkets and baubles to fruits, meats, and vegetables. People were haggling over prices, shouting over the din of the crowd, and yet an odd sense of peace seemed to settle over the whole place. I could smell the mixture of fresh produce and something sweeter from the pastries, and my mouth watered at the thought of sampling it all.

It was so different from the depressing atmosphere of my old pack territory. Raol’s presence poisoned any sense of peace in my old home, and our community wasn’t strong. I used to work at the only small store where people could get their daily goods, and they traveled for everything else as if trying to find any excuse to leave our settlement. Of course, the omegas could never leave unsupervised, so I spent most of my life watching others escape while I stayed stuck.

I’d always had Mily, though, and she’d always had me. Now, I was here—and alone.

I wandered deeper into the market. I hadn’t seen anything like this since I was a child—maybe not even then. There was something different about the way this place felt, a certain liveliness in the air, like it had a pulse of its own. I wanted to touch everything, explore each corner, and see every stall and face.

As I walked, I lost myself in the sights—bright fabrics hanging in the wind, merchants calling out to passersby, and children darting between adults, laughing as they went. But then, I saw her.

At first, I thought it was just the heat playing tricks on me, some hallucination or wishful thinking. But no—standing by a stall was a face I knew.

My heart leaped into my throat. It couldn’t be.

I knew it was her—my sister. The way she tilted her head, the way she held herself, even her hair—everything about her was unmistakable. But how? How could she be here?

I was frozen for a moment, trying to convince myself it wasn’t her, but my feet started moving of their own accord.

As soon as I got closer, she slipped around the corner of a building and vanished from sight. I pushed through the crowd toward where she’d disappeared, ignoring people’s murmurs and sideways glances at me. I didn’t care. I had to find her.

But as I turned the corner, there was no sign of her.

How could she have gotten here? Was she alone? Had she been exiled?

I stood in the middle of the street, scanning every face that passed with growing panic and catching snippets of nearby conversations that made my heart twist in my chest.

“Have you seen the new ones?” a woman whispered to her neighbor.

“Yeah, those strangers. Don’t know what they’re up to,” came the reply.

I froze. They weren’t talking about me, were they?

Another voice broke through my thoughts. “I hear they’re from the Carlisle pack. Not sure what they’re up to, but the way they’re always watching...too many of them in one place.”

My stomach dropped. I knew that tone. It was the kind of tone used when people looked at you like you didn’t belong—when they saw you as an outsider.

I knew exactly who they were talking about. Me.

I wasn’t part of this place. I wasn’t from here. I didn’t belong, and they could see that. A pack this bright, this full of life, would never accept me.

But I couldn’t let that stop me. I couldn’t let myself feel like I was just some stranger in the background. I wasn’t going to hide. Not anymore. Not when I had to find my sister.

I pushed forward again, but this time, I was more cautious, my steps slower, more deliberate. The feeling of being watched hung over me, thick and heavy.

I rounded another corner and finally spotted her again—Mily. But this time, she was walking farther down the street and talking to someone. The way she moved and her back arched just slightly as she conversed with the person in front of her—it was her.

I moved to follow her, my pace quickening, but I felt a sharp pull on my senses before I could make it another step. My wolf flared to life inside me, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up as I realized I wasn’t alone.

I glanced to my side, and that’s when I saw them. Two men, their eyes dark with intent, followed me at a distance. Their postures were stiff, almost predatory, and their gazes flicked back to me every few moments.

I should have turned back. I should have gone straight to the house, found August, and told him everything. But something inside me—something infinitely stubborn and reckless when it came to those I loved—urged me to keep going, to follow my sister.

I walked faster, but the two men followed. My heart was pounding now, my body tensing with the realization that something was wrong. I tried to focus on the figure ahead of me, but every time I turned a corner, the men were lurking just behind me.

Panic bubbled up in my chest, and I turned down another narrow street, hoping to lose them, but it only made things worse. They were still there while Mily was nowhere near.

Just when I thought they were about to close in on me, a shadow appeared at the end of the alley.

August.

His presence was like a storm, a whirlwind of power and fury. He didn’t even hesitate. With a single, sharp command, the two men froze in their tracks, their eyes wide with recognition.

“Get lost,” August growled, his voice low and dangerous. “Now.”

The men hesitated for a split second before they turned and bolted, disappearing into the crowd without another word.

I exhaled, the tension draining out of me. August moved toward me, his gaze sweeping over me in an instant, making sure I was unharmed.

“What the hell were you thinking?” he demanded, his voice tight and angry.

I couldn’t help the snort of indignation that escaped me. He had no idea why I was out here and just assumed the worst of me. “I was thinking that I don’t need a damn babysitter, August.”

He grabbed my arm, pulling me close to him, his grip possessive and firm. “You don’t need a babysitter, but you do need to stay safe.” His eyes darkened as they locked onto mine. “What were you doing out here, Elisabed?”

I wanted to explain, but the words wouldn’t come. I wasn’t sure he would understand the desperate need to find my sister—and the overwhelming desire not to feel so alone in this foreign, unfamiliar place.

But August wasn’t looking for an answer. He was already pulling me toward him, his protective instincts overwhelming everything else. “Come on,” he muttered. “We’re going back.”

I let him guide me toward the fortress, but my mind was elsewhere. I knew something wasn’t right, and I knew it involved my sister.