Chapter 17
The first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was the smell–lavender and something faintly woodsy, like cedar warmed by sunlight. My mind, still groggy, took a few seconds to catch up to the fact that I wasn’t in my dorm.
I was in the Alpha mansion.
In a guest room.
The sun filtered through sheer curtains, casting soft golden lines across the bedspread. Everything around me was quiet–peaceful. For a moment, I simply lay there, listening to the silence.
No nightmares last night.
That thought stopped me.
I blinked at the ceiling, then sat up slowly, hugging my knees to my chest. My heart wasn’t racing. My body didn’t ache with the remnants of a scream held in my throat. There was no cold sweat clinging to my skin.
I’d slept through the night.
And I remembered exactly why.
The garden. The blue rose. The sketch.
Him.
His grieve make me realize that I am not the only one who in pain.
My face heated, and I quickly shook my head as if the motion would shake the memory away.
Francesco Totti Lycaon had sat with me.
Spoke with me…
There was a soft knock on the door before I could spiral too far. “El?” Patricia’s voice floated in gently.
“Come in,” I said, grateful for the interruption.
She peeked in with a warm smile and held a tray in her hands. “I thought you might be hungry.”
My stomach rumbled in agreement, which made us both laugh.
“You didn’t have to-” I started.
“I wanted to,” she said, setting the tray down and brushing her hand over my shoulder briefly. “Monica is awake. Still sore, but she’s asking about you.”
A knot loosened in my chest.
“I’ll come by after breakfast.”
Patricia smiled wider. “She’d love that.”
Patricia led me quietly through the hallways of the Alpha’s mansion, her presence warm and grounding beside me. The memory of the garden still lingered–how the moonlight wrapped the roses in silver, how he had watched me sketch in silence, how my heartbeat had shifted, unsure whether it was from fear or… something else.
I wasn’t ready to think too much about that.
1/3
16:52 Sat, 12 Jul T GO
Chapter 17
23
Monica’s room was on the second floor, tucked between the guest quarters and the infirmary wing. A faint herbal scent–something earthy, maybe from the healer’s poultices–floated in the air as we approached. Louis had said she was stable, just sore. But I needed to see it for myself.
Patricia gave a soft knock and pushed the door open, revealing Monica propped up with pillows, a gentle smile curling her lips. Her arm was in a sling and there were faint bruises along her jaw, but she looked more alert than I expected.
Her eyes lit up the moment she saw me.
“Ellaine?” she breathed, her voice rough but warm. “You came.”
I hesitated, unsure of what to say. We’d never actually spoken before, only exchanged polite greetings during my short stay at their home.
“I’m glad you’re alright,” I said softly, walking in.
Monica reached for my hand, her grip surprisingly strong. “Thank you.”
My brows furrowed. “For what? I didn’t do anything. It was the warriors-”
“No,” she cut me off gently. “You came for me. You didn’t have to. But you did.”
That… meant more than I expected.
Her gratitude wrapped around my heart, something about it easing the ache I hadn’t realized I was carrying today.
I gave her a small, hesitant smile. “You’re welcome.”
We didn’t talk long–she still needed rest–but by the time I left the room, something inside me had shifted. A quiet warmth settled in my chest. Maybe I couldn’t change the past. Maybe I was still healing. But… I had made a difference. Even a small one.
As I stepped out into the hallway, ready to ask Patricia to call me a car back to the dorms, I stopped in surprise.
Audrey and Beta Alfonso were standing there, waiting.
I blinked. “What… are you two doing here?”
Audrey offered a small smile and gestured to the hallway. “We’re taking you back.”
Beta Alfonso nodded. “There’s been a change.”
I followed them down the stairs, confusion twisting in my stomach. “Change?”
Audrey cleared her throat, her voice casual–too casual. “Turns out your dorm is being reassigned. They needed the room for another student.”
I frowned. “But I paid rent for the 2 years already.”
“We’ve arranged something else,” Alfonso said smoothly. “An apartment. A bit further out, but more private. Safer.”
Safer?
I paused mid–step. That word.
“What do you mean, safer?”
“Just a precaution,” Audrey said quickly. “You’ye been through a lot lately. Alpha Francesco’s territory is vast, and the city’s been uneasy with the rogues sighted near Bologna. It’s better this way.”
“And you’ll be staying with me?”
“Nearby,” she said, offering a half–smile. “Let’s just say I’ve been reassigned for now. Watching your back.”
2/3
16:52 Sat, 12 Jul TGO
Chapter 17
It should’ve felt intrusive. It should’ve made me feel like a prisoner.
But somehow, with Audrey there, it felt… okay.
A little strange, but not threatening
And the apartment, when we arrived, was nothing like I expected.
70%
428
A small, two–bedroom place tucked near the edge of a quiet neighborhood. Clean. Bright. A tiny balcony with potted herbs already growing. Someone had thought about this. Had taken care to prepare it.
Still, a thread of unease curled through me as I stood in the doorway.
“I didn’t ask for this,” I said quietly.
“I know,” Audrey replied gently. “But maybe it’s okay to let people look out for you now.”
I didn’t answer right away. I stepped further inside, the scent of lemon oil faint but familiar, echoing the Alpha’s mansion in a strange, comforting way. My sketchbook was tucked under my arm, and I set it on the kitchen counter, my fingers lingering on the worn cover.
Maybe it was okay. For now.
As Audrey disappeared down the hall to unpack, I sat on the edge of the sofa and closed my eyes.
Conversation with Francesco last night is so unreal, how come I easily open myself to him. But he didn’t leave either. He stayed, listening and sharing his own grief, he’s like a silent guardian.
And I’d felt seen.
Not as a broken thing.
But maybe… just maybe… as someone worth watching.
3/3
