Chapter 57
I walked in the direction of the den where me and Iliana had talked but she wasn’t there, so I continued down past the lavish statues of previous rulers.
I made my way into a dark nook that had no lamps or candles.
“We can talk undisturbed here,”
I turned, nearly twisting my ankle on these stilts I was in and saw Abby with her hands clasped in front of her body.
She clutched a purse that glimmered as much as the dress.
“Why did you run?” I asked her.
“I saw on your face that you wanted to talk and I assumed whatever you had to say would probably be related to what you saw in the playroom- something that isn’t for our guests to hear,” she stepped out from the dark corner and instantly a mask covered her emotions. She looked much more relaxed in the corner, hidden in shadows and undisturbed by the likes of me.
She set one heel in front of the other. Her long modelesque legs were on full display when the slits moved between her legs. Her baby pink nails were flawless and soft against the diamonds on her clutch and the silver jewelry looked like it had been taken from the royal archive.
I stretched my back and tried to hold my own in front of her. Something on her face just changed since the ballroom and I realized more than ever that those smiles and waves and romantic flutters were all just for show. All for the men.
“I just wanted to make sure that you were okay after…” I didn’t know what to add but she knew what I meant.
She sighed and sucked her lip between her teeth.
“I’m almost out of here, I can’t afford to make a mistake right now,” she rustled out.
“I-i’m just asking about-”
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“Don’t. Don’t ask questions. Don’t go putting your nose where it doesn’t belong and don’t think that you can control anything that happens here.”
My back straightened like a rod from the chill that spread through me.
“Fine, but I am sorry,” I said and lifted my shoulders to my ears. I didn’t mean to offend her but something struck a nerve.
The woman standing in front of me was not the one I’d seen around the palace.
She was strong, fierce with a fire that burned in a blue flame in her eyes.
Looking over her body I didn’t see a bruise or any redness from earlier, she looked fine, as though nothing had happened. That was both the curse and the gift of being a werewolf, we healed from the pain and the wounds and in the end, only the memories were left to haunt us. But nobody saw them on you, they couldn’t see your history on your body, it only existed in your mind.
“Do you know what a Bell is, Hazel?”
Was she questioning my intelligence or did she just think that I was that stupid?
Without waiting for my answer she continued.
“A Bell i a rogue, always a rogue, who has nothing more to lose and everything to gain. We have already been through hell- tortured, deceived, shattered beliefs, and broken to our bones. When we join MarryBell we know what we’re getting ourselves into and it’s not just a form to sign your name on and then you get your room. No. You have to go through training to prove that you’re prepared for whatever you may encounter. Marry wants only the best,” Abby walked closer and smiled proudly. “There is nothing the king can do to me that hasn’t already been done,” her smile faltered an inch but she kept her head up. A coolness in her eyes let me know that not only was she telling the truth but she was haunted by it. The ghosts of her past live as constant reminders of the life she led.
“But you looked so broken,” I scratched out.
1/2
The Alpha’s Hunt
