Page 45 of Of Daggers and Deceit

He wrapped his hand underneath my head to support me as he helped me sit up.

“Don’t move too much for now,” he ordered, jumping up to scan the paths leading out of this small alcove in the garden.

“Don’t tell him,” I pleaded. That was my first thought. He couldn’t know about this, or he would take away this privilege too.

“Surely you know I won’t. Besides, I would get in trouble,” he confirmed, his eyes softening with worry.

He understood at the very least. He knew it would only take one small threat to me for Zander to rationalise keeping me in his ivory tower, likely with different guards who would obey him.

He squatted down beside me again, and I lifted my hand to wrap it around his, looking up at his kind, handsome face.

“Thank you,” I murmured. I could never say it enough.

He gave my hand a gentle squeeze, the rough scrape of his hands against my smooth skin sending a shiver down my spine.

I retracted my hand from his grip, frustrated at myself for the decision to keep my distance, even if it was for the best. He frowned down at his hand, turning it over. It made the lingering nausea worse. I didn’t want this to be my life, but it was.

I hauled myself up to my feet, not wanting to touch him again, fearful of the reaction it stirred in me. I smoothed down my dress, ridding myself of the dirt.

“What happened?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I said honestly.

He stared at me, worry etched on his features, but I wasn’t going to relent. It was something he seemed to sense. What happened was something I needed to figure out on my own. He reached out his hand to tuck my hair behind my ear, a sad smile gracing his face before his stony mask slid back into place. He stepped back.

“Goodnight, Rose.”

I walked past him, weaving my way back through the rosy path to the base of the tower, determined to figure it all out. If tonight proved anything, it was that I needed a plan, but first, I needed to crack the code.

The only thing on my mind as I made my way back were the whispered words that had brushed against the shell of my ear.

‘Death has called your sister’s name.’

My hands formed into fists as I walked, clenching and unclenching to release the tension that had built up in my body from the encounter. With Zander out tonight, I’d plot. I’d involve myself in whatever way I could in Raya’s life. Move or be shoved.

Death didn’t know I had made a promise to my mother to protect my sister with everything I had, and I’d be damned if death thought it could derail me.

RAYA

“Lucky last meal,” I announced as I handed over the last of Mum’s cooking to a small child whose mum was too sick to cook for the pair of them.

Grubby hands reached out and took the bag from me as the young Alpha called out her thanks before racing off to join her friends.

I smiled as I watched her leave, though anxiety simmered beneath my skin, which had only increased the closer we got to the second thinning, now tomorrow night. I hadn’t realised how significant it would be for others that I won that additional food for our family, or how much my mum would thrive in sharing her love of cooking for others.

She turned towards me and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek, her face red from toiling away in the kitchen all day. She’d been there every single day for the past week since we received the additional food, making dishes for the elderly and sick within the community to give back in whatever way we could. I’d enjoyed watching her fuss about and greet those who came to our door requesting food for their family. However, I couldn’t shake that impending sense of doom that lingered every time something good happened. This week had felt too good to be true, and I knew better than anyone that good things rarely lasted in the Haven.

Clothes brushed up against me as I stood in the doorway, turning my head towards Bodhi, who I’d also successfully dodged over the past week. He’d thankfully relented enough, given we had training for most of the day at the compound, and I’d enjoyed seeing the shift in mood in our house since we had gained the additional provisions. I’d been too tired from work and training to do anything else. I hadn’t even touched my paints. My fingers hadn’t itched for it either, too fatigued to bother.

“Should we head off to the compound now?” he rumbled beside me, and I sighed, resigned. I didn’t want to train as much as we had been anymore.

He chuckled beside me and gripped my shoulder, dragging me into his body as we continued to stare out towards our street. “We aren’t running drills today.” His breath ruffled my hair.

I still couldn’t be bothered to move. I considered myself to be fit, but the relentless drills we had run were causing me so many aches and pains in areas I didn’t even know could hurt. I’d had to self-massage every day this goddess-damned week.

“I’ll change anyways, just in case,” I grumbled as I turned and took off to my room to get into my usual training get-up of black leggings and a singlet. Riley and I had always worn the same black outfit for training. Even now, when I didn’t see her as often, if at all, I didn’t stray from it. Some things would just always be, no matter what came between us.

I haphazardly tied my thick hair up into a ponytail, spying the box containing the cuffs on my bedside. The thinning was tomorrow night, and I still hadn’t decided if I would wear them. For some reason, they only added to my stress.

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