Page 37 of Midnight Deception

After a minute or two and the muttered prayers quieten down, the queen lowers her arms and looks around the ballroom once more.

“The goddess hears our prayers and gives us strength in these hard times. As we’re celebrating the goddess and her miracles, what better time for one of our own to be returned to us?” Smiling wide, she gestures to where I stand in the corner of the room. “Laelia, will you please come forward?”

My stomach drops, and my palms begin to sweat as everyone turns to look my way. My instincts are screaming that something is wrong, to run, and not to trust the queen. However, I know I don’t have a choice. Closing my eyes for a second, I mentally attempt to prepare myself for whatever she has in store.

“No.” Atlas’s harsh voice rings out, my eyes snapping open as I look at him in shock. He doesn’t shout it, but he may as well have as his hand tightens on my arm. The whole room falls deadly quiet. I see several witches, including Maliki, frowning at his behaviour, and I’m sure they’ll chalk it up to the spell they think I’m casting over him. This isn’t good.

“Atlas, you need to let her go,” Kano hisses, his voice low as he steps in front of me, sheltering me from the vision of the rest of the room.

“Is there a problem?” the queen asks in a sickly sweet voice.

“Atlas, it’s okay. Let me go,” I whisper, reassuring him with a gentle hand on his cheek. The touch seems to startle him, and he lets go of my arm. Hurt flares in me at his rejection of my touch, but I shove the useless emotion away, not having the time or will to examine those feelings.

Taking a deep breath, I nod once at Kano as he moves aside so I’m facing the queen once more. “Of course not, Your Majesty,” I reply in my own sweet voice as I walk to the dais, my dress shining and shimmering around me as I move. I sense Atlas’s presence, and when I look over in surprise, I see him walking with me, showing a rare display of protectiveness. I don’t kid myself into thinking this is anything other than the bond flexing itself, but it makes me feel more settled, so I don’t say anything.

“Well,” the queen coos as the two of us come to a stop before her, “isn’t this lovely?” She’s good at hiding her true feelings, and most would think she believed what she’s saying. However, I can smell the deceit on her.

“I know many here were anxious about welcoming someone into Haven with werewolf blood,” she continues, addressing the rest of the ballroom. “Laelia has been proving who she really is in her training, using star magic just like her mother. The goddess also chose to bless her and bond her with one of our own.”

Shock goes through the room, and whispers rise around us as they process and try to guess who my mate is. I hear Atlas’s name mentioned the most, and given the tension between the two of us and our little moment on the dance floor, it’s not hard to come to that conclusion.

Smiling widely, she gestures to me and Atlas, who is standing stiffly at my side. “Atlas and Laelia are now mates. It can no longer be denied that she belongs here with us.”

Everything she says is true, but she’s twisting it to fit her narrative. The witches already knew about my magic, it was revealed in the meeting hall when I was first brought here, yet she’s speaking as though this is big news. Star is sitting at my side, her body of stars clearly displaying my magic. She completely washed over the fact I have other mates—werewolf mates—who I was taken from. I’m sure I announced in the meeting hall that I already have mates, yet everyone seems surprised. Declaring that there’s no doubt that I belong here is a risky move, as her people could rebel against her. However, it looks like it may be paying off for her.

The queen wants everyone to accept me because she wants me to stick around. I still don’t know why, and I certainly don’t believe it’s out of love for my birth mother. There was a reason I was abandoned outside of a werewolf pack as a new-born. If she felt safe here with the witches, I have no doubt that this is where she would have given birth. According to the queen, they were close friends, so why wasn’t I left here?

Thinking that she’s finished and I can return to my corner, I shift my weight from one foot to the other, anxious under all this attention. However, the queen clears her throat, and I have to bite back my groan.

“To help motivate and encourage her training, I’ve got a little present for her,” she announces loudly, her smile growing at the praise of the witches. Everyone seems to think the queen is being generous, and they are singing her praises, but dread fills me. I feel jittery, my hands beginning to shake, and Star becomes distressed at my side. From the corner of my eye, I see Atlas looking at me with a frown, rubbing at his chest where our bond sits as he feels the rising sensation that something is about to happen.

“I know how much she misses her friends.” Her eyes lock onto mine, and I see right through her mask to the smug, cunning mind. “I hope this motivates you more, Laelia.”

She waves her hand, and a side door is opened before a very stunned figure stumbles into the room, his arms bound to his sides by magic. He’s wearing a blindfold, and his head turns from side to side as he tries to figure out what’s happening and where he is. However, that doesn’t stop me from instantly recognising him.

“Nicolai?”

ChapterFourteen

My vision completely narrows down to my friend, bound and blindfolded. How in the great goddess is he here? How did the witches manage to sneak him out of the wolf compound? I want to deny this, to shake my head and say this is some sort of trick, but his scent fills the air, smelling of family, and tears prick at my eyes. It’s really him. He’s here, and he’salive.

He was dying the last time I saw him, and even though he doesn’t look great, his clothes dirty and torn, there’s at least some colour in his cheeks and he’s able to hold his own weight. He could barely lift his head when I saw him in the healers’ quarters. However, he’s only going to be used against me here. How do I know he’s going to be safe here? He’s a full-blooded werewolf, something they hate.

As soon as he hears me calling his name, his whole body jerks like he’s been electrocuted, and he attempts to lurch forward, desperation written on his face. “Laelia?” he calls, his voice so familiar that it breaks my heart a little. “Laelia, are you okay? Have they hurt you? I’ll fucking tear them apart limb from limb.” Struggling against his restraints, he fights with all his might, his teeth bared and a snarl rumbling deep in his chest. Werewolves have very strong protective instincts, especially with packs, so knowing that I’m here and we’re surrounded by our captors is bringing out his primal reflexes.

However, before he can shift, the queen clears her throat, making a tsking noise as if she’s disappointed by the reaction, and the fight seems to drain from him.

“That’s enough of that I think.” The queen waves her hand dismissively, and guards step forward and grab my friend. I hear the disgust in her voice, but I don’t care, fighting the rising panic as Nicolai is dragged from the room.

“No, wait. Don’t take him!” I shout, panic making my chest tight. “Nicolai!” I call, watching him disappear into the dark doorway, struggling against the guards.

He’s dragged away, my name echoing around the hall as he shouts.No, not again, I think fiercely to myself.I won’t let him be taken from me. I attempt to follow, but I’m held back by a band around my waist. Looking down with a snarl, I find Atlas’s arms locked around me, stopping me from moving. His expression is full of confusion, and I can see his mouth moving as he tries to calm me down, but I can’t hear him over the ringing in my ears and the all-consuming need to get to Nicolai. I spot Luna and Kano hurrying forward, the former’s face twisted with concern.

Turning in Atlas’s arms, I use my werewolf strength to break from his hold, darting away from his reaching hands as I run forward. I know that if any of them get too close to me, they’ll try to stop me, and right now, I’m desperate to get to my friend at any cost. There’s shouting, and I’m sure I hear the queen order me to be detained and controlled. The scent of magic fills the air, but a shout that I think belongs to Kano orders no one to harm me.

Someone I don’t recognise jumps in the way, but I manage to dodge them at the last moment, avoiding capture. There’s more shouting, and I feel Atlas close behind me, keeping up with my speed, but I don’t stop. I can’t.

At least, not until my legs freeze and I topple forward. Landing hard on the tile floor, I’m momentarily stunned, and the wind is knocked out of me. Snarling, I twist around and see that my feet are literally frozen into blocks of ice. I know only one person with that ability. I look up at Atlas. His hands are extended, and his expression is firm, but his eyes are apologetic. My mind is too much of a mess to contemplate the meaning and potential warning he’s trying to give me here, driven only by the need to rescue my friend.

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