"Asher will kill me if he finds us like this," jokes Hayder, as he throws another twig at the people under us. He nearly misses the maid that wanted to pick a fight with me this morning, and I also try my luck.
"Well, I'm pretty sure he won't be looking for me for a while. I pissed him off bad. So you're safe, Lycan."
I aim at the maid, stucking the twig in her braided hair. Of course, she felt it and she seemed angry when she turned around and so no one to blame. She fumed like a mad bull and started a fight with a random pack member. Hayder and I laughed our arses off at the little show I created, deciding to go for a bigger target next.
"I bet a pound to a penny that you won't hit Chase." Says Hayder and I feel ambitioned by his affirmation.
"I bet you 20 pounds that you can't, but I will," I state proudly and he just agrees to the bet. "May the sun forever be in your eyes, Lycan."
"Because if it is not, you won't win this, Huntress." He says, snapping another twig from the tall tree we assault the last half an hour.
"I was making a Hunger Games reference, duh," I tell him, snapping a twig myself and aiming for the Lycan that finished carrying chairs and tables, and was discussing with a werewolf girl. I carefully analysed the best trajectory and as I was about to throw it...
"Bullseye!" Shouts Hayder, jumping on the rooftop and making the tiles sound like they were about to break. "You owe me 20 pounds, Huntress."
"What the hell are you doing?" Shouts Chase, his eyes red and threatening.
"Phoebe told me to stay out of your way while you're finishing the ceremony," defends himself Hayder, letting me cook up my excuses.
"What is Adeline doing there?" Continues the Lycan and both of us acted like he had no idea what Chase was talking about. Who is Adeline? Oh, yeah. I am. "Get her down, now!"
"I can do it myself," I stood on the tiles, reversing the steps I made to get myself up here. After all, it was my idea to get on the roof and annoy the pack. Hayder was just laying low around the mansion, and I thought some company won't hurt. He seemed as eager to do anything not relating to the upcoming ceremony or dinner.
I cling to one of the pipes I used to climb, sliding down to the balcony that was leading to Asher's room. When I was safely on the floor, I dared to look back at Chase. He was arguing with Hayder now, not even looking at me ever since I landed somewhere safer than the roof. But he was the exception because all the other people were eyeing me like I was a madwoman. I didn't even want to know what they are thinking right now, but I'm out of luck.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Says a voice, and this is exactly what I didn't want to hear.
"I was passing the time since you decided to leave me here like an idiot." I enter the room where Asher was staying in front of the open door, his arms crossed and eyes in a big, grumpy frown.
"You asked me to leave! Now you scold me for listening to you? Seriously?"
"Well, you should've known better. Don't you insist that we are soul mates? You should have known that I didn't wish to be left alone, surrounded by strangers that likely want me dead!"
"No one wants you dead, Aline." His voice was calmer now when he sat at the end of the bed. He motioned for me to come next to him and my legs obeyed him before my mind could refuse him. Idiot body.
"They should if they were smart. I've only brought trouble so far. And I will surely bring even more, as long as you insist on keeping me here."
"You still want to go home?" He asks and I immediately disapprove.
"Of course not. At least, not while my mother is impatiently waiting to kidnap me and put me on a plane back to London."
"You know I won't let that happen," he says in a means to calm me down.
"You won't be able to, if she throws you in jail," I remind him of the upcoming trial. He doesn't seem stressed, or remotely worried, about the possibility of being locked up which makes even madder. I'm aware he doesn't know my mother as well as I do, but she is a relatively known hunter from a family famous for their bloody trials against supernaturals. The DeGreys are amongst the most cold-blooded, diplomatic hunters in Europe and not once, I've heard monsters arguing that is better to be killed than trashed in one of my family's trials.
The waters are still calm because Will didn't wake up yet. But the moment we'll be able to speak clearly, my mother will drag him to the court to testify against Asher. I can even see how the trial will unravel: Asher will be found guilty, sentenced to some absurd time in the Sewers, the only European super-maximum prison exclusively for monsters, while his current pack will be investigated for treason, as they sheltered a Lycan who broke the rules and didn't report his crime. Alpha Taylor will surely lose her title, maybe even sent to Florence for a few years. And of course, I will be found guilty of aiding a criminal and given another absurd sentence. But because I'm a descendant of the DeGreys, I will only be put on house arrest for the rest of my days, becoming my mother's prisoner.
"Hey, Aline," he calls my name and I wake up from my thought's turmoil, taking a deep breath before lifting my eyes to meet his. "This won't happen. The trial won't happen, I promise."
"Of course you believe it because you don't know my mother. Her family is famous for their trials against your people, and they always end devastating for the accused."
"I know her and I know your family. But I can bet on my life that she won't push this trial, because she won't want to break the accords."
"What do you mean?" I ask and I see him analysing his response very carefully. His eyes fell on my hand that was resting on the bed like he wanted to take it into his. But he restrained from doing it, glancing back at me with a sweet smile.
"The Lycan Heirs have a special level of clearance because any of them can be the future leader of the shifters. If any of them is harmed or kept from attending the Royal Competition, war will follow. And no one is dumb enough to fall on the wrong side of a war with the Lycans, because we have alliances with all the supernatural community, who vowed to support us in such a scenario.
"Your mother can easily put me in jail, but she won't; as powerful as she is, a hunter can't be responsible for starting a war against us. No one will support her, Aline," he assures me and his fingers bruise briefly against mine when he puts his hand beside mine, on the mattress. He didn't have the courage to hold my hand, but he still found a way to touch me.
"Regarding the other matter, I'm afraid you'll have to stay here until she returns to London. Just to be sure she won't try to kidnap you and ship you back home like an early Christmas gift."
"I'm not pretty sure I'm safe here," I tell him, watching his mischievous grin disappearing as I speak. "After all, she expects me to be hiding in the pack with you."
"You still want to leave, don't you?" He asks, sorrow filling his eyes and I feel my heart stinging, like an arrow pierced right through it. I ignore the burning pain, trying to not think about the way my heart seems to be changing minute by minute.
"I guess I'll try my luck here," I say, damning myself because of the way I destroyed my chance of getting back my life, which was not great but you know the saying: the Devil you know...
"My love," he says very seriously, getting both of my hands into his and coming closer to me. I don't shy away, because I was curious about what is he going to say... not because I was not bothered about being so close to him anymore. No, it is just my curiosity taking over me. "I know that for some reason, you don't feel our bond the way I do. And although it kills me to say it, I won't try to force you to stay, to be with me."
His words kill the ones that were building up inside me, leaving me speechless. He brings my hands to his lips and kisses them slowly and gently. I stop a sigh from escaping my lips, remaining as silent as a statue. "But if you want to stay, I'll wait for you at dinner." After he speaks this final words, he gets up slowly from beside me, exiting the room without even glancing back at me. But just as he was closing for me him I thought I hear his voice saying "I will always wait for you," before the door closes shut and I'm left surrounded by utter silence.