Chapter 34: Chapter 34

HARLAN

They might as well put me in a white room and bind me with a straight jacket.

The last forty-eight hours were a blur. I’d allowed Ever to take my truck back to campus, because I didn’t trust myself. I’d spent the night fighting with a voice inside of me. One that wanted to burn down every werewolf that ever lived.

Including my mate.

I didn’t remember attacking her. I remembered snapping back into reality when Rage handed me my ass. He pulled my shoulder from its place, and I woke to the taste of Ever’s blood on my talons.

Nothing made sense anymore.

Everything I had planned was gone.

My wolf was evil and attempting to take over and ruin my life.

Alpha Allaire drove me back to the kingdom in silence. Seeing the disappointment on his face when he found out I’d attacked Ever was the worst.

I looked up to him, and I’d ruined our relationship.

He opened the castle doors, and Savannah waited patiently for us. She straightened her shoulder and folded her arms around her stomach.

Her wolf was strong, being both lycan and wolf.

My wolf whispered into my ear that night about taking her out.

I closed my eyes when the castle door shut behind me. Maybe if I closed my eyes, it would all go away.

Alpha Allaire’s palm rested on my shoulder and drew my attention. He looked concerned to say the least.

“Savannah didn’t want you to stay in the dungeon. We have chains installed in your room so you won’t feel so…”

“Like a prisoner?”

Savannah stepped forward, her motherly face always accepting, and it stabbed me in the heart. “I love you, Son. We’re going to fix this, I promise.”

~She’s lying~, my wolf said.

I turned my head and shook it. “How? Shrink me? Kill me?”

“Stop it,” Alpha Allaire snapped. “We’re trying, Harlan. We have to think about everyone in this situation. We’re alpha and luna. We have to think about Ever, the kingdom, and you. We’ve been talking to some elders that suggested we reach out to a witch doctor. We know one. She’s coming tomorrow.”

I shrugged and ran my palm down my face.

Savannah stepped over and cupped my cheeks. It was motherly, it brought so many memories for me. She was my mother. She raised me. “Harlan, this is not you. We are going to save you.”

Alpha Allaire’s face looked as if he wasn’t sure. “Thank you, Savannah.”

She kissed my forehead and left us in the lobby. Alpha Allaire sighed heavily and gestured for me to follow him.

~Run~, my wolf whispered.

I pushed him back.

~We’re in enough trouble because of you,~ I snapped.

~We’re in trouble because you left her alive to identify you. ~He laughed.~ She was running with another wolf. You sorry sack of pathetic—~

“Harlan,” Alpha Allaire said. “You coming?”

I glanced up. He stood in the middle of the staircase, staring at me with a blank expression. “Yes,” I whispered, my throat suddenly dry.

There weren’t many wolves wandering around the castle like usual. They were probably scared to death of me. I didn’t blame them.

I was scared of me.

The chains were bolted into the corner of my bedroom by the window. The moonlight streamed into the room giving my wolf a sense of peace. I hated myself for it, but tears brimmed the corners of my eyes.

Alpha Allaire cleared his throat. “Savannah didn’t want to see you chained up. I’ll be taking care of it. Madam Felice will be here tomorrow to speak with you. We’re going to do whatever we can to save you.”

“What if you can’t?” I asked absently.

He stared for several minutes. “I’m the alpha of this kingdom, Harlan. I have people to protect. I will protect them, but I will protect you too. I love you like a son. You are my son.”

~Liar~, my wolf hissed.

Unable to meet his glare anymore, I looked down at the tips of my boots, muddy from running through the woods and shifting into my wolf. I’d found them several yards from where I attacked Everlee.

“I’m scared,” I whispered. “My wolf is saying crazy things to me.”

Alpha Allaire stepped over and cradled my face like when I was a child. “You are not your wolf. Your wolf is sick. You have to fight it for me.”

“I will do the best I can. He’s in my head always.”

He gripped my wrist lightly and guided me over to the wall. “Get comfortable. Savannah set you out some clothes since yours are at your apartment. I’ll wait.”

Alpha Allaire turned out of respect and fumbled through his phone. I enjoyed the moment of peace. I slipped out of my clothes and into the PJs she left me.

They were plaid. Simple. Something I would have picked out for myself.

Savannah knew me.

Alpha Allaire knew me.

I cleared my throat. “I’m finished.”

Alpha Allaire turned and gestured for me to sit down. When I did, I noticed a tear threatening to leave his eye. “I know that you’re doing this because you have to. I never meant to hurt Everlee,” I whispered softly. “I—I love her. My wolf tracked her down, and he’s been telling me that he found her with Rage and…. I don’t know what he was thinking. I don’t remember it. I swear.”

He grabbed my face, but this time he stared hard into my eyes. “This. Is. Not. You.” Reaching down, he locked both of my wrists to the chains and stood up. “There is food and water there,” he said, grabbing the food tray from my nightstand. “We will check on you throughout the night. Try to fight him if he attempts to get out.”

He left me in the room, and I felt his tears release once the door was shut.

My own threatened the corners of my eyes.

~You let him chain you~, my wolf whispered. ~He’s made you weak.~

I ignored him and slumped against the wall. The roast smelled good, so I opened the tray and took a bite. Then another. Until the entire plate was gone.

~They are going to ruin you,~ my wolf mumbled.

“Stop it,” I whispered, shaking my head. “Just stop it.”

His laugh was mechanical and harsh. There was no laughter in it. “We’re getting out of here,” he said.

I pressed my heels into the floor and leaned back against the brick wall. “We’re not doing anything,” I hissed. “I’m getting rid of you tomorrow.”

~We’ll see about that~, he said.

I relaxed into the wall and at the same moment, my wolf tried to break free. The internal fight blazed my insides. The fire licked at my veins and dominated my body.

But I couldn’t let it control my mind again.

I barricaded myself into the fetal position and ground my teeth together. My wolf pushed and pulled against every corner of my brain.

It felt like a sledgehammer against my skull.

His methodical laugh rung loudly in my eardrums, deafening me until all I could hear was ringing, and my vision blurred red.

~Let me out, Harlan~, he taunted.

I felt myself growing weaker. There was no way I could fight him off all night.

I just prayed the chains kept him in place.

He began to thrash around, knocking my head against the wall until everything went black.

***

The next morning, I woke to soft hands touching my forehead and my skin. I knew it was Savannah before I pried my eyes open.

Her face was contorted into concern. “What’s going on?” I tried to sit up, but she pushed me back down.

“Don’t move. You’re bleeding. Dax went to get you an ice pack.”

There was a pounding in my head that only worsened when I tried to stand. “What happened. I didn’t get out, did I?”

I looked down at the chains still wrapped around my wrist and the marks on them. “No, Sweetie. They kept you in. But it looks like your wolf really tried to free himself.”

“Who says he won’t try during the day? Are you going to keep me like this all day?”

“No,” she said, swiping sweat from my forehead. “We’ll be with you today just in case. We just can’t watch you at night.”

I nodded, and groaned when I sat up straight. “I’m starving.”

Savannah pulled out her phone and texted someone. “Someone will bring you a plate soon.”

The door opened, and Dax walked in with bandages and an ice pack. He lacked emotion on his face; he looked stoic and stiff. “Here we go.”

He bent down beside me and began to clean the blood from my head. The silence weighed heavily on me. It felt foreign. Our relationship felt unhinged.

I winced when he began to clean the wound itself. “Why am I not healing?” I whispered.

Alpha Allaire glanced down at me. “I’m not sure. I think your wolf is refusing to heal himself.”

I chuckled humorlessly. “Sounds about right. Turns out he wants to ruin Werewolf University.”

Savannah wrapped her palm around her forehead. “Well, Madam Feliece will be here within two hours. You need to bathe after you eat and get ready.”

She stood and wrapped her arms around her stomach. “We’re going to fix this today.”

Her hurried walk sounded determined. I knew when she set her mind to something, she made it happen. But I wasn’t so sure about this.

Alpha Allaire wrapped the bandage around my head and unchained both of my wrists. “The food is on the way up. I smell it.”

The door opened and one of the she-wolves carried in a tray of breakfast. It smelled good, and I couldn’t wait to eat it. “Any coffee on that tray?” I asked.

She smiled softly at me but didn’t meet my eyes.

She looked scared of me.

“Sure is. Right here.”

She bowed at Alpha Allaire, which he hated, and left the room. I stood on wobbly legs and groaned at the state of my body. My wolf was hell-bent on turning me.

I grabbed a biscuit from the tray and found Alpha Allaire staring at me. “How is Ever?” I whispered.

“She’s fine. She’s with Rage.”

I closed my eyes tightly and swallowed down my pride. “He’ll keep her safe,” I whispered. “He nearly ripped my arm from the socket.”

Alpha Allaire ran his fingers into his hair and sighed deeply. “Eat. You need to shower and get ready. The lady coming, Madam Felice, isn’t my first choice. I don’t care for witch doctors, but I don’t see any other choice.”

“That’s… Doesn’t sound reassuring.”

“It isn’t,” he said, stepping toward me. “I don’t know what she is going to suggest, but I want you to be prepared for everything.”

I sat back on the edge of the bed and took a bite of my food. “I’ll do anything to stop him,” I whispered. “I hate myself for this happening. I hate what I did to Ever.”

Alpha watched me absently eat with a distant look on his face. “I never knew your father heard voices,” he said to me. “I would have suggested getting him help, which wouldn’t have worked most likely, but it was a shot. I just thought he was insane.”

“He probably was,” I said, looking over at him. “My wolf is driving me insane as you can see.”

He straightened his shoulders. “Hurry. The guards just told me they saw an unfamiliar car. I think she’s early.”

Nerves skated up and down my spine.

I had no idea what this lady was going to do to me, but I had a feeling I wouldn’t want any of it.

***