Chapter 59

Chapter 59 It was chaos Enzo didn’t have to ask twice, Doris returned to her room and put a chair in front of the door to make sure no one would be able to open it even if they unlocked it. She also made sure every window was locked again before she turned out all the lights and laid in her bed with her dagger gripped tightly in her hands. Howls sounded far away from her window, she didn’t think she would be able to sleep a bit until the morning came. What on earth did the rogue hunt when Enzo wasn’t trying to make a point to his pack? Did they use animals-or strangers? She shivered to think about it, but it had to be something worth it. There was no doubt as to why Enzo was the leader of the rogues. Even if he was as kind as he was, he was one of the scariest men she’d ever met. And that was saying a Tot.

After what felt like hours of almost dozing off -shouting erupted from outside her door and instantly woke every inch of her. She shot up from her bed and stumbled over herself as she tried to hear what was happening. Had someone returned with the heads? Doris trembled at the thought of their heads being delivered right to Enzo’s feet as if they were poris we doorpring trophies. But-Why did it sound as if they were fighting? “It’s the prince!” Someone shouted as they ran past her door. Doris immediately moved the chair and threw open the door to step out into the snow. Did he say prince? Her prince? Was William here? What she saw… was chaos. Guards from the palace fought against the wolves that were part of the village. They shifted into their wolves and the fight turned every more vicious within the seconds it took. She hid behind one of the cabins as she watched and gripped her dagger tightly. Her mark started to itch, she could sense William nearby but she hadn’t seen him yet There he was. William stood on the platform as his normal self with only a hint of derangement on his features. His hair was wild and his scruff had thickened on his jaw since the last time she saw him.

Her heart stupidly flipped at the sight of him so wild. His guards surrounded him like a shield and snapped at anyone that tried to get close to him. He didn’t see her yet, but she watched him closely. Her mind felt conflicted. Should she make herself known? Or would he even care? Why was he here in the middle of the night? She would have thought he’d already be back to the palace with his answers he wanted. William lifted his hands and Doris silently gasped. He held the heads of the men that attacked her. Enzo stood in front of the platform with a look of indifference on his face and his hands shoved deep in his pockets. He had his own guards that surrounded him, but they only looked at each other as if no one else was around. As if wolves weren’t dying around them. 2 “When I heard about your hunt, I couldn’t help but join in on the fun.” William said with a drip of poison in his tone. He threw the heads at Enzo’s feet with a sickening splat. “I also heard the reason behind the hunt and I want her returned to me. No more of your rogues will lay a hand on her unless they want the same fate.” 1 “Doris isn’t a piece of property to be passed around, she can go to you if she wishes. William took a step closer to Enzo, he looked as if his rage was close to spilling over and setting his surroundings on fire.

“She is mine, I demand you return her right this instant.” Something about his words sent a chill through Doris. She stood firm where she was. She didn’t belong to anyone but herself, William didn’t own her just because she was a maid. Not anymore. She was through living her life as if everyone else owned her and her choices. “Even if we return her, you wouldn’t call off your dogs. Isn’t that right? Enzo asked over the sounds of fighting. They both looked so unfazed about it all, Doris couldn’t stand it. William growled when Enzo shrugged and backed away from him as if he was tired of their argument. She looked away when William started to shift into his wolf form and lost track of him the instant he disappeared into the crowd. If he found her, he would drag her back to the palace himself. But-wasn’t that what she wanted? She wanted to be back to her old life and far from here. But that also meant she would be treated as she always was the second she stepped foot back in the palace. People shoving her and making her do whatever they wanted. People treating her as if she was nothing and didn’t have feelings. Would she have to be Melody’s maid again and listen as he made love to her every night and endure her savage beatings during the day? No… no. She couldn’t do that anymore.

Here, Enzo made sure she was respected and all of her wishes were met if they were reasonable. It was hard to let that go, but it was also hard to live in fear. Melody was her old reason for fear in the palace-as was William. Him demanding she be returned to him like an object made her want to rethink her decision and run as far as she could. But deep down, she knew she could never live with herself. Beth counted on her return. 2 She moved between the buildings to get a closer look at what was happening. Part of her wanted to hide somewhere no one could find her, but she wasn’t that girl anymore. She wanted to face what was to come and deal with the consequences, even if it meant her eternal misery. If only she could shift like them, she might have just joined in to help. But who would she even be helping? Enzo-or William? It was easy to tell which ones were the guards and who wasn’t. The guards had sleek fur, even after being out in the north for so long. The villagers looked a bit more matted and crazed in a way. Enzo wasn’t joking when he said they fought dirty, the wolves went straight for each others throat and tried to down then without a hesitation. They fought as if they were backed into a corner and they would fight to the death to get out of it. Doris was terrified to see so much blood shed when the fight had only just begun. There shouldn’t be so much death-so much suffering. There were yelps of pain and sounds of horror all around her. William reappeared through the center of the worst of it all. He tore through two wolves that tried to corner him. He brought them down with almost no effort. She knew none of this would stop, even if she threw herself out there as Enzo claimed. Her eyes drifted towards the edge of the village where three wolves walked slowly towards the fight. They didn’t look as if they were part of either side of the fight to Doris. The wolves separated and searched through the crowd, no one seemed to notice them but her. One of the three threw themselves at a guard for the palace which made Doris realize they must have been for the rogues. But why did they seem so… different? The other two disappeared from her view but she knew they couldn’t be far. The sight of them made Doris feel uneasy.

Something about it wasn’t right and made her stomach turn. The one that found itself in a fight with the guard was badly scratched. She watched as it bolted towards the woods with a trail of blood in its wake.

Its friends didn’t follow, she caught another one keeping track of the prince’s every movement. Doris quickly searched for the other and saw it across the way from William Her mark itched again, something felt wrong. Doris stepped out into the clearing and William’s eyes found her instantly as if the wind blue her scent right to him. He froze his fighting when he saw her and took a single step towards Doris as if he couldn’t believe it was her. That she was here. “Look out!” She shouted at him, silently begging him not to look at her not to be distracted by her but it was too late. One of the two wolves tackled William to the ground and went right for his neck.