~ Red And Wolf~

Chapter 18: A Hard Pill To Swallow

~3rd POV~

"Ow!" Alice flinched as Haytham pressed a alcohol swab to her cut cheek. The older man scoffed and stuck a bandage none to gently on her wound. Her ribs were wrapped tightly in gauze and thick bandages until they had healed over, the gash on her leg was cleaned and wrapped as well. Connor sat near the fire and watched with careful eyes.

"Thank you." The Templar seemed taken back by the manners this girl obtained. He nodded and stood to his feet, dusting off his hand. Ratonhnhaké:ton was by Alice's side like a lap dog in mere seconds.

"May I ask you a question Alice?" Haytham took over Connor's seat and warmed his hands. Alice nodded and wrapped the furs tighter around her shivering body. "Who is your father?" The blonde stiffened under his hard gaze. The mention of her father sent chills down Alice's spine.

"Isaac Hale, I never saw him much due to his work." The name perked Haytham's interest exponentially.

"Answer me this, did you know you're precious daddy, is my fellow Templar?" Connor drew his hidden blade and pressed it to Haytham's sensitive throat. Alice felt the fear rise in her throat. Was this what he was doing all those years without her knowledge? Did her mother know the horror's that her own husband had committed?

"My son knew as well. Didn't you Connor?" The native glared daggers at his father. Alice roughly grabbed his broad shoulder and turned him around with sheer strength. The sudden movement caused his blade to graze the skin of Haytham's neck. Alice felt the betrayal of a year come rushing into her like a hurricane.

"Tell me this isn't true...." Connor dropped his eyes and refused to answer the question. What he didn't expect was the sharp slap across the face. He clenched his teeth against impact and ran a large hand down the side of his face as if a fly had hit him.

"Is this why Charles Lee kidnapped me? He wanted to give me to my father as some sort of gift?" Haytham shook his head and wiped the blood from his skin.

"Quite the opposite actually. Charles and Isaac have been at war with each other for awhile now. Charles hoped that your presence would cause Isaac to crumble. It wasn't very effective as you can tell." Alice felt her body tremble with anger. Her face flushed red and all she could think about was how selfish and cruel her own father actually was.

"Alice-"

"No, leave me be." Alice evaded Connor's touch and climbed back into the tent. Her body screamed with misery as she curled under the animal furs for warmth. Her thoughts drifted to the times when her father was kind and caring. She fell asleep to the sound of his laughter ringing in her ears.

~Flashback~

"Alice honey! Don't get your dress dirty." Cora Hale sung out to her daughter who was playing with a filthy mutt, along with her elder brother Jax. Both blonde haired children were giggling to the barks of the stray dog. Isaac Hale stepped out of the house with his morning coffee and a newspaper.

The children stopped their antics and. Awaited their father's every move. He first leaned down and kissed his wife with an upbeat attitude. He then sat his items on the porch and proceeded to run towards his children with open arms.

"Daddy!" Alice ran into her father's open arms and squealed. Her long pigtails flew in the wind as he twirled her around like a rag doll. Jax clung to Isaac's leg like a life line and laughed the whole way.

"Master Hale?" An old African American woman who wore an apron cautiously stepped outside with her head bowed. A letter was tucked under her arm along with a rag.

"What is it Gemma?" Isaac turned back into his hard exterior and approached the maid with a stern walk. He took the letter and passed the maid without giving her a second glance. The maid grinned at Alice who ran into her old frail body. Gemma raised Jax And Alice since they were children, acting more as a mother than the woman who gave birth to them.

Gemma had cared for Cora too as a child. She was one of the only things Cora brought when she married Isaac. The maid was a vital part of the family.

"My love." Isaac returned to the porch with a sad expression. Cora stood and stood by her husband as he whispered something under his breath. Alice was curled around Gemma's leg with wide eyes and a thumb in her mouth. Isaac approached his daughter with the same stern walk he used for people he thought below him.

The man picked up Alice under her arms and sat her on his hip. The blonde child gazed up at her father with admiration. Equally blue eyes stared back at her.

"Remember Alice, you will always be loved," Isaac glanced over his shoulder at the dark figures standing in the doorway. "Always."

Alice's last memory was of her mother sobbing into Gemma's shoulder and Jax trying to comfort his mother. Alice gazed out the window at the men and her father conversing with each other. She couldn't take her eyes off of the man with the scraggly beard and dead eyes.

Charles Lee.

~Dream End~

Alice awoke to the bright sunlight blinding her eyes. She felt oddly warm for such a cold night. Yet the deep snoring to her left could be blamed for that. Connor was left without blankets and was shivering deeply. His face was covered in chill bumps as he struggled to pull his jacket closer to himself.

Alice felt guilt settle in her stomach. Connor lied to protect her, even though it failed in the end anyway. She smiled down at the sleeping native and lifted the covers over his cold body. She curled into his back, one leg hooked over his hip. His body was surprisingly burning to the touch. Not a fever, but his natural body heat. The blonde pressed her cheek to his shoulder and inhaled the scent that was all Connor.

Little did she know, that the man was smirking under the dark tresses of his hair.

Score 1 for Connor Kenway!

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"One final question, Haytham." Alice sat upon Lucius as they neared the homestead. Connor took the reins and watched with careful eyes as the two began to conversation on an unknown topic. He felt guilty for not informing Alice of her father or the fact she had been in danger this whole time.

"What is my fathers part in all of this?" Haytham then cocked an eyebrow an Alice sighed as she knew she was to explain further. "Like you are the Headmaster, what is my father?" Haytham nodded in understanding, catching the hateful glare from his son.

"You're father controls the financial part of our plan. He provides us with the money needed for our missions." Alice swallowed her pride and wrapped her arms around Connor, silently telling him everything was alright. Haytham started to trot off in the opposite direction. Connor sighed in relief, no longer worrying about Alice's safety.

For now.

~Chapter End~

I finally finished this chapter😵 I'm so sorry that my updates are so far apart! I'll try to update more since school is out but no promises.✌🏻 Anyway, I was really hoping to finish this story and start on the sequel. I would really like the opinions of my readers before getting ahead of myself! Any suggestions or complaints?