Battle of the Roses [Book 2]

Chapter 35

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Chapter Quote:
"Staring at the wreckage of the life we could have had, I knew it wasn't about love or Shay or the Searchers now."
~Calla Tor
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Chapter 35

Arya

Being at the Academy brought back memories, both pleasant and unpleasant. Not much had been added on to the Academy but it had definitely had been refurnished and modernized. I'd tried to go to the garden but Elsa and Josilyn had been speaking to each other and I hadn't wanted to interrupt. Instead I went to the roof garden. Not many people knew about it. I'd discovered it early on after my family had taken shelter with the Searchers. My parents thought I never left my room but that wasn't true. In fact I left frequently, but only at night when I knew I wouldn't be bothered. The garden was always too busy. It'd only taken a night or two of exploring to find the secret way up there.

By the scents I picked up, Babatunde, Connor, Adne, Ethan, and Sabine were the only ones who knew about the place. But there was another one I was rather surprised to smell: the mysterious Stark alpha. However, since I didn't hear anything on the roof, I assumed he wasn't there. I sat on a rocking bench that overlooked the lilies and a small pond. They'd always been my favorite flower. Ren got them for me for our anniversary every year, a different kind or color each time.

I sat in deep thought, thinking about everything my family had gone through, coming to terms with Anna being back (which I am indescribably thrilled about) and wondering how Elsa was doing as I hadn't talked to her much recently. It seemed she was always keeping to herself or hanging out with Spencer. She hung out more with the Stark pack than she did her own, and it terrified me that I might lose her to them. I wasn't worried that they couldn't take care of her. I saw how protective they all were of her, especially Spencer. I still couldn't decide if I thought him brave or stupid when he stood up to our entire pack to protect her when Noah had bitten her arm. I guess it was a mix of both.

I worried about Hunter. He seemed to be carrying a lot of weight on his shoulders and his breakup with Josilyn hadn't helped. He hadn't confirmed it was a breakup but I could tell more or less what it was. Poor Josilyn was distraught over it as well.

Then there was Ren. He was terrified of losing more pack members and he wasn't the only one. Despite him and Shiloh making up, my second's words had gotten under my husband's skin in a bad way. On more than one occasion Ren had woken up in the middle of the night, covered in sweat from the sheer terror he experienced in his nightmares. I had no idea how to help him. All I could do was stay up with him until he fell asleep.

At that moment, I heard the sound of footsteps lightly treading on the ground. So soft I almost couldn't hear them.

Almost.

"Who's there?" I demanded, standing up. For a few seconds, there was nothing. But then a Guardian appeared, one I recognized only by scent.

"Oh, it's just you," I said, silently relieved it was just the Stark alpha. "Come up here to think too?"

Surprisingly, he nodded his head.

"You wouldn't happen to want to talk would you?" I asked. "You know, human to human? Maybe wolf to wolf?" He shook his head. I sat back down on the bench but my eyes remained on him. "Why do you stay as a wolf around us? You're either an extremely shy alpha, or you're hiding something. I'm pretty sure my latter guess is correct, so what gives? Did you commit treason with your previous pack? Are you on the run from police? Did you kill someone?" He shook his head at everything. With a sigh, I continued, "Are you in the witness protection program? Do you not want someone to find you?"