Defiance

05.

Chapter 5

A L D R I C

It was too late to change my mind, I realized. I already said the words, I already promised her safety in exchange for her magic. The wolves of my pack would not be happy. In fact, I could hear Lucius and Nyra's stares at me and then back at the girl. The thought of her dead suddenly hit me. 

Elysia. I would never let that happen even if I hated her.

"Beta. Can we speak to you?" It was Nyra who finally asked the question.

I watched Elysia observe every single one of our reactions. Her eyes followed me, then the Lucius and Nyra, and then at Ella. I pulled Ella along too. If Ella hadn't assured me that Elysia had saved her life, it wasn't possible to forgive her. Mate or not.

"No Aldric. I know the face of every witch that hurt me. And that girl in your prison is the only one who saved me. What you said about the witches trying to kill her for saving me, I believe that. The witches in the village are monsters. But she's not. Trust me, just for once." Ella's words repeat in my head. At each word, I had felt my heart twist and turn. I had been so cruel to Elysia.

"I don't think keeping a witch in the pack is a good idea," Nyra spoke first once we were upstairs.

"There are twenty of my wolves - dying - because there is no cure for Svesta. They have mates. They have families. Some even have children. You think I don't know what the fuck I'm doing?" I snapped.

Nyra stared at me. For the first time, she seemed speechless. Her blue eyes had been glistening in the prison room. And now, they were a darker shadow.

"I will keep the Maji on her at all times but the infirmary. If she even attempts to harm a single wolf in the pack - I will assure you, Nyra - you'll see her dead body." I wonder if she could hear my lie.

"I agree with our Beta." Lucius finally said. "If we can save more wolves in the infirmary then we should do everything in our power to save them."

"What she kills them instead?" Nyra asked.

"I trust her," Ella said. "I don't care what any of you think of her. But I saw what witches thought of wolves. I saw their hatred. And despite it all - she didn't hesitate to lift the spell off me. She's a good person, Aldric. I don't know if you can see it but I do."

She was thirteen. Ella was thirteen. If I asked her a week ago, she would have responded as all wolves did. Kill the witch. They don't deserve to live. They had tortured her. They had hurt her. But her eyes stared right back into mine in certainty. That the witch my wolf believed was his mate was a good person. 

How did Elysia manage to do that? In a week, Ella had grown up. But in a week, I was also unable to take care of my little sister. I pulled her into a hug immediately. Maybe I had said it a million times. 

Sorry.

I'm sorry I wasn't there to make sure you were okay. I'm sorry I didn't take better care of you. I'm sorry you got captured. I'm sorry I didn't save you on time. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

"It wasn't your fault. I disobeyed your orders. I wanted to go out into the Woods."

The fact she was alive. She was breathing. I didn't care about the rest of the world.

"Go get some rest. You've been up for more than an hour. Roza said you needed to rest."

Ella rolled her eyes. "I'm going. I'm going."

Then she was going back to the direction of the castle, where all the wolves lived.

I turned back to Nyra. It was her job to question everything, whether it be my orders or my father. We loved her and hated her because of it. She was an elder in the pack but I knew she always meant well.