Sold to the Alpha With Silver Eyes - Chapter 13: Chapter 13

*Dev*
Steam fills the shower, the glass wall fogging up fully, providing the coverage I have been seeking. A deep ache blossoms in my chest, my stomach twisting in a painful knot as tears roll down my cheek. Losing a warrior is never easy, losing a brother? Fuck, it’s awful. When I lost my older brother, I was hardly old enough to know what I was losing. But losing Hastings, I am all too aware of what I will never have again.
That explicit trust, the unsolicited advice you don’t want but you need, the comfort that comes in the silence when you drink together…all of it gone. And for what? A message from horn dog alphas who think they have a right to something because of their status? My fist hammers into the white marble to my right. My knuckles crunch, the marble cracking, but I feel no pain. In fact, I feel nothing, nothing but…numb.
“Fuck,” the word tumbles out as I rest my head on the wall, a sob tearing through me. “Fuck, fuck, FUCK!”
The words echo inside this opulent chamber. The steam rolling around me as if it fears me and my volatility. It doesn’t matter to those who are left behind if a death is honorable. What matters is that the person is gone. Hastings is gone. A formidable fighter and an even better person. What he leaves behind is a void in everyone who knew him.
I spin, facing the stream of water as I step into it face first, allowing myself to let loose the floodgates as the tears mix with the heated water. I sink to my knees, just sitting in the sound of pounding water as I cry in sync with the drops that hide my tears. My hands rest on my thighs, my injured leg screaming in protest, but this pain is for him.
Compared to what he went through, I feel nothing. I needed to know his pain, to understand why he would let go when he could fight to stay with us. It makes me sick to my stomach now.
The way the healer described that each fucking part of him that looked like a tiger had mauled him was a silver and wolfsbane laced knuckle weapon. Cauterizing the initial would while still inflicting pain only for them to do it over and over again.
He had been tortured for hours, and no one had known. Hastings laid in a pool of his own blood, probably shooting off all sorts of insults to his captors and not once did he send a mindlink out for help.
It didn’t make sense at first, but the more I sit and ponder it, I realize; they lured him out. He stepped outside of the zone, probably assuming he was chasing nothing serious, and then it was too far for him.
The alphas were calculated and had planned this. It wasn’t an attack of opportunity. They watched us from a distance, learning each of our mannerisms, and I don’t even have the energy to be upset about it.
“Forgive me, Hastings.” I murmur, looking up into the water.
There is a knock at the door, and I look over in that direction lazily. Ignoring the noise before I turn back to what I am doing. Whatever it is, will have to wait. All the energy I have left in me is for this moment. This one place where I get solitude and—
“D-d-dev?” Eden’s voice is soft and wavering as it floats through the bathroom. Did she come in here?
“What?” I snap out, not bothering to move from where I am.
“Um, Prince Nate is here…” she says and my eyes slide closed, annoyance festering in the hole in my chest. What the fuck does he want now and why the fuck does he think he has the right to just enter?
“Tell him to leave then,” I grit out. There is nothing but silence as I get up from the ground, annoyed. Why can’t I get more than a moment’s peace? Is my uncle this distrusting of me he needs to keep sending Nate to check in? I turn the water off and shove the shower door open, large innocent eyes looking into mine fill with terror as Eden stands before me, hands outstretched as she holds a towel to me..
“Uh, here,” she mumbles, flustered. I wipe my face first, intentionally taking my time gauging her reaction. I watch her as she looks behind me, her gaze set on the shower over my shoulder.
“Why are you still in here?” I ask, wiping down my chest, my voice soft even in my confusion.
“Avoiding trouble.” Eden says so sincerely that I want to laugh. She must see the amusement on my face as she continues to explain. “I don’t feel comfortable with Prince Nate, and I don’t think we can kick him out. He is the King’s son and you are just a warrior and I’m just a victim.”
I frown at her, hating that I am keeping the secret of my identity from her. I am far from just an ordinary warrior, but the less she knows about me, the better.
“You are a survivor, Eden, not a victim.” I tell her, my lips pressing together, not liking the view she has of herself.
“Either way, I have no right to tell the prince to go away and neither do you.” She takes a step back, taking a step forward as I wrap the towel around my naked waist, a smirk on my lips watching her steps hesitate as she looks down, swallowing roughly before looking away.
“Fine, I will tell him.” I shrug, stepping around her. “You take a shower to avoid the conflict that’s going to happen out there.”
She looks at the shower and back at me, then at the shower again, like a dog looking at a hunk of raw meat. I smirk, watching the internal dilemma she is having before I step to her, placing my hands on her shoulders.
“I will leave first, and you can hop in when you are ready.” I tell her and she nods, not looking at me.
I slip out of the bathroom, hearing the rush of water as she turns it on, and I turn my attention to my cousin. Nate sits on my bed, his arms behind him as he leans back, eyes on the ceiling.
“Why are you here?” I force out, strutting over to the dresser and grab out some clothes.
“I heard about Hastings.” He says.
“Yeah, so?” I snap.
Nate frowns as I slip on my clothes.
“Look, I know you and I aren’t exactly best of friends but you are family, and I’m checking in on you. I know you viewed him like a brother. Hastings was a good man.” He says.
“And a better friend,” I sigh, dropping into the chair next to the window.
“What can I do to help?” Nate asks, leaning forward. “Do you need to request vacation time? Want someone to clean his house for Leoni? Send meals over there?”
“Leoni is heading to pick up Hastings’ parents. If you are sincere and want to help, then stay away from Eden” I arch a brow and his jaw clenches.
“You have orders and so do I.” He reminds me as I roll my eyes. “Look, you are the reason my dad wants these fucking answers.”
“I am well aware of that. This is me telling you to stay the fuck away from Eden. I will handle this and her on my own.” I growl at him and he frowns, his pride taking a hit.
“I was only going to ask her the questions the king would like answers to.” He says innocently.
I chuckle.
“In the dungeon?” I scoff. “Come on, you must have known that scare tactic won’t work.” Nate frowns and tilts his head.
“Why not?” He scoffs, as if I am making it up.
“She is as broken as they come.” I laugh at him. “Eden wouldn’t have given you answer. She would have died of fright before you got the chance to say a damn word. “
“So what is the deal with the two of you, then? Fuck buddies? Friends? You want to choose her as a mate?” He asks. I chuckle, throwing my hands up.
“None of those things, as I told you, Eden is a victim of our direct failure to keep the kingdom in check.” I remind him and he shakes his head, still focused on the wrong topic.
“I mean, she is skinny, but she’s not that bad. Plump her up a bit and find her a position where she can use her status.”
“Enough Nate,” I breathe, “Eden is a sickly, underfed girl who needs some serious therapy to deal with her issues. She is not matable for anyone until then, and certainly not an option for me, which you already know.”
Nate nods, then he stands and moves to the door, his gaze finding the extra bedding on the couch. Then he chuckles under his breath and leaves me. The bathroom door creaks open and Eden slips out a bath towel around her breast, moving over to the top of the dresser and grabbing the items I left for her to change into. She doesn’t acknowledge me or look up.
“Eden.” I call her name out and she stops, her back to me, but she doesn’t turn around to face me. “How much did you hear?” I ask.
“Just enough to know my insecurities about myself are valid,” she murmurs before shutting herself back in the bathroom.