Chapter 23: Chapter 22

The door opened and he hoped it was the nice man. He really hoped it was the nice man. He scuttled back seeing the large older man. He had a mean grin. He didn’t pretend to kick him like the nice man.

“Your sister hurt the Alpha. You pay.”

Chris shook his head wildly. He knew what pay meant… they all said it.

He was too weak to move out the way fast enough. His jaw exploded in pain, disgusting copper filled his mouth. “I’m a good boy.”

“But your sister’s a bitch.”

He shook his head but stopped, everything seemed to hurt when he moved his head.

“Please!” he cried when the boot came out of nowhere.

“Uncle Chris!”

“What do we do?”

“I’m sorry,” he blubbered, his chest felt crushed, he couldn’t breathe. Hands were on him, bodies all around him, people that would hurt him. He thrashed as much as his sore broken body could. It was better if he lay still but he couldn’t, “Ele!”

“HUNTER! DAAD!”

Blood, blood everywhere.

His eyes snapped open. His skin covered in a sheen of sweat.

“DAAAAD!”

Chris looked wildly around at the fearful cry, seeing Victor leaning over Hunter. He stumbled off the sofa, bewildered, but the crying pup needed him. What had happened?

“What’s up?”

Victor fell onto his backside with a thump as he whirled around. “You, you were… I… He’s hurt.” Chris frowned, taking Hunter’s still form, a pool of blood under his head.

Shit.

Chris quickly linked the doctor as he leant over, placing his ear over Hunter’s mouth, waiting.

It felt like a lifetime, but he heard the breath he’d wanted. “Victor, what happened?” he growled, not meaning to sound so gruff.

“You started twitching… you were speaking. We wanted to wake you up… you threw Hunter. He was trying to help.”

Chris took in the stammered words, the words from a pup that was looking at him with a sense of weariness that had never been there before.

He’d hurt Hunter.

Chris felt he was going to throw up.

“I’m sorry, buddy, I… Oh, fuck.” He rubbed his head hard, he needed to keep it clear. He gently moved his hands to under Hunter’s head, trying to feel for where the injury was… he didn’t want to move him. Pups couldn’t heal like full growns could.

“Victor?” a deep voice came from the door.

Victor spun around, “Dad!!” Victor leapt up and threw himself at Wade.

“What happened?” he demanded, lifting Victor from the floor, tucking him under his arm protectively.

“I’ve linked the doctor… I… I don’t know.” He wanted to run. He wanted to lock himself in the cells.

Doctor James and a few other healers rushed into the room. “What happened?” Doctor James asked formally.

“I don’t know… I was asleep…”

The healers quickly but carefully turned Hunter, clearly looking for the source of the blood. “Hit his head on the coffee table.”

Chris hadn’t even clocked the coffee table was right next to the small pup.

“Hunter!” Trey ran full force through the door.

Wade turned and grabbed Trey before he could get further into the room.

“What happened? Let me through!” He pushed pointlessly against Wade.

“Let the doctors do their thing.”

“That’s my son!” Trey roared.

Hearing the fear in his voice pushed further guilt into Chris.

He’d done this.

“Chris, what happened?”

“I’m sorry,” was all he could croak out.

Wade dragged Trey out of the way of the door, allowing the healers to carry Hunter through. “We’re taking him to the infirmary. You may follow but do not interfere,” Doctor James announced professionally to Trey. With that, Trey followed the healers.

Wade turned to Chris, “Stay here, I’ll get Victor home then I’ll come back for you.”

“May as well get the guards to take me to the cells,” he muttered, sinking back into the sofa.

“I’m coming back. Don’t go anywhere,” Wade replied more gently before Chris found himself alone.

Trey was going to be mad. Scratch that, he was going to be furious. He’d hurt Hunter, how could he have hurt Hunter? He was in so much trouble. Even if he wasn’t, he was going to beat himself up for the rest of eternity.

What if Hunter didn’t wake up?

But he didn’t remember throwing Hunter!

Was this penance? Was this punishment for messing about? Going against the Goddess? He flung his head to the window, it was just growing dark, the moon not yet out. But he knew she could hear his thoughts. For good measure, however, he shouted, “Is this what I deserve?”

“While shouting at an empty room can be cathartic, it isn’t going to respond.”

Chris jumped, he hadn’t heard Wade enter the room.

“Victor said they were trying to wake you up, they were scared.”

“I really didn’t-”

“You told anyone you still have the nightmares?” he asked nonchalantly, as if it were a question Wade always asked.

Chris’ hackles instantly rose. He wanted no one to know of his issues with sleep. OK… he didn’t want anyone to know his issues full stop. But for Wade to ask as if it were common knowledge?

Chris hardened his jaw, “Don’t need to talk about this. Look I’m sorry I scared your pup. I’m sorry I hurt Hunter, arrest me or leave me.”

“Really think the cells are where you should go?”

Chris shrugged.

“Planning on hiding forever?”

“I’m not.”

“No one’s seen you since you got back.”

“I’ve been back less than twenty hours, I’m hardly hiding.”

Wade rose a disbelieving eyebrow. “Just to let you know, Jaxson was arrested. He’s in the cells cooling off.”

Chris sat up. “What? Why?”

“Got into a fight, nearly killed the poor sod he was laying into.”

“Why was he fighting?”

“Something about our young prince using him, pretending to be interested to hurt him.”

“I didn’t!” Chris protested instantly.

“None of my business. But he was willing to lose his position for you.”

Chris shook his head. “Be his own reputation. I don’t blame him.” Despite his words, a bubble of hope fizzled in his stomach. Could it have been an ounce of care for him?

“Why are you still here?” Chris snapped.

“See you in the morning,” Wade replied mildly, a sparkle Chris couldn’t place in his grassy green eye.

Chris grunted, watching Wade leave out the corner of his eye.

He counted to thirty, ensuring Wade would be going up the stairs before he was up on his feet and sweeping down the corridor of the family wing. He slowed to listen for any footsteps before he reached the main stairwell. Still with an ear out, he snuck down the sleek stairs, reaching the main door. “Christopher!”

He froze, his back stiff. “Just going for a walk, father.”

“We missed you at breakfast today. Come to think of it, we missed you at lunch and dinner.”

“I got in in the early hours, I wasn’t awake for breakfast. Victor and Hunter came to visit, I lost track of time,” he excused, still not turning around, his hand on the cast iron handle.

“So you will not be too busy for a nightcap.”

“I’ll come after my walk.”

“You come now.”

Chris deflated, turning to see his father on the grand staircase. “Fine,” he huffed before ascending the stairs again, following his father up four flights of stairs, winding through the corridors until they reached the former King and Queen’s quarters.

They reached the living room that was much like the living room in the family wing and sat on the comfortable sofa, knowing he was about to be scolded… or shouted at… or… well nothing good.

“Whiskey coffee?” Xander asked.

He nodded numbly.

“My baby!” his mother’s voice rose from the door before he was quickly engulfed in an unexpected hug. “Missed you.”

“Miss you too, ma’.”

“Tell us all about it!” she demanded sweetly while a glass of sack was pressed into her hand.

“Not much to tell, packs were good.”

“And you found your mate,” Xander stated warmly, passing a warm mug to him.

“I… erm… well…”

“I was surprised to hear it was Matilda… you shouldn’t-”

“Matilda?” he asked with more force than necessary.

“Disappointed I had to hear through the grapevine rather than you. You should be going through the proper procedures.”

“It’s not Matilda!” he declared in slight confusion.

“The rumour was wrong? It’s not your guard?” Xander asked, leaning forward in the wingback chair.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” He shifted in his seat uncomfortably, taking a sip of his drink to avoid the need to talk.

“What do you mean, darling?”

“I don’t have a mate.” Not one that wanted him.

“Oh… as you came home early we…”

“Mother, I have no mate, my mate isn’t out there. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“They’re just not old enough yet.” She grasped his free hand gently.

“Plenty of people don’t have mates anymore, forced mating is becoming more and more common,” Chris explained.

“You are not accepting a forced mate,” Xander rumbled from his chair.

“Xander, he knows that.”

“Your mother is right, your mate has merely not become of age.”

Chris let out a large sigh.

“That’s a brilliant idea!” Xander suddenly announced.

Chris looked wildly around, what was a brilliant idea?

“After every season we’ll hold a ball, for all unmated wolves. A mating ball.”

Chris blinked. “I’m not going to a ball twice a year for a mate that doesn’t exist.”

“Of course your mate exists, I bet your mate was born in the next season, that’s all.”

This conversation was quickly getting out of control, no way was he going to ‘look’ for his true mate twice a year, nope, never. “I hate balls,” he stated stubbornly.

“It doesn’t need to be formal, after all, it’s not a royal ball. Yes, I’ll talk to your brother about it, not sure why we don’t do it already, it can be a whole weekend!” Xander announced excitedly.

“What’s so wrong with forced mating?” Chris asked in frustration.

“Your brother reminded me how important our matehoods are. How special it is,” he replied warmly, his eyes twinkling at Elsbeth. “Our true mates get us through hard times, something that is lacking in a forced mating. A forced mating doesn’t hold the weight, and it displeases the Moon Goddess.”

He felt he’d already displeased the Moon Goddess.

He drained his cup a little too quickly. “Will I see you at breakfast?” he asked as he stood, wanting to distance himself from the conversation that had gone downhill fast.

“Yes, are you tired?”

“Yes, being at home has made me realise how exhausting touring is. I’m sorry.”

“Understandable, my son, good night.”

“Good night,” he replied, scarpering from his parents’ quarters as quickly as wasn’t suspicious.