– Chapter 185

Frederic

I’m not sure what to make of the city of Tartarus. On one hand, I can’t help but admire the power apparent in every corner of the opulent capital. On the other, it seems like a bloody waste to have relegated three quarters of the citizens below ground. Just as in Elysium or his teenage home in the Gemini pack, Frederic was always analyzing the pack structure and leadership, always assessing how he would do things differently if he was in control.

He supposed Blaise was powerful and mad enough to afford to subjugate the populace this way, but that also meant he was wasting an incredible labor force. The underground inhabitants would be much better served as an army – one that could help expand his territory rather than simply upholding the same status quo that had always existed.

In his place, Frederic would certainly not have kept the aristocrats in such high esteem either. If anything, they were the ones who should be forced to live in the ruins of centuries past. Frederic had spent more that enough time with Arabella and pack elites to see that they were only useful as financial backers and flackies. If he had his way the entire entitled class would be ousted.

Once he reached the city, more and more horrified to realize this was Selene’s destination despite the threat Blaise apparently posed to her, it has taken him quite some time to finally zero in on her scent – more than enough time to thoroughly explore the ins and outs of the multi-tiered metropolis.

By the time he finally caught onto her scent, near a chic little hotel in the West End, he’d already filled half a notebook with observations, ideas and warnings to help guide him when the day finally came that he had his own pack to run. He might have been ousted from Elysium, but he’d hit road blocks before – this was just another hurdle to overcome. He wasn’t giving up, he was simply pausing and rescuing Selene from her own recklessness in the meantime.

From the hotel he followed her trail to the park, then an apartment that reeked of Bastien and – to his shock – Arabella. What had happened here? He wondered. He could guess why Bastien might have come here, since the Alpha did have a bounty on Volanas, but he couldn’t fathom how he’d become tangled up with Arabella.

Eventually he tracked them to a modest church near the city center, where he’d watched Selene and her witchy mentor enter, soon followed by an entire army of Capital guards and the man who could only be Blaise. Minutes later he saw Helene skulking out the side door. He couldn’t see was was happening inside, but he could see violent flashes of light and hear Bastien roaring like a feral beast. Shortly after Blaise escorted a tearful Selene out the front – and two bodies were dragged out the side doors. Bastien at least, appeared to be alive. Arabella was undoubtedly not.

At first he hadn’t been sure who to follow. He wanted to go after Selene, and he knew Bastien would be the most likely person to be able to take on Blaise, but in the end, he chose the person who wasn’t surrounded by guards. He followed Helene for a few blocks, before she disappeared from sight completely. Confused, he ran ahead, then stopped and turned in a circle, wondering why he couldn’t catch her scent any longer.

The next thing he knew she was right in front of him with her hands clasped in front of her. “I hate to break it to you, but if you thought this pack was going to be an easier mark than the Novas, you were sorely mistaken.”

“That isn’t – I’m not, I came to try and stop Selene from doing whatever it is she planned.” He insisted.

“Well I’m afraid you’re too late.” Helene announced unhelpfully.

“But, you’re going to try and rescue her aren’t you?” He demanded.

“Whatever I do, I have no plans on sharing it with you.” She bit.

“Please.” He begged. “I want to help, I care about Selene. I don’t want anything to happen to her.”

“You have an odd way of showing caring.” Helene groused.

“Look, I’m not perfect, but I’m better than Blaise.” Frederic claimed, “If you’re going to get her back you need as much help as you can get, and you know the old saying: the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

“What use are you to me?” She asked slyly, “I’ve been in this city longer than you have, I see things far beyond the naked eye.”

“Yes, but I have contacts.” Frederic asserted, “No one stages a coup on their own. I have underworld allies in every pack on the continent.”

Helene arched a brow. “Any of them silversmiths?”

“No,” Frederic replied, bewildered, “But I be the rebels know a few.”

____________________

It took Selene a long time to decide if she wanted to try to get out of dinner completely, or run out halfway through. In the end, she imagined Blaise would simply take an outright refusal as defiance; he needed proof of her illness, and she was only too eager to give it to him. Yes, she decided, it was far better to go to dinner and let him see for himself.

She wished she could call home and check on Lila, but even if she had access to a phone, she was too afraid to risk it. She didn’t get the sense that Blaise was a patient man, and he already wanted more than one child. If he knew about Lila it would only be a matter of time before she was dead.

She couldn’t stand waiting for Helene to solve her problems for her. She wanted to save herself for once. She wanted to rescue Bastien the same way he’d rescued her in the past. So as the eerily silent servants lead her down the hallway to dinner, she tried to take in every detail she could about her surroundings. She still felt completely turned around in the huge estate, but after a few days out and about she might learn to find her way. She decided then and there that she had to behave well enough for Blaise to let her roam the palace freely, and if that didn’t work, she at least needed to learn to pick the lock on her door.

When they finally reached their destination, the servants gestured for Selene to go through a solid mahogany door. She expected to be entering Blaise’s private chambers, instead she found herself entering a massive banquet hall. It seemed that she and Blaise would not be eating dinner alone, though she had no idea what he was planning for dessert.

The entire hall was full of obedient aristocrats showing their fealty at Blaise’s court, and though she was let in through a side door, Selene did not go unnoticed. The moment she stepped inside there was a collective intake of breath as hundreds of heads turned her way. Muttering met her ears as she took her first hesitant steps, feeling suddenly very self conscious in her pale pink gown.

She moved through the sea of tables without making eye contact with anyone and simply trying to keep her head held high. Some people whispered of her beauty, others speculated on her relationship with the Alpha, while more still noted the silver cuffs on her slender wrists. That’s right. She thought dryly. He might be able to dress me up and paint my face like a doll, but at the end of the day I’m a prisoner just like you.

When she finally reached Blaise, he beamed – sparking more murmurs than ever. “Selene you look stunning.” He complimented.

“Thank you.” She replied, amazed at how calm she’d managed to sound.

“What do you think of my court?” He asked, sweeping an arm towards the shimmering gathering.

“It’s certainly an embarrassment of riches.” Selene remarked, unable to keep the irony from her voice, “I’m surprised your people don’t look happier.”

“Happiness isn’t a requirement for a prosperous pack , my beauty.” Blaise declared, with the heir of a lecturing professor, “Hard work and obedience are.”

“And here I was thinking happy people were more productive.” Selene bit, drawing Blaise’s piercing gaze.

“And that is why I lead, and you serve.” He answered, pulling out her chair. “I hope you’re hungry.”

“Oh,” Selene uttered, taking in the lavish spread in front of them. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking… you know, with the kidnapping… I’m having a very strong aversion to poultry.”

“Ah yes,” Blaise answered, gesturing for the servants to remove the various roasted birds from the table and making Selene kick herself for mentioning it, “The joys of pregnancy. How far along are you, anyway?”

“Four and a half months.” Selene shared, “but I have a severe nausea condition, so I haven’t put on as much weight as I should have.”

“Halfway,” he nods in approval. “Good, we should be able to find out the sex tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Selene repeated, aghast. Suddenly it seemed she didn’t need to be near any poultry to feel sick. Her terrified body did the work for her, and abruptly emptied the contents of her stomach, right into Blaise’s lap.