Figuring Things Out

Stefan

I stay still, watching as Wayne carries out Harlyn with the pups following.

“Your guards didn’t even try to defend you against that pack of animals!” The Earl steps towards me.

“Because they were told to stay out of it, Earl Harold.” My Mother walks forward. “The pups are not to be hurt.” She looks away from him.

“I need to go get her.” My body moves, and she steps in front of me.

“You need a plan. Everyone leave now.” She looks around. “Samuel, you stay.”

“As your leading man, I believe that I should stay Your Grace; after all, it is myself who will plan the retaliation.” The Earl steps forward.

“There will be no retaliation towards Harlyn or the pups. Leave now.” I stare at him and watch him leave with his wife and Colton.

“Seen as it’s clear she doesn’t want you, I will agree to still marry you.” I hear Diandra’s words and groan.

“The wedding is off. I suggest you leave.” I watch as my father steps towards her and her father. “I apologise for my son’s behaviour, but right now, no wedding will happen. Leave.” He stares them down, and I watch as they walk out.

“You rejected her.” Samuel looks at me. Of course, he goes back to that, not that it was me that night; no, I rejected her.

“What Stefan has done makes no difference, Samuel, we need you to speak to Harlyn and make her stay, make her see sense.” My mother steps forward.

“No, he hurt her enough. I won’t destroy her only chance of happiness.” He glares towards me.

“You’re hurting for your sister. That is understandable, but look back at what happened, Samuel. Really look at what just happened, and maybe you will see that this isn’t normal.” Father looks at him.

“Of course, it isn’t normal! He rejected her, and he rejected his mate. We all know that had I rejected Lucy, I would have been hung, but Stefan? No, let’s cover it up and pretend he’s perfect.”

“Enough!” Lucy steps between us. “Samuel, please. You’re so focused on that he hurt her that you didn’t even realise the pups attacked him.” She looks at him, pleading with her eyes.

“He deserved it.” He barely gets the words past his clenched teeth.

“Yes, but look at how the pups were. That’s not normal, Samuel. You can hate my asshole brother, but please listen and help, as I know that, right there, was not normal!” She shouts and begins crying.

Samuel looks between us and wraps his arms around her. “I’m sorry, I was so angry at you I hadn’t paid attention. I was just grateful someone else wanted to kill you.”

“Okay, sit, let me explain.” My father takes a seat, and we follow. He tells Samuel and Lucy the story about before, and then he explains that the family was Wayne’s. I see Samuel’s eyes, and my head shakes.

“Don’t. If he is willing to get them to attack me, he will do the same to you.” He can’t go in there and demand Wayne leave.

“So, Jacub and Wayne?” Samuel looks at us.

“Wayne has two brothers, Ethan and Gabriel. There is no brother named Jacub, but how would we know if his real name was Jacub? Harlyn won’t believe us, and I’m sorry Stefan, but she won’t believe Samuel or her mother either.”

“What?” I look at my father. “She might, it’s worth a try.” She might believe them and stay here, refusing to leave with Wayne.

“Your mother explained, and if there is dark magic involved, one look, one word, and he can wipe that doubt out of her mind instantly. I have a warlock coming, but it’s a distance for them to travel.”

“I can’t let her leave with him.” Samuel looks at us.

“She will be safe,” Lucy states, and I glare at her. “I don’t know what the plan is, but he does love her. Think back, Stefan, you shouted at Harlyn, and he stood up against you for her; he loves her, so he isn’t going to hurt her.”

He doesn’t love her. “No, he doesn’t. He is using her.” I won’t believe that he loves her.

“Lucy is right; Wayne loves Harlyn; maybe it wasn’t his plan to fall for her, but he did. He won’t hurt her, Stefan. She won’t believe us, any of us, because he will just wipe out the doubt, and then she will think everyone, including Samuel, is trying to destroy her and Wayne.” My mother looks at me.

The room falls silent while ever she is under that spell; it’s impossible. Even I know it is.

“The guards can’t possibly stop them from leaving. If he uses the pups again, it would mean restraining them, literally chaining them down.” My father looks at me.

“No, no one is touching them.” I won’t allow it.

“Then they leave. They took you down without an issue, so they won’t have any problem taking down your strongest men. They are under the spell as much as Harlyn. At that moment, they were blinded and focused. They didn’t realise the hits on you were hurting Harlyn.” He sighs and looks around.

“So she leaves with Wayne,” Samuel speaks, and I glare at him. “I don’t want her to Stefan, but she leaves with Wayne. When this Warlock comes, we travel to Wayne’s pack, and we get Harlyn back and the pups.”

“That could be weeks!” I’m not happy with that.

“You’re looking at two or three days for him to arrive here. Then, a day to travel to where Wayne’s pack lives. The longest it will be is a week.” My father looks at me.

“Why you?” I ask, now realising that the Earl should have been king, not him.

“Why me what?” He sits confused.

“Why did you become king and not the Earl?” That makes no sense; the Earl was stronger. Everyone now looks at him, and I wonder what the reason is.

“The Earl’s hate for wolfless werewolves made me reject the possibility of him becoming king and step over him. It was a good job I had, as he wanted all wolfless werewolves to be cast out of the kingdom. Had he become king, Harlyn would have gone the day she was born.”

I can’t see the Earl just accepting that. “You offered him the role as The Earl, which is why he was happy to let you take on the role of King.” Only that backfired as my father wasn’t strong enough to stop him.

The door is pushed open, and I watch as Thorins steps in. Why is he here?