Changes

Stefan

The walk back took too long; it would have been a few hours if Harlyn was her wolf, human, though it took too long. By the time I step out of the trees, it’s early morning.

The entire place is quiet. I spot Samuel and see Thorin run towards me. His eyes glare at me.

“She’s fine, just tired and asleep.” I know to him it will look like I’m carrying her lifeless body, which is how it feels. I watch as Wayne walks towards me.

His eyes glared at me. “Of course, you didn’t listen. Where are her clothes?” He stood annoyed. Samuel shakes his head at me. I wasn’t about to taunt him.

“She was exhausted, considering she was in her wolf form for over twelve hours. What, did you want me to slap her and wake her just so she could hide her body from me?” He glares at me more. “This is your fault. Had you gone after her, she wouldn’t have been in her wolf form for so long.”

He can’t hate me for this when he left her. She would have been perfectly fine coming back as her wolf if he didn’t just sit for hours and wait.

I watch as he steps towards me and goes to take her. I almost moved back, but reluctantly, I let go of her. Samuel stares at me, shocked, and I watch Wayne walk into the house with her.

“Well, that wasn’t expected.” He laughs and looks at me.

“Don’t. It took a lot to let him take her. How is it going?” I look at him but can’t see Volkaros anywhere.

“He’s taking a break. His main focus is removing the links between the magic and Wayne’s whistles. We won’t know until Wayne tries to use them to attack if it worked, though.”

I nod at his words. Of course, the only way to be sure is to wait and see if it works. There is no way of testing it and seeing.

“Was she okay?” Samuel asks.

“She wasn’t running because of who her dad is, even I know that. She’s convinced that Wayne hates her, apparently he shouted at her and he never has before.” No doubt through frustration because his plan is failing, even using black magic, it’s not enough.

Harlyn getting her wolf seems to have cleared her mind, or at least I hope it has. So now he’s panicking and knows he is close to losing her. He pushed her out himself without even realising it by shouting at her.

“From what Thorin said, he shouted at her during training because she didn’t know how to use her wolf.”

My eyes go towards him. Why is he set on trying to force Harlyn to train now?

“You’re speaking like you managed to talk to her, so what? She isn’t trying to kill you anymore?” he laughs slightly.

“Apparently not, but I tried not to provack it, like her saying she thinks Wayne hates her, rather than making him look bad, I told her he doesn’t and he’s worried about her.” I’ve no idea if me talking badly about Wayne will trigger it again, so I have to be cautious with what I say.

“You defended him.” Samuel laughs.

“Don’t.” I stare at him.

“Oh...I’m going to look at Stefan being nice.”

“I swear you continue, I will put my crown back on,” I’m trying not to be an asshole. Then he taunts me for it.

“Spoil my fun, fine. No more taunting you.” He smirks, but I have a feeling he is going to bring it back up again.

“Samuel knows where you’re sleeping, and he can show you. I expect you gone tomorrow,” Wayne says before walking away. I glance towards the ship, I might just sleep there, and then I can stay as far away from Wayne as possible.

“Don’t. Volkaros needs to be close to the pups, and Harlyn, if you sleep in the ship, he will have to, as there is no way Wayne won’t question it.”

He’s right. Sighing, I nod and follow him through.

“He hates you, so yes, we’re sleeping in his guards quatures.” Samuel laughs.

“Well, could be worse, he could have put me in the pig sty.” I joke and we both laugh, I’m surprised he hadn’t to be fair. “Do we know how much longer Volkaros needs?” I ask.

Samuel shrugs his shoulders. “No idea, Your Majesty. He was trying for hours, and because he was exhausted, he had to rest. It doesn’t help that the magic isn’t only towards the pups and Harlyn. Others here are under the spell.”

Of course others are, he’s needing people to be blind to certain things so using black magic will only help strength his attack on us on when the time comes.

I do wonder, though, if some of the magic is used to blind people to the truth about his wife. Just who knew she was kidnapped and that Wayne gave her up? Just how many other secrets has he covered with magic?

“We should be leaving tomorrow. Volkaros said he would do enough so that Harlyn would leave with us, but ultimately, it can take a few days to a week for him to remove all traces.” As long as we can leave tomorrow, that is all that I care about.

Once I get Harlyn and the pups away from here, I don’t care about anything else.

“Katy isn’t wanting to leave the ship, even after we know it’s safe. She is happy to talk to Halyn and tell her everything but isn’t sure she wants to face Wayne.”

I can’t say I blame her, he wanted her dead, and essentially ordered it, because he accepted she would die if he didn’t stop his plan.

“Have you spoken to her much?” I ask.

“She seems nice. She stayed hiding because Wayne obviously didn’t know. I’ve said she can come back with us. She’s lived under a fake name, hiding who she is, and it’s not right.”

He invited her back? I stare at him.

“She’s in a way like my half-sister, but not. I just don’t think she should be punished for Wayne’s actions.”

All I do is nod and accept he’s right. I’m unsure I trust her entirely, but he’s right, it’s wrong for her to be left and having to hide for the rest of her life.