Chapter 43

I woke up after a fairly restless night of sleep in confusion. I didn’t remember ever actually going to bed. I remembered laying with Rhys, and then he got all weird, asking me not to be touched by other men, and I hadn’t known what that was about, so I just pretended to be asleep. Did he think I was a slut because I offered to have his baby? Did he think I’d always just throw myself at men for safety? I mean, I might, honestly, but I had no reason to not believe that Alpha King Rhys wasn’t going to take care of me, so I had no reason to do that. And once I pretended to be asleep, he just left. He didn’t stay, he didn’t say anything, he just disappeared. Then I laid there for a bit, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep, so I took a bath. But I couldn’t remember getting out of the bath or why I only put on a shirt.

I got out of bed slowly and stretched my stiff body. I grabbed a simple dress from my closet and got myself ready for the day. I didn’t know what was expected of me for the day, which made it a little hard to get ready, but I figured I could always change if I had to.

I started to descend the stairs to breakfast when Alpha King Rhys popped out of the hall on his office floor and into my path.

“Hi Grace,” He said tiredly, and he looked tired. “How did you sleep?”

“Fine, thank you.” I signed, unsure we stood exactly or if he understood ASL at all, but I had forgotten my chalkboard in my room.

“Do you want to come to my office? I think we have a lot to discuss.” He asked, there was a nervousness in his voice that I didn’t expect.

I nodded and followed him to his study. I took the seat across from his and eyed the breakfast tray he had on his desk.

“Please, eat,” He encouraged, gesturing at the tray.

I grabbed the toast from the tray, suddenly feeling nervous about being asked to come in here. Did he want to annul our agreement already? Or was this about something else completely?

“So, I’m not exactly sure where to start, Grace, but the first thing I think I should tell you is that we currently have a prisoner in our dungeon who claims to be your brother.”

I frowned as Alpha King Rhys handed me a new white board, since I had left my chalkboard upstairs in my room by accident. I took it from him, and thought hard about what I could write.

“No brother.” I finally wrote. “Sister.”

“I know this is kind of a bomb shell, Gracie. But according to him, Kinsley is your half-sister, and he is your twin. You guys were split up when you were very young.”

My frowned deepened. A twin? I didn’t remember anybody in my life from a young age other than Kinsley and even she was sort of a vague memory.

“I wish I could say that’s the only thing I’ve been keeping from you, but I would be lying if I told you that. I also found out that you have been bound twice.” He fidgeted in his seat, but his eyes never left mine.

“Bound?” I asked on my board, hoping I had spelled it right. It was not a word I was very familiar with.

“Usually, people only bound others when they are afraid of their power.” The Alpha King explained. “It effectively makes you unable to reach your wolf, which would explain why you’ve never shifted and don’t seemingly have a connection with your wolf or in your case, Lycan.”

“What?” I wrote. I knew I couldn’t spell Lycan, but I had no idea what the Alpha King was going on about now.

“The guy claiming to be your brother, your twin, is not a wolf. He’s a Lycan.” He explained carefully.

“What’s that?” I asked, not liking the turn that this was taking.

“Do you remember that day I ran out of your room, and you watched from your bedroom that creature attack the pack?”

I immediately felt like someone had dumped a cold bucket of water on me. He could not be saying what I think he was saying, but I nodded anyway.

“That creature was a Lycan. If you were to shift, that’s what you would turn into if your said brother is telling the truth. We have been working to remove the bindings holding yours in place. We met with a witch who wasn’t much help, but I promise we will figure out a way to completely restore your abilities.”

“No.” I wrote.

“No?” Alpha King Rhys asked in surprise.

My hands were shaking now as I flashed him my board again with the no on it.

“I don’t understand.” Alpha King Rhys said slowly. “You don’t want to be unbound?”

“I’m not a monster. I don’t want to be a monster.” I wrote, my lip quivering with fear.

This couldn’t be happening. I couldn’t be one of them. That monster had hurt the wolves. I didn’t want to hurt the wolves. I didn’t want to change into something so terrifying. I won’t do it.

“But Grace,” Alpha Rhys tried. “It will help you be able to protect yourself. You wouldn’t need to be so scared all the time. And you must be powerful because they didn’t just bind you once, they bound you twice.”

“No.” I wrote again.

“But Grace...” Alpha Rhys tried again, but I was scribbling on my board as he spoke, cutting him off.

“No.” I wrote as panic filled me at full force. I couldn’t understand why he was pushing this, trying to unbind me in the first place. I would be a monster. His chosen mate couldn’t be a monster, it would look bad. He would never keep me if I was that. So, I wrote in all caps, “I WON’T BECOME THAT! I WON”T! I”M NOT A MONSTER!”