When Kendra woke up the following morning, Killian was nowhere to be seen.
She didn’t really think much about it, choosing instead to head into the inner chambers and clean herself up in readiness for the day, but as she finally finished getting ready, only to realise he still wasn’t back, she felt her heart start to beat erratically against her chest.
Had he decided to leave without saying goodbye?
Was it because of what had happened yesterday?
The female beta had to admit that she was quite hurt, but she quickly felt her heart hardening to steel.
It was probably for the best anyway.
Kendra made it to the door and turned the knob only to realise the door was locked with no key in sight.
She tried to look for something… anything that would make sense of the situation, and that was when she found the parchment.
Killian.
That bastard!
He had locked her indoors to go scout Alaric’s camp just like he had promised.
At that point, Kendra just couldn’t contain her anger. A quick glance around the room revealed strongly bolted windows that weren’t going to be easy to open.
It looked like she was royally stuck in there. Just as Killian had planned.
She huffed crossly. Honestly speaking, she had had it with the Alpha interfering in her life and trying to decide what was best for her.
What she needed to do was figure out a way to sneak out of the room before he got back, so she could enjoy a few weeks of independence before deciding whether she was going to help save him from the curse or not.
In that moment, everything made it hard for her to want to help him out. A dark twisted part of her just wished the Red Moon would be here already, so she’d be free of him and the weird way he made her feel all the time.
Kendra was just as quickly consumed by guilt at that thought.
It was no fault of Killian’s that this was happening to them. If anything, he was even more a victim than she was, because she didn’t have her destiny end in some gruesome tale. Besides, he was her best friend, and even though she wasn’t ready to be tied down, especially when it wasn’t of her own accord… of her own will and emotions,
She knew that when the time got nearer, she was eventually going to say yes.
But she still wanted to exhaust every other possibility, before arriving at that decision.
That was another reason why she was in QYEPOE.
Though she’d rather die than admit that to herself or anyone.
With a deep sigh, she tried to figure out a way to get out of her prison. She really had to get out of there.
She just had to.
****
As Killian pranced about in Alaric’s camp undetected, he found himself liking Kendra’s quest even less and less.
For starters, women were not part of the troupes.
He knew that fact was going to unnerve his Beta, but he also knew that was going to make her even more determined to sneak in.
Killian knew Kendra, and he knew that blending in was one thing she wasn’t good at.
She had this aura around her that just instantly attracted attention, even when she didn’t want it and that was going to be a hindrance.
Aside that, he feared that she would be exposed.
He had heard of Alaric’s craziness, met him once even… and it worried him to no end just what he could do to his mate.
For the first time, Killian found himself wishing that Kendra wasn’t so battle-minded and stubborn.
But of course, then she wouldn’t be the Kendra he had come to know and cherish.
As Killian moved on, he could see just how much Alaric kept his troupes in check with an iron fist. Everything looked in order, the men were all dressed in flowing red tunics, and for some reason, they were all bald.
The Alpha wondered how they were able to fight their many battles in such clothes that were only going to slow their movements, his nose wrinkling in disgust at the thought that Kendra was going to lose her waist length, kinky curls were she to join them.
Well, not on his watch.
As soon as he returned to the tavern, he was getting her out of there, even if he had to tie her up to do so.
The Alpha was almost out of the camp when he heard two soldiers talking.
“Tis funny how the general was makin’ plans to attack Silver Crest, but now tis just an empty city with no one over there.” One said with a chuckle.
The other snorted. “What you talks about? Er’ one knows that Alpha Silvercrest is one of the most powerful people with the wolf curse. He won’t disband his peoples in fear,”
“But tis exactly what he did. No one knows where he is or where they are. The general’s furious… Silver Crest would have been a great victory for the Curers.”
A growl escaped Killian’s lips involuntarily, so loud that he drew the attention of the two soldiers.
“Who goes there?” One called out shakily.
“Tis nothin’,” The other one tried to assuage their fears, “Let’s just get out of ‘ere.”
Killian watched them scurry off from his hiding place, his eyes a scary silver at the information he had just heard.
They didn’t even have any idea how they had just narrowly escaped death.
The Alpha made it back to Désirée’s tavern almost around 3 am, a slight grimace already forming on his face at the thought of how pissed off Kendra was going to be at him for locking her in, and how it was going to be much worse when she heard what he had to say.
“Is she still in there?” He asked the chubby tavern keeper as he passed by, but it was just a way of conversation.
Of course she was going to be in there.
“Yes milord. She has been screamin’ the whole place down for some time now, but she has finally quietened down a bit.” Came the keeper’s reply.
Killian winced.
He really was in trouble.
The silence that greeted him as the key turned in the lock was a little bit unnerving, but he continued to open the door nevertheless.
To be honest, the sight that greeted him didn’t really surprise him. The room was exactly how he had left it.
Only that this time, there was no sleeping Kendra, and one of the tightly bolted windows were widely opened.
His Beta had escaped.