Erald closed the door to her room and leaned her back against it, sighing.
The room felt heavy with silence after a long, complicated night. Her thoughts were spinning with Adrien’s discovery, the letter, and what it all ant.
But more than that, she felt a growing storm of anxiety in her stomach that she just couldn’t ignore.
So she pulled out her phone, and she called the one person she knew would pick up, no matter how late it was.
Not even two full rings passed before the temperature in the room dropped noticeably, and Ares materialised from the shadows, dressed in his usual black. His arms were crossed as he leaned lazily against the window fra.
"You called," he said with a roll of his eyes, "so obviously sothing’s wrong."
She gave a half-smile. "Nice to see you too."
"I’m sure. Let guess, you want to send on an errand," he drawled, eyes scanning the room. "Gods forbid I get summoned just to have a drink."
Erald didn’t rise to his sarcasm. "I need your help."
He raised a brow, already walking toward the window. "You always need my help."
"This is different."
He turned to face her, folding his arms. "Oh? How so?"
Erald inhaled deeply, her voice steady despite the ache forming behind her eyes. "I want to investigate what happened to Adrien’s brother. His death. Sothing about it doesn’t add up."
Ares blinked slowly. "So now I’m your personal private investigator? I an... you called here... for him?"
"It’s not just for him," she said quickly. "Thing is... Adrien thinks soone inside orchestrated his brother’s death, but he doesn’t know who or why. And I... I want to find out."
He stepped closer, eyes narrowing. "You think I’m just going to drop everything to go save one of your other lovers?"
Her lips parted, but no sound ca.
Ares scoffed. "That’s what this is, right? Call the scary one. Call the one who can’t die and knows how to track shadows. Use Ares to dig up old secrets so the rest of your precious mates can keep sleeping soundly."
"You’re the only one I can ask," she said quietly. "You’re the only one who’d find sothing even if it was buried under a hundred years of lies. You’re fast, you’re ruthless, and you don’t play by their rules."
"Flattery won’t help you," he muttered.
"I’m not flattering you."
"Then stop pretending this is for the pack. You don’t care about the pack. You care about Adrien."
"I care about all of you."
He took another step toward her. "And yet, sohow, I’m the one you only call when you’re desperate."
"That’s not true," she whispered.
"Isn’t it?"
Silence stretched.
Erald looked up at him, lips trembling slightly. "I need your help."
Ares stared at her a mont longer, then sighed and looked away. "Fine. I’ll do it."
She blinked. "Really?"
"But I want sothing in return."
Erald froze. "What?"
He didn’t answer.
Instead, he tilted her chin up with two fingers, his gaze burning into hers.
The air thickened.
He leaned in slowly, his lips re inches from hers. Her eyes fluttered shut on instinct, expecting a kiss, a touch, sothing exciting.
But when she opened her eyes again, he was gone.
His voice echoed from behind her, sowhere closer to the shadows by the window. "I’ll let you know what the price is when I’m ready to collect."
Erald turned, glaring at him. "You expect to agree to a deal I don’t even understand?"
Ares shrugged. "I’m not the one who wants to play detective in a dead man’s garden."
"That’s not fair..."
He shrugged one shoulder. "You know I don’t want to help. I gain nothing from this. So if I walk away, I lose nothing. But if you want my help... you play my way."
Erald clenched her fists. "Then give a hint. Sothing."
Ares smirked. "No."
She scowled. "Ares..."
"You like surprises," he said, strolling toward the portal again. "The thrill of the unknown, rember? Just... embrace it."
"You’re impossible."
"I know," he said smugly. "It’s part of the charm."
She sighed heavily. "Fine. But if your price turns out to be my firstborn or my soul, I’m cashing in one of your ribs as repaynt."
Ares grinned. "Deal."
He vanished into the dark ripple before she could throw sothing at him. Erald stood still for a mont, trying to unclench her jaw. "Dramatic bastard."
She hated making deals with him. But at least he’d agreed. That alone put her ahead of where she was twenty minutes ago.
Sighing, she walked to her bed and picked up her phone again. She hesitated only a second before opening a ssage thread she hadn’t touched in a while.
ERALD: Uncle. I need to ask you sothing about Adrien’s brother.
The response ca faster than she expected.
DARIUS: Of course you do. Do you ever not get into trouble?
She almost smiled.
ERALD: It’s important.
DARIUS: It always is.
She waited.
A minute passed, then two. No follow-up ssage. Darius was likely digging through whatever dusty files or mories he had access to. If anyone could recall the forr Alpha’s reign or the people around him, it would be her uncle. He had connections going back decades.
Satisfied for now, she placed the phone down on the nightstand and finally allowed herself to breathe.
Her whole body sagged into the mattress. Her head hit the pillow with a soft thud, and for the first ti in hours, she let her eyes close.
But peace didn’t co.
Thoughts stord through her mind: Adrien’s grief, Ares’ cryptic deal, and what he might find out.
Let it go, she told herself. I just need five minutes. Just five minutes to rest.
The room was dark, with only the soft light from the nightstand still on. Suddenly, her phone buzzed again. Erald groaned and turned her face into the pillow.
It buzzed again... and again.
"Ugh, what now?" she muttered, reluctantly reaching for it.
She grabbed it, already prepared to ignore whatever it was.
But then she saw the caller ID, and every trace of sleep vanished from her body. Her eyes flew open, breath catching in her throat.
The screen lit up again with the na: RICK
She stared at it.
The phone buzzed one more ti.
It was none other than Rick.
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