**Rosalie’s POV
I was so disappointed in myself.
How could I allow Ethan to manipulate that way? I tried so hard to stay away from him, but I failed miserably. The physical attraction I had towards him was sothing I could never understand.
However, every ti after that, I’d feel so ashad. I couldn’t do this any more. I needed to get out of here....
After Ethan left, I went back to staring at nothing, praying to the Moon Goddess that she would let out of this hellhole, that I could get my son and get back to my new ho with my pack.
Then I heard him shouting outside of the tent, I had to get up and go see what was happening. I couldn’t gather much, but it seed from the looks on Vicky and Talon’s faces, amongst others, that Ethan was pissing other people off, too, and not just .
Falling back onto the bed, I resud my attempt at clearing my mind completely. I didn’t want to think about my current situation, so I tried not to think at all. But my arms felt empty, and my heart ached because my baby wasn’t here with .
The tent flap opened, and I just assud it was either one of the guards bringing food again or it was Ethan coming back for another round. I was dressed now and didn’t intend to give in to his carnal needs anyti soon.
“Rosalie?”
The sound of a familiar female voice had turning around quickly.
I could hardly believe my eyes.
“Vicky?” I said, getting to my feet. Was my friend really standing inside of my tent?
She had tears in her eyes, and I moved to her quickly, the two of us embracing in a tight hug as both of us began to weep with joy at finally being reunited.
It took both of us several monts to be able to regain the ability to speak. “Does Ethan know you’re in here?” I asked her. I wanted to see her so badly, but I didn’t want her to get in trouble.
She nodded. “Yes. he does, though I don’t know how long he’ll let stay. How are you?”
I wasn’t sure how to answer that. She reached up and smoothed back my hair, and I felt myself tearing up again. Shaking my head, I asked, “How did everything get to be such a ss?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “But every ti I start to think this has to be it, we’ve reached rock bottom, sothing else happens that makes the situation a thousand tis worse.”
The two of us sat on the edge of my cot. I had so much I wanted to tell her, and I wanted to know all about how things had been for her, but I wasn’t even sure where to begin.
Eventually, I asked, “How was your journey here?”
“It was difficult at first. I’m certainly not used to sleeping outside under the stars,” she chuckled, “but now that I have a tent, it’s a lot more comfortable.”
She said it in a lighthearted tone, but I knew they must have been through a lot more trouble than what she made it sound like.
“How are Talon and Estrella?”
“Talon’s the sa. Esrtrella went back to the pack, and I’m assuming no news is good news. Regardless of whether Alpha is there, Drogomor pack still has the best warriors and is useful for the kingdom, you know.”
From what I’d heard, King Jas’s banishnt was only for Ethan. As a politician and a ruler, the best choice for the king would be to absorb the Drogomor warriors into his own military force. I would assu he’d left the rest of the pack unhard.
Maybe Talon and Vicky didn’t need to run away from the capital either... but they still chose to follow their Alpha.
I sighed. “You’ve been so brave to go through all of this and follow Ethan.”
“I couldn’t stay in the castle, not under the circumstances. Alpha did everything he could to serve his country, and we’d follow him to the end of the world. Plus, the king wouldn’t go easy on or Talon being Alpha’s confidants anyway.”
“Why wouldn’t the king keep his word? I thought he was only after Ethan.”
“You’re too kind, Rosalie. Think again for , please?” Vicky smiled bitterly.
I pondered for a mont and realized that I might be too naive. If Vicky and Talon stayed in the capital, knowing how much Ethan cared about his subordinates, King Jas would probably hold Talon, Vicky, and so of Ethan’s most trusted subordinates hostage.
Knowing Ethan, he would definitely go back for them. At that point, he would be just willingly walking back into their trap.
I looked up at Vicky. She could tell I’d co to the conclusion myself. “Alpha might not be perfect, but we wouldn’t abandon him, just like we knew he’d never abandon us. See, King Jas knew that too. In fact, he sent n after us and tried to eliminate us all.”
I gasped. “Thank goodness you all are okay.”
This ti, Vicky chuckled mysteriously, which made confused and curious. “What’s that smile about?” I asked.
Vicky comnted, “Yes, we are all good, because the king sent the wrong person to go after us.”
I looked at her even more confused.
“He sent Paul,” Vicky explained, “He sent my mate!”
It took just a few seconds to digest what she said, and my eyes widened. “You an...”
A smile pulled up the corners of her mouth. “Yes! You rember Paul? The guard from the capital that I knew was my mate?” Just speaking his na made her smile brighter.
“Of course, I do.”
“King Jas sent him after Alpha, but he is on our side now because of !” she said proudly.
“Oh, my! Vicky! That’s wonderful! Well, I ant, not great that King Jas was after you, but Paul... how wouderful!“
She giggled. “Yes... I agree.”
“I’m so glad to hear that,” I told her. “You deserve soone who loves you with his whole heart and will make you happy.”
“Thank you, Rosalie.”
As glad as I was for her, the statent made my chest feel heavy because I didn’t have that, and as long as Ethan was supposed to be my mate, I had a feeling I never would.
Realizing that I was thinking about him again, I forced myself to focus back on Vicky.
After we took a mont to soak each other in, she asked in a more cheerful voice, “How about you? I want to know what happened to you! You must have had quite the adventure getting to the north, I assu?”
“Yes, I certainly did.”
I thought back over the past few months and gave her a brief summary on what happened after I left Mirage and how I ended up in the Winter Forest pack.
Vicky squeezed my hand and said, “We all heard about the White Queen, and you have no idea how proud of you we are!!”
My face started to heat up. “I’m still learning, Vicky, but for the first ti in my life, I felt like maybe I’d finally found a place where I fit in, where I could contribute.”
“I’m so glad that you were able to find your people. We always knew there was sothing incredibly special about you.”
I felt my face turning bright red at her complint. “Thank you,” I told her. “I had a lot of help.”
“Still...” Vicky said, “you are amazing, Rosalie. And the fact that you were able to step in right away and take over as the queen says a lot about you.”
I wanted to thank her for her kind words again, however, the thought of my people and my responsibility pulled back to reality. I muttered, “They have to be missing and wondering where I am....”
Seeing that I was worried, Vicky squeezed my hand. “Rosalie, sorry about your situation.... Please, just give Alpha so ti. It has been a few rough months for him.”
“Vicky, I know this wasn’t sothing you could control. Georgia has tried too, but Ethan just does whatever he wants,” I muttered.
Vicky replied, “Despite the changes that Alpha has undergone recently, he does love you.”
I couldn’t help but scoff. “He certainly has a funny way of showing it.”
“I totally agree,” Vicky said. “He has never been good with his emotions, but now that he’s beco a rogue, his anger has taken over his life, and he’s not able to make rational decisions anymore.”
Sothing told she wasn’t just talking about being a prisoner.
I frowned. My mind went to the scene where he was scolding Talon or Vicky earlier.
I felt that Ethan had changed. Not just his appearance... was he still the man he once was?
“What’s going on, Vicky?” I asked.
She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “We had a battle earlier. We won, but so of the rogues that have joined us recently didn’t perform to the level of Alpha’s expectations. That’s not surprising.”
“That’s understandable,” I nodded and smiled. “No one was trained like the Drogomor pack.”
“Exactly,” Vicky said. “But he was so unhappy with the way the survivors handled themselves in battle, he’s calling for them to be executed.”
I stared at her for a long mont, my eyes wide with shock. “Seriously?” I asked. “But... why would he do that?”
Vicky shook her head. “I don’t know. It doesn’t seem like sothing Alpha would even consider in the past, but he’s adamant that it must be done. Talon and I tried to talk him out of it, but he won’t listen to us.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Vicky....”
She patted my hand. “Rosalie, you have nothing to apologize for... it’s just that we’re all worried about him. He’s losing himself.”
Losing himself. I repeated her words in my mind. “What do you an by losing himself?”
“We’re worried that he will turn into a rogue...” Vicky’s look was concerned, “a real rogue, if he lets his desire for blood take over. Killing might feel good for him at the mont, but the more he gives in to that bloodthirst desire, the sooner he’ll lose his soul.”
“I... I didn’t know that...” I gasped.
“Rosalie, I know with everything going on, we would be selfish to ask you for this favor... but could you help him?” Vicky asked .
“?”
Vicky nodded, “Yes, you. Could you speak to him and stop him from killing those guys? He will listen to you.”
I shook my head. “Vicky, I’m sorry, but I think you might be mistaking the situation. I’m just his prisoner. Why would he listen to ? Ever since I was brought here, he hasn’t listened to a word I have to say about anything.”
I couldn’t even get him to let see my baby unless the child was crying because he was hungry.
“Rosalie, you’re different, and he’ll listen to you. I promise.” Vicky seed certain, but I had my doubts.
However, when I t her eyes, I knew I had no choice but to take a chance, though.
Whether Ethan needed for help, I couldn’t say, but at a minimum, if I could talk him out of killing those who didn’t deserve death, it would be worth the effort it took to try..
“Vicky, I don’t know why you are so confident in , but yes I can talk to him. I’m willing to give it a try.”
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