Chapter 180: Loyalty
FIA (A few hours ago)
The oga nodded and slipped out of the bathroom. I heard her footsteps retreat toward the door. Then silence.
I peeled off my clothes slowly. Each movent pulled at muscles that felt like they’d been wrung out and hung to dry. The fabric stuck to my skin in places. When I finally got everything off, I looked at so of the bloodstains on my body.
It needed to co off so I got in the water.
The heat hit
like a wall. I sucked in a breath through my teeth and kept going. Lowered myself inch by inch until I was sitting. The water ca up to my chest. Steam rose around
in lazy curls.
I leaned back against the tub and closed my eyes.
The heat worked its way into my muscles. Loosened them. Made the ache recede to sothing manageable. I stayed like that for a while. Just breathing. Just letting the water do its work.
When I opened my eyes again, I noticed sothing.
The water had turned pink.
Not bright red. Just a soft pink tinge that spread out from where I sat. I looked down at my side. The stains were leaving my skin. I saw tiny beads of dried blood mixing with the bathwater.
I watched it for a mont. Watched the pink swirl and dissipate. Then I pushed myself up.
Ti to get out.
I stood carefully. Water sluiced off
and back into the tub. I grabbed one of the towels the oga had left and wrapped it around myself. My legs felt steadier now. The bath had helped more than I’d expected.
I dried off slowly.
The night robe hung on a hook by the door. It was a soft fabric and it was dark blue. I pulled it on and tied the sash at my waist.
When I walked back into my bedroom, I felt almost well again.
I was halfway to the bed when I heard the knock.
"Co in," I called.
The door opened. The oga entered first. She stepped aside and held the door.
Behind her was Garrett.
He looked the sa as I rembered. Tall. Broad shoulders. Dark hair pulled back from his face. His sentinel uniform was pristine. His expression was neutral but his eyes were sharp. Taking everything in.
"Luna Fia." He inclined his head slightly. "It’s been a while."
I gestured for him to co in properly. "I was surprised you ca this quickly."
"I was surprised you asked for ." He stepped inside and the oga closed the door behind him. She stood there. Waiting.
I turned to her. "Can you leave us?"
She bowed. Lower than before. "Of course, Luna."
The door clicked shut behind her.
Garrett and I stood there for a mont. Just looking at each other. The silence stretched but it wasn’t uncomfortable. More like we were both taking asure.
I broke it first.
"I reached out to you because I rembered sothing." I moved toward the chair by the mirror and sat down. My legs were grateful for it. "You were the first person who really lent a hand to
when I first ca here."
He didn’t respond. He just watched .
"You told
why Cian was the way he was." I folded my hands in my lap. "You explained things when no one else would. And you’re also the reason we didn’t die from Mourning Moon poisoning after I ran off."
Sothing flickered across his face at that.
"A mistake that still keeps
up till today," I added quietly.
Garrett shifted his weight. "I’m a sentinel." His voice was even. Calm. "It is my job to save my Alpha."
"I wasn’t a part of the job description."
The words hung between us. He knew what I ant. He’d saved
too that day. Helped
even though I’d been the one who’d caused the problem in the first place. More than once. Like what he had told
while I was in that cell.
I leaned forward slightly. "Why did you help
out at the ti? Pity?"
"No." The answer ca quickly. Firmly. He crossed his arms over his chest. "You were this pack’s Luna and Alpha Cian was hurting. I don’t think he ant the hurt he put you through at the ti. But he still took a lot of it out on you. You didn’t know why." He paused. "It was the right thing to do."
I waited. There was more.
"Plus, you were his fated mate." He uncrossed his arms and let them fall to his sides. "The goddess saw it fit to put you two together. If I, a lowly sentinel, could help my Alpha in any way, even with his mate, why shouldn’t I help?"
The words settled into my chest. Warm and solid.
"I do not know you too much," I said slowly. "But I know so people would have been fine with Cian dying that day. I know a lot of people didn’t like how and when I ca into Cian’s life."
Garrett’s jaw tightened but he didn’t interrupt.
"So it makes
know I can trust you."
His expression shifted. Beca more alert. More focused. "What could this be about?"
I took a breath. Let it out slowly. This was it. The mont where I either made a huge mistake or took the first step toward protecting what mattered.
"What if I told you there are enemies in Skollrend?" I kept my voice low. Steady. "Enemies in high places. Enemies that Alpha Cian trusts with everything he has."
Garrett’s posture changed. Beca rigid. His hand moved to his side like he was reaching for a weapon that wasn’t there.
"I watched people die when we Sentinels and the Ogas retook their oath to this pack." His voice had gone hard. "You cannot deceive the goddess. Our enemies are dead."
"Did the Elder circle, the Beta of this pack, or other Lunas and Alphas of this pack do the sa?"
The question landed like a stone in still water. Ripples spread outward. I watched them cross Garrett’s face. Watched understanding dawn.
"Luna Fia." His voice dropped lower. "You cannot be—"
"I am."
The words ca out firr than I felt. I pushed myself to standing. Faced him directly.
"I suspect Beta Ronan is a threat to the life of my mate." Each word felt like pulling teeth. "So is his uncle, Aldric."
Garrett stood completely still. He didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Just stared at
like I’d grown a second head.
"Why are you telling
this?" The question was barely above a whisper.
I moved closer. Close enough that he had to look down to et my eyes.
"Because you took an oath and you didn’t die." I held his gaze. Didn’t let myself look away. "Because I know you are loyal. Because I trust you."
His throat worked. Like he was swallowing sothing down.
"And I need you to now be Cian’s eyes and his ears." My voice didn’t shake. I was proud of that. "I need you to watch Beta Ronan and Alpha Aldric."
The silence that followed was thick enough to cut. Garrett’s expression had gone through about six different emotions in the span of three seconds. Now it had settled on sothing that looked like determination mixed with fear.
"You’re asking
to spy on the Beta." It wasn’t a question.
"I’m asking you to protect your Alpha."
"From his best friend."
"From whoever ans him harm."
Garrett ran a hand over his face. Rubbed at his jaw. When he looked at
again, his eyes were troubled but clear.
"What makes you think it’s them?"
I told him. I told him everything I knew. The poisoning. Alpha Aldric. About the party. About what Aldric had said. Information he shouldn’t have known. Things I’d only told Ronan in private. Away from listening ears. About how Madeline had appeared. About how convenient her timing was. About how Ronan had been the one to weed out all the traitors but had never taken an oath himself.
Garrett listened without interrupting. His expression grew darker with each piece of information I laid out.
When I finished, he was quiet for a long mont.
"This is dangerous," he said finally. "If you’re wrong—"
"If I’m wrong, then nothing changes." I cut him off. "But if I’m right and we do nothing, Cian dies. This pack falls. Everything we’ve been fighting for is gone."
He closed his eyes. Took a breath. Opened them again.
"You understand what you’re asking." It wasn’t a question but I answered anyway.
"I do."
"If anyone finds out—"
"They won’t. Not from ."
He studied my face. Looking for sothing. I didn’t know what. After what felt like an eternity, he nodded once.
"I’ll do it." His voice was low but certain. "I’ll watch them. Both of them. Report back to you."
Relief flooded through . My knees went weak but I locked them. Refused to show it.
"Thank you."
"Don’t thank ." His mouth quirked into sothing that wasn’t quite a smile. "This is what I was born for."
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