Chapter 24: Now what?
AYLA
"What is wrong? You have been like this since you returned. Did you not find Ares?" Astrid asked me, a concerned look on her face.
I wanted to tell her but the words caught in my throat.
It was morning the next day and I still had not heard anything about the bodies.
Surely, someone had discovered it by now.
Why wasn’t anyone saying anything about it. Not even a peep from the maids that had come in this morning.
I had even asked Astrid to ask around if there was anything out of the ordinary in the lower quarters but she had come back with just a concerned expression and no news.
"I am fine, Astrid." I managed to get out.
I had bitten my fingers until there was nothing left and right now, I was pacing the length of my room, unable to keep still.
"Ayla, please talk to me. Whatever it is, I am sure we can both figure it out together."
I stopped to look at her.
I could confide in her.
She was my best friend and I knew she would not tell anyone if I swore her to secrecy but how could I explain what happened to me yesterday.
What had come out of me in that moment and what I had done to those men.
Even I, did not understand it.
"Listen, Astrid..." I began.
Before I could get more words out, my mother walked into the room.
She stopped short upon seeing Astrid.
"What is the meaning of this? Why is she here?" she demanded.
Astrid bowed low.
"She is now my lady in waiting" I said simply.
My mother stared at me like I had lost my mind then she scoffed.
"Your lady in waiting? Is this a joke, Ayla? Isn’t she a..." my mother struggled to find words settling for. "lowly maid."
I wanted to remind her that I was a lowly maid merely weeks ago but instead I said,
"She is also my friend. Ares personally brought her here to wait on me."
On hearing Ares’ name, my mother’s face relaxed into a smile.
"Is that so?"
"Yes mother."
"If he thinks that she is going to be good for you. But what is she doing in your room? Is she not supposed to be waiting right outside just as the others are?"
"Mom..."
"Hey, you there... go out there and wait on my daughter like you should."
Astrid bowed again and cast me a look that said goodluck as she walked out of the room, the door clicking shut behind her.
My mother whirled on me, a smile dancing on her lips.
"Alpha Kieran bestowed upon me the right to engage in tea with the royal ladies." she beamed.
"Did he now?" I muttered dryly.
"I have just come from one of their meets and you should have seen their faces, Ayla. I can die right now and go to my grave happy at seeing such indignation."
This time, I smiled.
This was what my mother had always wanted.
To be acknowledged and to belong.
I had never seen her this happy and prancing before.
It suddenly occurred to me that I could tell her.
I had been looking for someone who would believe me and my tale about my father and who he had been meeting but who else than my mother who hated him?
"Mom, I have something to tell you."
"Okay, what is it?" she asked.
"It is about my father..."
The smile left my mother’s face.
"What did he do? Did he say something to you?"
I shook my head and lowered my voice.
"I saw him speaking to someone right after I left the dining hall two nights ago about the attack at the border."
My mother remained staring at me, confusion in her eyes.
"So? He is allowed to speak about the attack, Ayla. He is the Beta."
"No, you don’t understand. He was telling this person that he should not have attacked. They were talking about some information he is supposed to get for the rogue king in exchange for silence about a secret father has."
My mother appeared stricken.
"Ayla, this is not a joke. Why would you say your father is consulting with the rogue king?" Her voice dropped on her last words like she had just uttered a curse.
"I know what I heard, mom. I tried to hear more but something happened and he caught me."
"Oh moon goddess..."
"We need to do something, mom. You have the Alpha’s ear, don’t you? You can talk to him about this. Tell him you heard it being discussed. I am sure he will listen to you and investigate the matter further."
"Ayla!" My mother snapped, grabbing me by the shoulders.
I jumped at the look of utter fright on her face.
"I am going to ask you this and I want you to tell me the truth."
I nodded my head frantically.
"Who else have you told about this?"
I thought about yesterday and not being able to tell Ares then I thought about the men I had killed.
"Child, have you told anyone about what you heard?"
I shook my head.
"No, mom. I have told no one anything... just you."
"Is that the truth?"
I nodded again.
"Yes."
"I want it to remain that way."
I stared at her.
"Mom, we need to..."
"We do not need to do anything, Ayla. What is wrong with you? I only just had it good and you want to go and ruin everything for me."
"I am not ruining anything for you, mom. We are at war and we need to..."
"Shut up" she thundered. "Shut your mouth. What do you think the Alpha will say if I walk in and I tell him that I had heard that the one man who I hate in the world who happens to be his best friend is conspiring against him. What do you think he would do to me?"
"What if I tell Ares? He would believe me."
"If I had not pushed you out of my cunt under the rain with the smell of manure and rough hay biting into my back, I would swear you are not mine. Do you really think if it is discovered that Soren is indeed a traitor, we would be spared?"
"What do you mean?" I asked in a small voice.
"He may not have acknowledged you as his biological daughter but that does not mean the pack will not clamor for your head if your own father is found out as a traitor and what do you think they will do to your mother. Fucking use that head of yours, child."
She was right.
Whether my father is found guilty or not, my mother and I would be damned either ways.
"Promise me you won’t say anything to anyone about this... promise me, Ayla"
"I won’t say anything to anyone, mom" I muttered.
She finally released me, her chest heaving.
"I will not breathe a word about it to anyone" I repeated.
We held each other’s gaze for what seemed like an eternity before my mother nodded.
"Whatever your father is involved in will not succeed. It won’t"
I said nothing.
What could I say?