Chapter 169: I Have To Rescue Myself (2)
On the 11th day, the mansion felt different. The air was heavy, but it was quiet. Yuki was not around, likely out doing whatever villainous things she did when she wasn’t lecturing me. Helen was tucked away in her room, probably resting or working on more of those strange concoctions. I realized this was my chance. I needed to see what was behind that door. I needed to see the person who was technically living off my veins.
I decided to go into the room where Helen kept her son.
I pushed the door open slowly, half expecting it to creak and give me away, but it moved silently. The room was like a nursery. It was a strange, jarring sight compared to the rest of the cold mansion. It was filled with children’s books and colorful toys. There were wooden train tracks built all around the space, winding under furniture and across the rug. In the center of the room sat a large bed with fluffy pillows.
At first, I thought no one was in there. I scanned the corners, the closet door, and the space under the bed. I started to think that maybe the witch might be crazy after all. Maybe she was just keeping things for a dead child, or a memory of someone long gone. I shook my head and turned to leave, feeling a weird chill down my spine.
Only to see a boy standing right in front of me.
He was taller than me, standing perfectly still. I jumped, my heart leaping into my throat. I was stunned. I didn’t hear him move at all. Not a footstep, not even the sound of his heartbeat. Yuki had taken away my earbuds days ago, saying I needed to rely on my own wolf hearing instead of artificial help. My hearing had improved since then, sharpened by the silence of my captivity, but I hadn’t heard this boy at all. He was like a ghost.
I took a step back, my hand flying to my chest. Judging by his bright ginger hair, he had to be the son Helen was talking about. This was the boy she was willing to kidnap and bleed me for.
"Hello..." I said. My voice sounded small. The way he looked at me made me nervous. There was a blankness in his eyes that felt unpredictable, like he might be more dangerous than a hedge-wolf if he got upset.
I glanced at his skin, searching for the damage Helen had described. She said he had been completely burned, a victim of some horrific accident, but she claimed my blood had healed him. He looked normal now. Actually, he looked better than normal. His skin was smooth and clear. If he was healed, then why were they still slitting my wrists every single day? Why was I still a prisoner?
"Who are you?" he asked. His voice was soft, lacking the edge of the women downstairs.
"Faye. My name is Faye... what is your name?"
"Henry. My mother named me Henry after her father. Are you the one my mother has been talking about? The rare wolf who saved my life?" he said. His tone was friendly, almost full of a childlike joy.
"I didn’t save your life... your mother did that by kidnapping me," I muttered to myself, the bitterness leaking out.
"Thank you... thank you for saving my life. Mother says those who give life are the most precious," he said with a wide, innocent smile.
Wow. His mom really coached him. She really told him exactly what to say to the girl she was draining in the living room.
"You’re welcome... but Henry, can you tell your mom to let me go home? I haven’t seen my brother in so long. He must be looking for me. He’s probably terrified," I said, trying to appeal to whatever was left of his humanity.
"You have a brother?" he asked, looking at me with wide eyes.
"Yes, I do. His name is Paye," I said. Just saying his name made my throat tighten.
"Does your brother love you?"
"Of course he does. I’m his little puppy," I said, a sad smile touching my face.
Now I couldn’t help but wonder how Paye was doing. I wondered how he reacted when he finally realized I was gone. He spent his whole life protecting me, keeping me hidden, keeping me away from any kind of harm.
Maybe this was why. Maybe he always knew what I was. Maybe he knew that if the world found out I was a Moon Wolf, people like Yuki and Helen would come for me. That was likely the big problem he never explained, the reason he was always so paranoid and strict.
"My brothers hate me... they don’t like me at all," Henry said suddenly. The joy left his face. He went back to his train set on the floor and started moving a small blue engine along the tracks.
He looked like a teenager, maybe even older than me, but he acted like a five-year-old. It was unsettling.
I sat down on the rug beside him, watching the train move in circles.
"You have brothers? I thought you were the only child your mom had," I said. I tried to remember if Helen had ever mentioned other children, but I was pretty sure she only ever spoke about her son.
"My brothers and I share the same father, but not the same mother... Mother and Father love me very much, but my brothers don’t. They say I’m the reason things are bad," he said, his focus entirely on the toy.
"Well, my brother loves me more than anything. I don’t know much about our parents, they aren’t around, but my brother is my mother and my father all in one. He carried me on his shoulders when I was tired. He bought me my very first toy. Whenever I cried or had a nightmare, he sang lullabies to me and gave me popsicles to make me feel better," I said honestly. I found myself lost in the memories of our small, quiet life.
He really sacrificed everything for me. He gave up his own happiness just to make sure I was okay. And in the end, I disobeyed his only real rule. I got myself into this mess.
If I had just listened to Paye, If I had stayed away from Alphas like he told me.
If I had never gone to that club that night.
I wouldn’t have ended up in Princess’s bed, I wouldn’t have gotten pregnant.
I wouldn’t have gone to Blackwood looking for aconite to get rid of the pups.
I wouldn’t have met Helen in that shop.
I wouldn’t have given her my blood to repay her kindness.
I would still be hidden away in our house. My brother’s secret would still be safe. And Yuki would never have even known I existed.
Maybe falling for an Alpha really did cause all of this. Maybe the legend was right and Alphas and Moon Wolves were just a recipe for disaster.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!.
I squeezed my eyes shut. I need to get out of here. I need to leave right now before Yuki’s poison starts getting into my head and making me doubt everything. I won’t let her win. I won’t let her make me regret my life. I love Princess. I love my pups.
Everything happens for a reason. I have to believe that.
I looked at Henry again. He was still playing, making little engine noises under his breath.
"Henry, have you ever been outside this mansion? Like, really outside, away from the walls?" I asked.
"Yes. Mother took me outside yesterday to see the shining stars. She takes me outside every night when it’s dark," he said.
"Do you want to be my friend, Henry?" I asked, leaning closer.
"I used to have friends too... but they are all gone now," he muttered, his voice trailing off.
"That’s why I’m asking. I’ll play with you. I can even be your sister if you want," I said. I was trying as hard as I could to connect with him, to find a way to make him trust me.
He looked up, and his entire face lit up. It was like a lightbulb went off.
"I’ve never had a sister before... but I will definitely be your friend," he said with a huge smile.
I smiled back at him, but inside, I felt a twinge of guilt. I’m a mother too. I have four lives depending on me. I don’t know what Yuki is planning for the end of this week, but as a mother, my first and only instinct is to survive. I have to get back to my own family.
And I’m going to use this boy to escape.
"Henry... have you ever played hide and seek before?"
