Chapter 13: 13: My Dearest Friend
"Briar! Psst― Briar!"
My eyes slowly fluttered open. Even such a small action felt as though I had to use all the energy I had left in my body. I mustered as much strength as I could to crack my eyes open.
There seemed to be a figure standing right in front of my bed. I could barely make out who it was in the dark. Ever since Rowan had ordered my isolation, guards had been patrolling the omegas’ quarters much more often. No one was allowed near my door.
As far as I knew, two days had passed. Their wedding with Violet was scheduled to be the next day. That was three whole days without food, and with the state of my injury, it felt like three years.
I wasn’t even sure how I managed to stay alive. They hadn’t provided water as well, and I survived only because there had been small crackers and bottles of water I had stashed in the room a few weeks ago.
But those emergency rations were but a few, and I had all too quickly run out before the first day even ended. Saltine crackers didn’t do much to satiate hunger, and they did the bare minimum of keeping me alive.
"Alpha Soren?" I muttered, my eyes threatening to close even as I struggled to keep them open.
I could faintly make out his image, and with every blink, it felt as though he was getting clearer and clearer. He smiled at me kindly, food in his hands. But when I blinked once more, he was gone.
"No, it’s me, Jessie!"
The figure of a young girl appeared in front of me. It was Jessie, my one and only friend in this entire pack. Her eyes were bright, still filled with wonder and innocence. She stood where I thought I saw Alpha Soren, and it took me a second to realize that I had hallucinated him.
That’s right. Why would he come visit me when he had so much to prepare for the wedding?
"Look at you, you poor thing," Jessie said. She kneeled down next to my bed, tears brimming in her eyes. "How can the Alphas be so heartless? You obviously didn’t do it..."
"Shh," I shushed, my lips quivering into a small smile. My voice was soft―I couldn’t muster more strength than this to talk. "Don’t let them hear you say that."
Jessie nodded. She raised her hands, roughly wiping her tears away. Then, she lifted a plate to show me what she brought.
"I snuck some bread out from the kitchens," Jessie said. "Quickly. Eat some."
Before I could reply, she shoved the soft brioche bun into my mouth. It tasted like a buttery cloud, the taste of the simple bread bursting on my tongue. The first few bites were slow, my jaw feeling heavier than normal. But the more I chewed, the hungrier I got. I soon became starved, scarfing down the bread like a rabid animal.
"Slow down," Jessie chided. "I made sure to take enough. Here, drink."
She placed a thermos in my hand. "Careful!" Jessie warned. "It’s hot―"
I didn’t wait for her to finish her sentence. Without thinking twice, I threw my head back, quickly chugging it down. The hot liquid scalded my throat, but it also quickly warmed my stomach. I sighed, deeply exhaling in relief.
The tea did wonders to soothe my parched throat, and now, even my belly felt warm. The stinging gastric pain was slowly starting to melt away, and I turned my attention back to the bread.
"You don’t have to drink so quickly," Jessie said. "I’ll get you some more if you’re still hungry―"
"You shouldn’t be here," I said in between bites. "If they see you, you’ll get punished. Thank you, but please, go. Quickly."
Was I thankful that I had a friend like Jessie? Yes. She was the only one who was willing to show me kindness, even when the rest of the pack was ready to cast me out. Jessie had never believed in the rumors that my presence was what poisoned Willow. Even when I started to believe it, she always persuaded me otherwise.
Now that Willow had gone missing — or as the rest of the pack believed, died — Jessie was once again the only one willing to listen to my side of the story.
"Nonsense," she said, waving the matter off. "Everyone in the pack is asleep right now. Even the guards outside couldn’t help but snooze off." Jessie laughed.
As she spoke, I turned to look outside. It was dark, with only a weak sliver of moonlight shining into the room, just enough to illuminate our faces. It would be at least a few hours before sunrise.
"No one is awake to catch us," Jessie continued. "Tomorrow’s going to be a long and early day, you know?"
I pursed my lips, my chewing slowing down. Of course I knew. Just because I was locked in here didn’t mean I was clueless about the outside world. I heard my fair share of whispers and gossip from people who passed by my room outside in the corridors.
It was going to be the wedding of the century. It was also a miracle that they could get all the vendors and planning done in three short days. That was the sheer power of money and influence, something the Alphas had an abundance of.
"Still, there are guards on patrol," I tried to reason.
Rowan, Soren, and Cassian already knew that Jessie was a dear friend of mine. I could still remember their threats to send Jessie to the elders as a breeding slave. I wouldn’t dare to bet on whether or not it was an empty threat.
"You have to go," I said. "If the Alphas catch you here, you’ll be in big trouble―"
The door to my room suddenly slammed open. Jessie and I jolted in our spots, and our heads swiveled to face the door in horror.
"Yes, she will be."
