Chapter 212: Dance of The Broken Soul
[HAWI]
"Ruru, wait—" Hawi said to Rukiya, stopping her from leaving.
"What is it, baby?" Rukiya asked, turning back towards the woman she had tucked in comfortably. She knew Hawi was having a hard time letting anyone care for her, but Rukiya had insisted. They had gone to war for her, not because she had to be on the battlefield.
She could as well stay back home and wait for the results of the war and they would still win the war for her. Maybe that was why Ruru was insistent on this, because she felt like she had been failing Hawi for a long time.
"Razia—"
"Don't release her just yet. Make it seem like her apparent depression is getting better, but do not release her," Rukiya said sternly and Hawi stared at her insistence. She knew this wasn't the easiest thing for the Greyson alpha, and she wished she could help.
But then she also had to listen to Rukiya and wait to see how things would turn out. Besides, it wasn't like Rukiya Greyson would ever fail her, right?
"Okay. Be well then," Hawi said before covering her head like a kid who finally got the chance to rest after the longest day. Well, that wasn't far from the truth, because barely seconds after she said that to Ruru, Hawi cast a sleeping spell on herself. She needed it.
"That's cute," Rukiya chuckled as she walked out of her chambers, and locked the door. She didn't want anyone disturbing her sleeping mate.
Stepping out, Rukiya wasn't sure what she expected this time.
She had been out of it for almost a week and she had felt the rage and the anger that her people had felt the whole time. She felt their desperation and their prayers. She felt more than she thought possible and frankly, she felt loved by her people no doubt.
However even with all that, she still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that her mother was behind this, she wanted to go and ask Razia questions, but she couldn't. Not without coming off as an accuser and that would make it even harder for her to understand what had happened.
"Sherry, when Hawi wakes, prepare a shower for her and food. Make sure it's warm and it's one of her favorites. I suppose you already know that by now, or do you need a reminder?" Rukiya said coldly to the pack chef who was more than glad to see her awake and well.
"Alpha, you're alive!" Sherry cheered and Rukiya just stared at her coldly, as if to ask her whether she was meant to be dead.
"Ugh… I'll prepare the food. And I remember her favorites, excuse me," Sherry said, worriedly. The last time she had seen Rukiya Greyson this cold was the time that she had been forced to be the alpha because her father was a menace and her mother didn't want the seat.
She had been young and yet she had handled herself with grace and sat upon the most dangerous of seats. Many predicted she would fail but then here she was several years later with a successful pack… one that her mother wanted to sabotage.
"Adolf," Rukiya called out to his beta through the mind link as she made her way to her office instead of her study. She wanted to be there and remind her people that their alpha was alive and well. She wouldn't be doing more than that anyway.
"Alpha, you're awake, thank goodness for that," Adolf said and Rukiya didn't say anything, Instead she waited for his excitement to die down before she spoke to him again. She understood him, but this wasn't the time for a celebration.
They had an enemy within these walls and they needed to figure that out without causing any casualties.
"How are the warriors?"
"They are all healed, thanks to Hawi. She fixed us all up. So, all is well. We were worried about you, and her. She hasn't eaten in more than three days and might get sick. But now that you're awake, maybe she will listen to you," Adolf said and Rukiya chuckled.
She had never imagined there would be a day when Adolf would be this worried for Hawi, hell Hawi herself would call this a bluff. But then three years of being frenemies had probably gotten Adolf feeling soft for the woman they all oved.
"She would kill you if she heard you say that," Rukiya teased.
"Well, I'd die a happy man, since she's been good to all of us... Like a blessing. We hope your union is filled with happiness for the longest time," Adolf said sincerely and Rukiya sighed at the idea. It was a beautiful one but would it come true?
Hawi had been evasive with her and scared every time they got a little too close. Would their happiness ever be more than just a dream or would it be the dream that never saw light in the midst of the mess that was their lives?
"Gather ten of your men. You're going on a hunt. And take enough supplies to last you a week or two. It might be a while before you and that team come back home," Rukiya said and this time it was Adolf's turn to sigh.
She hadn't even been awake for long and she was already assigning orders.
"Are you sure about that, alpha?" Adolf asked, when the alpha walked into her office. He had been waiting for her day and night, hoping that she would walk through these very doors, and now that she had, he wasn't sure he wanted to encourage it anymore.
"Oh, you're here already. That's good," Rukiya said while Adolf just stared at her. She looked so tired and disheveled. She looked like she had had the toughest of squeaks when they had been to war barely a week ago. However, with the new development, Rukiya couldn't help but wonder what the hell was going on with her and her people.
She hated that reality and wanted to pretend that it wasn't real, but Adolf's words brought her back to that same point.
"Alpha… Luna Razia. What about her? Have you seen her? She had had a terrible week. It's like she's someone else and she keeps holding onto some blade. We're worried she might harm herself again, but she doesn't let anyone touch her," Adolf said.
Rukiya looked at her beta and from the way he was worried about her mother, it was obvious that he knew nothing of what her mother had done. How the fuck was she supposed to explain this to them?
"I'll see her later. You can go prepare your team. Let me know once you're ready and I'll give you the location and the task you need to complete," Rukiya said dismissively like she hadn't just heard about her mother's pitiful state.
She needed to get a hold of herself and figure this out, because sooner or later there would be a storm and she knew it.
"Tell the remaining warriors to train harder than ever and let Harry know that the dungeon needs to be ready for three of the worst prisoners. Tell him to reinforce them with magic and Hudhayfah can help with that too.
"Tell him I want a prison that even I couldn't get out of, even if I had magic," Rukiya said before dismissing Adolf.
The alpha's beta was worried for her, but he still followed her command.