The Consort

"I'm glad to see that you're still able to shift." Axis comments, dropping his gaze back to the papers on his desk.

Heloix's Beast grumbles quietly, moving to the center of the room and plopping down on his haunches. I didn't realize that there was a threat of him no longer being able to shift, and I feel anger rise up within me at the knowledge that it's just another important piece of information that's been kept from me.

My frustration must be felt by Heloix as he turns to look at me in confusion. Moments later I feel overwhelmed with regret, my eyes narrowing at the Beast as I realize that he's sending his emotions over to me.

"Were you able to get the humans to the woods?" I question, turning my attention to Axis.

He nods, placing his fingers on the desk and pushing a sheet out towards me to read. Heloix growls at the interaction, and Axis sighs before picking up the paper and holding it out to me politely.

He glares at Heloix as he does this, and I can't help but smirk at the sight of Axis being reprimanded.

"There are some rumors of an uprising happening in the city, and I expect that it'll make its way to the castle soon." He sighs, pushing back his hair.

I hope that nobody can see my shaking hand as I grab the paper from the desk. Looking it over, I grimace at the different areas that Axis has highlighted as being a problem.

I was hoping that this wouldn't happen, and I glance at Heloix with worry. He seems to be doing a lot better, but the fact that he appears to be stuck in his wolf form is not comforting.

"And the estates down South?" I question.

"All good there. There were some deaths, which was expected, but most of the humans are alive and well."

I frown, not having been told anything about expected deaths.

"How many humans died?"

Axis sighs, glancing at Heloix briefly before answering.

"A couple hundred."

"A couple hundred." I repeat, my voice faint. "Out of how many?"

Axis glances at Heloix once more, and I angrily move to stand in front of him. I'm a grown adult, and technically now his Queen. He doesn't need Heloix's permission to share this information with me.

"About 6,200."

Heloix's Beast pushes against my back, and I lean against him. I was unaware that so many humans lived in the estates; my assumption was that most of them live within the castle.

My eyebrows furrow as I think over the numbers, a wave of sadness spreading through me.

"How many humans are there still in existence." I question.

Axis once more looks to Heloix's Beast for direction.

"Stop fucking looking at him." I snap.

His gaze zeroes in on me as I yell at him, eyes flashing in a threatening manner. Heloix's body pushes me to the side as he stalks towards Axis, deep snarls falling from his lips.

Axis almost immediately backs down, his body slumping into his chair as he drops his head to his chest in a sign of submission.

Heloix's Beast is pleased with the action, his feelings of dominance spreading to me and seeping into my bones. I watch as he backs up a couple of steps and lays himself down by my feet, his tail wrapping slightly around my legs.

"So?" I start, glancing back up at Axis. "How many humans are there?"

Axis opens his mouth to respond, but the sound of crashing outside the door has us all snapping our attention away. Heloix is quick to his feet, his Beast slamming his body against the door and breaking it clean of the hinges.

I run behind Axis into the hallway, watching as a Beast barrel into the hallway and immediately sprints towards us. Heloix is quick to run after him, but Axis shifts and pushes him out of the way. My eyes struggle to follow what's happening, but I'm able to register Heloix running towards me just seconds before his jaws clamp around my shirt and pull me down the hallway. I struggle to keep up with his fast pace, my legs burning as I sprint alongside him.

He takes us directly to our wing, his body transforming seconds before reaching the entrance. His hand darts out and rips open the door while his other arm wraps around my body and pulls me inside.

I stumble a bit through the doorway, but quickly regain my balance and spin around to face him. His arm shakes as he uses the door to hold himself up, thick beads of sweat bubbling up along his skin.

"Heloix." I cry, reaching forward to grab him.

He shakes his head, stopping me in my tracks, and slumps over slightly against the wall.

"I shouldn't be in my human form." He explains, wincing slightly as he straightens himself back up. "Please stay in here, Adeline."

I furrow my eyebrows in confusion, my eyes popping open as I realize that he intends to leave me and go fight.

"You need to stay here." I plead, ignoring his wishes and reaching forward to grab onto his skin.

He melts into my touch, his body curling around mine.

"My Beast is strong. But he'll be distracted if he knows you aren't safe in here." He explains.

I shake my head as I struggle to process what's happening. I'm aware that there was a possibility of an attack, but I was under the impression that we would have more of a warning.

Heloix dips his head into my neck and breathes in my scent, his body quivering in my arms.

"Please promise me." He whispers, his lips grazing softly against my skin.

Hesitantly I nod, choosing to trust in what he's saying to me. He knows this world better than I do, and I need to believe that he wouldn't lie to me about this.

"Will you be okay?" I question, pulling back to look into his eyes.

They shine as he looks at me, the love he feels for me reaching me through our bond. He shrugs slightly, his inability to promise me his safety bringing tears to my eyes.

His arms disconnect from my body, his body twisting painfully as he transforms back into his Beast. I look down at its large head, my hand reaching out to pet the skin between his eyes.

Bending down slightly, I press a small kiss to his snout, squealing as he feels the need to return the favor and quickly licks my face. My nose scrunches up in response, a weak chuckle falling from my lips as I wipe the saliva away.

The Beast backs away from me with a whine, before turning and running out the door. I move forward and close it behind him, finally letting the tears fall from my eyes.

He left his bond open for me to feel, and I move to the couch and wait for him to return. There's a mixture of rage and anger within him, the emotions overweighing the slight fear I know he's trying to keep hidden from me.

Wiping at my cheeks, I reach down and grab his clothing from earlier, chuckling at the mental image of them being torn from his body as he shifted.

My leg bounces nervously as I try to understand what's going on through his emotions, a quiet sob falling from my lips every time I feel his pain.

I know it's from him being bitten or scratched, and each one has me feeling torn in two. This continues for what feels like hours, until a flash of shock and confusion races through him.

The change of emotions has me on my feet, ready to run out the door, but I force myself to stay put as I promised. I pace back and forth as I want for a follow-up emotion to his shock, but none comes.

The sound of paws hitting the floor outside our wing has me backing up against the wall, my blood going cold in fear that a Beast has made its way to our wing and is here to kill me.

Glancing around, I spot the dinnerplate that Heloix left on the coffee table and grip it tightly in my hand, ready to throw it at the intruder. My arm winds up as the noises near, the object flying through the air as the door bursts open.

I gasp in regret as I spot Heloix and John tumbling through the door, the Beast's teeth gripping John's shirt the way he did to mine earlier.

John immediately tumbles to the floor as Heloix drops him, my eyes widening as the plate slams into his chest and falls to the floor, breaking apart into millions of tiny pieces.

Heloix looks down at it for a moment before settling his gaze on me once more, his amusement filling me before he turns and leaves.

John turns and slams the door shut, his chest heaving as he leans against the wood.

"Are you okay?" I question, running towards him.

He turns quickly to face me, and I wince at the amount of blood covering his skin and clothing. I quickly scan his body for injuries, but come up empty-handed.

"It's not mine." He whispers, reaching up and pushing his blood-coated hair out of his face. "Your mate killed some Beasts on the way here."

I nod slightly, my worry for Heloix returning.

"I thought you were with the other humans?" I state, wondering why he didn't leave with them this morning.

John shrugs slightly. "I couldn't leave my best friend and favorite Beast here all alone, could I?"

I offer him a weak chuckle, unable to find the energy to give much more than that.

"What's happening out there?" I question, desperate to know what's going on beyond the walls of our wing.

John shakes his head and shrugs, but I can tell that he's lying by the way his hand shakes against his thigh. I have half a mind to press him on it, but as I watch him try to hold back tears I drop it. I'm in no position to force him to share his story with me.

"Let's get you in the shower." I murmur instead, reaching out and helping him stand.

It's odd seeing him so torn up and skittish, the John I know always running amuck and greeting everybody with a wide smile. He allows me to lead him into the bathroom and help to remove his clothes. I pretend not to hear the occasional sniffles or notice when he raises his hand to wipe at his cheeks.

Turning, I start the water and leave him to remove his underwear and get inside. I wait outside the door until the sound of the water changes, signaling that he's gotten inside, and rush in to grab his bloody clothes and replace them with a pair of Heloix's sweatpants.

They'll be a bit big on him, but it's better than the alternative.

He stays in the shower for a while, and I sit on the couch once more, trying to keep in touch through Heloix's emotions. The sound of the water shutting off draws my attention, and I tilt my head to the side a couple of minutes later when John finally emerges from the bathroom.

We remain silent as he comes to sit beside me. Scared, I reach out and grab his hand, holding it tightly within mine.

Heloix continues to share with me his anger and occasional pain, each attack feeling like a stab to my skin. It isn't until I feel a number in a row that I begin to panic, turning to look at John for help.

"Heloix is in trouble." I cry, hunching over as a particularly large echo of agony rips into my side.

I'm on my feet a second later, rushing to the door to go find him. John's arm wraps around my stomach and pulls me back, preventing my escape. He yells at me that I can't go out there, but I ignore his advice and fight against him.

I've just landed a particularly hard kick to his shin when Heloix's emotions disappear from my mind, the abrupt absence filling me with dread. A loud cry rips from my throat as I scramble towards the door, fearful that this means the worst.

My eyes slam shut as I reach out and try to find him, tears pouring down my cheeks as I'm met with absolute emptiness.

"Adeline, Adeline, you're okay, it's okay." John shouts, his hand pressing against my back in an attempt to calm me down.

I slump against him as another pained cry escapes me, a headache forming as I try once more to connect with Heloix.

"Something's wrong." I choke out, shaking my head. "I can't feel him."

John rubs my arms roughly, whispering assurances that Heloix is okay and that there's no need to worry. His words flow in one ear and out the other. Heloix wouldn't shut me out unless something was wrong.

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