The Alpha's Little Slave

Chapter 34: A Stranger in the Woods II

He must’ve noticed my hesitation for he sighed, shaking his head as much as he possibly could while restrained by the tangled vines.

"I’m not supposed to be here in Fangborne, but then I took a wrong turn when fleeing the hunters and I ended up here," Gus said apologetically. "If the alpha gets his hands on me, I might as well find the hunters and get them to finish the job."

He shuddered, his skin paling further at the thought.

"That would be a swifter death than to land in the hands of Fangborne’s alpha," he murmured.

I wrinkled my nose, frowning. The smell of blood was strong in the air, I didn’t need a werewolf’s nose to tell that. However, despite Gus’s supposed injury and discomfort — enough for him to fail to get out of this predicament himself — he seemed awfully cheery with the manner he spoke and acted.

This was not an injured man who feared death. He acted like someone who was simply enjoying a nice picnic in the great outdoors.

"I fail to see how that’s my business," I said, taking a step away.

"Oh, come on." His smile was teasing and playful, further affirming my suspicions. "I’ve already introduced myself. Are you not going to at least leave me a name?" freёweɓnovel.com

"You have," I said. "But how do I know you’re not lying? It could be a fake name for all that mattered. You might not even be a rogue."

The only reason why I bothered to stay and chat was because of my own curiosity. A part of me didn’t want to leave someone innocent here to die, because let’s be honest, being caught by the Valentine brothers was basically a death sentence.

Besides, if he was someone that could truly do me harm, there was no need to pretend. He could’ve launched a sneak attack and I would’ve been defenseless. There wasn’t a need to get me over first and reveal himself to me.

"Maybe there’s something I could interest you with?" Gus asked. "You’re on the run, yes? You’ll need money if you continue running in this direction. This forest path would lead you straight to a human town and without some cash, you’ll be as good as dead within a week."

He continued to bargain, "I have some valuables with me. They might not be cold hard cash but you should be able to pawn them off in nearby shops and get yourself some decent change to live off of."

I pursed my lips tightly together. That did sound pretty enticing. Money was what made the world go round; it didn’t matter whether we were in the world of werewolves or humans. That was an unchangeable fact.

"I have a necklace," he said when I didn’t immediately respond. "The ruby on it should fetch you a nice price. Of course, you might have to find a job ultimately but it should tide you by for a couple of weeks, maybe even months―"

"You talk too much," I grumbled under my breath.

Cursing myself internally, I stepped forward and began to tug away the branches and vines that had curled around him. If helping this man landed me in any bit of trouble, I would haunt him even in death.

"Oh, thank you!" Gus breathed out in relief, twisting his body this way and that to allow me better access when pulling him out. Once I had gotten the leaves and twigs out of the way, a huge wound was revealed right where he said it would be. There was a bad gash across his abdomen. If he was a human, he would’ve died for sure.

"I am not doing it out of the goodness of my heart," I reminded, pulling him free. He didn’t seem too in pain, thus, I didn’t bother being gentle.

It was easier than I had expected to lift him out of the bush. He didn’t feel like he weighed much, which caused me to look at my own hands in wonder. A memory of Susie slamming straight into the wall — courtesy of my own two hands — rushed into my mind. Had hard labor always been so easy for me?

"I feel better already," he said, only wincing slightly when my gaze rested on his red wound for a second too long. He hunched over, clutching his stomach tenderly with one hand while the other reached into the collar of his shirt.

From underneath the layers of clothing, he pulled out a thin gold chain with a beautiful teardrop ruby pendant. It shimmered in the light, a dazzlingly beautiful accessory if I had ever seen one.

And I had.

This necklace was oddly familiar.

"As promised," he said.

Gus placed the necklace in the palm of my outstretched hand, smiling brightly in thanks before taking a step back to create some polite distance between us.

"Where did you get this?" I asked, my voice breathy.

I flipped it over immediately, my thumb running across the back of the pendant instinctively. Just as I thought, there was an engraving etched into the gold backing.

ARGENTUM LUNA.

Silver moon.

"It was held for sale at a fancy auction," Gus said, waving his hand nonchalantly.

"An auction?" I echoed. My eyes scanned him up and down, scowling. "You don’t seem like you have the money to bid for such things."

Gus may be dressed nicely but he looked just as regal as any rogue could get. He had on a leather jacket, some washed-out jeans, and a white t-shirt underneath. It was simple and presentable but was nothing that would deem him enough to enter a fancy auction house.

"Oh, I didn’t bid for it, if that’s what you mean," he said.

"Then?"

"I stole it, of course!" he rather gleefully replied. "Bashed the poor sod who was stupid enough to bid for this trinket. It was a pretty thing, I’ll admit, but not worth the hundred grand he dropped on it."

"A hundred grand?" I repeated, my eyes wide. If I had known this little thing was worth that much, I would’ve made sure to snatch it off of her dead body when I had been ushered back to Stormclaw as a child. Then again, I was a four-year-old hysterically bawling on the floor when I discovered my mother had died. I certainly wasn’t rational enough to think about how I was going to fund the rest of my life.

"I presume you like it?"

I swallowed, nodding. That was an understatement. This necklace was special to me. It was the last memory I had of her — of a normal childhood — before I had been thrown into Stormclaw as nothing more than a servant despite the blood of the alpha running through my veins.

My mother’s necklace looked just like how I remembered it, down to the engraving she had proudly shown me back then.

The silver moon. Just like how she should’ve been my father’s luna.