Page 123 of A Second Chance for the Beta
A New Ally
*ELLA*
Thehoursseemtodrip by. Eventually, Ari and I decide to take the risk and go to the kitchen and get something to eat. The vampires working there are still very accommodating to us, so at least it doesn’t sound like Aloysius is out for our heads.
“Weird,” Ari mutters when we are back in the room. “If this were a pack, I’d probably be already on the run because the alpha might be out to retaliate against me.”
“I just had the same thought,” I admit. “But I guess we might be understanding the vampires wrong, although Silas already gave us quite some hints. Wolves and lycans, and also witches, are pretty much the type of species that like to head into action, but the vampires seem much more political.”
“You are right,” Aryanna says. “Silas mentioned something like that too.”
“I think Silas’s plan—the one Julianus mentioned—was probably also of a political nature and only turned into violence once it was revealed.”
“Does that mean you think we are safe?”
“No, I think we still need to be careful, but I believe we aren’t really high up on Aloysius’s priority list. And that’s probably good for us.”
Aryanna sighs. “I know we have other pressing issues to attend to, but I don’t like what he is doing.”
“I agree,” I mutter.
“Do you think Silas plans to stop him?”
“Yes, I do think he is trying to find a way,” I say. “It’s a fact that we can’t stop a vampire lord, Ari. Liam is not going to go to war with him just like that. It’s not possible and not smart.”
“I know,” she says. “I just hate it that we can’t do anything.”
“Well, we can—”
I don’t get to finish my sentence as there is a knock at the door. Soon it opens and Julianus comes inside. I didn’t know how anxious I was until I see him, but now a sense of relief fills me. He looks drained as if all life was sucked out of him; there are rings under his eyes and sweat on his forehead.
Aryanna is up on her feet instantly and hurries to him, grabbing his arm. “Are you alright?” she asks before shaking her head. “Forget that. You are NOT alright.”
“You need to leave now,” he mutters. “I will help you with your things. Lord Aloysius said your presence isn’t needed anymore.”
He drags himself into the room, step by step. It obviously costs him all his strength to do it. Eventually, he reaches the wardrobe and opens it, grabbing the empty bag. When he pulls it out, he winces, more sweat dripping down his forehead.
Aryanna and I exchange a gaze. “Let me do that,” I say shortly while approaching him. I take the bag and put it on the bed. Meanwhile Aryanna gathers the little stuff we brought along.
I look at Julianus. “Is she safe?” I ask quietly.
“Yes,” he mutters. “He believed me. I told him what I did to help your sister flee. He… he wasn’t happy.”
I want to ask him what Aloysius did to him once he knew he lost his prey due to Julianus helping her back then. The guy is insane. He doesn’t want any hybrid to sully his bloodline, but at the same time, he sees his past affairs as his possession. I bet if he knew that Ambrosius was Candy’s mate, he would have just killed her.
Pretty much strikes me as a narcissist and sociopath.
If he can’t have her, no one can.
I grab my notebook and turn to Julianus. “We are done,” I say. “And you will come with us.”
“Yes,” Aryanna promptly agrees with me. We haven’t consulted with Liam about this yet, but he knows we are here and are acting on the very little information we have. Even if Julianus can’t stay in our pack, he can get out of here, get back on his feet, and then find a place to live on.
“I can’t,” he mutters.
“Why?” I ask. “Is a spell binding you to this place?”
“No.”
