Yolanda Sfetsos - Alex Wales - Promise

Elroy closed the distance between them. He might be a skinny runt compared to Damon, but they stood at the same height. So, when he overstepped his personal boundaries, Damon didn’t move an inch. Instead, he looked him in the eye and couldn’t help but smirk and feel smug, because the key was burning a hole in his pocket.

“Listen to me, Damon,” he hissed, some spittle hitting him in the shoulder. “I know you’re prepared to do whatever it takes to protect her, but I will get my hands on the bloody necklace. I’ll prove this traveler cannot be trusted, and I’ll make sure everyone knows about it. Do you hear me?”

His smile broadened. “I hope that wasn’t a threat, because you know what I can do to you with my ability.”

“Your witchcraft doesn’t scare or impress me. Do you understand?”

“I don’t care what does. I just need you to get the hell out of here and go do your job. Put extra security in the gardens, and ensure no one else sneaks past the barriers we placed. Isn’t that what you should’ve done in the first place to ensure it didn’t happen, again?” Damon paused for a second. “If anyone should be blamed for what happened, it should be you. Your preoccupation with Alex is clouding your common sense.”

Elroy snickered. “That’s rich. Don’t you try to spin this in a way that makes her look like an innocent bystander. Have you asked yourself why something belonging to her was there in the first place? Are you really willing to risk more of your own people because of some strange woman? What could the whore offer you that the many women we have here can’t?”

He didn’t even think about it before striking Elroy with his fist. This time, he didn’t put any magical force behind it, just delivered a hard whack to his jaw.

Elroy wiped the side of his mouth before blood dribbled from it. “Don’t you think it’s a little odd that some sort of wild animal is suddenly within our walls? We’ve never had such a problem before, not until she got here.”

“Don’t you get it? She’s been accompanied by someone every single moment she’s been here. She didn’t do it.”

“Maybe not directly, but who knows where she comes from, or who else travelled with her? Have you never heard of people who shift from human to animal?”

As ridiculous as the notion sounded, Damon had to give the suggestion a little credibility. Even if he hadn’t considered Alex would be travelling with someone. She’d seemed to be alone and hadn’t mentioned any crew or passengers.

“Did you search her ship?”

Damon shook his head.

“You’re going to be sorry you hit me, again.” Elroy turned around but looked over his shoulder to add, “Don’t think for a moment that this is over. When I’m done with her, you’re both going to wish she’d died when her ship crashed.”

Damon made another move toward him, but Levi stepped up and grabbed a hold of his forearm.

“Just let him go.”

Elroy grinned and continued on his way, once again laying out his plan and intentions without waiting or needing a response.

“Don’t let him wind you up,” Levi said, releasing his flimsy grip. “There’s no way a human could be responsible for such barbaric acts.”

Damon nodded, recalling the shaggy animal he’d seen in Laurie’s memories.

“ Have you never heard of people who shift from human to animal?” Elroy had said, but what had prompted him to suggest something so strange? Was it the condition of the corpses, or did he know more than he led on?

If Damon went to the library, he might be able to find something. He doubted Elroy would return to hound Alex again, so if he left now, he’d be able to borrow a book or two and bring them back to read while he watched Alex’s door.

I hate that he’s made me look at this from a different angle, but I’m determined to find out the truth. He still refused to believe Alex was somehow involved, but Elroy’s shifter suggestion could have some credence.

“You’re absolutely right, Levi,” Damon said. “Listen, I need to pop into the library for a while. Can you stay to watch her door?”

“Sure.”

“I need you to stay right here the whole time. Don’t doze or wander off, in case Elroy decides to return.”

Levi nodded. “I’ll stay until you get back. You can count on me.”

“Good, I know I can.” He sighed. “I won’t be long. Levi, how does Elroy know about the necklace?”

He lowered his head. “Milo probably told him. He is part of security and answers directly to Elroy. There’s no way he could lie to him about what we found. Not like I could.”

Even if Levi was again absolutely correct, he couldn’t help but wonder…if Elroy hadn’t known about the necklace, the idiot probably wouldn’t have reason to push so much. His dislike of Alex must be even more intense than Damon first suspected.

“Okay, I’ll be back soon.”

Damon headed toward the staircase and took the stairs two at a time. He knew a shortcut to just about everywhere. Getting to the library would take minutes.

He hoped researching the beast now lurking in the shadows of their planet would somehow clear Alex of any blame.

He dug his hand into his pocket, rubbing his fingertips along the back of the key, over the inscription of her name.

It doesn’t look like I’ll be getting any rest just yet.

Warm hands shook her shoulders. “Alex, honey. Wake up.”

Alex rolled over onto her other side, sitting up in the process. Disoriented, she tried to remember when she’d fallen asleep. Being so worried about the next day, she hadn’t realized she’d actually dozed off. “Wha-what happened?”

She hoped it wasn’t time yet. At age fifteen, Alex wasn’t ready to face the horrible future her mother had secured for her.

“I’m so sorry to wake you, but I really need to speak to you. We don’t have much time.”

Alex rubbed her eyes. Her heart sped up as the haze of sleep slid from her mind. “Daddy, is that you?”

He lifted a finger to his lips. “Yes, honey. It’s me,” he whispered. “Not so loud. We don’t want anyone else to hear.”

She threw her arms around his neck, holding him tightly and biting down on her bottom lip to keep from crying. Was it really him? “I’ve missed you so much. Where have you been?” Maybe she was dreaming.

Louis Wales pulled back, gently holding onto her arms as he encouraged her out of the hug. “Listen, honey. That’s not important at the moment. Like I said, I don’t have long. She’s probably got guards outside your door.” He looked over his shoulder.

“She has, but I told them that if they come inside, I’ll punch them in the mouth.”

He smiled and ruffled her curls. “That’s my brave girl.”

“Daddy, I’m not a little girl, anymore.” On the inside, she was glowing at his words.

“I know, Alex…but you’ll always be my little girl. No matter how old you are.” He looked at her for a moment, his dark eyes focused on her face in a way that saddened her. It made her feel as if he was trying to memorize her face, because he thought he’d never see her again. “You’ve grown a lot since the last time I saw you.”

He was dressed in rags, and his face was smeared with dirt, but she didn’t care. This was the moment she’d been hoping for since she was forcibly dumped on this planet-her father’s return.

Unable to bear the sadness in his eyes, she decided to change the subject. “Besides, I’ve got my blaster tucked under my pillow,” she said, hoping to make him proud.