CHAPTER 11: SHE’S GONE INSANE

Ares looked relaxed, leaning back in his chair, but his body and mind were anything but calm, taut muscles braced against the storm raging inside him. His jaw clenched, his hand twitching against the armrest as his wolf’s voice clawed through his mind.

She’s ours, the wolf snarled, guttural and fierce. Rhea is our mate. I’ll take no other. Not that mutt Nikki or whatever her name is. I want her or no one.

Fenris, Ares’ thought cut back sharply, cold and deliberate. Have you forgotten what her bloodline did? Her father is the reason our parents are dead. Even if the Moon Goddess tied her to us, I have every right to reject her. How can you be so eager to mate with someone like her?

Someone like her? Fenris’ snarl reverberated through his skull, raw and dangerous. First, no one truly caught her father in the act. It was Eberhard’s word against his. Second, don’t you dare insult our mate like that again.

I’ve already rejected her, Ares shot back, his mental voice edged with steel as his grip dug into the carved wolf-head of his chair. Deal with it.

Then reclaim her,

Fenris commanded, his tone unyielding. Because I will never agree to mark another. Not Nikki. Not anyone. Only her.

Ares’ lips pressed into a hard line, sweat pricking faintly at his brow as he forced the wolf down.

Ellie, lounging on the black sofa, wasn’t fooled. He watched Ares closely, noting the twitch of his hand, the grinding of his jaw, the tension in his shoulders. He knew that look well enough — Ares was fighting with his wolf.

Why does he insist on going against his wolf just because of what others will say? Ellie wondered darkly. Others being Eberhard. I don’t know what his problem with that girl really is, but I’ll sure as hell find out.

The door slammed open suddenly.

Lena and Lyra burst into the study, panting, faces flushed, hair disheveled. Their bodies bore angry red welts that peeked from beneath their sleeves and collars.

Ares jolted upright, startled from his battle with Fenris. Ellie’s head snapped toward the door, his hazel eyes narrowing.

"How dare you barge into my study like that?" Ares snapped, his voice cracking like a whip.

Ellie frowned, his gaze sweeping over the sisters. The marks across their skin did not escape him.

The girls froze, exchanging frantic glances before bowing their heads quickly. "Forgive us, Alpha," Lena panted. "We...we didn’t mean—"

Lyra spoke over her. "Please, we need—"

Both tried to explain at once, words tangling, their voices stumbling over each other.

Ares’ frown deepened, his hand lifting sharply. "Enough! Can one of you speak clearly?"

Ellie leaned forward, his tone lazy but his eyes sharp. "Yeah. What happened to you two, and what’s this all about?"

Lena swallowed hard, exhaling shakily before finding her voice. "Alpha... we need your help. Lady Nikki needs your help."

Ares’ brow furrowed, his voice low and clipped. "What are you talking about? What happened?"

"It’s that bitch," Lyra spat, her words breaking with breathless panic. "She’s gone insane. She’s beating Lady Nikki... and Sir Eberhard."

Ares and Ellie exchanged a glance, their brows pulling into the same confused frown. For once, neither of them spoke. The idea was absurd.

"Now slow down," Ellie finally drawled, though his tone carried a razor edge. He leaned forward, eyes narrowing on the sisters. "Who exactly is beating Nikki and Eberhard? Because I find it hard to believe anyone in this pack would dare cross those two, considering how they never miss a chance to flaunt the Alpha’s favor."

Ares said nothing. His gaze never left the girls, sharp and probing, still wondering what had gotten into them.

"It’s true, Alpha," Lena said quickly, words tumbling over themselves. "Rhea, that filth... she...she suddenly grabbed a whip and started lashing Lady Nikki like she’s gone mad. And when Sir Eberhard demanded to know what happened, she whipped him too. Alpha, she’s completely lost it. She’s gone bad."

Lyra bobbed her head in frantic agreement. "Yes! That’s exactly what happened."

Ellie’s eyes flicked to Ares, then back to the sisters. Both men exchanged another glance, this one sharper, more doubtful. Everyone in the pack knew Rhea as weak, too timid to fight back no matter how cruelly she was bullied. So what was this nonsense about her suddenly...

"As if sensing their disbelief, Lyra took a desperate step forward. "We’re not lying!" she insisted, her voice high and shaky. She shoved her sleeve up, exposing the angry welt striped across her forearm. "Look! She did this. Lena, show him."

Lena hurried to tug down her collar, revealing raw red lines scarring her shoulder. "See? It’s the truth, Alpha. She attacked us too."

Ellie stood slowly, pushing himself up from the sofa. His expression shifted into cautious intrigue as he crossed the space, his gaze sweeping over the marks with deliberate slowness.

"You’re telling me... she did that to you?" Ellie asked, his tone carrying a hint of amusement, one brow arched high.

Both girls bobbed their heads quickly, faces pale with fear.

Ellie tapped his chin, eyes narrowing as he hummed low in thought. Hmmm. "Why do I find that hard to believe? Are you trying to frame her now?"

The two girls shook their heads frantically in unison. "No! We’re telling the truth, you can come and see for yourself!"

"And why would Rhea do that?" Ares cut in, his disbelief sharpening every word. The whole thing sounded absurd to him.

The sisters exchanged a quick glance, their eyes flicking to each other before they both muttered, "We don’t know..." The lie was thin, stretched tight over their faces.

Ellie caught it instantly. His gaze lingered on them for a beat, then slid back to Ares, whose confusion still clung like a shadow. A grin tugged at the corner of Ellie’s mouth. "Well then, Alpha... I think we’d better go see this for ourselves."

Before Ares could respond, Ellie was already striding for the door, his long legs carrying him out in quick, purposeful steps. The sisters lingered only a moment, their eyes flicking nervously to Ares, waiting for him to move. When he finally rose, stiff and silent, they hurried after him.