Stronger- #Wattys2019

Part 55

The echo of footsteps down the stone floors was enough to almost hide the soft murmurs between the future queen and the Beta. So lost in the plans, Nadine had almost forgotten she still moved with her ever present shadows.

"Are you sure about this?" Yuri questioned as they paused by the door.

A brief nod was all the answer he needed.

With a stride of purpose, Nadine entered the prison cells deep in the sub-basement of the royal palace. The place stirred all kinds of memories. Fear flickered around the corners as she pushed through. The past was in the past, the present was more important and she needed to do this.

Her steps only slowed as she drew closer to the person she sought.

Guards remained outside of Heidi's cell, watching her as she pretended to sleep.

"I know you're awake." Nadine said as she watched the girl.

Without moving, the shattered new omega finally spoke. "Come to finish the job?"

"No. If I wanted you dead, you would already be dead."

"Then why save me? I'm nothing without my wolf. I should be dead."

The future queen watched her with sadness in her eyes. She wanted to give the girl hope that her wolf would come back, but the truth was that it was unlikely. False hope could be a strength or it could destroy her more when it doesn't happen. "What are your hopes and dreams Heidi? Other than rank, what in your life makes you happy? Your family? Friends? Working with kids? Art? What?"

The girl finally opened her eyes and turned her head to look at the woman she had hated for years. "You don't understand."

"Really?"

"You pretended to be an omega, but you had a wolf all along."

"I suppressed my wolf to save you, and your family and friends. When I did that, I didn't feel my wolf for a long time. I knew she was there, but didn't feel much of anything else. I know what it's like to live without her. And you can live as well."

The girl huffed. "So I can become some parasite to society?"

"Omega's are treated better in the Royal Pack. If you would like to stay here, you can. There are opportunities here. You can visit your father if you want. Or you can go back to Bosch Pack if you prefer. But, I want you to know this isn't the end of your life, only that chapter of it."

Heidi rolled to her side, keeping Nadine at her back. She didn't want to hear about life without her wolf, without being a warrior, without climbing ranks. Her father would reject her, her friends would shun her. Everything was gone. And she had no one to blame but herself. She had even lost her anger and hatred of the former runt she bullied. Heidi knew she was to blame, and that made her depression all the more extreme. She could never forgive herself for what she had done.

Nadine watched her for a second before she started to step out of the room. When a crash echoed down the hall. Rashad, the wolf in charge of the Training Center, made his way down to them. "Beta, here are the reports you wanted."

"Her Majesty is the one who requested them." Yuri handed the stack to Nadine. Rashad nodded his head.

She looked over his shoulder at the punching bag and gloves he carried as well. "Good, you brought the equipment. Thank you." She then pointed inside the cell. "I think that our friend here could use something to do, stay active while she processes through her grief."

"Of course, Your Majesty." The darker skinned wolf was obviously well versed in how to install the equipment. Once he was finished, he moved to set the gloves beside Heidi's bed just as she rolled over, causing them to catch each other's eyes.