“I suggest you talk to him about it,” Raine said. “I’m sure he is trying to manage the information he gives you, and I’m sure he hasn’t explained himself well at all, as usual. But you should know how crazy he is about you. He talks about you all the time.”
Ana recalled how friendly everyone was at Moonvale when she arrived, and Trea’s insistence that she wasn’t mean like other members of the court.
She exhaled, the weight of the revelation pressing heavily on her. This was… She thought for a moment. Obvious. It was obvious when looking at the facts. She’d never been attracted to Ryden, not once. The only difference between her and Maddoc and the Alpha and Omega couples from the books were that they were not fated to be together. What went so wrong with her? Could something have gone wrong with her pairing that led her to an Alpha who wasn’t hers? Mother had been so insistent, so had Father. In fact, everyone had.
“I should go,” Raine said, interrupting her thoughts. “I just wanted to say welcome. It’s so nice to have an Omega here.”
Ana straightened, something clicking into place. She looked over Raine again. Petite, shapely, and pretty. “Do you mean… nice to have another Omega here?”
Raine’s eyes widened. “I told you your instincts were great!”
Ana laughed, but she upturned her palms in surprise. “But you don’t have an Omega scent?”
Raine lifted her left wrist to show her a thin bracelet secured to it. “This prevents it,” she said. “But you guessed it from that night. I don’t know how.”
“I don’t know how, either,” Ana admitted. “It was very… I never really thought about it when it was happening, and it came over me so quickly.”
“It could have been heightened from your arousal or attraction and connection to Maddoc,” Raine explained. “Especially if you hadn’t been together much.”
Ana squinted at her. “You know about Alphas and Omegas?”
“I’ve been trying to learn,” she admitted. “But there isn’t anyone I can talk to about it who understands. That’s why I was hoping we could be friends.”
Ana smiled at her. “Of course we can.”
Raine let out a heavy breath of relief and finally pushed herself off the wall. “Good,” she breathed. “I have been in some scary fights in my life as a highcloak, but I’ve never been as scared as when you came into that tent. Your scent was…”
Ana laughed with her, though a little awkwardly. “I’m sorry about that, it really was not intentional.”
“That’s all right. I suppose you are still learning how to deal with your attraction and assessing all threats. There are bound to be some hiccups. It’s the same with training.”
“So you are a highcloak and an Omega? I’m surprised Maddoc allowed it.”
“I didn’t let him tell me what to do,” Raine said firmly. “I won’t let anyone fight on my behalf when I can help. Some women are best at supporting by being back at base. But not me. I cannot twiddle my fingers when I’m best on the field. It took a long time for Maddoc to learn that, but he finally did.”
There was so much Ana wanted to ask, but as soon as she yawned, Raine took her leave.
“We have plenty of time to talk another day,” Raine insisted.
Ana smiled and wished her a good night before climbing into bed, wrestling with a number of thoughts, but too tired to make any more connections.
The next morning, as she left the library, three highcloaks hurried past her with a sense of urgency, heading to the exit.
"Raine," Ana called. "What’s happened?"
"We're going back to Allandis," Raine said.
The way she said it, Ana knew something was wrong. "Why?"
"Stay here and wait for us to return, Your Majesty."
"What has happened, Raine?"
When Raine stopped in the corridor and hesitated, Ana demanded. “Tell me!”
"It's Maddoc," Raine said. "He was working to bring all the people from our guild here, the ones who are part of our guild who are still in the mainland, but he’s missing. It is suspected he was caught.”
Ana gasped. “By who?”
Raine pressed her lips together. “The current king.” She clenched her fist in frustration. “Maddoc never would have allowed himself to get into that situation, unless he was injured. His shoulder must have worsened."
"What do you mean, getting worse?” Ana asked, alarmed. “You said you didn’t treat him, but I thought it wasn’t that serious?"
“No, the wound in his shoulder was poisoned, Your Majesty. He needed further treatment."
“Poison?” Panic gripped Ana, and she forced herself to remember what Maddoc’s words. "The healer was going to treat him. A Moonvale healer."
Raine shook her head, almost apologetically. "No, your Majesty. Our healer is with your father. Maddoc sent her to him the day he was shot. He is recovering, but it is a very slow process. She can only use a small amount of magic at a time to treat such a delicate wound. Maddoc knew she would be with him for weeks."
Ana stepped back as if she'd been struck. All this time she’d been accusing Maddoc of killing her father and he never mentioned that he was alive or that he sent his healer to treat him. Why didn’t he say anything? A niggling thought at the back of her mind prodded her.
“Raine, what is taking so long.” Griff strode down the corridor toward them, stopping behind Raine. “Apologies, Your Majesty, but we need to go, now.”
“I’m coming with you," Ana said firmly.
Both Raine and Griff immediately said no.
"You must stay here," Griff said. "We will be back as soon as we can. There is nothing to worry about."
"If Maddoc has been captured, there is plenty to worry about," she snapped back.
Griff shot Raine a stern look.
"Don't blame her," Ana said. "I made her tell me. I want to know what is happening. You’ve brought me to this very strange, very different place and I've been here practically on my own when Maddoc said that he would be coming. If he is in danger, I want to help. I want to be there anyway I can."
"It will be extremely dangerous back in Allandis," Griff warned, "especially if Maddoc has been caught. Everyone will be searching for you, and if they get you, they will seek to use you to gain access to the throne, or to threaten it. It's too much of a risk."
"Not to mention that Maddoc will murder us for putting you back in danger," Raine added.
Griff looked at her, his brows raising slightly as he considered what she said. "I'm sure you know that is not an exaggeration," he said to Ana. "If you recall, the last highcloak that disobeyed his orders regarding you was shot in the leg with an arrow."
Ana clenched her fists, scowling in frustration, but Griff was firm.
"The best thing you can do is wait here,” Raine said gently. “Knowing you’re here, will give him more reason to fight to come back.”
Ana almost growled at her. Wasn’t she the one that said she didn't like sitting behind twiddling her thumbs while others risked their lives? Granted, Ana didn’t have training, but she had knowledge of royal court.