Chapter 85: Apples And Promises
Rhydian;
"Why?" Bram questions weakly as I set him down on the small bed in his room.
My brows knot as I stare at him, and he blinks weakly at eyes that are visibly struggling to stay open.
"Why did you save me, Alpha Rhydian?" He pushes, and I tilt my head in confusion.
Does he not know they were going to kill him?
"They were going to kill you," I note, and he swallows with difficulty before moving his head slow,y in a nod.
"I know." He replies, and my mind stops for a second in confusion.
"If you know that, why ask me why I saved you? Do you want to die??" I question in utter confusion, and I watch a trail of tears escape his eyes.
"Yes." He croaks weakly before a violent cough shakes him, and my brows knot. I look over at Ishu, who is watching from a corner.
"Go fetch the physician," I order, and he bows before leaving.
"Dying is better than living like this. You should have let them kill me. Why... Why did you get involved?" Bram’s weak voice speaks again, and I turn to him, suddenly feeling anger at his words.
"Why would you want to die!?" I snap, and he scoffs at me.
"Why should I want to live??" He retorts. And I blink at him in shock.
"If you were in my shoes, would you want to?" He adds, and I remain silent as the weight of his words hits me.
"I would try to fight," I reply, and he scoffs.
"What’s the use of fighting? Alpha Liandria isn’t... going to stop. You saving me today... only postponed my torment. She... she dedicated so much effort into making me what I am today." He begins, and I listen in silence.
"Now... that you have no interest... I am useless to her. So... she’s going to take the frustration out on me." He rambles on weakly as his eyes flutter, and I reach for his bruised fingers.
"My mother isn’t going to hurt you. Not anymore." I assure him as I hold his frail fingers, and he smiles weakly at me.
"You have a good heart, Alpha. But I’m afraid that goodness isn’t allowing you to understand the depth of your mother’s cruelty. No one is safe from her. Especially not me... The project she spent so many months and gold bars on." He replies, and my heart tightens.
"I will protect you. She won’t hurt you anymore because I will protect you, Bram." I state firmly, and he blinks weakly at me in silence.
My mother had wreaked enough havoc. I’m not going to let her hurt any more innocent people.
"You promise?" Bram whispers, and I smile at the pitiful young man.
My mother sure has ruined his life. Made it hell. I need to start atoning for that.
"I promise," I reply, and for the first time ever, I see a smile on his face. A genuine smile. Even though I know it causes him pain to smile so deeply... he does it anyway.
"Thank you, Alpha. And... I’m sorry for telling lies against your Omega... I was forced to." He replies, and I nod as I suspected so.
"It’s okay, Bram. I understand." I reply, and his eyes begin to blink very slowly.
"Elian is lucky to have you." He whispers before his eyes close finally, and I stare at him in silence.
I put a finger under his nose and feel that he’s still breathing. His breathing is shallow, but at least he’s still alive.
I’ll wait here till Ishu gets back with the physician. Then I go back to Elian.
**********
Alana🌸;
All I need now are...
"Apples."
I stare at the massive apple tree looming above me, and I feel my ears descend slowly as I dread the task ahead.
I have to climb to get them.
I would honestly turn back now... But Master Elian really likes apples. It won’t be much of a gift if I get him everything else except for the one thing I know he likes.
I stare down at the basket in my hands and the apples on the floor, and I sigh.
I can’t pick some off the ground.
I guess I’m going to have to climb the tree. The things we do for people we care about.
Imagine. Me. A bunny. Climbing a tree. I really don’t get enough credit.
I drop the basket securely at the foot of the tree and tie one side of my dress up so it doesn’t get in the way.
I walk closer to the tree and sigh.
"Master Elian has been through a lot. He deserves this." I mutter before grabbing hold of the tree’s rough bark.
My hands grip tightly as I try to scramble upward.
My legs kick awkwardly... Going everywhere except where I want them to go, and I almost lose my balance.
I stagger backwards, huffing with my hands on my waist.
"Okay... that was almost embarrassing," I mutter under my breath, as I stare at the challenge before me, once again contemplating my choices.
"Bunnies are made for speed, not... tree scaling," I mumble, already prepared to quit, but an image of a bright smile on Master Elian’s face comes to mind, and I sigh in surrender.
I walk back to the tree and cling to the trunk like a Koala. This is probably not the right way to climb a tree, but it’s not like it’s a talent I’ve honed over the years.
As long as I get some apples, it doesn’t matter how I climb this tree.
I puff out a breath and reach for a branch. I hoist myself higher, and a groan escapes me as branches scratch at my arms.
Every movement I make feels like the tree is laughing at me.
Still... I can already see a few shiny red apples dangling just out of reach, swaying in the sunlight like they’re calling me.
I finally get on a sturdy-looking branch, and as I slowly get up on my feet, one warning repeats in my head.
Don’t look down.
I take a deep breath with my hands out in the air on both sides of me to keep my balance as I walk slowly along the branch.
I can feel my ears twitching wildly, and my heart screaming obscenities in my chest.
"Don’t look down. Don’t look down. Please, don’t look down, Alana." I mutter under my breath as I inch closer to the apples.
A gust of wind blows, and in fright... I look down.
I freeze as my mind processes the distance.
The basket I set at the foot of the tree seems so ridiculously far away now.
Am I truly this high in the air?!
If I fall from here, I’ll either break something... or worse... die.
All for apples??
I look back up at the apples I’ve now gotten closer to, and I swallow.
I hate that I’m doing this. But then again... I’ve come too far to go back now.
I take a deep, defiant breath and slowly go down to all four while fighting with everything in me not to look down again.
I crawl forward, stretching my arm out for the biggest apple I can spot. My fingers brush it... and then slip.
The branch sways beneath me, and a squeak escapes my lips as I cling to it for dear life as I shut my eyes.
The swaying stops, and I slowly open an eye to check if I’m still in one piece.
"I am never... doing this... again!" I sigh before wiping sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand.
I get back up carefully and begin to pick the apples I can reach. I drop them into my apron pocket, and my eyes lock on one apple just a little distance away.
Red, shiny, and very beautiful.
"Wow..." The mutter escapes my lips as I stare at the apple.
My mouth already waters at the mere thought of biting into it.
Maybe I can keep it as a reward? No... Master Elian will appreciate it more.
I’ll get it as the last apple for this hunt and head back.
With one big swing, I reach forward and grab the apple.
I exhale in shock that I actually got it, and I proudly hug it to my chest like an award of some kind.
I actually got it!!
An excited laugh bubbles out of me before I can stop it.
"Ha! Take that, nature!" I exclaim with a victorious swing of my fist, and just then...
Crack.
I freeze, ears flicking up straight on alert.
That wasn’t the branch. It came from below.
Slowly, I look down through the leaves, and my eyes widen when I spot bright blue eyes looking up at me.
"Alpha Igma!?" I exclaim in panic, and she smiles with her hands on her hips.
"Nice view." She replies with a smirk, and knowing that she can probably see up my skirt from down there, I clasp my legs together as this causes me to lose balance.
I yelp in panic as I feel myself slice through the air.
I shut my eyes, anticipating the gruelling impact, but I don’t get to reach the ground before someone catches me.
"Careful there, little bunny." Igma’s voice says, and when I open my eyes, my blood freezes when I realise that I’m in her arms.
Oh, no...
Not her... Why is she here??