Souls Entwined

Chapter Twenty-Two

***

An hour later, my brow was sore with a scowl that hadn't faded since we had arrived, and I was ready to admit that there were a lot of faults to be had by all parties. I had never intended to outcast anyone throughout the trial, but I hadn't thought of anything other than getting Elle out the other side as unscathed as possible.

Firstly, Müller described the uncertainty felt throughout the pack. Then, out of nowhere, they received orders to search for a missing girl many hadn't heard of before. He further mused about the rumours spinning wild that winter about a future Alpha being fated to the human and frantic in his search for her.

Müller only brought it up to shake me, but it wasn't news. I had lived the truth of his declaration. So I wouldn't deny how I reacted following her disappearance.

As he continued, he spoke of his own Alpha family's disappearance and how their uncertainty turned to panic. He explained that he and everyone he spoke to from the Umbra pack had felt the loss of each member as they were murdered. 'It was as though they had taken a knife to us themselves,' Müller spoke quietly, the phantoms of the past flashing through his eyes as he studied some unknown horror in the distance, 'flaying us wide open and leaving us vulnerable. Generations of familial ties were shredded, and our deep connection to the land was salted.'

According to Müller, a quarter of the pack found a surrogate, falling back on mated ties. A dozen had turned rogue, and although his tone was disgusted, a heavy sadness shone in his eyes.

Eventually, he lost his steam and stopped talking altogether. I shifted, stifling a cough to clear my throat, and as I had been doing periodically throughout the past hour, I glanced towards Elle.

She sat primly, shoulders stiff, hands tucked neatly in her lap, and ankles crossed daintily. She had a look of deep concentration on her face, which had been there since we'd arrived, and not a word had passed her lips as she took in everything that was said between us.

I waited for a heartbeat, just in case she wanted to say something now, but when she didn't, I asked, 'What have the other packs been saying when you've requested to join them?'

Müller did not look impressed with the question, but he answered it nevertheless. 'What do you think we've done,' he hissed, 'we've sought refuge, but most refuse to see us. Those who do are doing so out of pity. But no matter who we ask, their answer is always the same. It's too risky. We have to look out for our own people.'

I nodded, half expecting the answer because it would have been my response less than twenty-four hours ago had they approached us. I didn't say anything because the only thing on my tongue was a promise to do all we could to assist them, but I didn't want to decide without Elle's opinion. Until she told me she couldn't do it, this pack was just as much hers as mine. A decision this big should not be made without being discussed.

Suddenly, Elle's hands untucked, and her gaze flittered towards me, piercing me with determination. I could still see a sliver of hesitation hiding in her stare, but I held my breath and waited, my heart racing at what I hoped she'd be brave enough to do.

'You were at my trial.' After so long holding back her words, her voice had turned hoarse, though the nerves couldn't have been helping, so she leaned forward to take her glass of water, a barely-there tremor twitching her fingers as she wrapped her fingers around the sweaty glass. 'I remember seeing you there.'

Elle's heartbeat kicked at the silence that followed, and curiosity hit me as I wondered what her next move would be. Instead of studying her, undoubtedly adding to her nerves, I swung my gaze around to study Müller.

His lips had sunken downwards, and his stare was seething. The sudden desire to get Elle out of the room was nearly overwhelming, but I pushed it down with the reminder that Elle could decide when she'd had enough.

I felt the shift in Elle as the silence dragged on. She was fighting against the defeatedness, trying to gather her words as Müller pressed his lips together. I mirrored him, barely able to keep my own words under control.

Elle swallowed, a sound only heard in the silence as she shuffled her feet, her fingers balling at her side for a moment before they relaxed. 'I would like to apologise.'

A hot flash rushed through me, and I wanted to rip the words from the air. She had nothing to apologise for, and I hated that she felt she had to.

Surprising us both, she continued. 'Do not mistake me, however. I'm not apologising for the death of your Alpha's family or the actions of my parents. I had no control over any parties involved, including the Vermiculo pack. However, part of the harsh truth is that even if the deaths hadn't occurred, the Umbra pack would have been dissolved and your Alpha family incarcerated for their actions.

'So, it is not the actions of others that I am apologising for.' Elle took a fortifying breath, and even though I wanted to wrap her in my arms and protect her against everything else, I did nothing but sit by her side, wondering just as Müller did about the coming words. 'I am apologising for my own actions and the belief that I was the only one affected by the events that took place this past year. I may not know exactly what the repercussions of the past are, but I would like to try my hardest to understand, and perhaps together, with the support of the Vermiculo pack, we can come up with a solution.'

I couldn't help but smile at her, a warmth settling over me. I felt breathless as I studied her, and admiration hit me square in the chest. This woman had been through more than some would in a lifetime, and she was still smiling. She was still determined to help those less fortunate than her. She was a vision of magnificence, and though her journey to this point had been slow, I was willing to wait a lifetime to see her continue to grow.