Up In Flames

[NOUR]

There were whispers, lots of them, but in the midst of all that, was a broken werewolf prince and an enforcer who looked like he wanted to be everywhere but here; something that a few people had noticed, but none dared to say a word.

"Take him to the infirmary!" Delbert shouted as he rushed to Nour, when he realized that Grant was just standing there staring at his already hurting mate. If Nour had been any other wolf, then Grant would have been quick on his feet. 

Delbert knew the hesitation was intentional, given this enforcer had seen more things in war than any of them had. He had always found a way to keep himself sane. This was just one bleeding wolf and he was distancing himself.

"Snap out of it, Grant! Help us out here," Delbert said, in a bid to remind Grant that they were in front of people and he needed to act accordingly, especially now that they had already established that the mate bond had ruined them all for a time.

"I'm sorry, Nour. I really am," Grant said and Delbert held back a scoff. He could tell there was no sincerity in that apology. 

Carefully, the warriors carried the wounded omega to the infirmary, only for Ferhat to redirect them to the King's healing chambers. It was a place meant for the royals only and Ferhat didn't think twice about it.

"Are you sure about this?" one of the warriors had asked Ferhat in confusion, and he just nodded his silence as he looked at the kid he had sworn to protect with his life. 

However, just like everyone who knew the truth about the young prince, he couldn't express his frustrations, lest the people start asking questions whose answers were never going to come freely. 

"He's important to the enforcer, who is important to the King. So yes, I'm sure. Go on," Ferhat insisted.

With Nour in the healing chambers, under the care of the King's special healers, Ferhat knew it was time to ask the right questions. Granted, he was worried about the King, but the King had warriors who could help him. 

The young prince however, didn't have anyone, at least on the surface, a truth that haunted Ferhat so hard, he wished there was more he could do. Perhaps he would play a friendly game with Grant.

"We need to talk," Ferhat said to Grant who was in the waiting bay. He hadn't made a move to get in like any normal mate would, and while they wanted to say it was because of the shock, Ferhat knew better.

"How is he?" Grant asked, worry suddenly clouding his face.

"I don't know. You might need to mark him for him to heal though," Ferhat said and Delbert suddenly rushed out where they were. 

"Mark him?" Delbert asked, worried about his bond with the young prince. 

If his erasthai was bonded to this bastard, then he would have to kill Grant, to have a chance with Nour. As pleasing as that was Delbert didn't want to make that choice tainted. He needed Nour to choose him of his own volition.

"Yes. they are mates, aren't they?" Ferhat asked clearly confused about Delbert's position on this.

"He'll heal, eventually. However, if they mark each other right now, the omega could be in more danger, as this was done to send a message. The enforcer needs to find whoever did this first.

"He can't focus, if his mate is hurting and channeling all his energy in the mate bond," Delbert explained and that got Grant smiling. 

He hadn't thought of the repercussions but he was already making a mental note to thank Delbert for standing up for him and saving him from the burden of being mated to an omega, but then was that truly it?

"Do you know who did this?" Ferhat asked like he didn't hear the readings from the letter that came with the arrows.

"The Ruby Wolf. He kidnapped Nour earlier today and I called his bluff. Look where that got me," Grant growled, his constant growling making Delbert want to snap his neck. 

"Are you sure? For all we know it could be someone parading as the wolf we rid ourselves of a month ago?" Ferhat said as he looked at the enforcer. He was trying to gauge how the hell Nour had pulled this off.

As interesting as that was, he knew that the young prince was always going to have so many options regardless of what happened. He was always going to make sure he hit his target.

"Shouldn't you be with the king? I mean no offense but you are important to him and he's in shock at the moment," Grant said, reminding Ferhat of the tragedy the king had witnessed. 

"The king is fine. I need you to run me through whatever happened with the ruby wolf," Ferhat said and Grant let out a sigh before he began telling of the threats from earlier. 

He intentionally left out the part where he had been the first to beat up his mate black and blue. He wasn't sure that was something that Ferhat would appreciate, seeing as he was always talking of the good that came with having mates.

"Which means he never left Acrod," Ferhat mused as if he didn't know that the prince was the Ruby wolf.

"Alright, you stay with your mate, I'll figure this out. Don't leave his side, lest we get more worries. Which reminds me… Where is that kid that never leaves the mouthy omega's side?" Ferhat asked curiously.

"Anhora?"

"Yeah, that one."

"Omegas aren't allowed in banquets, so he's probably out there at the omega quarters," Grant said, making Ferhat even more curious. 

He had studied the relationship between the prince and Anhora, and if there was one thing Ferhat was always sure of, then it had to be that the omega knew the true identity of the young prince. They were, after all, best friends, right?

"Okay. I'll take the junior warrior with me, unless you need him?" Ferhat said, though it came off as a question than a suggestion.

"Alright sure, he can help with the search," Grant said before walking into the room where Nour was.

"He's your Erasthai, isn't he?" Ferhat asked Delbert once they were out of the palace and on their way to find Anhora. There was no point in looking for the ruby wolf, because the prince was the ruby wolf.

However, they needed to act occupied just to make the people believe they were trying to work out a solution.

"It's so obvious, Ferhat. Don't tell me a thousand years have gotten you aging so fast," Farah said suddenly.

"We need to find Anhora. He is the only one who could know what the hell happened to Nour," Delbert said, pretending like he didn't hear them.

"Ooh someone's mad," Ferhat teased.

"You—"

"Is he okay?" a trembling voice interrupted them.

"Anhora?"

"He… he told me to shoot him. He told me it was the only thing I could do for him. I tried to resist. I tried to refuse, but he said it was the only way. And when I refused, he used the royal command on me. 

"He's supposed to be an omega. I don't understand—" Anhora rambled on and the trio looked at him worriedly. 

At least they found who had shot Nour, right?