CHAPTER 40: SHE’S CHANGED

Ares watched Eberhard disappear around the corner, the air immediately grew heavy, too heavy. The silence that followed pressed in on him from every side, like the walls themselves were closing in.

He drew a breath, but it scraped through his chest like gravel. His hands curled into fists, then loosened again, restless, trembling. His heart hammered against his ribs, each beat faster, harder.

Then the memories hit him.

Blood, everywhere.

Smoke swallowing the night.

Screams, lots of screams.

His father’s hand reaching out through the flames before it disappeared.

A child’s desperate coughs echoing through a burning room.

Ares’s vision blurred; the hallway twisted, flickering between past and present. His breath hitched. He groaned, stumbling forward, his palm slapping the wall for balance as he half-staggered, half-dragged himself toward his suite. The hallway stretched endlessly, his own heartbeat deafening in his ears.

By the time he reached his door, sweat had soaked through his black fitted shirt. His fingers shook violently as he turned the knob. The door clicked open, and he stumbled inside, a low growl rumbled in his throat as his knees gave way. He dropped himself onto the couch. His chest rose and fell erratically, lungs screaming for air. He yanked open a few buttons of his shirt, trying to free his throat, gasping.

In... out... breathe... damn it, breathe...

He pressed a hand to his chest, counting his breaths, forcing control, but the room kept spinning. The sound of crackling flames from his memory wouldn’t stop. The smell of smoke. The faint echo of those annoying screams.

Then... Rhea’s face flashed in his mind, sharp and vivid.Those fearless eyes. That faint, insolent smirk. Her voice, rich with teasing confidenc. "You’re a darling."

It echoed, light and mocking, cutting clean through the noise.

Suddenly, the smoke in his mind cleared. The air returned to his lungs. His pulse slowed.

He sat there, motionless, realizing the panic had stopped. Just like that. No blackout. No collapse. For the first time since that night, it had ended before he could pass out.

He exhaled hard, leaning back against the couch. His muscles still trembled, but the storm inside had quieted.

After a few seconds, he pushed himself up, unsteady but moving, and stumbled toward the mini-fridge tucked into the corner. He yanked it open, grabbed a bottle of water, and drank greedily, tilting his head back as if he hadn’t tasted air or water in years.

The cool liquid grounded him.

When the bottle was empty, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and returned to the couch, dropping into it heavily. His eyes fell shut for a moment, until the quiet click of the door snapped them open again.

It opened, then closed softly.

Ares turned his head toward the sound.

Ellie stood by the door for a moment, eyes sweeping over Ares. He didn’t need a soothsayer to tell him what just happened, he could see it in the Alpha’s uneven breathing, the sheen of sweat still glistening on his temples, the slight tremor in his hand where it rested against his knee.

"Did it happen again, Alpha?" Ellie asked softly, taking a step closer, his voice steady but laced with concern.

"I’m fine," Ares said, forcing his tone to sound normal, though his voice was still rough. He ran a hand through his damp hair and added, "And stop with the Alpha of a thing. We’re friends, not some stranger that need titles to define them."

"Whatever you say," Ellie replied with a faint smirk, crossing the room. He dragged a chair closer and sat, elbows resting on his knees, studying Ares like a man waiting for the truth to slip through silence.

Ares could feel it, the tension, the quiet storm in his Beta’s gaze. "Look," he started, rubbing the back of his neck, "I’m sorry about the way I talked to you earlier. I was just... frustrated."

"I know," Ellie said simply, his tone even. "But I’m not angry about that...not anymore."

"Then why..." Ares began, frowning.

Ellie’s eyes hardened. "I’m angry because you keep letting Eberhard walk all over you," he said bluntly. "If it were anyone else who caused the kind of chaos he did earlier, you’d have had them on their knees begging for mercy by now. But because it’s him, you just..." he gestured sharply with one hand, "...let it go."

Ares sighed, leaning back against the couch, his jaw tightening. "You wouldn’t understand."

"Then make me," Ellie pressed, his tone low but firm.

Ares met his eyes for a moment before looking away. "I wish it was that easy."

"What isn’t easy?" Ellie asked, leaning forward. "Punishing him? If you can’t, just let me do it." His voice carried an edge, quiet but dangerous, like he meant every word.

Ares couldn’t help the short, rough chuckle that escaped him. "You really haven’t changed," he said, shaking his head. "Still picking fights before thinking."

Ellie huffed, leaning back in the chair, but the corners of his lips twitched slightly.

Ares took the chance to shift the topic, his tone steadying. "What about the men we sent to the healers’ quarters? Any word?"

Ellie immediately recognized the pivot. Ares always did this, diverting the moment Eberhard’s name came up. He thought about calling him out for it, but decided against it, for now. One way or another, he’d find out what Eberhard was holding over Ares.

He exhaled, answering evenly, "They will live, according to the healers. Stable, but still unconscious." He leaned back in the chair, a wry smile tugging at his mouth. "Honestly, I’m starting to wonder how hard she hit them."

Ares huffed out a breath that could’ve passed for a laugh if it weren’t so tired. He rubbed his face with one hand, the sound of his palm dragging across his stubble cutting through the silence.

"She doesn’t exactly strike me as gentle," he muttered, voice low. She’s changed a lot.

Ellie nodded thoughtfully. "Indeed. Imagine beating up three wolves higher in rank than her without breaking a sweat. If that’s the Moon Goddess’s blessing, I’d hate to be on the receiving side of her wrath."

A faint smirk tugged at Ares’s lips, but he didn’t answer right away. His eyes closed for a moment. "Still," he said finally, "she did save someone with it. No one can deny that."