Chapter 733 A BERATED WOLF

He staggered backwards as he felt the wet feeling of blood against his nose.

He set his hands against his nose and sure enough.

There was blood.

His eyes blazed red as he looked at the bright red liquid at his fingers.

Before he could react, his men went after her and to his absolute horror, she raced to the wall and began climbing back up.

Never in his wildest dreams had seen a female wolf with a dress who looked nothing like a trained she wolf, climbing a wall so expertly.

Even the ones he had met didn’t climb this way.

She set one foot after the other on the vines as she used her hands to guide her way up until she reached the top.

His men tried to climb but the vines cut before making it quarter of the way.

She laughed at them.

At him, before disappearing down the wall.

She was taunting him.

He couldn’t believe it.

Some of his men went round the wall shouting orders at each other as they went after her.

He simply stood there in disbelief at what had just happened.

How a girl had just outsmarted him.

Hit him twice in a day.

He had never sustained injury from such an attack.

The only few times he had, was in battle and even then he always made the enemy wolf pay.

And yet, this nobody.

Someone he doubted was even a trained wolf had berated him over a stupid eagle that he had haunted for fun, spoken to him in a way no had ever done, given him two cuts before finally getting away with it.

He was furious and amused at the same time.

He wanted to punish her and at the same time learn from her.

She made his heart race in a way facing a rabid wolf hadn’t done.

She was so strange and he hated the fact that he found her alluring.

One of his guards pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to him.

“My lord.” The wolf apologized as he walked up to him with his hands extended.

He snapped the handkerchief from his hand and used it to clean his bloodied nose before eventually setting it to his head where she had given the first blood.

He swore under his breath.

“We need to have you stitched my lord.” The guard said, he had forgotten his name.

“Who was that girl?” He asked.

The guard seemed uncomfortable at first and then said. “She is Ruby, Lord Aiden. She is the daughter of one of the pack healers. “

“Hmmm.” Aiden mumbled to himself as he wiped off the left over blood.

“We would find her and have her arrested my lord.” The guard declared.

“You couldn’t do that to her here what makes you think you would successfully catch her and do it.” Aiden asked with a sarcastic snort.

The guard went mute and Aiden went on walking ahead, around the wall.

“Has she had any training?” Aiden asked.

“No my lord.” The guard shook his head. And then added.”Well none that I’m aware of….. but.”

No my lord.” The guard shook his head. And then added. “Well none that I’m aware of… but.”

Aiden glanced at him.

“But what?”

The guard scratched the back of his neck.

“She has always been… different.”

Aiden scoffed.

“That much is obvious.”

The guard swallowed.

“I mean since she was a child, my lord. She climbs trees higher than most men. Rides through the forest alone. Gets into arguments with half the market and somehow still has everyone liking her afterwards.”

Aiden frowned.

“Everyone?”

The guard nodded.

“The old women adore her. The children follow her around. The animals too.”

“The animals?”

“Yes my lord.”

Aiden looked at him as though he had grown another head.

“The animals.”

The guard nodded again.

“She always has birds around her. Sometimes squirrels. Rabbits too.”

Aiden immediately thought of the squirrel he had seen Bale speaking about the previous day.

Then his mind drifted back to the eagle.

The eagle.

The wound.

The healing.

The impossible healing.

His expression darkened.

“Tell me about her family.”

The guard hurried after him.

“Her mother is Lady Penelope. She is a healer.”

“I gathered that much.”

“She is respected throughout the territory.”

“And the father?”

The guard hesitated.

“A drunk.”

Aiden’s brow rose.

“A drunk?”

“He wasn’t always.”

The guard shrugged.

“He lost his leg many years ago. Never really recovered from it. Started drinking. Gambling. Causing trouble.”

Aiden listened quietly.

Strange.

The girl didn’t seem like the daughter of a man who spent his life in taverns.

She had carried herself with confidence.

Too much confidence.

Far too much confidence.

As though she had never learned fear.

Aiden stopped walking.

He looked back towards the wall.

The very wall she had climbed over.

A smile threatened to form.

He quickly crushed it.

“Ruby.” He muttered.

The name felt strange on his tongue.

The guard immediately perked up.

“Should I send for her, my lord?”

“No.”

The answer came instantly.

The guard blinked.

Aiden continued walking.

“Leave her.”

“My lord?”

“Leave her.”

The guard looked utterly confused.

Aiden couldn’t blame him.

Normally anyone who drew blood from him would be thrown into a cell before sunset.

Yet here he was walking away.

The truth annoyed him.

He wasn’t angry enough to punish her.

Not anymore.

Now he was curious.

Dangerously curious.

They reached the main courtyard.

Servants hurried around preparing for the arrival of important guests.

Soldiers crossed the grounds carrying weapons.

The entire Pack House buzzed with activity.

And yet Aiden barely noticed any of it.

His thoughts remained fixed on a pair of green eyes.

Wild red hair.

A sharp tongue.

And a smile that had appeared only once.

Just once.

When she had been holding that ridiculous bird.

His stomach tightened.

It was annoying.

Very annoying.

He didn’t know her.

Didn’t care to know her.

And yet he found himself wondering where she was now.

Whether she had escaped his men.

Whether she was laughing about what had happened.

Whether she was telling someone about the arrogant fool she had met.

The thought irritated him.

Because she probably was.

The girl seemed incapable of keeping her thoughts to herself.

“My lord?”

Aiden blinked.

“What?”

The guard pointed.

“You’re bleeding again.”

Aiden touched the cut above his brow.

His fingers came away red.

He cursed under his breath.

The healer was going to enjoy this far too much.

As he continued walking, something caught his attention.

A shadow passed overhead.

A familiar cry echoed through the air.

Aiden froze.

Slowly he looked up.

The golden eagle circled high above the Pack House.

Alive.

Strong.

Flying.

As though he was mocking him.

He felt like shooting down the damn bird again.

His silver eyes narrowed.

The wound had been fatal.

He knew it.

The eagle should have died.

And yet it hadn’t.

Because of her.

Aiden watched the bird disappear into the clouds.

Then his jaw tightened.

“No training.”

“No status.”

“No power.”

He muttered to himself.

Then how had she done it?

The most beautiful girl he had ever set his eyes on so much it shocked him to the core.

And yet, the most disturbing woman he had ever met.

Ruby.