Chapter 10
Iliana clenched Alexander’s hand upon hearing him say she’s his mate. It was never agreed that she would act as his mate. Of course, it was to be expected, yet it was surprising.
“Alexander has brought home a mate?” Catherine asked in shock.
“I can’t believe it.” Jacqueline was skeptical.
“My brother has brought home a mate?” David entered the conversation with his own questions. “This must be an act.”
“It is not, David.” Alexander responded to David. Hi
“Prove it. Kiss her.” David pried.
“David, don’t push your brother to do what he doesn’t want to.” Catherine said “Let your brother be.”
“At least he has found a mate unlike noyou and Erik.” Jacqueline pointed out.
“I’ll be leaving.” Alexander said as he walked away from them with Iliana.
They appeared at the town with nobody following them. They both walked to the motel, quietly.
“Alexander, why did you say I was your mate?” Iliana broke the silence.
“There was no other answer. I understand you may feel uncomfortab-“
“No,” Iliana interrupted. “It was a brilliant response.” Iliana’s smartness did not surprise Iliana. He has always felt she was the analyst. “This way, I’ll be less suspected. You have lessened the burden.”
“I’m glad you understand.”
“I have to go now. Good bye.” Iliana said as she walked into her room and locked the door. She quietly went to her bed and laid the until she fell asleep.
13:43pm.
“Why do you keep bringing up the captured spies?” The masked man asked Iliana.
“I’m the curious type.” Iliana defended.
“Well, I don’t know anything about them.” The masked man said.
“How wouldn’t you know? Aren’t you an alpha?”
The masked man was quiet for a moment “I’d rather not talk about it.”
Iliana and the masked man were both quiet. “Alexander called me his mate.” Iliana spoke out.
The masked man’s eye lit up. His mannerisms change, so did the atmosphere. “He did?”
“He had no other option.”
“It’s all falling into place. Soon, you’ll actually become member of the pack. Keep up with the act.” The masked man commended. “You should start making yourself seen around town even more. We’re all on the look out of spies. You should be too.”
Iliana always felt her heart drop when she heard the word ‘spy’. She was always struck with fear and guilt. However, she was not ready to give up on being a spy for the Shadow Pack.
“Do you have a phone that I can use or something?” Iliana asked
“Why do you want a phone? You have people outside Silver Creek you know?” The masked man furrowed his brows.
“Well, if I’m going to make friends here, I might need contacts.” Iliana had a point.
“Then, meet me by the corner we met at the last time.” The masked man dipped his hand in his pocket and pulled out a watch. “Here.” The man handed it to Iliana. Iliana collected it. “This way, you won’t lose track of time.”
It dawn on Iliana that she should tell this man about her gruesome encounters with time. “Speaking of time…” Iliana stopped herself from speaking any more. She had a thought that she could just be going crazy or something. She also had a thought that it was a normal occurrence in the Silver Creek. “Never mind.”
“Okay.” The masked man shrugged “Meet me there by five this evening. Don’t be late.” Alexander said as he walked out the door and left the motel.
“I have to find a way to save Stuart and Samuel” Iliana said to herself. “If only I could find where they have been held hostage.” She paced around the room. “They are alive but are they okay? Rajesh’s comment on them; I can tell they’ve been bruised an battered.” Iliana worried. “I’ll have to find out from the people. It’ll be risky but I’ll have to try.”
Iliana examined the wristwatch the masked man gave her. It was a thick metal frame analog wrist watch with leather straps. It looked old and used. It still worked well. She believed it to be the man’s wrist watch. “I really have to ask him for his name.”
15:23pm.
Iliana was out on the town’s streets. She met quite a number of individuals who seemed interested in having a chat with her but avoided her for reasons she couldn’t understand. It was difficult to come up to somebody without having them glare at her and walking away. Iliana herself could not avoid the prying eyes of the people in town.
Iliana sat on a bench in the park that was fixed underneath a tree. She let out sighs of exhaustion. “It’s useless.” She told herself.
“Excuse me.” A voice struck Iliana’s ear. Iliana was startled by a lady in front of her eyes. She did not hear any footstep or perceive anything. This lady could’ve killed her if she wanted to. “I’m sorry if I startled you.”
“No. It’s fine.”
“May I sit?” The lady asked.
“Of course.” Iliana replied as the lady sat on the bench.
“I’m Sophia. Sophia Everest. You must be Rachel, Alexander’s mate.” Sophia stretched out her hand for a handshake; Iliana shook her hand.
“Has word gone this far? Am I safe anymore?” Iliana and Sophia giggled.
“I saw you walking around town and thought I might come to your rescue”
“You watched me?” Iliana furrowed her brows.
“I couldn’t help myself.”
“It’s hard talking to people now.”
“I understand. Everybody’s on the look out for spies; no one can be trusted at this point. Not even the alpha’s mate.”
Iliana saw an opening. “About these spies, isn’t it a bit too discreet that the higher-ups has nothing more to tell the pack other than they are spies from am unknown pack?”
Sophia took a deep breath. “Only few may know. All we know is: spies have been captured and no information has come out of them. What a wonder.”
“Have you seen them?”
“Well, I’ve only caught a glimpse of one. He looked pretty bloodied. Poor fella.”
Iliana felt her stomach moving back and forth. It was disturbing for her to imagine. “I wonder what will happen to them.”
“They’ll be killed by the next full moon. Public execution. At least, that’s what I’ve heard. I’m not sure about it.”
Iliana felt herself hyperventilating. She lost her balance, thankfully she was sat on the bench. It was too much to process. Too much to think of. If what Sophia heard is true, then Samuel and Stuart with be killed before everybody’s eyes. Iliana had a rush.
“I have to go now.” Iliana walked with haste away from Sophia to the corner she’s supposed to meet with the masked man. She was an hour earlier but she needed to be alone for a moment.
16:59pm. Iliana, in the corner, looked at the watch,. I wasn’t much to study but she just looked at it.
17:23pm. Iliana waited for the masked man; he made no appearance.
17:37pm. Iliana had little patience left in her. She was exhausted mentally and physically, all she could think about was resting for a while.
18:00pm. It was already dark and with no hope of the masked man coming, Iliana sprung out of the corner and headed to the motel.
On getting to the motel, she noticed somebody walking towards her. The image became clearer and it was Alexander.
“Hey.” Alexander greeted.
“Hi.” Iliana returned the greeting with a low dynamic.
“I want to show you something.” Alexander said. “You’ll have to follow me like last time.”
Iliana could not object, she did not want to say yes either but she reluctantly obeyed.
They both walked into the forest, deeper and deeper into the forest.
“Where are we going to?” Iliana anxiously asked.
“To satisfy your curiosity” Alexander replied.
It was vague.
They made a stop at a pit that had a descending staircase. Iliana felt excited yet on alert.
“Come along.” Alexander said to Iliana as he walked down the stairs. Iliana followed.
They landed in what looked like a ruin. Like…a catacomb. It was lit with light bulbs but felt different that the world above to Iliana.
“Where are we?” Iliana asked
“You’ll see.”
Alexander led Iliana through complex passages of the catacombs. Iliana had a very bad feeling about this. She could smell something. Something familiar. She could smell blood. Iliana panicked internally and waited for them end of their walk. They reached a stop. They stood in front of long iron bars. Heavy iron bars.
“You wanted to know about the spies,” Alexander said drawing Iliana’s attention to him. “Here they are.”
Iliana slowly moved closer to the bars and her eyes were filled with a river. She did not have any expression. She could not show any expression. She couldn’t believe what she saw. Naked and hung on walls; covered in blood and tied in chains were Stuart and Samuel.