Chapter 9: THE LITTLE RENDEZVOUS

THE LITTLE RENDEZVOUS

MILDRED

Chase broke the proximity with a sweet smile on his face. He tread further into the garden with his hands tucked in the pockets of his pants.

I followed closely, wondering what he meant by the pyramid. Was he aware of this entire plan? Was this marriage not just in Hayden's favor?

I chose to look at this from another angle, what if he suspected something fishy and tried to get a slip from me?

I glanced at him and he was by the rose flowers. But the lovely scent and the beautiful flowers were not what appealed to my heart right now.

I needed to know who the foe and the ally were lest I confide in the wrong person.

"I'm still processing your words, if I'm being honest I don't understand what you mean there. Hayden's plans?" I chuckled nervously.

"You're much better than how Hayden described you." He shrugged and considered me a little longer with his blue eyes.

"How did he describe me?" I regretted the second the question left my lips. A very insecure part of me knew Hayden was never going to describe me as a supermodel or a beauty Queen. Not knowing was comforting but it was already too late because he said,

"Plain but adequate." The words bit into my heart and I looked away from him. Plain and adequate was the term estate brokers used around the Packs to describe a threadbare apartment.

"You didn't have to tell me that." I frowned at him.

"Hayden never says nice things about anyone by the way." He shrugged and handed me a rose. I stared at the rose with no attempt to get it.

"Your beauty radiates like the roses." His grins were back.

"Damage control much?" I glared at him.

"What?" He shook his head and denied vehemently, "No, of course not. Just that Hayden fails to see the beautiful side of you!"

"Can you now tell me what you meant by the pyramid?" I received the flower with a faint smile taking it to my nose to appreciate its scent.

"Our plan is the pyramid. You're a major key player. You lose your tongue, we lose it all. Hayden loses it all. So you should play this role convincingly. The goddess aids him, that's why you're here. You keep your identity a secret so that we all can remain in peace."

"What are you saying? I am Hayden's wife." I feigned annoyance trying to walk away from the now-heated scene.

It was getting harder not to trust this man before me. The second he got the words from my lips then it was game over for me. I couldn't let that happen.

"Ximena and I were quite close." He glanced at me and shrugged, "For all I know, Ximena's wolf was greatly allergic to the daffodils." He cocked his head at the yellow flowers behind me.

I looked away from his face and started towards the pebbled path. He held my arm and chuckled.

"Relax, no one else knows that." He came oddly closer to me again then his tone softened, "It's why I want you to be extra careful. A slip could cost Hayden all his hard work and he's never going to let it slide."

I nodded stiffly and gazed at his face looking for the slightest glint of deceit. I was relieved when there was none.

"Why did she leave?" I asked

His blue eyes regarded me and after the silence stretched out he gave up answering my questions as his phone buzzed. He took it to his ear and I realized Hayden was calling.

"I stole your wife, she's more beautiful than you described her to be," he chortled and went over a business chat with him as we headed back to the terrace.

Chase was nicer than anyone would judge him to be based on his appearance and sturdy frame. His strides were long because of how long his limbs were and I had to double up my pace to keep up.

"I'll see you later." He nodded at me and excused himself when we got to the terrace.

"Thank you for the walk and the flower." I flashed him a smile as he moved towards the door. I watched him with a smile still on my face even after he was gone. I was glad to finally make a friend. One of Hayden's friends was on my side. It was the first time I felt someone in authority speak so fondly to me.

Now he was gone, there was nothing else to do. No friends to talk to and nowhere to go. It was true, money couldn't buy happiness. I was surrounded by all these luxuries, yet, there was a vacuum inside.

There was a need for freedom. I wanted to go places and look around the Moonlight Pack. I wanted to be free and enjoy the wind on my face. I paced the terrace thinking of a nice way to tell Hayden I wanted to see the town and the beauty of the Moonlight Pack when someone slipped from behind one of the pillars.

"Whore!" Marcella spat with blazing eyes. "Just a few days after the wedding you are willing to die for and you're already sneaking around with Hayden's friends, how pathetic!"

"Chase was just being nice." I corrected her words.

"Sure he was. I'll be sure to let Hayden know you're already hooking up with his friends. You've always acted so thirsty around Chase."

"What is your problem with me? Can you level me up with what's bothering you?" I raised my voice at her.

"How dare you raise your voice at me!" She growled and I remained silent.

She stepped closer to me and held me between the closed terrace door and herself.

"Move," I said in a tone that was supposed to be commanding but a hysterical laugh burst out of her. Her laugh didn't last long as she took my right arm in a tight grip, her fingers digging deep into my soft skin.

"I have my doubts about you. You couldn't have been here for long." Her lips puckered in a way that made my heart race.

I snapped from her grip despite the burning sensation it caused. But she slammed me again at the closed door and snarled at me.

"You barely know your way around the mansion and you barely know the staff around here. How can you say you have been here for so long?"

"Marcella I do not understand what all this is about."

"Tell me, who is the Second in command here?" I stared at her like she had lost her mind. Her grip on my arm tightened and I winced from the pain it caused.

"Who is the third in command here?"

I shoved her away from me and glared at her. Her wolf growled and I felt fear recoil inside of me.

“What the hell do you want from me?!" I yelled the latter, releasing every bit of the frustration that was gnawing on my inside at her.

"You can't fucking say something?" A smirk appeared on Marcella's perfectly lined lips. This lady was growing into a threat and as the day went by, her plans seemed to be tilting. First, she wanted me to divorce Hayden and now she was trying to uncover the truth behind my brown eyes.

"Why did you cut your hair? Why did you fucking dye? Your eyes what the fuck did you do to them? Because they weren't looking like this yesterday, yes! I took note of how hazel they looked and all of a sudden Ximena’s brown eyes are back?”

I was nervous to the pits of my stomach, and beads of perspiration trailed down my back beneath my dress. My lips shivered and I thought of how to answer her unnerving questions.

I had no answers for her so with a great shove, I pushed her aside quickly turning inside and heading straight towards the stairs hoping to disappear into the comforting room I stayed in.

I hurriedly selected my strides and headed towards the stairs but just then, I bumped into someone and the contents of the laundry basket spilled to the floor.

Miss Baxton glared from the spilled-out laundry at my face with a defiant pout on her face.

I rubbed the ribbed part into which the basket slammed which was now hurting. "You should've watched where you're going," I scolded the maid.

"Excuse us?" Marcella caught up to me, dismissing the maid. She doubled over with the laundry picking up every piece of clothing from the floor before she disappeared towards the laundry.

Marcella adjusted the halter dress she wore and peered at me. "We are not done talking about this."

"I have nothing to talk about so please let me be. If this is about my marriage with Hayden then suck it up." I seethed.

She waved her hand in my face and it landed with a hard slap. "Don't you dare use that tone with me? Don't you dare try to disrespect me just because Hayden tried to be funny by making a lowlife like you his queen?"

I didn't know what came over me but I immediately returned the slap! "he could have easily extended it to you." I pucker my lips feeling displeased with her words.

She clutched her cheek, eyes wide in disbelief. “Excuse me? Did you just slap me?” Her voice shook, then hardened as she squinted at me.

She stepped closer, her smirk curling wider, “You have no idea what you’ve just done. I could ruin you with a single word, but you are not aware of that, and you know why? Because you are not Ximena! Ximena would never dare raise a hand against me.”

I straightened, fire burning through my veins. “Well, I'm sorry I forgot to update you. I have changed,” I snapped. “And I will no longer tolerate your vile, bitchy behavior toward me! Leave me the hell alone!" I muttered with grave deliberation.

"You answer my questions and I'll let you be." She narrowed her eyes at me. "Who is the third in command of this Pack?".

"Why are you acting so rude, is there anyone here who doesn't know Chase is the third in command of us here? Chase and I are friends, we've always been friends.

"The beta?" Her low and quiet tone carried the next question

"I don't have time for all of this, I already told you to steer off my path, but if answering your question is going to let me be at peace, so be it."

"I'm watching you Ximena,"

"Steer your energy and time into something more productive. Stop paying attention to the hair I wear. They're all wigs and it's okay if you are amongst the few people who think my wedding hair was real. I had always wanted long hair for my wedding. Take that or you live up." My voice made sure to seep out my irritation.

A few domestic staff passed us by the stairs with a queried brow.

"That doesn't answer my question. Who is the beta of goddamn Pack!"

The domestic staff turned and faced us. Expecting me to get the answers right considering they were my husband's best buddies.

"I, I." I stuttered waiting for anything to hurl me out of this trap corner. I wondered what Marcella wanted to find out. I wondered if she knew the truth but was acting cool. I wondered what was going to become of me if the truth surfaced.

Smugness was on her face when I failed to say the name the second she needed to hear. There was a second of triumph in her eyes like she had discovered something no one else knew. She was discovering how oblivious I was to Hayden's friends' names.

Just then, Hayden strolled toward the front door with his guests flanking him. His hair was nicely brushed and Navaeh was solid to his side.

Molly had chosen to stay off the mansion and that was cool. I could breathe now she was off my neck but I couldn't because Marcella was planted to my side as an evil imp. Her expectant gaze was on me.

"Why are you asking me this?"

I raised my voice hoping it would get around to Hayden so he could come save me from this verbal torture.

"You're behaving weirdly lately, so I need to know what crawled up your cereal box. I need to know why you chose to return and torment me this way!" It was her turn to yell at me.

Hayden's eyes snagged mine in a manner that made me believe he had heard me. If I had a wolf, I would have mind-linked him for help to get away from his friend. Marcella was getting difficult and very consuming. I prayed Hayden came this way. I prayed he would show a little compassion to save my stuttering ass from this woman before me.

I watched as Hayden paused by the main entrance double doors. Alpha Bruce said something to him and he nodded briskly. The smile on Navaeh's face suggested they were engrossed in a serious and intriguing conversation but what was more serious than protecting such a delicate secret Marcella was hell-bent on disclosing?

Marcella is equally as confused as the handmaid. They suspected something was off about me but they weren't so sure what. Marcella was smart. But I was smarter.

I peeked at what was looming and awaited Hayden to save me.

How on Earth was I going to work the magic and get his second-in-command's name right? I replayed my conversation with Chase in fast-forward and no part of it in

volved the Beta. "Stop asking me such delicate questions!"

I chose my words carefully and it rang loud enough to disrupt the little rendezvous by the door.