Chapter Eight
“Give nothing away, Iris,” I thought to myself, completely ignoring him.
Even though I knew it was of no use as even a human could hear the quick pace at which my heart was pounding but I kept my eyes shut, and slowed my breathing.
Still, his words lingered in the air, mocking my failure.
Once more, I cursed the damn mate bond, it was a tool that messed everything up.
I might have to reject this one myself.
“Fine, if you insist,” he grunted before walking away.
I heard when the doors opened again, as his retreating steps faded away from the room. Even then, I didn’t open my eyes.
Fear of the unknown wrapped its vice grip around me.
Had he gone to tell his Alpha I was pretending?
Did Alpha Lucian already tell him I was the last surviving child of the Zareen bloodline?
‘Maybe they were both on their way right now to come and finish the job,’ I thought as I ran blank on what to do.
These were times where Aunt Lisa would come in handy but they'd successfully killed her.
The thoughts dissipated when I heard footsteps again. I didn’t know how long I was left alone in the room. Seconds? Minutes? I’d mastered the art of stillness, but as that overwhelming sense of cider and pinewood passed through my nostrils, I was dying with curiosity.
And my wolf wasn't helping matters.
I wanted to look at his face. I wanted to know what colour his eyes were, they always told me how kind or cruel a man could be.
Still, I stayed put, my ears on alert.
“Do you know who she is?” Alpha Lucian asked, his voice as cold as steel. But the command in them was reduced a notch. This person must be his friend. My terrible luck pairing me with two friends who wanted me dead was quite laughable.
‘Why was Alpha Lucian pretending not to know me?’ I wondered as they discussed among themselves.
"No, Lucian," Darius answered, his voice curt, like he was holding something back.
So he was also pretending not to recognize the mate bond.
That worked perfectly for me as well, they were making my job easier because I didn't want to imagine what would have been happening with both of them standing over me, realizing I was mated to them both.
Alpha Lucian already lost his chances with me but the bond didn't care for human politics, until it's properly cut, it would demand for answers.
Answers in the way of clothes coming off and revealing my tattoo.
So yea, I'm grateful they both didn't like each other enough to share their secrets.
When silence reigned again, I thought he was going to tell Alpha Lucian how he believed I was pretending, but he said something else instead.
"I sent the warriors to the borders to check if they could find anything. It seems she was attacked in the woods, and she managed to find her way in here."
"Rogue?"
It was another voice, much calmer and warmer. But I couldn’t be deceived. Nothing about the Blue Moon Pack was calm and warm. They were all murderers, and they would pay for killing every member of my family and my pack.
“She doesn’t have the scent of any pack on her,” Darius responded. “But at the same time, she doesn’t strike me as a rogue who lived with other rogues. I can’t place my fingers on it.”
Alpha Lucian sighed.
“How’s the party going?"
“Still on. Mia is in charge now.”
“Good, it's best to keep her busy and out of my business.”
“You know you don't have to –”
“We're not having this conversation right now, Darius,” the alpha snapped, shutting down whatever his friend was about to say.
An odd silence passed through them and I thought since they weren't strangling me, they'd leave but footsteps padded from the window and barged through the door.
“Alpha!” A warrior from the reverence in his voice, “We found something at the border where she was seen.”
My ears perked up at that. I tried to think about everything they could possibly find, but I remembered burying the knife.
The bag contained nothing that could implicate me
“What did they find?”
“Contact lenses.”
Shit!
I must not have searched the bag properly due to my dazed state while at the river.
“Contact lenses?” the Alpha wondered.
“We can’t rule out the fact that they belong to her, but if they don’t, they definitely are for her attackers. I’ll have sent them to the lab for testing. We should get results in two days since they do not have another sample to test it with.”
“Thank you Henry,” the Alpha said to his warrior, “You can go now. Drop the contact on your Enforcer's table.”
After a few seconds of shuffling, the door closed behind the warrior who just gave them the first real string to unravel my identity.
‘The first thing I'll do when they finally leave this room is swallow that thing,’ I thought to myself.
“We have to wait for her to open her eyes, maybe she can tell us something.”
“I thought you said you could treat her? Shouldn't she be awake by now? It's been a while.”
Why do you sound so worked up, Lucian?”
“I don’t know,” Alpha Lucian sighed. “There is just something…you know what? Forget it. I’m going to join Mia at the ball, although I should be resting but you know how she can get. Ensure she is taken care of.”
I heard him walk towards the door, but then, he halted. “And please, keep Mia out of this room. I do not want any more drama.”
The door clicked closed, but I knew Darius and someone else who had followed the Alpha earlier to come in were still here.
“What do you think, Darius? You are always the perceptive one.”
“I don't know what to think Jake,” he grumbled and walked towards a table. I knew because I heard him take down a bottle of… rum and glass and he began pouring one for himself.
"This should be fun," the Jake guy said, "I cannot remember the last time we had an outsider in the Blue Moon Pack. Everyone will be dying to know who she is, considering the fact that she made such a grand entrance. Well, I'll leave you to it. My mate needs me."
Oh well, some people have it all rosy and perfect, don't they?
I heard his footsteps as he crossed the room and walked over to the bed where I lay, bloodied clothes and all.
“I’m quite impressed with how long you're able to hold your breath,” his chill voice whispered. “And only one family has the ability to do this. I can bet my head that your eyes are green and black.”
My family, the Zareen family.
In one fierce pull, this stranger had unraveled every thread of my identity to the hilt.
How?