Chapter 22 022
~AMANDA~
I stayed under the oak tree, bathed in pale moonlight, watching Phoebe’s back as she stood a few steps ahead of me. The night was quiet....too quiet....and the cool breeze whispered through the leaves above us. My fingers curled at my sides as impatience crept into my bones.
Why hadn’t she said anything yet?
“Phoebe, is he here now?” I asked, remaining rooted beneath the tree while my eyes scanned the familiar path. I was waiting for a certain someone, and boredom was already gnawing at my patience.
“No, he is not in view, Miss,” Phoebe replied calmly.
I hissed in frustration at her tone....so respectful, so unnecessarily polite.
“You don’t have to call me that again, Phoebe,” I said sharply. “My father is no longer a noble, so there is no reason to be so polite.”
She nodded her head obediently, lowering her gaze.
“But why do you think that he is not here yet?” I asked again, irritation tightening my voice.
Phoebe shook her head slowly. “I don’t think he is coming here today.”
I shook my head immediately, refusing to believe her words.
“That’s not true,” I bellowed, my forehead twisting in frustration. “I have seen him walk down this path almost every day after we came here. There is no way he changed his routine today!”
The thought alone made my chest feel tight.
I was currently on the lookout for Scott, the Beta of the pack. I had planned a coincidental meeting....something casual, something natural....but luck clearly wasn’t on my side tonight.
How can I be so unlucky? I wondered bitterly.
“But why are we even here?” Phoebe asked cautiously. “I mean, why are we stalking an innocent man?”
I hissed again, irritation flaring hotter this time.
“You are naïve, Phoebe,” I snapped. “Did you truly think that Scott....the Beta of the Glittering Moon Pack....is innocent? That the Alpha of Glittering Moon Pack is innocent?” I scoffed harshly. “That is the funniest joke I have ever heard.”
She rolled her eyes but stayed silent.
“Okay, that’s settled,” Phoebe said after a moment. “But can you tell me why you are trying so hard to meet him?”
I sighed quietly, my shoulders dropping. Whatever reason I had for stalking the man had to remain a secret....one meant only for me and Lyka.
I was trying to get close to him so I could gather information about the pack. Information Lyka could use to her advantage. More than that, she needed to understand what was truly happening within these walls.
“Nothing,” I said dismissively. “He’s just a man I’m curious about.”
Phoebe nodded slowly. “Good luck waiting it out. I have to get back to the pack house before the Alpha orders a search for us.”
With that, she turned and walked away, leaving me alone in the woods.
The silence pressed in on me as I watched her disappear between the trees. Unease settled in my chest when it became clear that Scott wasn’t coming after all.
I decided to leave too, disturbed and irritated....but suddenly, the sound of leaves rumbling reached my ears.
My senses heightened instantly.
I stiffened, my wolf stirring as I prepared myself for an attack, convinced that rogue wolves were nearby. My breathing slowed as I listened closely, muscles tense and ready.
Then, just as suddenly, the sound quieted.
“What’s that?” I mumbled.
Curiosity tugged at me despite my better judgment. I decided to trace the sound, stepping carefully through the undergrowth. After a few moments, I froze in place.
Before me lay a beautiful lake, its surface glimmering softly under the moonlight.
My eyes widened in surprise when I saw him.
Scott.
He was standing at the edge of the lake, his back to me, completely unaware of my presence.
My heart skipped.
I quickly moved to hide, panic flaring when I realized he hadn’t noticed me. I slipped behind a large rock and crouched low, breathing out in relief once I secured my hiding place.
“Why is he here?” I mumbled under my breath. “Is this where he comes every night?”
I stared intently at his broad back....too intently....when I saw him begin to remove his clothes.
“Oh, Moon Goddess!” I exclaimed silently, my eyes snapping away. “What is that pervert doing?”
My breathing turned erratic despite myself, heat crawling up my neck. I wondered if I should leave immediately.
It was true....I wanted to get close to him. But was it polite to watch someone when they were about to bathe?
Yet, against my will, my eyes betrayed me.
They trailed back.
I gasped softly when I saw him stark naked, stepping into the lake. The water shimmered around him, looking cool and refreshing.
I didn’t see everything....his back was still facing me....but I found myself anticipating him turning around.
Why? I questioned myself.
“Why am I still staying here and looking at this?” I muttered, my throat suddenly parched.
He dipped himself into the water, the tension in his shoulders easing, his expression relaxing as if the lake washed more than just dirt from him.
I was completely lost....until a voice shattered my thoughts.
“Are you really going to keep watching me?” he said.
His husky voice echoed around the lake, sending a shock straight through me.
“I thought you were going to leave when I started undressing,” he continued calmly. “I didn’t expect you to be so brazen.”
My eyes widened in pure shock.
He knew.
Before he could even turn fully toward me, panic took over. I dashed out of my hiding place, sprinting through the trees without looking back.
What good riddance, Amanda!
I kept running until my lungs burned and I was certain I had put enough distance between myself and the lake. I finally stopped, bending forward slightly as I struggled to catch my breath.
“What was that?” I whispered to myself. “Did I just get caught?”
I pulled at my hair in frustration, embarrassment burning my cheeks, while my wolf mocked me mercilessly from within.
“If he knew I was there the whole time,” I thought angrily, “why did he undress? Shouldn’t he have asked me to leave? Isn’t that what a gentleman should do?”
My thoughts were a mess.
I inhaled deeply, forcing myself to calm down.
“I think I should stay away from that man,” I muttered firmly. “Instead of trying to get close to him. He is not someone I should get close to.”
I glanced back toward the woods, toward the direction of the lake, then shook my head and turned away.
“That man is dangerous,” I repeated like a chant. “I should stay away from him.”
By the time I reached the pack house, the guards scrutinized me with sharp eyes. I didn’t care. I was still too flustered, too rattled.
Then....
I bumped into someone.
My heart jumped.
“What is going on?” I asked, lifting my head to see several stern-looking guards standing in front of me.
They didn’t answer immediately. They only stared.
“You are being called for,” one of them finally said.
My eyes widened in shock, my heart leaping painfully in my chest.
What?
I was being called for?
Did Scott report me to the Alpha? Was I going to be punished for staring at him earlier?
Fear wrapped tightly around my ribs.
What have I done?