Chapter 198: Vampire Luna
The guard leader hesitated, his thick eyebrows knitting together as he looked between Mary and us. He drummed his rough fingers against the grip of his rifle, clearly uneasy. "But... you know the protocols, warrior. The Alpha was very specific about the border search. I can't just hand over untracked pack visitors without a signed pass."
Mary casually folded her arms across her chest, tilting her head with a cool, sharp look that made the guard flinch. "There is no 'but' here," she cut in, her voice cold and unyielding. "You already know how this works. Only the highest-ranking warriors closest to the Alpha are ever briefed on the quiet operatives he uses for his off-the-record missions. Do you really want to be the officer who blew a secret operation just because you wanted to play by the basic rulebook?"
The head of security swallowed hard, shifting his weight from one heavy boot to the other. He let out a long, defeated sigh and nodded. "Fine. If you're taking personal responsibility for them, take them straight to the Alpha's estate. And keep your eyes sharp out there—the entire pack is on high alert right now."
Mary offered him a quick, firm handshake, her lips curling into a satisfied grin. "Understood."
The guard leader turned back toward Ava and me, his hard demeanor completely softening into an apologetic, nervous posture. He bowed his head slightly, rubbing the back of his neck in visible embarrassment. "I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, ladies. I had no idea you were working under special authority, but since senior warrior Mary has personally verified your clearance, you are free to go. Please... when you report back to the Alpha, put in a good word for me and let him know I was simply enforcing his security strictly."
My dark eyes widened in genuine shock. My mind reeled as I reached out to shake the guard's outstretched hand, entirely unprepared for this sudden turn of events. "Right... okay. I will make sure to tell him," I managed to say, forcing a calm tone onto my voice.
Ava stood beside me, her jaw slightly open as she darted her terrified brown eyes back and forth between Mary and the guard. We exchanged a swift, confused glance, both of us utterly stunned that we had just been freed without a single blood bag being opened.
Why on earth is Mary doing this? I thought wildly, my fists clenching tight at my sides as a cold pit formed in my stomach. Nothing about this made any sense. Mary hated my guts with a passion, and she was the last person on earth who would ever lift a finger to save me from trouble. Was this another one of her twisted traps? Was she setting me up for something far worse down the road?
Mary turned around, smoothing down her dark leather tunic before offering us a bright, cheerful smile. "Follow me," she chirped, waving her hand casually as she led the way out of the heavy iron holding building.
Ava and I fell into step behind her, holding the heavy backpack securely between us as we walked right past the long lines of heavily armed security guards. None of the perimeter warriors dared to question us with a senior commander leading the way. We marched through the inner gates of the territory in complete silence, the heavy tension hanging over us like a thick fog. Nobody spoke a single word as we traversed the dirt paths, cutting through the residential district until we finally stopped directly in front of the steps of my small house.
The moment we reached the porch, I stopped dead in my tracks. I grabbed Ava's arm to keep her back, my dark pupils narrowing as I glared directly at Mary's back.
"Alright, Mary," I growled, my raspy voice dropping into a harsh, warning tone. "Cut the games. What do you really want this time around?"
Mary spun around slowly on her heel, her red lips curving upward into an even wider, sweeter smile that sent an uncomfortable chill straight down my spine. "I don't want anything from you at all, Amanda," she replied smoothly, her voice dripping with fake softness. "Can't a person just decide to be nice and do a good deed for once?"
A sharp, bitter scoff tore from my throat as I rolled my eyes in complete disgust. "You? Mary?" I spat out, taking a step closer to her face. "You and 'being good' do not belong in the exact same sentence. Stop lying to my face and tell me what your real angle is. What are you actually after?"
Mary didn't get angry. She didn't snap, yell, or raise her fists like she usually did. Instead, her cheerful expression faded into a serious, remarkably calm look. She let out a quiet sigh, placing her hands gently on her hips as she looked directly into my eyes.
"I am being completely serious with you, Amanda," she said softly, her tone carrying a quiet weight that almost sounded genuine. "Ever since the last time we confronted each other and had that explosive fight... I've spent a lot of time sitting alone, reflecting on my past actions. I thought about all the awful, cruel things I've said and done to you over the years, and I finally realized something important."
She paused, taking a small step forward while I remained frozen in place, my jaw locked tight.
"I realized that you never actually wronged me in any way," Mary continued, her dark eyes searching my hard face. "Everything bitter that ever started between the two of us was entirely my fault. I hated you for no valid reason at all, and it was all because of a man. But he made his choice—he didn't choose me, he chose you. It took me a long time to accept that, but it's not your fault that his heart pic
ked you over me."