Chapter 33 Eiden
Eiden's POV
Celeste was unusually quick to respond to my text. She told me she and her two sons had arrived home.
I was still sitting in the rogue clan’s border office. They were checking the surveillance cameras along every street I’d passed, making sure I hadn’t done anything that broke the rules or scared the rogues.
How could I possibly scare them? I was hiding behind a mask, a hat, a hood, and perfume on my clothes.
No one knew I was a werewolf, and I didn't have time to look anywhere but Celeste, Liam, and Levi. I focused my attention on them.
"I don't really want to know who that woman and her two sons are to you, but it's not hard to guess because you don't want anyone to see who you really are," Paulo said, briefly shifting his gaze from the computer screen to me sitting in front of him.
"After meeting you here so many times, you've finally told me what you think." I nodded, folding my arms. "Thank you, Paulo."
"Don't accuse me if news of this gets out one day." Paulo looked at me seriously. Fear was clearly visible on his face. "By the Moon Goddess, I never break a promise to anyone."
A faint smile crept across my face as I tilted my head. I admired Paulo for daring to meet my gaze to prove his sincerity.
“Okay. I wouldn’t have immediately remembered you when I heard people gossiping about me frequently visiting the rogue clan with a completely different appearance,” I said.
Paulo had always been the one in charge of me whenever I came to the rogue clan. He even adjusted his shifts around my visits so the other staff wouldn’t interrogate me.
If I didn’t know him, rumors about me would have spread from the moment I set foot in the rogue clan. I owe him a debt of gratitude.
I returned to my pack. All the warriors on the werewolf clan’s borders didn’t check on me. Today, I didn’t bribe them.
However, I was forced to answer the warriors at the River Pack Clan border. They wanted to know why I had been visiting the rogue clan for over a month. They believed my lie.
I didn't lie down at home when I arrived at my pack. I finished my work and discussed with Beta Serena, Gamma Nolan, and Delta Sophia about Alpha Jackson.
Ever since Alpha Jackson found out about Celeste, Liam, and Levi, my days have been filled with the question, "Doesn't that bastard have any secrets?" I haven't found any information I can use to threaten him.
He asked me not to kill his two warrior spies if I wanted my secret safe with him, but I can't believe he cares so much about his members.
"Have you decided which company you'll invest in, Alpha?" Gamma Nolan asked, pulling me back from my reverie.
"I'll just invest in Alpha Matteo's company." I picked up the file about the company. "I never thought I'd be handing over my money to him again."
Alpha Matteo of the Black Sea Pack might be the most ambitious man walking this world. He invites all Alpha werewolves and Alpha rogues to become his business partners. His companies are everywhere, including my pack.
Many even believe the Lycan Kings are also Alpha Matteo's business partners. He knows a lot, but he keeps it all to himself.
"I sent a message to Alpha Matteo yesterday." I placed the file back on the table and returned my gaze to Gamma Nolan. "We've set a time to meet."
"I hope your meeting goes well." Gamma Nolan looked relieved.
He helped me find companies within the rogue clan that were worth investing in. I wasn’t thinking about profit at all; I just needed an excuse to visit rogue territory without drawing suspicion.
"I hope this will fool our other enemies." I nodded, convincing myself that this was the best solution.
I couldn't imagine myself not seeing Liam or only once a month. Going to Liam's kindergarten and eating lunch with Celeste, Liam, and Levi had become my favorite routine.
The guilt I felt for them grew in my heart every day, but I refused to tell them about our negligence that had led to Alpha Jackson's warrior spy spotting them.
I should apologize to them.
However, I'm afraid they won't want to see me again. They keep their lives out of the public eye. Even though I'm a relatively unknown Alpha werewolf, news of us will still become gossip.
‘Honestly, I don’t think putting money into Matteo’s company will protect you from our enemies’ suspicions,' my wolf offered his opinion. 'You’re just an investor, not an employee. You don't have to go there every week.'
I knew it. The thought crossed my mind, but I tried to push it away because I couldn't think of any other way to spend time with them like usual.
I let my wolf take over my body. He practiced fighting with Gamma Nolan's wolf in the forest behind the warrior camp. They routinely do it twice a week.
I was lost in thought as I lay inside my wolf's body. All I could see was white, and the air was humid. Heat enveloped me as the fighting spirit burned in my wolf's chest.
Come to think of it, when did I start caring about other people's feelings? It's strange how I often wonder if Celeste, Liam, and Levi feel comfortable and happy when they're with me.
I smiled, remembering my time with the three of them. That picnic near Liam’s kindergarten was a great idea. It was quiet, peaceful, and just the four of us; it made everything feel warmer.
My wolf was right. We were like family. I shook my head, feeling my cheeks heat up.
Such thoughts should not be in my head.
I'm not as good as Benedict. I doubt I'll be a good father to Liam and Levi. I don't even know if I've won Liam's heart.
Then I couldn't forget Celeste. I had rejected her and erased her from my memory. It never even crossed my mind that she was pregnant with my child.
Celeste doesn't seem to hate me, but she doesn't necessarily want to come back to me. I'm sure she hasn't moved on from the death of her second mate.
I laughed at myself for looking pathetic and self-conscious. "Okay. I'll stop thinking about that before I seriously consider it."
I sat down as my wolf finished fighting Gamma Nolan's wolf. Neither of them won. They were just training.
My wolf entered the special room where we swapped bodies.
I closed my eyes and focused my mind as we went through the body-swapping process, which was quite draining.
'Eiden!' my wolf yelled as I staggered and almost collapsed after the switch was complete.
My head was spinning, and my vision blurred for two seconds. I hurriedly put on my clothes and wanted to immediately lean back on the sofa in my study.
“Alpha,” Beta Serena stopped me at the door, her face worried and her breathing labored. “I got information from Alpha Arlo that you’re close to passing out. You haven’t slept in three days. You need to see a doctor!”
I sighed. My wolf couldn't stop himself from telling others.
'You need help, idiot,' my wolf hissed. 'Who knows, maybe you'll be able to sleep after taking some medicine.' He said it like he didn't know what was keeping me awake.