Chapter 102 BONUS CHAP. 12 - NOT TELLING
\-BLAYNE'S POV
As I opened the office door for the morning meeting, two
scrutinizing pairs of blue and green eyes greeted me. Pausing at the door, I released a dreaded long sigh before entering the cumbersome room and closing the door.
Taking a chair, I spun it around so that I sat on it with arms crossed on the backrest and stared absently out the window behind Vance's desk, with utter refusal to entertain their antics.
Turning his chair sideways to stare at me, Duke annoyingly cleared his dry throat to symbolize that I was expected to break the sullen and deliberate silence.
Both men have their arms crossed on their chests with concentrated looks.
"I'm pulling Senior Elite Donald and Chad from their external
mission to assist in supervising the operations of the warriors while investigations are ongoing." I related, sticking to business. "They will arrive in territory by this evening."
Vance smirked and took up his cup of coffee. Duke gave an impish chuckle and shifted in his chair. Both men seemed to miss the
distasteful look I conferred.
"Security is tightened, Alpha." I was ready to leave them to their snickering and get to work so that I could finish early. I wondered what Cleo was doing at the apartment without me. Malik and Elias were on duty to watch my place. In the case of my mate, no news was good news. I rose from the chair, backing towards the door and rushed my words to escape the interrogation that was impending. Well, I've got rounds to do and warriors to assess. See you later, boys."
"Oh, sit your ass down!" Duke commanded, leaning an elbow on the desk and resting his temple on his fist.
I darted a glare at him. "I gave my report and I am a busy man. It's my job to find the murderer." My eyes found Vance to solicit permission, "Alpha?"
"Cleo left the cells. I assume that was under your watch." Vance sipped his coffee and placed his cup down on a saucer, with a raise of his brow.
"
"Yes." I placed my thumbs in the side pockets of my pants to solidify my stance.
"And?" Duke impatiently raised his voice.
"She's at my apartment." I casually told them, standing with an air of smugness. They thought that I couldn't achieve getting her to live with me. Goes to show what the hell they knew.
"Willingly?" The Beta pricked once more. Vance was no better as he solemnly held his fingers under his chin, waiting for an answer. He would object to my actions if they came to light.
Now, this was unwarranted. The way they were coming at me would make any outsider think that I was a felon or some criminal.
With clinched tendons, I clenched my fist and pointed them at Duke, the vile instigator. Guilt rolled over in my gut. I jostled it away before stoically saying as low as possible, "Of course."
"Are you going to tell us the details?" Vance bestowed a wide grin while taking out a folder from his top drawer on the right. Work was evidently placed on hold until they completed prying into my latent love life.
Ruffling my hair with one hand, I shrugged. "There's not much to tell." I attempted to conjure some explanations. "Since her heat, we talked more." Lies, but they did not need to know that. "She's a bit more sociable."
Both men narrowed their eyes at me. I gulped nervously. They can never know the truth. My composure never faltered to tip Vance off for him to break into my head and discover my secret.
"I find it hard to believe that Cleo would move in with you so easily when we all know how dimwitted you are towards your mate." Vance's words were a hit to my ego. When he saw the childish pout on my face, he pacified in a serious tone, "Blayne, you are the best Gamma in the world and the greatest friend, but you have the brains of a toddler when it comes to courting women."
"I'm learning. Why won't you give me some credit?" This was a question for my two unsupportive best friends.
"Because you're no good with credits." Duke hunched his shoulders and dropped them.
"You still owe me five hundred bucks from high school." Vance sardonically highlighted, digging up the unnecessary past.
"He also borrowed Jessica Winfrey and never returned her." Duke laughed wholeheartedly with a mischievous intent to add humor. Remembering all the naughty gimmicks we pulled. She was the student council president from high school in our final year, and was always on our cases when all along what she really wanted was Duke's attention.
I mimicked his laughter inanely before putting it to sudden death. Shaking my head in disappointment, I retorted with a challenge, " Humph. Don't tell me that you still hold a grudge about that?"
Hearing him bring up an old interest, I think that Keisha would snap. I'm dying to burst his inflated bubble by spilling the beans to her.
He waved his right hand up and down to dismiss the notion, "I found my mate and Keisha is everything to me."
"Good, because Keisha would have a lot to say about Jessica." I dared, folding my hands triumphantly with a wry grin. The girls knew each other very well even though they were not on good terms.
Abruptly serious, Duke squinted his dark eyes at me and elucidated threateningly. "You wouldn't."
"Maybe I will." I declared like a little punk devil with an aggressive head nod.
That ought to silence him. And it worked because he just used his Beta aura to transmit a burning glare at me. Joking around with Duke's relationship was treading on dangerous grounds. Instantly, I took my wallet from my back pocket and flipped through the compartments to take out five hundred dollar notes to settle my long forgotten debt. I handed it to Vance but when he grabbed at it, I swiftly retracted my hand. "Looks like you didn't want it." I put away the note and tucked my wallet back into my pants.
"Fucking douchebag!" Vance roared with his neck popped out in anger and that was my cue to abscond immediately.
Redirecting the conversation, I opened the door and stood in the
center. Then I stated with a salute, "Duty calls. See ya!"
I sprinted away leaving my two pissed-off best friends.