Chapter 17 Chapter seventeen
Roger.
Standing beside me, grinning like a mad dog.
The air felt heavier. My pulse quickened, I could sense Mali sneering and howling inside me.
His lips curved into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. It was the kind of smile that made the temperature drop, the kind that promised trouble.
“I know you think he’s good,” he said softly, his voice a taunting whisper. “Better than your mate.”
The words landed like claws raking down my chest. My body trembled before I could stop it. I tried to steady my breathing, to keep my expression blank, but my heart was betraying me, pounding loud enough for anybody to hear.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied, forcing a confused laugh that sounded more like a gasp.
Roger’s grin deepened, twisting his face into something wicked. His eyes lit up like a predator’s delight in finding prey. He didn’t answer me. He didn’t have to. The silence between us filled with the weight of what he wasn’t saying.
I don't need a soothsayer to tell again.
He’d seen me leaving Sylvia’s room.
My stomach sink. For a heartbeat, the world spin. I could almost hear the drop of pin if it fall into a hay.
I took a step back, trying to hide the unease in my stance. The forest behind the training grounds seemed to close in on us, shadows creeping long and thin in the dying light. Mali stirred uneasily, pacing inside my chest, wanting out. She hated being cornered.
Roger tilted his head, watching me with those calculating eyes. “You shouldn’t wander where you don’t belong, Ellie,” he murmured, the words dripping like poison.
I swallowed hard. “And where’s that?”
He chuckled low, dark. “You already know.”
Every instinct screamed at me to leave, but my legs felt rooted to the ground. His energy, his aura, pressed against mine, heavy and suffocating. It wasn’t dominance, not quite, but something colder. Roger didn’t need to assert himself like the others did; he enjoyed manipulation more than raw power.
He leaned closer, so close that his breath brushed my ear. “Secrets have a way of biting back,” he whispered.
I flinched, taking a step away, but his words clung to me like smoke.
That’s when I saw Sylvia.
He was across the field, his hands still glowing faintly from training, sweat glistening along his brow. His focus snapped to us the instant Roger’s voice carried across the space. I saw his eyes darken.
And then I saw it, the flicker of jealousy.
His gaze darted between Roger and me, and something in his expression hardened. I wanted to call out, to explain that nothing was happening, but the words stuck in my throat. I could feel Roger watching him too, the corner of his mouth lifting again, feeding on the tension like it was his favorite meal.
He wanted this.
He wanted her to see us like this—me standing too close, trembling, his grin making it all look like something it wasn’t.
Sylvia started walking toward us. No, not walking—stalking. Each step was precise, controlled, but her wolf was simmering under the surface. The scent of jealousy burned sharp in the air.
Roger turned his head slightly, pretending not to notice her at first. “She’s coming,” he murmured, amusement lacing his tone. “This should be fun.”
“Stop it,” I hissed under my breath. “Don’t—”
But he didn’t stop. He turned fully to face Sylvia, his smirk widening as she approached.
“What are you doing here, Roger?” Sylvia’s voice was steady, but his hands were clenched into fists. His eyes flicked to me for half a second.
Roger’s expression softened into mock innocence. “Just talking to Ellie.”
His jaw tightened. “About what?”
“Oh, nothing important.” He shrugged, glancing at me again. “Just… sharing thoughts about trust.”
Sylvia’s eyes flashed gold, he pushing forward. “what do you know about trust?”
Roger chuckled, low and cruel. “a lot. I know I should never betrayed the one that love me,"
The air between them crackled, thick with power and unspoken threats. I could feel it vibrating through my bones, Mali reacting instinctively, ready to defend me.
“Roger,” I said quietly, stepping forward, “that’s enough.”
He looked at me then, really looked—his eyes piercing, amused. “Alright,” His voice dipped into something dangerous. “I better take my leave now”
Sylvia growled softly, the sound low and primal. “yes, you should,”
He leaned in, his grin now a blade. “As you wish.”
Then he turned and walked away, his laughter echoing behind him, fading into the trees. The silence he left behind felt almost louder than his voice.
I stood there, shaking. Sylvia’s gaze burned into me. I could feel her questions pressing against my skin, unspoken but heavy.
“What did he say to you?” he asked finally.
“Nothing,” I whispered, though my throat ached from the lie.
Her eyes searched mine, doubtfully. “Ellie, I know when you're telling a lie. Split it out.”
I breath out slowly, my eyes cast on his boots "Roger saw us last night. I don't know, maybe I'm the one assuming things,"
Sylvia eyes glimmer, panic in his voice "Are you sure, Ellie? What about Claus did he tell him anything?"
"I don't know," my voice come out softly "Roger has been acting funny towards me, giving me teasing glare lately."
Sylvia step forward, he try to hold my hand but he restrain himself, "Ellie, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that yesterday night," he apologized.
"The deed has already been done, there's nothing we can do about it, we just have to be careful," I muttered.
Roger’s warning still echoed in my head "Secrets have a way of biting back."
Roger definitely know something.
And now he has keep Sylvia and I in a thin line.
The fragile balance I’d been trying to hold, between my mate, his brother, and the truth I’d buried deep was cracking. I could feel it. The shadows seemed to shift closer, whispering my name in voices that weren’t human.
I wrapped my arms around myself, staring into the trees where Roger had vanished. Somewhere out there, he was still smiling, still watching.
And I knew, with a certainty that made my blood run cold, that this was only the beginning.