Chapter 88 SPEAK OF THE DEVIL

Chapter 88 SPEAK OF THE DEVIL
Kali's POV 

The moment the words left my mouth, I knew I’d screwed up. I didn't even realize it until the words had tumbled past my lips, and if there was anything I wished for now, it would be the ability to rewind time, just so I could reverse the mistake I just did. I knew for a fact that the moon goddess didn't like me, so there was no way I was getting my wish fulfilled. 

Time seemed to come to a standstill, while my mind grappled with what to do next. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't come up with something. I couldn't think, I couldn't breathe, and it was a miracle how I was still standing at this point. 

Diego on the other hand, didn't look too bothered. If anything, he looked terrifyingly calm and patient, and I hated how unsettling it was.

How could I have made such a mistake? How could I? Was I that focused in wanting to please Diego I stopped thinking for a second? 

“Kali.” Speak of the devil and he would appear. I flicked my eyes, just to meet Diego's gaze, and believe me when I said that it wasn't exactly a pleasant sight. His eyes held a hint of something darker. “I'm waiting for an answer.”

“I….” I trailed off, not knowing what else to say. A small part of me had thought that if I ignored the problem for so long, it would go away, but apparently, I was wrong. Very wrong. 

Diego’s gaze didn’t waver, didn’t even blink. He just looked at me like I was some puzzle piece he’d been trying to place, and now he’d finally found where it fit.

My heart thumped hard against my ribs, but before I could backpedal, explain, or just lie my way out, he said the words that froze me in place.

“We’ll discuss this later.”

He didn't raise his voice, he didn't even so much as threaten me. He just let out the words in that flat, quiet tone that somehow promised more trouble than if he’d yelled at me in front of the whole camp. I barely had time to take in his words, before he turned his back to me and walked away, like the entire conversation never even happened in the first place. 

What the hell was that supposed to mean? 

For the rest of the day, I tried to convince myself that nothing was wrong, and everything was going to be alright, but as more time passed, the lesser I actually believed in the mantra I'd been chanting all day. 

I felt like a mere chicken just waiting to be slaughtered, and I hated that the waiting game came with its own wave of paranoia. Every shadow felt like it was his, and every  time a boot scuffed the dirt behind me, I thought it was him coming to drag me off. By the time the sun started dipping lower in the sky, my stomach was knotted so tightly I could barely breathe.

Later that evening, I was in my room and just rest to give up, when a guard appeared at my door. 

“Alpha Diego will see you now.” He said with a bow, and without waiting a single second or even giving me directions to Diego's said location, he walked out on me. 

“You can do this, Kali” I muttered to myself as I headed towards Diego's quarters. A little birdie had told me where he was, and as I inched closer, I wasn't sure how I felt. “You can do this.” 

Diego’s quarters were dim, the fire in the corner throwing long shadows across the room. The moment I stepped in, the memory of the moment we shared while Leo knocked outside his door echoed at the back of my mind, but I pushed it aside immediately. 

Diego was at his desk when I entered, leaning back in his chair like he’d been waiting.

“Shut the door,” he said without looking up, and I did. When his eyes finally met mine, there was no warmth in them. “The man who recognized you earlier? He’s yours now.”

“What?” I blinked. “Mine? What do you mean mine?”

“You have until sundown to get the truth out of him, and I mean everything he knows. Everything he thinks he knows.” His voice was calm, but it cut sharper than a blade. “If I have to do it myself, you won’t like the method, or the outcome.”

“Why me? Why do you want me to do it?” A chill went through me. “And how am I supposed to…?”

“I don't care, but I don't want you being  violent,” he interrupted. “If I wanted him bleeding, I wouldn’t have called you. You’ll use your mouth, not your fists.” 

As the words pooled around me, I fought the urge to let out a frustrated groan. When Diego had said he was going to test me, I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but right now, I think it was safe to say that he was going a little overboard. 

“Do you understand?” His voice broke through my monologue, forcing me to look at him. Instead of replying, my jaw clenched, but I said nothing.

Diego picked that exact moment to stand, coming around the desk until he was close enough for me to feel his presence like heat on my skin. 

“If you fail, Kali, I’ll take it as proof you’re hiding something worth lying about.” His voice was dangerously low. “And you don’t want to know what happens after that.”

“What if he doesn't cooperate?”I swallowed hard. “And if he refuses to talk?”

“That’s your problem to solve.” the lack of emotion in his voice was all the indication I needed to know that I was all alone in all of this, and if I really valued what I'd come here for, then there was no way I could fail. 

I held Diego's gaze for longer than necessary,and as I stared at his eyes, I couldn't help but plead with mine that he would reconsider. But the more time passed between us, the more it dawned on me that he wasn't going to back down. Not even close. 

I left Diego's quarters shortly after that and a short while later, I was standing in front of a small guarded hut near the edge of camp. Inside, and sitting casually on a stool like he owned the place, was the man from earlier,  the wiry one with the eyes that had recognized me instantly.The door shut behind me, as I walked in,  locking with a heavy click.

“Looks like I’ve got your attention now.” He looked up, slow and deliberate, and that damn smirk spread across his face.

I stayed by the door at first. I wasn't exactly sure what type of strategy I was going to play here, but I wanted him to think I wasn’t in a hurry. Maybe that would make him relax and slip.  

. “You’ve got that look,” The man leaned back against the wall, legs stretched out, hands loose on his thighs like this was just another lazy afternoon. “The one people get when they’re trying to figure out if I’m bluffing.”

“You are trying to figure me out, aren’t you?” His grin widened like a psychopath , and I only wondered what the hell he'd done to be kicked out of Luca’s pack. “The alpha king doesn’t send people to talk to other people twice unless they’re desperate. So tell me, what’s got the big man’s favorite so rattled?”

“I’m not rattled.” I shook my head 

“Sure,” he drawled, eyes raking over me. “Then why are you standing there like you’re afraid to get too close?”

That pulled me forward before I even realized it. Two steps, and I was in his space, staring him down.

“You recognized me out there.” I let out slowly. “Why?” 

“Funny thing about memories, sometimes they make you smile, and sometimes they ruin you.” He tilted his head. “Guess you’ll have to find out which one you are for me.”

“You think you’ve got leverage.” My jaw tightened. “You don’t.”

“Oh, I do,” he said softly. “Question is, what are you willing to give me for it, and what are you willing to do so it doesn't get out?”

“Are you threatening me?” I let out again. 

“Me?” Hee let out a hysteric laugh, one that lacked every bit of humor and warmth in this world. “Why in the world would I do that?”

“What do you want?” Something whispered how much of a bad idea that was, but it was already too late now. 

“To belong to this pack.” His voice dropped lower than usual. “you can send the others away, fees them to the rogues, but I don't care. I want to belong here, and if you find make that happen, I'll tell everyone that you killed princess Katya.”

Oh shit.