\[William’s POV\]
Make it worth her while. The words are almost laughable coming from Elise. Who was she to even name a price when she really had no other choice?
“If you aren’t willing, then I will…”
“What makes you think you’re in a position to say that?”
Maybe I was being rude, but I needed to keep a fine line between us and let her know that she was nothing more than my partner in crime as I dug up the conspiracy taking place in Crystal Fang.
For a moment, Elise doesn’t speak as her bright eyes take me in, and when her gaze narrows, I know that I’ve hit a nerve.
“I could just spill what you’re up to.” She points out. “I don’t work for free.”
“Go ahead.” I chuckle. “Do you really think that my uncle or packmates would believe a known criminal over their future alpha?”
At my words, Elise’s eyes flash with anger, and I can feel her aura beginning to radiate from her. I had to admit, it was strong. It was much stronger than I expected, but it wasn’t enough to make me bend.
“Did you just bring me here to insult me?” She growls now, her wall slamming in place. “If so, I can just head back to the packhouse. There are plenty who won’t hesitate to call me names and judge me there.”
“I didn’t,” I counter. “I brought you here because you’re the only person I can trust with this.”
“Trust,” she repeats the word as if it were something foul. “You don’t trust me. You just want to use me so that if you’re caught, you can throw me under the bus.”
Opening my mouth, I prepare to argue what she has said, but in a way, I guess it is true. If my uncle or anyone else got wind of what I was up to, she would be the perfect scapegoat, but I wasn’t that cruel.
“I am man enough to take the blame when I’m in the wrong.” I counter, causing her expression to shift for a second. However, just as quickly as it does, it returns to that cold mask she was so good at using. “That much, I can promise you.”
Growing quiet, I wait as Elise considers my words. I knew that, even though I could very well force her into this. However, I wanted her to do it because she wanted to, not because she was made to.
“Tell me, future alpha,” she says slowly. “What exactly is it that you want me to do?”
“I need you to help me find a mole.” I explain. “It seems that there is one roaming around in my territory, and since I can’t let anyone know that I’m aware of this, I need outside help.”
“Why don’t you tell Rosco?” She says. “He isn’t part of that pack anymore, and I’m sure he would be more than willing to help.”
“Do you really think he would be subtle about it?” I chuckle. “Rosco would go in there guns blazing.”
“That he would.” She giggles, and a look of hurt flashes across her eyes, but as soon as it is there, it is gone. “So you’re asking me to sneak into Crystal Fang’s packhouse and find this mole, is that correct?”
“That’s right.” I confirm.
“And what makes you think that I’m able to do that without getting caught?”
That was a damn good question, but just the fact she was able to be around me without me even noticing her was proof enough she could do this.
“Are you saying you’re incapable of being sneaky?” I ask, poking her where it hurts. “I was expecting more.”
“Watch it, pretty boy.” She growls. “Of course I’m able to do it. How the hell do you think I made it this far without being caught in my deeds?”
“Is that something to be proud of?”
“I survived,” she shrugs. “So I would say that it is.”
At her words, a pang of pain shoots through me as I find myself wondering what exactly she had to go through in the past. To be abandoned by your parents and then left to fend for yourself. It had to be hard.
“Don’t look at me like that.” She warns, snapping me out of my head. “I don’t need your pity or anyone else's. Just tell me where I should start searching, and I’ll see what I can do.”
“You’re going to do it for free?” I ask, remembering her earlier words. “There isn’t anything that you want.”
“Something I want,” she repeats, seeming to truly think about it. “The only thing I truly want is freedom. I don’t want to be shackled to my past deeds or a master ever again. Is that too much to ask for?”
“It isn’t, but wasn’t your agreement with Rosco to train to become a warrior for Emerald Moon?”
“That’s why I’m saying that if I help you with this, I need you to help me break free of that promise.” She huffs. “I don’t want to have to stick to this pack and deal with the insults and nasty stares that I receive on a regular basis. To this point, I’ve been stuck in a small cell where I’ve been atoning for my actions. But now that I’m free to move about, I feel suffocated.”
Feel suffocated. I understood that feeling all too well. Before Rosco denounced Crystal Fang and his position as their future alpha I was able to move about as I wanted and do what I wanted. I enjoyed that freedom. But now I was also trapped in the shackles of taking his place since I was the second eldest, and that alone made me feel suffocated.
“I guess we aren’t too different.” I murmur before I can stop myself. “I can’t promise that I can give you what you ask for, but if you succeed in finding the one responsible for everything, I will do what I can to help free you from your promise.”
“And if you can’t?” She pushes, not accepting my promise. “What do I get, then?”
What could I give her? I wasn’t quite sure what I could give her. The only thing I really had to give was money.
“I can make sure that you don’t struggle to buy the things that you want.” I try.
“Do I look like someone who gives a damn about material things?” She says, raising a brow. “If I want it, I’ll get it without the help of anyone else.”
“Legally?” I challenge.
“How I get it isn’t of concern.” She smiles, her bright blue eyes flashing with amusement.
Immediately, I feel my desire flare from how cute she looks, being so carefree.
“Once a criminal, always a criminal, it seems.” I say, quirking a smile.
"Oh, honey,” Elise grins, patting my shoulder. “Don’t you know that bad girls just do it better?”
Where she touches comes alive, and before I can stop myself, I’m moving, pinning her between myself and the trunk of the tree as her words settle between us.
“Oh yeah?” I husk, suddenly wanting to tease her. “Does that count in all aspects?”
Even though I knew I shouldn’t push, she just looked too cute joking around with me like that. I had to admit, I wanted to see more of her expressions. With each passing day, it was becoming clear that her impenetrable wall was cracking bit by bit with me, but I wanted to tear the damn thing down until she was laid bare in front of me.
‘Mayday, mayday!’ Rue growls. 'Remember, you wanted to draw a line between the two of you!’
Ignoring my wolf, I continue to stare Elise down as she seems to relax.
“Are you going to kiss me or not?” She suddenly asks, snaking her arms around my neck. “You keep trapping me like this to assert your dominance, so go ahead and take control.”