Suspicious

ACE

There’s two things I’m certain of after my trip shared with Rory in rogue territory: one, Rory can’t lie for shit, and two, there’s more to her than any of us know.

I woke up to the little girl passed out next to me, blood painted all over my hands, and her hands and my chest, like my dream was real.

But I had no wound. And I would be dead if it was. So it must have been a dream.

I checked to make sure Rory was okay, her health paramount before mind-linking Everett. But I couldn’t feel a pulse, maybe because my hand was strangely trembling like crazy.

I told Everett to come and find us, and soon Rory woke up, spinning some lies. The girl really needs to know how to lie if she wants to do it that frequently.

She slipped up when she told me I had told her Everett took responsibility very seriously. I told her that in my supposed dream, after I was shot by a hunter.

So, either the dream was real and I did get shot with a wolfsbane bullet.

Or the dream wasn’t real, her lies are the truth, and for some reason, she explained away that she got hurt, which I have no memory of.

I had blood covering my hands and shirt in the exact same place where I dreamed I was shot.

Honestly, both options sound as bizarre as each other, but I don’t think it was a dream. But how do I have no wound? Why am I not dead?

And I seriously bonded with Rory then if it was all real. And I learnt a lot more about her. She knows what happened then.

That’s why she was lying to me. She knows what happened or knows something happened.

Why would she lie unless she had something to do with it? I need to know. I need to know why I’m still alive.

She did something.

Maybe she’s a witch. They can cure wolfsbane poisoning as well as heal wounds…I think.

That could be the explanation. I have to watch her, every movement that she makes, everyone she talks to, and everything she reads.

She’s strangely into books, perhaps they’re spell books.

Shit, this is insane.

There’s no way that clumsy little human is a witch. If she was she could cast a spell that gives her balance. She really needs that.

I sit, with Rory on my mind throughout the whole meeting, as I’m guessing she’s on Everett’s too.

As the pack clears out, only Everett, Lucius and me are left with the other two discussing the rogues in the dungeons, trapped behind bars.

Because Everett cut the hunt short to look for Rory, they never found the rogues who injured Freddie in the attack.

If it wasn’t a dream, maybe we found that group, even though Rory asked them whilst flirting, and he said no.

Actually, his answer was cryptic, as if rogues hadn’t attacked at all. Like something else is.

But I don’t trust rogues; they’re all manipulative liars, out for themselves.

“Maybe he’s in love with Rory,” Lucius’s voice says, snapping me out of my daze as Everett slams the table and growls. Lucius only smirks and raises his eyebrows at me questioningly.

“What the fuck is wrong with you? Ever since you returned from rogue territory with Rory a few days ago, you’ve been out of it,” Lucius snaps.

Because I should be dead. And I’m not. And I think that’s because of the little girl sleeping a few doors down from me, in my alpha’s room.

What if she has evil intentions? What if she’s all an act, just to trick Everett and destroy the pack? But then why would she save me?

She saved my life. She saved me, I think.

If she wanted to destroy the pack, a good way of doing so is taking down the titled wolves.

She could prey on the mourning of the alpha. Then become luna. And then destroy the pack.

But she gets nothing out of saving me. There was no reason to do what she did. She just…saved me.

Maybe.

That’s if she is a witch, or whatever she is.

“He’s right. Why are you so unfocused?” Everett questions, narrowing his eyes at me.

“It’s because he’s dreaming about your little mate,” Lucius jokes, creating another huge growl from Everett.

But Lucius remains unfazed in his amused mood.

“Stop aggravating him,” I scold Lucius. “I’m just tired.”

I am tired.

I’ve been up for nights thinking about my almost death. I felt myself slipping. I felt myself draining. But now I’m just…fine.

Completely and utterly fine.

The pack doctor checked me over when I got back, and I am perfectly healthy, as is Rory.

Strangely enough, the very clumsy girl is in perfect health. That’s just peculiar in itself.

“I bet he’s thinking about her now,” Lucius mocks, pushing me a little and snapping me out of my daze yet again.

“Can you stop?” I question, irritated and frustrated at everything.

I’m the only one suspicious of this girl for a very simple reason: she acts like an innocent, weak human.

There’s no way Everett would ever think she had bad intentions here because she’s…lovable, or she acts that way.

I knew no human could be that clumsy.

It would make sense that it’s all fake. That she’s all fake. Everyone with functioning legs can walk.

And she acts all sweet and obedient and she reads all the time, disguising the subterfuge. And when Everett came to get us, she ran and hugged him.

She knows just how to play him, wrapping him around her finger, my alpha.

***

The next couple of weeks, I watch her like a hawk, tracking her every movement. But all I find is more sweetness.

I’m filled with sugar. I might just become fat from watching her.

She actually sneaks away to help out at the orphanage, and takes—steals—books from Everett’s office to let the kids borrow there.

And listening to her conversations with them, I’m not sure whether any of it is fake anymore.

I’m just perplexed. Stuck in the middle between believing the, frankly, unbelievable: that she’s genuinely this…adorable.

Or she’s a total fraud and possibly a spy.

The rest of her days, she’s at the library conversing with other wolves about certain books, or she’s reading and studying in Everett’s room.

But what was even more surprising was seeing her sneak out into a space of open field that’s quite the blind spot in the pack.

When I first followed her there, I had thought she was plotting something, because of the minimal security, and she was aware of that.

But she began to take out boxing gloves from her bag, and weights and weapons too that I’m guessing she stole. And she started to train. Actually train.

She ran around the field, tripping over herself several times. Even with no one about, she’s still clumsy.

And she punched a tree many times, whilst almost punching her own face on the draw back, then stumbling, tripping back on a long thick branch, but proceeded to head butt the tree as she fell to her ass.

She excused all her injuries as just being clumsy, which is easy as I hear a soft thump most mornings, even from my room, coming from Everett’s room.

By what Everett calls his morning alarm, Rory just falls out the bed. That can’t be on purpose.

This time, watching her out in the field, I decide enough is enough. I’ll confront her on why she’s out here, training.

Does she want to build up her strength to take on the pack, to take down the alpha? What does she know? Why is she really here? What really happened in rogue territory?

“Rory!” I call out, startling her. Her big green eyes widen at me in utter shock, and she drops her boxing gloves to the ground.

Frozen but not balanced, she sort of topples in a statue-like way to the side and smashes her side into the earth.

Oh Moon Goddess, if this girl is faking, she’s an amazing actress. And if she’s not, she’s incredibly cursed.

I pick her up off the ground and set her down, not on her feet, but sitting on the grassy field. I crouch beside her, checking to see if she’s hurt.

Of course she’s a little scratched.

“What are you doing out here, Rory? The second time I’ve found you somewhere you’re not supposed to be.”

I stare at her, acting all tough as if I’m angry that she’s out here. I’m more curious.

“I-I’m sorry. I-I just… I just… um…”

“Rory,” I say, hopeful to get an answer out of her some time soon.

“I… Alpha Everett’s always disappointed in me, and I just want a little balance, just so I don’t get his disappointed face all the time. It’s not pleasant,” she explains with a pouty expression, as if picturing her mate’s face.

She’s either a great liar or a completely terrible one.

I think she’s telling the truth. I can tell when she’s lying. And if she is telling the truth, then Everett’s got some making up to do with her if he wants her.

And he does want her. I know he wants her. He used to have the strength to reject her, but after that embrace in rogue territory, things have changed.

He’s really falling for her.

And if she’s not acting, and she’s not malicious, and she is really this sweet, she could make a good luna.

“Can you not tell Everett I was out here?”

“If you tell me what pack you come from.”

A way I can know for sure is if I check her story out. “I know you won’t tell Everett, but I won’t tell Everett about this if you tell me.”

“Or about which pack I am from?” she asks. I look at her expectantly, and she sighs. “The Red Moon Pack.”

Red Moon? A respectable-sized pack with some powerful warrior wolves.

“What’s the alpha’s name?” I prod.

“You’re testing me? You don’t believe me?” she questions, which makes me narrow my eyes at her.

She huffs before replying, “Alpha Nick. And his luna is Victoria. Are you happy now?” she sasses, which almost makes me chuckle.

This little girl is very cute when she’s sassy.

But she’s Everett’s girl. And if he wants her to stay his girl, he better start trying for her.

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