Ch. 331..340

Chapter 0331

“What about your elders? Don’t they have direct access to the Alpha King, they should have called for help.”

Tyler huffs a laugh. “Those idiots were more concerned with their titles and being in the Alpha King’s presence than actually doing their job. They spent almost no time in our pack or with pack members. Our Alpha was kind of a joke. He wasn’t a bad guy, but he was mated to the former Alpha’s only daughter and took the title. He wasn’t made to be an Alpha. I’m sure the Elders chose him for her. I think they actually ran the pack through the Alpha and Luna. The leaders were very concerned with making the pack bigger and more prominent. I was little when the Luna’s father died, so I don’t know if he was the same way or if it got bad after my alpha was chosen as the Luna’s mate.”

He stops to take a breath. If he is acting, he is really good at this. I really feel bad for him and his pack.

“From what I heard, the Elders fled the minute the attack happened, leaving the Alpha and Luna to defend themselves, which of course they couldn’t, and are holed up with the Alpha King now. For all we know they are the reason our pack was attacked or they planned the attack themselves to try and get the Alpha King’s attention. Who knows. Either way a lot of innocent people died or were captured or worse and no one did a thing about it.” That scary angry look is back. He is out for vengeance, I just wonder if he is aware or not.

“What was the name of your pack?” I’m kind of afraid of what his answer is going to be.

“Former name, Midnight sun. Currently, they are part of the Shadow Pack.” My heart stops.

A loud growl and string of curses go off in my head from Osiston and Nickolas who have been listening in. It takes everything in me to stay present with Tyler while they are shouting instructions

to the whole team and the warriors back home. The noise is giving me a headache, but I can’t shut them out. They need this information first hand, right now.

“I’m so sorry that happened to your pack. Is the whole group we ran with last night from your old pack?”

“Nah, Mike, Robbie and I left as soon as we could. The new Alpha is ruthless and cruel. He stopped all contact with the outside and his warriors use corporal punishment if you don’t fall in line. All the men were forced into an army. Any women that were left were taken somewhere else. I never saw any of them again. We had to get out, but no pack wanted a bunch of deserters, we tried, so we are here on our own.” He shrugs.

“Well, I am skipping classes today, and you look like you could use a workout of your own. How about we hit the gym again and this time you will actually get to use equipment.” I stood up and held out my hand to him. He just stared at me like I was crazy. “What?!”

“I just told you that my pack was attacked, my sister was killed, and my two friends and I escaped leaving everyone else behind essentially deserting them and you want to take me to go workout?”

I smile at him. “Yep, that was a load of heavy and when things get too heavy I workout and I am taking you with me. Now let’s go pay for our food, I am going to need an extra minute to change back into my workout stuff. It’s going to be like putting on a wetsuit.” I wink at him and he just chuckles as he gets up to follow me to the register by the door.

We walk back to the gym and I can feel how close Osiston is. I don’t think Tyler is a problem, but I do feel better knowing someone is close. I don’t trust Tyler, but at the same time if even half his story is true, I want to help bring whoever is the problem to justice. Tyler is right, innocent people are getting hurt and dying for someone’s sick desire to have power.

We workout for a couple more hours and stop by the diner again to grab food to go this time. We settled in the middle of campus on one of the sprawling lawns that has benches dotted along the perimeter. The day is actually nice and calm. Not warm, but comfortable enough, the snow is melting and the sun is shining making everything a little brighter.

Chapter 0332

“Thank you for today, I didn’t realize how much I needed to get that out. Mike and Robbie lived it with me so none of us ever talk about it and no one else has ever asked before.” He balls up the wrapper from his sandwich and looks out over the lawn towards the building, but I don’t think he sees anything really.

“It’s not a problem really. I do have to go though. I work all weekend and since I skipped class today, I want to make sure I am caught up on everything.” I stand and he follows.

He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me into his chest slowly, being extra cautious, but I let him. I wrap my arms under his and rest my cheek on his chest. He leans into my hair and inhales, then kisses the top of my head.

“You make it really difficult to move slowly, you know that?!” He chuckles into my hair and I smile.

“Sorry, occupational hazard of being the baby.”

“You are definitely not a baby, but I think you are definitely worth the wait.” He kisses the top of my head again and then lets me go. “Do you want me to walk you home? I feel like Mr. Overprotective does not need another reason to kill me.”

I laugh, loud, this time. We have been kind of serious all day. It feels good to lighten the mood.

“So far he has no real reason to do anything to you. You have been a perfect gentleman. I’m sure even you would agree that hand holding, a hug and a kiss on the top of the head is not m*rder worthy.”

“That means nothing. I am in your personal space and talking to you. Trust me, that is reason enough.”

“I’m good. Mina’s class is right over there.” I point to a building. “And she should be getting done soon. I’ll catch a ride with her, we have plans with my uncle tonight.”

“Oh f*ck! I forgot about him. He’s a big guy too. I bet he’s a warrior, isn’t he? Is he going to kill me for talking to you? I don't need some crazy guy coming for me in my sleep.”

I’m laughing again, I think he might really be afraid of Nickolas. “Dramatic much? He knows about you. He also knows I have been with you all day.” Tyler’s eyes go wide. “What?”

“And he’s just okay with you skipping class to hang out with a guy who definitely is trying to date you even though there is a seven year age difference and you are still a minor?”

“First, he’s not the hover type.”

“I hover alright. I’m just not amateur enough to be seen doing it.” Nickolas chimes in.

“Second, he trusts me to make good choices. I’m not one to be pressured into things.”

I trust you, this clown I don’t trust at all. He may be acting like a gentleman now, but I can guarantee with the amount of fidgeting he has done all day, his thoughts are far from respectable. He’s just lucky you are a deadly weapon. I can’t wait until he finds that out. I want to be there when he sees you beat the sh*t out of somebody for the first time” Now both Nickolas and Osiston are cackling in my head…Like two old ladies.

“Speak of the devil, I need to get going.” I tap my head and smile as Tyler looks around nervous. “I’ll talk to you later Tyler.” I turn and walk toward the building.

Once I get around the corner, Nickolas is by my side instantly.

“What are we going to do about the Shadow Pack? If his information is right, Elder Bastian has been playing Alpha Reggie.”

“We’re working on it, Midge. Good job today. Let’s get home though, never know who’s following you.” He winks at me and I giggle.

 

Chapter 0333

Walking in the house Mina jumps on me immediately. She has me in a hug so tight, I struggle to breathe. Nickolas just walks past me to Osiston sitting at the island looking intently at a computer screen.

“I’m going to need you to loosen up there friend.” I gasp and she jumps off of me just as fast.

“I am so sorry!” She grabs my hand and leads me over to the couch and sits me down. “Tell me everything and never make me leave like that again. I couldn’t concentrate all day. It was the worst.”

“Seriously?! You and I can’t be attached at the hip all of the time, that would look weird. He wasn’t going to talk with you hovering over our shoulders the whole time.”

“Did he say anything we can use? Anything concrete?”

“Yes, we have information to work with. Nickolas and Osiston have the team working on looking into his claims. So we’ll see I guess. He said Mike, Robbie and he were all from the same pack and it was attacked and no one came to help.” I told her the rest of Tyler’s story trying to see if I could find any holes in it and looking to Osiston and Nickolas for their thoughts on parts of it.

“It all sounds plausible, really.” Osiston says from across the room, not looking up from his computer. “The attack probably did happen and if none of the Elders asked for help and the Alpha didn’t know he could also contact the Alpha King in an emergency the whole attack could have gone down like that without anyone knowing. That’s a lot of ifs though.”

“The big questions now are; Did the Shadow Pack really take over Midnight Sun? That pack isn’t even a part of Alpha King Reggie’s territory but it is a part of the northern border. Did they get training in this army? Did they actually leave of their own free will or are they scouts no different than the two of you, gaining information for whoever this new Alpha is.” Nickolas talks over his shoulder while he makes dinner. “I think that is the first piece of the puzzle we need to solve. Did a

pack really get consumed by the Shadow Pack and is Alpha Sharp a part of it or is he unaware that someone is using his pack’s name to attack and claim pack territories?”

___

Mina and I fell into a routine with Tyler, Mike and, reluctantly, Robbie. We worked out in the mornings before classes and did runs on Thursday nights. Even Janice and her girls stopped being nasty to us. They were not nice and didn’t really talk to us, but they weren’t outright nasty, so I’ll take that as a win.

Tyler didn’t talk to me about his pack after the day in the gym either, but he has made a point to text me every day. Nothing about the past or overly personal is brought up by either of us. We haven’t been alone since that day either and I don’t know if that is on purpose or really just a scheduling thing. But when we are together he does make a point to hold my hand or keep an arm around me and it doesn’t feel forced or fake, he’s clearly marking territory. The dynamic is a little strange, but at least I don’t have to fend off other guys trying to hit on me. Mina says I’m ‘friend zoned’ but he’s trying to not make it obvious. Mina on the other hand is fighting the guys off left and right, but she seems to be enjoying the challenge.

She isn’t getting any more information than I am though. So we are kind of stuck at the moment waiting to see if any warriors find anything with the little we were able to gather.

Mina and I made it out to shop a few times with the crazy double life we were leading and when I saw a kiosk that was similar to the one the guys got my bracelets from, I knew what to get them for their birthdays.

I got them each a thin braided dark brown leather bracelet that has a single, small, black metal bead with the nickname they gave me engraved on it. You have to look close to see the name, the design is less conspicuous than the bracelets that they got me. And it would just look like they all have

matching bracelets from someone looking quickly at it. I like the idea of an inside joke kind of thing with them.

 

Chapter 0334

I took the gifts with me when I went back to the castle for a meet up of the battle strategists. I finally got to see Xander and he promised to deliver them for me when he went to visit Blue Crescent next. He said he might make it for the boys’ annual combined party. It’s weird to be sad about missing a party I have only attended once, but I miss my guys and I find myself wondering what they are doing without me. Probably the same thing they were doing before Sierra had us crashing into their lives.

The strategists were going over the information that we gathered and what other teams have been bringing in on separate assignments. Each of them asked me different questions, getting clarity on anything that might move them forward, but it was really just the same information over and over again. We also went over the safe room project and I got to see how that was coming along with Luna Anne. It was really neat to see an idea that started as napkins and bottles on a table come to life. She told me that Luna Ava and Alpha Lucas came for a visit and were sad to miss me, but their visit just didn’t match up with my schedule and the guys stayed behind to man the pack while they were gone. I guess they have been doing that more and more lately. Stepping into jobs and tasks that allow them to transition into their roles as true leaders of our pack.

I hope Sam told them I was doing okay and not that I was out doing dangerous things, but knowing him, he probably called them on his drive home that night and exaggerated the whole thing. They don’t keep secrets from each other, so it would have just been a matter of time before they all found out I was on a mission and have my warrior brand. I mean there’s really nothing any of them can do about it, but I still hate the thought of them worrying about or being angry with me.

I didn’t see any of the Elders while I was at the castle and thank the Goddess for that, because I am terrible at hiding my irritation with people and there is no way I would have been able to sit by without doing or saying something to Elder Bastian even though we still don’t have proof of his involvement with the destruction of Tyler’s pack. I can’t stand the guy in general.

Although discussing it with Xander, he said Mina and I might be on a list of chosen mates the Elders were overheard discussing a few weeks back. We had a great laugh about that before I went back to campus.

The spring has just been a mix of classes, hanging with the rogues and small gatherings at the castle. Then rinse and repeat. Osiston and Nickolas have both said that most missions are long term, especially when you are just gathering information. Getting in with the right groups or with the right people takes time and can’t be forced.

When my birthday rolls around it is bittersweet. Mina was not going to let me ignore it and even got Tyler in on the plan to do something. But as I was having breakfast that morning I found myself thinking of the guys and wondering if they were together thinking of me. I have been wearing my bracelets since I bought theirs, it feels like an invisible connection to them that I just need. I decided to have them all attached to a leather strap with snaps so they are all together all the time and it covers my forearm like an archery arm guard.

Mina, Tyler and Mike took me out for dinner and it was fun, but not the same as being at the pool grilling out. I did laugh and enjoy myself and even got a burger which everyone thought was an odd choice. Before we left, Mina pulled a box out of her purse and I was immediately suspicious.

“What’s this?” I ask, gingerly taking the blue velvet box from her. It's a decent size, not a ring or bracelet, but definitely jewelry of some kind.

Tyler and Mike look confused at my lack of enthusiasm at receiving a gift, but if it’s what I think it might be, they might be angry.

I was given strict instructions to give it to you after dinner and while, and I quote, the stalker is present. She mindlinks me and my eyes go wide.

Chapter 0335

“Seriously?! I’m not opening this now!” I say to her, not even bothering with the mindlink.

“Either you open it or I am supposed to.” She shrugs. “Orders from the top.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. That means Xander is in on this too. Now I know it’s some kind of trap.

“What does she mean ‘orders from the top?’” Tyler asks me. “Is that code for something? And why do you look like you are terrified about opening a gift?”

“My friends are messing with me and unfortunately we have a hierarchy meaning Mina will cause a scene.” I look right at him then take a deep breath and spin the box to face me.

The dark blue velvet is soft and expensive with gold lining the edges of the box and the hinge. I slowly pull it open with Tyler sitting shoulder to shoulder with me and I gasp. Sitting on a dark blue satin pillow is a gold metal choker necklace. The metal circlet sits open with a gold moon charm hanging from one end, complete with the two little stars sitting on the bottom tip. Hanging from the other end is a delicate gold chain with star charms made of faceted colored glass attached every few links. There is one in each of the guys’ colors and I recognize the circle diamond hanging from the bottom as Xander’s. Tears fill my eyes as I look up to see Mina with her phone up, most likely taking a video of my reaction.

“This means something to you?” Tyler asks the question, but the way he asks lets me know he doesn’t need the answer. I just nod as he pulls it off the cushion and slides it around my neck on top of the necklace from my brother last year with the matching moon pendant that I never take off. The opening sits just above my collarbone so the moon dangles on one side of my neck and the star charms hang on the other. “This is not a gift from just a friend. And that is not a reaction from just a friend.” He says looking at me, shoulders slouched. His voice is thick and hurt.

“No, Tyler, stop. It’s really not like that. This is not what you think, but it is personal and yes it means something to me. No I’m not going to explain the significance, I can’t.” I close my eyes and will the tears away. I won’t let them fall, this is special and meant to be special. They are thinking of me too.

“I’m just going to go.” He gets up to leave, Mike following.

I got to Mike first. “Go sit with Mina, we will be right back.”

I follow Tyler outside. “So that’s it then, you are just going to get up and walk away?”

“What do you want me to do Sky? You clearly are leading someone else on at the same time you are playing with me. I have been as patient as I can, but waiting for you to figure out what you want is painful and I don’t believe for a second that you have no idea what you are doing here. No one sends a gift like that to their girlfriend’s best friend.” He’s getting more and more angry as he talks.

“I told you I knew Sam first, I have known him my whole life. I introduced him to Sierra. There has been and never will be anything between us. This necklace is special to me and I shouldn’t have to explain that to a guy who has friend zoned me since he found out I have guys as friends. You don’t want to get to know me and you don’t want me to know you. You are the one holding back. You are letting your petty jealousy get in the way.” I shove him with each accusation. At least I can still feel anger towards him because as fake as this is I do care about him as a person, but I won’t take the blame for the distance.

“Sam has a funny way of showing his ‘friend’ affection. Does he buy you nice underwear too?” That was the last straw. I cocked my fist back and punched him with all of my strength. His head spun around, the rest of his body following with the force so he was facing away from me.

Chapter 0336

“For your information you son-of-a-b*tch." He turns slowly back to me, complete anger contorting his usually handsome features while he holds his cheek. “My mother died giving birth to me, I hate my birthday. My friends, all of them, as in plural or more than one since you seem to be slow on the uptake, get me something with rainbow colors for my birthday.”

I hold up my cuff with the rainbow colored leather. “Each color represents a different friend, it’s to let me know they are thinking of me. So maybe before you go accusing people of deceit, you should get the whole story."

I push him again before walking away.

“SKY! WAIT! I"M SORRY!” He shouts at my back, but I just keep walking.

“I'm here Little One, just keep walking. As soon as he’s out of sight I'll get you.”

"Why can’t the brand take pain too? He didn't hurt me really, but I don't like being accused of cheating or leading people on. I would never do that to someone. I can't even feel affection for him and I still didn't go after any other guys even when he stopped giving me information.”

"Pain lets us know we're still alive. It lets us know that something is wrong. We cannot take pain away, but we can work through it. You're almost to me. Let's go for a run."

“Okay.” I sniffle back my tears and take a deep breath. I will work through this like I work through everything else that

has frustrated me over the years. I will let my wolf out, let her take control and protect me until I can get my head on straight again.

I don't talk to Osiston, Nickolas or even Mina about what happened. Someone wanted a result and they got it. I don't know if Sam and the guys were trying to get under my skin, or if they were trying to push Tyler away or maybe thought he would be jealous and fight for me, but I was used, and I dont appreciate it at all.

I leave my phone on airplane mode most days. I use it only for music when I workout...alone. If anyone needs to talk to me they can mindlink me. I know I'm being followed, I can always feel a presence near me, but I don't ask who it is or acknowledge them.

I have switched from sharing a room with Mina to staying in one of the other guest rooms with my door locked if I am home. I still go to classes, I just make sure that I am surrounded by other people so Tyler, Mike and Mina can't sit nexttome. *

I shift and run almost every night with Osiston hot on my tail. He says nothing just lets me go and keeps me from doing anything to jeopardize our mission.

Three weeks after my disastrous birthday, Mina comes into my room. She picked the lock and tried and failed to make a joke of being proud of herself. I was sitting on my bed doing homework, like the good old days.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't think it would go down like that.”

“SO you were in on the set-up? It’s good to know my friends have my back. What was the end game there? Cause I still haven't figured it out.”

"You weren't getting anywhere with him, so when Xander brought your present we thought we could use it to make him jealous and spark a reaction.”

"Well, you were right. His reaction was to call me a two timing wh*re and all of you ruined the memory of a gift that should be special to me. Do the guys know that their gift and I were used to

bait Tyler?”

She looks down at her hands, clasping and unclasping them.

"That's what I thought. And who's 'we’ exactly?”

“Alyssa and I." She whispers.

"So you didn’t get the idea from Xander or Nickolas or

Osiston? Did Xander explain the significance of the necklace?”

"No." She’s still whispering.

Chapter 0337

“Well, let me enlighten you. What I told Tyler was true. I hate my birthday because my dad hates my birthday. My dad hates me because on the day of my birth I killed his mate.

Until last year my birthday was never celebrated, ever. It wasn't allowed. You know about the bullying, what you don't know is that until the beginning of my freshman year my bullies included my father, my brother and rest of the future leaders of my pack. My basic existence was not even recognized by any of my peers. Not even by my brother.

Until my freshman year I had no real friends, also something that was not allowed. It was safer for people to steer clear of me. The only people who remotely gave a sh*t about me were Luna Ava, in secret, my nanny, who was beaten in front of me if my father thought she overindulged me by being too kind, and then our housekeeper who took over after my nanny was fired. The only reason I have friends now is because of Sierra.

The minute she stepped foot in my pack Sam was attracted to her and decided being nice to me would get him in her good graces. That's how they figured out I was being harmed by more than just my father and to what extent my father mistreated me. So for the first time in my life my birthday was celebrated last year and it was beautiful.

The guys got me these bracelets,” I held up my arm, “and clearly kept the theme of the combined color coded gift this year with their necklace and you decided to use it for your own selfish gains.” I look from her to my open door. “You can come in, lingering at the door mouth

breathing isn’t doing you any favors.” ~

Both Osiston and Nickolas walk in, looking not too pleased.

“Is that why Tyler came by asking to see you looking like he was in a cage fight?” Nickolas asked. “And we are not mouth breathers.”

I couldn't suppress a small smile at the idea I hit him hard enough to leave a mark. I just nodded.

“I’m actually sad I missed that.”

"Well, you might need to make up with him. We have been following his crew for the last few weeks, they are up to something.” Osiston says. “And he has been stalking the house, clearly trying to check in on you. He’s not very stealthy. This might work for us."

“How soon do! need to be friendly again?’ I'm all business now. Tyler means nothing after that. I have no room for people who will turn on me at the first sign of trouble and he didn't even listen to my side of the story. “I'll have to start letting him talk to me in class and slowly go from there, he's got to work for it or he will get suspicious.”

“I agree, but sooner rather than later and for sure before the semester ends.” I nod again and then look back down at my homework. It's a start that Mina has some history, but I’m still angry and I can’t bring myself to wear the necklace yet, which makes me angry all over again.

She shouldn't have needed to get my history like that and she shouldn’t have gone over the heads of our group leaders.

This is just another reason for them to not put on a mission until we are old enough. It’s too easy to be impulsive and emotional. The thought of being iced out of missions keeps the anger simmering too.

The only way to make this look real with Tyler is to make up with Mina. I have to stuff this irritation and save it for another day.

I can feel Osiston and Nickolas leave. Mina hangs for a minute longer, but when she realizes I'm done with her she walks to my door. “Sky, I didn’t know, and I really am sorry. I hope you can forgive me.”

"I'm working on it.” I finally made eye contact with her for the first time in three weeks.

“You took something that you can never give back. You may not have had all of the information, but I shouldn't be forced into giving my history to people for any reason. We have a job here and if you want it to go faster or better or whatever, you need to work with the team. Express your concerns or ideas with everyone.

We're the green ones here, not the experts, no matter how good we are at a few things. Get your head out of your ass, act like the leader that I know is in there somewhere. We aren't here to be ‘the guy’ or ‘the hero’ or whatever you and Alyssa have in your heads. I'm sure the literal years that some of these guys have spent on this mission have been miserable.

Our school year can't compare. I don't know how long Alyssa has been here, but she isn’t much older than us and she was brought in to track not make decisions and plans. We are better than this, we need to act better.”

Chapter 0338

She just nods. “I won’t make excuses. I wanted to make Tyler feel a little off kilter. He doesn’t drink more than one when we run on Thursdays and I have never seen him drink other than that. He’s always in so much control. We thought that maybe his attraction to you could crack that a little bit. You are everyone’s weakness. It’s kind of creepy really. Even Robbie has a hard time staying out of your orbit and he hates anyone who isn’t Mike or Tyler.”

here’s the plan, cause I am still angry at you. We can start going to the gym together, but I am back into my morning and evening runs. Jump on the train, or don’t but this is the program now. We have to look like we are in the process of being friends again otherwise they won’t believe me and we’ll never get back in. I have to work in the morning, come in and sit, see if they notice and follow your lead. You have to be vulnerable and we need a story about my birth mother because we are supposed to be sisters.

The information we give out is supposed to be generic. The set up didn’t allow me to have a proper reaction and I gave out real information unintentionally. We need to talk to Osiston and Nickolas so what we say matches anything they have put out there already.”

She nods again. “Are you going to move back in?” She points over her shoulder to the hallway.

“Maybe. I don’t know yet Now that I know what it’s like to have people around me that want me around, I don’t love being alone. But, I am also still angry enough that I like my space to just be, am going to stay here for now and we’ll see. That’s all I can say.”

“Okay, I miss you. All of your crazy overachiever tendencies have made me try and get better. You and I have so much more to do, I can feel it. We have some big things coming our way. I will prove that we can be close again. I’m going to go talk to Nickolas and Osiston and let them know that we have come up with the start of a plan.”

“Okay, thanks Mina. I promise I will try.”

Once she left, I flopped back on my bed and just sighed. I dont have any more tears for this situation. I am not sad, can’t be anymore. My wolf has been comforting me since my birthday, like she always does. don’t want to feel the blame of my mom dying anymore. I know the truth now, at least as far as that goes and I can’t talk about that with anyone, at least not yet. Alpha Reggie still wants to keep how close we are related a secret for now. There are too many people who will try and target me if they found out. I’m not afraid, but after watching Xander deal with the trophy -wife-wannabes, I can’t imagine what someone would do to me to get to either Xander or Alpha Reggie.

No one said missions would be easy and I have to get better about keeping my emotions in check, or at the very least keep my real life stuff out of the backstory I’m supposed to have. I can’t just go blurting out things like I did on my birthday, I have to be more in control than Tyler seems to be all of the time. That is something that my wolf and have been going over and over in our head. What we both can do to stay in control, when emotions are running high.

I sat back up and finished the notes I was rewriting for the sencond time to make sure I looked busy to everyone and not like I was hiding out in my room like a coward, not wanting to be forced to talk to anyone. Now that Mina and I have a start to a plan, I need to go give my input and return the peace offering by eating dinner with them tonight.

 

Chapter-0339

Surveillance was a little different finishing out this week. Mina kept going to classes as usual, starting to hint at her and making up to the people who needed to hear it. I kept going to classes and work and started to appear more like my normal self, leaving some of the broodiness at home.

Nickolas made it look like he was going on a business trip so he could spend time out in the field with Alyssa. He and Osiston were less than pleased with her and Mina’s stunt that could have jeopardized our mission and he is observing her tracking techniques.

Well, that’s what he told her anNay. If I was him and suspicious of the group we have been trying to track down for a year with literally no results. I would assume there is someone inside the operation helping to derail us and I would be spending time with each member of the team in a very close way so there is no way to hide. I don’t have any proof that that is what he is up to and I haven’t said anything to anyone about it. I am learning to watch and listen more than I talk.

It seems to be helping me make better decisions and respond better, although it makes me seem more quiet and reserved, I don’t care. Every single word that comes out of my mouth is calculated and serves a purpose. I should have seen what Mina was doing with my gift and stopped it. I got carried away in this lie that we are living. I can see how long term undercover agents could end up being double agents or switching sides. After a while you start to believe in the lie. I am not here to make real friends, I’m here to help stop a guy that, I am pretty sure, wants to kill my uncle and probably cousin and take over the whole kingdom before moving on to the next one.

Having Mina and I look unsupervised also serves the purpose that we are vulnerable and unprotected. We are back to full on bait mode. So it’s our job to get our scent everywhere, look like college students who just broke out of an overprotective cage iving it up while our chaperone is away. We don’t party, but we have been to every possible gathering, game and campus event since Nickolas’ departure.’ The one thing I haven’t done yet is go to a

Thursday run. I need to make up with Tyler and have him invite me as a peace offering, but Mina goes each week and reports back the same thing we saw the first time. The guys basically take turns doing their perimeter check.

She did catch a pattern though. Each guy goes out and back and then rotates clockwise to the next group, socializes until it’s his turn to patrol again. And there are so many of them that unless you really watched you probably wouldrfi catch on. She also found that they only patrol away from campus, not between the bonfire site and campus. So either they feel really safe in their bubble here or someone else is patrolling the same way elsewhere.

I take a different path each day on my solo run to the gym reporting back the different smells, and who has been where recently. I am learning to be a better tracker, especially with so many wolves mixed with humans as well as the overwhelming smells that can only be associated with a college campus. have discovered that there are some changes in the scents surrounding the campus.

To the southeast of us, about 2 blocks from the forest preserve land, all scents except those of humans stop and the same goes for north of the rec center that we met Tyler to run for the first time. The scent block seems to extend east into the forest that reaches towards the coastline, which is what we expected, but we have never noticed it until now and the fact that it is on campus has all of us worrled about girls being taken again.

The scent block is like an invisible fog that is stealthily creeping across the campus covering more and more each day like a suffocation. With my brand I don’t feel lustful emotions, but when I step into the scent block I feel a pull deep in the pit of my stomach. The pull doesn’t lead me anywhere.,,yet, but I have a feeling, like the pied piper, that pull will eventually have a direction. It’s like a slow haze or a tolerance build up that if you aren’t looking for it, you wouldn’t even notice it developing.

 

Chapter-0340

It’s been a little over a week since I started recognizing and talking to other people again. I turned my phone on all the time and even opened all of Tyler’s apology texts so he can see that I have read them. I still haven’t responded, I haven’t talked to him in a month, this has to be slow. I also started wearing the choker necklace.

I figure if Tyler is going to forgive me, he’s going to do it while looking at a piece of jewelry around my neck that means a lot to me and from another guy. It’s really too fancy to wear everyday, but I feel better with it on, almost like my head is clear having something from them so close. Same with the bracelets, It feels wrong to take them off somehow, Like i feel physically ill when I take them off to shower or workout.

There are so many games to relationships, it’s stupid. I wish that I didn’t need Tyler to think that I was slowly forgiving him, but that is the only way he will trust me. This is why I am a better warrior. I can beat the sh*t out of someone for pissing me off and then call it a day and move on with life. These games are exhausting.

I got to my Ecology class early and sat in my former spot, where Tyler, Mike and Robbie still normally occupy. It would be my luck that I decided to talk to them and they aren’t here today. I waited for what seemed like forever, the class was basically full with only a minute or two to start when finally all three walked through having what appeared to be a very serious conversation. None of them noticed me until they were three rows from the top. Mike saw me first and just stopped, Robbie then Tyler bumped into him.

“What the hell man?!” Robbie hissed. “Move your ass before we get in trouble.”

“I think we need to find different seats today.” Mike does not take his eyes off of me when he talks. I can smell the nervousness wafting off of him. Why is he nervous?

The other two look around to see what has him in a panic. Robbie sees me and just scowls, Tyler looks just as nervous as Mike, swallowing hard enough for me to see his Adam’s apple move.

“Fine.” Robbie grumbles and heads back down a few rows where he and Mike take seats at the end of the row.

Tyler nods to himself and slowly walks over to me. “Hey. He whispers, but then says nothing else.

“Hey.” I say a little curtly keeping my focus on him.

“It hasn’t been the same without you. The class is more boring without you asking a million questions.” He gives me a small smile.

“Well, I haven’t been up for a lot of extra chatter ately.” I shrug. He’s going to have to work harder than that.

“I know it’s not the time or the place, but I really am sorry. I was jealous and I was already angry at some news I had gotten right before we met up with you. I’m not trying to make excuses, but I didn’t handle the situation well.”

Professor Chance started in on the lecture and heavily hinted at information being on the final coming up so I turn and started taking notes. Tyler lets out a huff letting me know he’s not happy about my ignoring his apology, but turns and gets a notebook out.

He angles himselftowards me and brushes my knee with his and every fiber of my being wants to move away and elbow him in the nose, but I force myself to sit still and make him feel comfortable, because right now that is what all of this is about. He is going to bring me into the folds of the rogues and it is going to happen soon, or I may end up beating the information out of him.