Ch. 86..90: The Alpha’s Exchanged Mate Chapter 86-90
The Alpha’s Exchanged Mate – Chapter 86
Edwina’s POV…
Something didn’t feel right. I felt uneasy. These were times I wished I actually did have a wolf. Probably, I would be able to decipher the situation. My mind went to Sonia; it’s been days since our altercation, and she still hadn’t reached out to me.
It amuses me how unforgiving she is. I overlooked everything she did to me every time, not minding the insults and disrespect I got from her.
Even if I had a deficiency, it is said that family comes first. I sighed, disappointed at myself for having so many expectations. I had hoped the turnout of the event would make us bond well and get to know each other better. We hardly know each other’s favorite meals for all the years of living together.
It drained me so much that I wanted it to end so badly. I have seen the wolves around the pack with their siblings and how they relate to each other. I wish for such a connection so much. Truth be told, I have the moon goddess to blame for making me different.
If I had a wolf, maybe I would have been able to protect my sister from the claws of our father.
“Do you need me to get you some nice green tea to ease your thoughts?” Becca interrupted my train of thought.
She always picked out my attire for the day, whether I went out or not. Becca made it a point of duty to always get me dolled up. Sometimes I wish I could tell her to f**k off and leave me be, but I know that would be rude of me.
“What’s on your mind?” She asked again when I refused to respond.
“Do you have a sister, Becca?”
She smiled at the thought, “I did have.”
I raised a brow in question, “did have?”
“Yes, but she is dead now.”
I let out a sincere gasp, “I’m so sorry.”
Becca shrugged, throwing out her hands in dismissal. You don’t have to be sorry. As much as I miss her, I don’t have any regrets too. She was the most amazing human I had ever met.
“How was your relationship like?”
“Beautiful as one would expect between siblings. She was older, we fought a whole lot, but she was always protective of me. Smiling to herself, she sighed in bliss. I would love to have her as my sister again if life ever gives us the chance.
“That’s beautiful. How did she die?” I knew I wasn’t supposed to ask that, but I was curious.
“She got involved with a human, fell in love, and all of that. Our parents were against the union, but she went along with it anyway. They did live a good life, as she always kept me updated. Some fight broke out in the city and she was hit by a stray bullet. She didnt survive it.”
“That’s so sad. I mused, looking out the window.
“Why are you asking these questions? she queried.
“I just wish things were a bit different between my sister and me. I feel like fate played a cruel game with our lives. I want to know how she is doing. I have read books on how much pregnant women need massages to ease the strain they might feel due to the pregnancy. But I can’t even tell her how much she means to me, all because of a situation that could have been averted. I feel so bad.”
I had been willing to lament and let out my burden. I felt a bit light talking about it. I didn’t want to annoy Xander, so I didn’t mention it to him. As much as my heart still ached from the betrayal, I didn’t have the mind to push my sister away. I had watched her grow, played with her, and protected her from being hurt. I wanted to do so again, being right by her side.
“You should refrain from blaming yourself every time, its not your fault that things are this way. Instead you should be proud of how well you have been holding up.”
“Are you sure about that?”
She nodded reassuringly. “I’m very sure. I have never met a soul as pure as yours, Luna Edwina. Sometimes I am grateful that you don’t have a wolf. It must be one of the reasons you are so compassionate towards everyone you come across.
Placing a hand on my chest, I gave a grateful smile. That is so sweet of you, Becca. You know exactly what to say to make a person feel comfortable.
“You do the same too. You are a lovely person.”
“Ok, ok, ok, enough of all of these talks. Now, tell me what happened with Caleb. I noticed him prancing around you as of late.”
Becca rolled her eyes, her mood shifting to annoyance. “I don’t want to talk about him.”
“Come on, you know you want to.”
“He is only coming around to take lessons on how to not misbehave around Ramona and what he was meant to wear.”
“How did that feel?”
“I felt like blowing his head off.”
I let out a loud laugh. Becca was obviously pissed with him but still couldn’t send him off because of her feelings for him.
“You should tell him off some time just to pay him back in his own coin.”
She laughed along this time, “I did something really embarrassing.”
“What was it?”
“I promise you really don’t want to know.”
“Did you make an attempt to k**s him?” I teased
She face palmed herself. “That would have been pure torture for me. I would call it more of a hallucination I had of him touching me.”
I covered my mouth with my hands, “you don’t say.”
“The most annoying thing about the situation was that he stood right behind me. Only the heavens know what he must have been thinking.”
A burst of laughter erupted from my belly. Your wolf must have given you away that you were horny. I said amidst gulps.
I already trained my wolf to be non-discreet. I have noticed him trying to reach out to me through telepathy but had blocked him out to protect my feelings from being out in the open.
“You should do th..” my words got cut short by the sound of my phone ringing.
The contact wasn’t familiar. My heart raced as the thought of Sonia calling me from the prison came to mind. Picking up the call with an uncertainty, I shut my eyes as my intuitions had been right.
“I will be right there in no time,” I said into the receiver.
The Alpha’s Exchanged Mate – Chapter 87
Edwina’s POV…
I jolted from my sitting position as I threw the phone on the bed, not bothering to check if it landed on a soft spot.
“Get me comfortable clothes to wear, Becca. I am visiting Sonia, and you’re coming with me,” I told her, hurrying towards the bathroom.
I could feel Becca’s questioning stare trailing my back.
“Sonia called,” I informed her as I stepped back out of the bathroom. I had made my hair into a smooth ponytail. I doubted if I would be patient enough to have her make my hair.
“Is everything alright?”
“She only said she needed to see me urgently.”
“Are YOU ready to see her?”
I paused for a while, brooding on Becca’s question. She was right; it had been exhausting the last time we had been together. The last thing I wanted was to have some form of argument with her. However, she called me herself.
I know she asked for my presence because she needed my help. All the same, I felt glad that I was someone she could run to for help.
“Whichever way it is. I will go see her. I need to know if she is okay.
“You really do love her, don’t you?”
I sighed, “It’s an unexplainable feeling.”
Getting dressed, I stepped out hurriedly, getting the assigned driver to the Luna on edge. I had no idea of their names as there was always a different person to drive me around. Today I wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries; I only wanted to get to Sonia and see what was up with my sister.
***
I stared at Sonia rigidly; I didn’t know what I was meant to do. Should I hug her? Or should I just take a seat right in front of her? I had never felt so much complexity all my life. Damn it, say something! I almost barked out.
She stared at me, her emotions blank, and her eyes lost any form of emotion. I was beginning to think she had lost her mind in the past few days. My heart went out to the unborn child inside of her.
I wondered when last she had eaten a good meal, why was she looking so pale? I might go crazy if she doesn’t say anything at this point.
Just as I attempted to say something, her lips parted. “I thought you wouldn’t come.” She said, her voice sounding far away.
“You asked me to. I couldn’t refuse your request. I told her, taking a seat opposite her.
I didn’t feel like being alone with her, and I trusted Becca, so I asked her to stay a few feet away from us but not far away at the same time.
“Why did you ask to see me?”
Sonia gulped hard, entwining her hands. She was nervous, which seemed like an odd behavior coming from her.
“I know I shouldn’t be asking this, but I need your help. Since you are the Luna, this should come easy for you.”
I wanted to scoff. Sonia was being bitchy again.
“Might I ask what you mean by that?” I asked calmly.
“Our father wants to kill me.
I tilted my head aside, and my thoughts were beginning to align. I was right about Sonia acting crazy. Maybe she actually has lost her mind.
She must have noticed my hesitance. Sonia snickered. “You don’t believe me, do you? This implies all that I said during the trial that day was disregarded.” She let out a cynical laugh.
“Sonia, don’t act bratty and be out with whatever it is you intend to say.” I spat. It was really foolish of me to think this was going to be an emotional, loving reunion.
“I need you to get me out of here! My life and that of my child are in danger.” She retorted
“Our father is dead, Sonia. And even if he isn’t, how am I to believe you when you have no evidence to prove your assertions? You should know Xander would never act on impulse.”
Sonia chortled. Her finding every of my words funny was beginning to get on my nerves.
“I see you have gotten really comfortable with the alpha to know how and when he does act.”
I wasn’t ready to tolerate her shitty behavior any more. I stood up.
“It’s obvious you called me here to have some fun. But I am too occupied to play your games, Sonia.”
Just as I turned to leave, she broke down. Please, Edwina, I’m not doing this for my own sake. For the sake of my unborn child, get me out of here, sister, please.
“How do I convince anyone that your life is being threatened? And even if this place is the safest for you, Sonia.”
“That’s not true.”
My mind then went to something I hadn’t thought of before when she first mentioned this crazy talk.
“Assuming what you said is true, how did you get to know about it while in here?”
“Because the person he sent didn’t attempt it today. You would have found my dead body if Ben hadn’t saved me.”
That drew me back, “Ben?”
She glared at me, “yes, Ben,” she looked around, lowering her voice. “He has people around watching.”
I couldn’t believe the guts of Ben, but I would get to that later. What mattered now was these new allegations Sonia was pointing out. First, with the talk of s****l abuse from my father, and now, that of him trying to kill her, someone who had died many years ago, it made no sense. I began to doubt Sonia’s sanity at this point.
My sister must have noticed the look on his face.
She scoffed sadly, “you don’t believe me, do you?”
I shook my head, “I’m sorry, Sonia, but you’re just saying so many things at the same time, first Ben and now our dead father. Even if he were alive, why would he want you dead?”
“He did it because I revealed the truth about his years of abuse during the trial. I never knew he would out about what I said. I am not lying about this. I swear on my life, Edwina. Please.
I sighed, looking worriedly at her, “I really don’t know what to make of all this, Sonia.”
“There’s so much to explain, but there’s no time. I can’t do anything about it while I’m locked up in here. Go and find him, then maybe, you will believe me. And when you do, please do not hesitate to come save me.”
I observed Sonia with a keen eye all the times I have known her, even though her ego makes it hard for her to admit her fear. Her vulnerability was glaring. She was obviously cornered and had no other one to turn to. I realized I was in denial, not wanting to accept the fact that it wasn’t just me who had an unfair life. Sonia seems too perfect to have had such a dent. However, I knew this was the time for me to actually prove my love to my sister. And if I did care, I would need to get to the root of it and save her if need be.
I nodded toward her. “I will get back to you on this.”
Her pleading voice nagged at my mind as I left the prison yard. Getting into the car, I inhaled and exhaled, thinking of what I could do to get to the bottom of everything. Before making sense of anything Sonia claimed, I needed to investigate.
“Take me to my father’s home.” I told the driver as Becca gave me a questioning look from the front seat.
The Alpha’s Exchanged Mate – Chapter 88
Alexanders POV…
The prisoners were more willing than I would have ever imagined. They seemed so focused on the training. I watched them from the makeshift operating room that had been put in place for our meetings. A secret meeting had been held back at the mines in the middle of the night, and I had decided to include Carlos and Jason in the plan. Caleb had been able to sync their loyalties, and so far, they proved to be true.
I was planning to discuss how to fish out the traitors amongst us, it was a tasking deed, and the mere thought of it made my head hurt.
“Good day alpha!” Carlos bowed.
“Welcome Carlos. Where is Jason and Caleb?”
“On their way here.” He told me, still standing.
I let out a small laugh, “just sit down, Carlos. Don’t strain your legs on my behalf.”
“Oh.” He muttered, smiling. “Thank you, alpha.”
The next few seconds, Caleb and Jason strolled in, “took you both long enough.” I joked.
Jason smiled lightly, but Caleb didn’t seem affected. It gets tiring trying to impress someone as annoying as him. He moved closer to me.
“What’s the matter, beta?”
“I just got informed about Luna Edwina was heading down east to her father’s house.” He informed me
Yeah, I know I wasn’t supposed to keep a tab on her movement. But I just couldn’t help it. My trust issues were getting the better part of me. She never mentioned she would be visiting that place at all, even though we had been glued to each other all night.
“Did she leave from home?” I asked
“No, she left from the prison. She had gone to visit her sister.” Caleb replied.
Now, the situation was becoming confusing. It surprised me that Edwina didn’t mention anything about going to see her sister after I visited her in prison. I knew because aside from attending to pack duties, Edwina didn’t go anywhere.
I wondered what Sonia had told her to make her head down to her father’s house.
My inquisitive mind got the best of me, even though I knew she would let me in on it eventually. But, I’m trying to convince myself that I was trying to protect her.
“What should I do, alpha?” Caleb asked.
“Just assign your men to follow her without her knowing. It’s to protect her.” I said, trying to convince myself that I was doing it for the right cause.
Caleb stepped out to make a few calls. I tried to return my attention to the matter on the ground. Hoping for sure the light-headed feeling I was getting had nothing to do with Edwina. She was my mate, which implies that when something is about to go wrong, I get disturbed a lot. Why would she go there of all places? And without telling me?
Whatever it was, I was sure she had good reason to.
I assured myself she wouldn’t go against me.
“I found out some members of the gamma clan are in cohort with Ben and alpha bethel.” Carlos said, throwing a side glare at Jason.
The two of them were at loggerheads for something I didn’t seem to understand.
“Have you lost your mind? The last spy caught acted like an Omega warrior.” Jason retorted.
“He wasn’t one of us, just sneaked into our midst.” Carlos fired back
“Do you mind controlling yourselves?” Caleb barked at them. I was too lost in my own thought to pay them any mind.
Everyone kept mute as they all settled. I finally cleared my throat, holding my hands together.
“Jason, over to you. What’s the update?” I stared at him.
Jason searched through the bag pack he had with him and brought out some files. Handing it out to each of us.
“The update I got from my source was that; the sizzlers aren’t making any moves at the moment. And judging by the reaction from Ben, he isn’t too cool with it. Their thoughts is; we aren’t capable enough to retaliate. At this moment, their guard is weak. We could attack if we want.”
“Not with our distrusting followers at this point. We would only end up shooting ourselves in the leg.” Caleb noted.
I stared at the pictures I had with me. Ben appeared in every one of them. He was obviously having a good time. His face was the same as the last time I remembered, sneaky and not giving any emotion. Somehow, I missed his presence.
Caleb is reliable; however, Ben just had his own way of doing things that were totally different, and it made me count on him more. Especially when I became crippled, I was thankful I didn’t let the news of my healing out. He would have made me totally crippled with no remedy.
“What’s on your mind, alpha?” Jason asked.
I sighed, putting down the pictures. “Does anyone have an idea on what we can do to fish out the imposters?”
“I guess we can.” Jason offered.
“How?” I pushed
Caleb responded, “Every clan has a mark that distinguishes them. This implies that to figure out the imposters, we would need to be discreet on getting them exposed.”
“That seems like a good plan.” Carlos noted
We all fell silent for some time, “I would need you all to figure out how you would go about exposing these disloyal wolves. Now, what do we do with the kappa clan? It’s obvious their representative has something against me.”
They all had humourous smiles on their faces, “we all know how obsessed Bella is with you.” Caleb spoke
“She never learns,” I muttered under my breath. “Caleb, go and monitor those in training. We would meet later.”
They all stood up, heading out. Being alone again, my thoughts began roaming on their own. Something didn’t sit right, and I needed to find out.
Grabbing my phone, I dialed Caleb, “I know you just left a few seconds ago, but do you have any idea why Edwina would go to her father’s house?”
I could feel him roll his eyes in frustration, “You just said it yourself, her father. Isn’t that where he got buried? Why wouldn’t she go to see him?”
“The last time I checked, Edwina has never mentioned being close to her father. Since I got married, it’s almost like her father didn’t exist. That man never cared about her, and she also never cared about him!” I lamented.
“Fine, it does seem strange that she would go there. I would find out what it is.” He told me.
“Don’t ever forget this because I won’t be repeating myself. I love you, man,” I teased.
Caleb scoffed, “don’t butter me alpha.”
“Bye.” I laughed lightly. Sighing deeply, I hoped that whatever the situation was, it wouldn’t be out of hand.
The Alpha’s Exchanged Mate – Chapter 89
Edwina’s POV…
My thoughts roamed as we got closer to the home of my young years; a nostalgic feeling swept over me as I got out of the car. The house where the memories haunted my elder sister and me. The home that seemed like the safest haven, despite it being the beginning and end of our torment.
Just as I attempted to walk into the house, Becca pulled me back by my hand.
“What are you doing, Luna Edwina?” She questioned.
I stared at her in confusion, “what do you mean?”
“I am sorry if it seems like I was eavesdropping on your conversation, but didn’t she say he was alive?”
I nodded my head, “all the same, it’s necessary for me to affirm his presence if he is.”
“Fine,” Becca responded, not sounding convinced. Turning to the driver, she told him, “if you don’t see us out in ten to fifteen minutes, come find us.”
I chuckled lightly, “nothing would go wrong. You are too paranoid.” I was trying to sound more convincing to myself than I was to Becca.
Stepping onto the porch of the house, flashbacks of my younger years hit me.
**FLASHBACK**
I had an intention to leave the house and play with the other children under the full moon, everyone seemed to be having fun, and I didn’t want to be left out. I then ran to meet my dad, who was busy playing dress-up with Sonia.
“Can I go out to play, papa?” I asked him excitedly.
Sonia then glared at me, shaking her head.
“And of what use will your presence be there?” My father had thrown back at me.
I was taken aback by his retaliation. Over the years, when they kept me away from the public face, I thought they did that because I was still very young. But hearing him respond spitefully made me almost recoil. But I was a bit stubborn too. I didn’t move away from where I stood.
“Don’t make me repeat myself, Edwina, you can’t go. You aren’t qualified to play amongst them, don’t you get it? You have a deficiency.” My father barked, sprouting spit all over my face.
My heart raced in fear at his sudden change of attitude. Sonia laughed hysterically before racing out to join the rest of the children. I watched them from the window panes as Sonia said something to them, making them turn their attention to where I stood before they began laughing loudly.
**PRESENT DAY**
That night I had cried my eyes out; I was pained and felt broken. Over the years, I didn’t bother to fight the feeling of dejection anymore. It became my reality that I couldn’t run away from. My family didn’t hesitate to remind me of my dent, especially my sister, who was meant to be my shield. It was an entirely different turn for me, and I had come to a resolve with it.
I knew at an early stage that I wasn’t wanted; it’s amusing how much I have transited due to adulthood and marriage. The house sparkled clean as we made our way in.
“This house doesn’t seem like it’s been left for a long time. There has been some form of life in here.” Becca noted, sniffing the air
“How would you know that?” I questioned.
She flipped her hand on the floor and then headed to the bathroom; there was an obvious sign someone had been in the house.
“Right here, someone had been in this house about a few hours ago.” She informed me, “do you have any other family members who have access to this place?”
“No, it’s always just been our father and us. I haven’t been to this house since I got married to Ben, not until today.” I told her.
“And it’s certainly not Sonia.” She reasoned.
We checked through the house again. It was certain that someone was occupying the place. However, it still didn’t imply that our father was alive. The house had been abandoned for years, and of course, any homeless wanderer would want to stay in the comfort that it provided.
“This still doesn’t imply your father being alive,” Becca said as if reading my thoughts.
Just then, something struck my mind, “wait a minute.” I told her, racing to my father’s study. Our father had a habit of dusting off the remains of his smoke stick on the table directly. However, there were no smoke traces anywhere, and neither was there a smoke tray, to my disappointment.
I would need to go back to Sonia. She is definitely losing her mind and doesn’t realize it. It’s my fault this happened, though; I had let up my expectations with her again. I had thought she was being sincere with me for the first time. However, it’s obvious she just wanted to play me; being the fool I was, she could always take advantage of the love I had for her as a sister.
“It’s okay.” Becca consoled me when she noticed my countenance. Xander would be disappointed in me for trusting my sister yet again. Someone who made a fool of me countless times won’t hesitate to do it again.
But then again, the look in Sonia’s eyes was absolutely sincere. She couldn’t make up such a lie all in the name of wanting to escape. Would she?
I doubted this. A woman who had stood trial obviously wouldn’t be scared of anything.
Different questions were stuck in my mind, why would our father go into hiding and fake his own death? What was he trying to prove? Is it possible Sonia is playing mind games with me? My head ached from the thoughts. I had no idea what I was meant to believe. The house that served as the only clue for us to believe Sonia was spotless of any evidence.
“We should go now, Luna.” Becca reminded me as she checked her wristwatch.
Our fifteen minutes were up. It would be unfair for the driver or Caleb to barge in here over nothing. The moment we stepped out, the driver was already making his way out of the car. He did take the order seriously.
Becca opened the car door for me to enter, and she did the same after I had settled in. As the car drove out of the compound, I could have sworn I saw a pair of eyes hidden in a dark cloak watching us from behind the tree near my house.
The Alpha’s Exchanged Mate – Chapter 90
Authors POV…
John swiftly hid behind the tree when he noticed a pair of eyes locking in on his. He would never miss those eyes for anything in the world. They were no other than Edwina’s eyes. It’s been a while since he had seen her, she had morphed into a beautiful woman, and she obviously did look a bit like her mother, but not as much as Sonia. Sonia is the exact carbon copy of her mother.
He wondered what Edwina had been doing in the house. Since he married her off to the then Beta Ben, he had not set his eyes on her again. He had married her off to Benedict at a handsome price, just when he needed it the most.
If Edwina was here, then definitely something must have happened to Sonia, maybe. He was really hoping Jared would get back to him and let him know the success of the plan. Surveying the environment again, he went into the house through an underground step he had made if the need for escape ever occurred.
His faked death and disappearance had never been in the plan before until everything happened so fast, spiralling out of control.
**FLASHBACK**
It hadn’t occurred to John much soon, but since his daughters had married and left home, it felt extremely lonely and depressing. He missed Sonia the more. She was like his solace and comfort. Rather than make things worse for himself, he turned to alcohol and women. All of his retirement savings were squandered on frivolities.
It didn’t surprise him when none of his children tried to reach out to him. Even though Edwina had made several attempts to call him and say hello, he had shunned her off. After doing so for a couple of times, she did get tired and stopped calling. As for Sonia, well, she couldn’t care any less.
On one of his numerous outings, he staggered through the streets, humming a sweet tune to himself. He had decided to take a turn at the woods that had a shortcut to his house. The moment he made the bend, he saw Ben’s neck dip in Sonia from a distance. They were both so lost in their intercourse that they wouldn’t have noticed anyone passing. Unintentionally, not certain why he did so, he had taken out his phone and made a little record of it.
As he watched the video the following day, he jerked off, watching them together. He then dialled her line, hoping she would pick it for her own sake.
Sonia had picked up the call with less enthusiasm, “hello, father.”
“How is my favourite daughter doing?” He slurred.
A slight pause and some movement were evident from the other line. “What do you want? Why are you calling me?”
“That isn’t a nice way to talk to a father you haven’t seen or heard from for years.”
“What exactly do you want from me? If you have nothing to say, get off my line.”
John chuckled dryly, “it might interest you to know I have a nice clip of you with Beta Ben. Might as well show Alpha Xander.”
Sonia’s gasp escaped through the receiver, “what the hell are you talking about?”
“Come to the house if you really want to know.” He had said, hanging the call.
Knowing how shady her father could be, Sonia came down to the house at a late hour, obviously to keep anyone off her tail. However, she wasn’t alone. To John’s surprise and terror, she had come along with Beta Ben, and he looked furious.
They didn’t bother to exchange pleasantries with him. John already felt scared, judging by the look Ben gave him.
“What was it you said you have on us?” Ben had barked, his wolf growling along.
“I…I…don’t know what you mean.” John stuttered.
Hissing loudly, Sonia pulled her phone out, playing the recordings of their discussion during the day. His heart raced with sweat dripping down his forehead.
Ben shook his head; straightening out his suit, he sat cross-legged on the single chair. While Sonia settled into another, her eyes lacked any emotion.
“You do have a whole lot of nerve, John Sinclair. I would give it to you.” Ben began, “after almost ruining your daughters life and selling her off to the alpha to save your face, couldn’t you have some little dignity and leave her to live her life?”
John had gathered himself at this point. He scoffed. “Shows how much she is living her life, f*****g two best friends.”
“Now you watch your mouth before I do so for you!” Ben warned him, glaring.
Gulping hard, John stared down, avoiding both of their burning stares.
“I would make you a deal, I will write you a cheque of two hundred thousand dollars for you to disappear to wherever it is you can hide yourself beyond where my hands would reach you, if not, I would ensure to escape your atrocities with your daughter and ruin your bloody image. Omega my foot! You irk me!” Ben spat bitterly. “And I am only giving you some cash cause I heard your filthy a*s has gone broke.”
He took out a chequebook from his breast pocket and held a pen along with it. Writing hurriedly on a page, he tore it out and handed it to him. Beckoning towards Sonia, they both stood up.
Ben stared back at him just as they both got to the door. “You will be declared dead as long as you stay far away. Try messing around and let me sniff you; I will ensure to make your death real this time.” He said with an untold promise in his tone.
**PRESENT DAY**
He had left as promised and settled far away among the humans, starting something small with the money. However, John had kept his ears in touch with the night howlers pack. After becoming aware of Ben and Sonia’s exposure, he returned to town in disguise. He intended to reveal himself to everyone later, as the matter that kept him away was no longer a secret.
Now, because of the recent trial, because of his stupid child, his name is in the mud. He had to do something to save his face, or else there would be no point returning here.
Sonia’s confession had left him with no choice but to end her once and for all. All he needed to do was wait for Jared to get back to him on the errand he was sent while still reminding himself to keep a low profile. His house had been deserted, so no one noticed his movement there. He was pretty discreet and would remain so until the job was done.