*Thirteenth Book in the Alpha Series - Can be read as standalone*
"Isaiah..." I breathe. He's so close, I can feel his hot breath mingling with mine.
"What do you want, Kenna?" he murmurs, dark eyes flickering, his hands clenching tightly on the be...
If I'm caught here, I'm done for. Elise will trot happily back to Isaiah to tell him all about me, and how I came here without telling him. And no doubt they would see Kadrick, would only raise more questions I don't have answers to.
"I never liked him," I hear Elise grumble, moving into the office we were just in. Both of them start sorting through what we were, likely to find nothing of value there either.
But what has motivated them to come here?
"Who?" Zire asks distractedly.
"The victim," she mutters, dragging on the drawers from the desk, dumping the contents out onto it, before beginning to rifle through them. "He was whispering in the ear of investors, trying to get them to pour more money into the developments."
Kadrick frown in front of me, clutching my side as we attempt to keep as quiet as possible. I know exactly what he is thinking. Why would someone investing money into the developments be distasteful to Elise? She collaborates with Isaiah and his father, and I've heard her praise it to Kit myself.
Giving Kadrick the softest possible shrug, I glance back out through the gap.
Zire sifts through notes, paper floating one by one back to the floor as he finds the contents worthless. "Good riddance then."
If I ask him about this later, will be admit to me his intentions? I can trust him with my secret, that I'm in the Rebellion, but how can I explain why I was here, at a murder victims home. He will know I'm targeting Mari.
"Cherry's mother...You behind her death?" Elise asks.
My blood goes cold. She knows.
"Elise, let's not have this conversation," Zire responds tightly.
I've thought this far that Elise and Zire can't stand each other. They bicker back and forth and shoot each other cold looks whenever the chance arises. And yet they are here, collaborating casually, not necessarily like friends, but like partners. And whatever is going on between them, Elise knows Zire well enough to realise he may have contributed to Cherry's mother's death.
"It's dangerous. Risky," she warns.
Kadrick's gaze is pinned to me, the weight of it nearly crushing. He's going to ask what's going on the moment we are out of here. I hope he doesn't think I was feeding false information back to the Rebellion about the nature of their relationship.
"Don't talk to me about risk," Zire snaps, digging his hands back through his red hair. He's frustrated, at more than just the lack of information he's garnering.
"This area looks fine, should we check the rest of the house?" Elise questions, moving toward the exit of the office, right near the closet.
Zire sighs. "I have to get back before Isaiah notices I'm gone."
"He won't notice I'm gone," Elise shrugs.
"He doesn't like you."
Kadrick tenses, squinting to look through the gap. His expression says it all. He hate's them, and by the way he's clutching me, he's imagining there's a knife in his hand that he can drive through both Zire and Elise's hearts. I just hope he can hold it together long enough for them to leave without detecting us.
"Ouch," Elise mutters sourly, inspecting her nails as she tries to appear unbothered. "I know, and I don't care."
"Get out of here Elise. We can't be seen going back together by another," Zire instructs, motioning down the hallway.
Elise rolls her eyes, but walks away regardless, not saying any departing words. Nothing about the way they interacting makes any sense to me. Not friends, but they share a common goal, which I need to uncover.
Because I don't think I can return without knowing.
Once I'm sure Elise has left, I burst from the closet, the door slamming against the wall as I emerge, wrestling out of Kadrick's grasp. Zire blanches, taking a few steps back with surprise.
Kadrick tries to grab at me, but I brush him off. "Avia, stop!"
He practically falls from the closet after me, right in view of Zire, who seems to have recovered from his shock, now regarding the two of us with a raised brow. Kadrick doesn't realise it, but he just exposed my name to Zire, having may as well put my head on a chopping block.
"Avia...So the name has been revealed," Zire grins, his gaze falling on my now ex boyfriend, who is frozen in place, realising the second-in-command to the Alpha is far larger than he expected, and that he may not have a chance against him in hand-to-hand combat right now.
The flicker of recognition on Zire's face is painfully obvious. "And you...I know you."
"What are you doing here?" I accuse, knowing that if I go down, it's going to be protecting Kadrick from Zire. He doesn't deserve to go down for this, since I'm the one who dragged him to this house in the first place.
Zire narrows his eyes on me. "What are you doing here."
"You've known for weeks now that I work with the rebellion. You shouldn't be surprised," I say with a shrug, hoping I don't come off as terrified as I'm feeling.
Zire's attention sweeps back to Kadrick. "And who is this?"
"I'm her boyfriend," I say quickly.
Not even an hour ago, that would have been the truth. It's so fresh I've practically forgotten that I've released him from the mess I've entangled myself into. Kadrick too doesn't even flinch, as if he himself has forgotten.
"He was my boyfriend," I correct, squeezing my eyes shut. "Not that it matters. Why are you here with Elise?"
Zire let's out a long, slow breath. "We are investigating the murders too."
"Sounded like you were covering up the crime," I say. I don't actually believe that, but I monitor his reaction carefully, as if it may be right. Instead, he just looks amused, crossing his arms over his broad chest.
"Are you accusing me being the murderer?"
"You killed Cherry's mother," I remind him. I wonder how he did it, and whether he was thinking about all the horrible things that woman did to her daughter while he did it? I didn't know Zire was capable of it, of being so brutal, and honestly I'm impressed. Whatever dwells in his past, it's not pretty.
"That was your idea."
Kadrick suddenly steps in between us. It was my idea because I wanted it for the Rebellion, but does Kadrick know that? I told Malin, and she loved the idea, but my former boyfriend appears a lot more in the dark.
"Alright, back off man," Kadrick tells Zire, who doesn't so much as flinch, considering whether he should lay one on Kadrick and be done with it. "Just tell us if you're doing it. We don't care."
I care. I shouldn't, but it would elicit some feeling in me.
"We just don't want Mari to get hurt, if it actually is her family," Zire says, looking at me. I can't tell if he's lying or not. That ambiguous look swirling in his eyes compliments his expressionless face. Were he and Elise involved in the murders, then it will take me more digging to figure it out.
"Isaiah is investigating the murders too, you know," I remind him. The Alpha clearly doesn't know his second-in-command is doing this with his soon to be wife. "And since when do you care about Mari?"
Zire shrugs, a small smile playing on his lips. "Cherry likes her."
"This is all too much for me. I'm leaving," Kadrick mutters.
He give's me a chance to protest, but I don't. He wants to stay, to convince me out of breaking up with him, but I don't have anything more to say to him that could make him feel better. And with Zire looming, the situation is even worse.
Exhaling, he shakes his head and leaves down the hallway, shoulder's deflated. He hates seeing me interact with those who this mission is targeting, but what could I say to soothe him?
"And what about Elise...I thought you hated her," I remind him, the moment Kadrick has vanished.
"I dislike her, yes," Zire responds, leaning against the wall. "She is just curious about the murders. She doesn't care about Mari."
That much I believe.
"Well we are trying to figure out what actually happened," I say flippantly. More excuses die at my lips, but luckily Zire doesn't seem too fussed. He's harbouring a secret, I can see it, and keeping it close to his chest is more important than unearthing anything about what I'm actually doing.
"The deal is still on, right? No one knows about me?" he asks.
I shake my head. "No one does. Don't tell Isaiah I was here."
"Is that guy really your boyfriend?" Zire says it distastefully, as if he can't quite believe it. He probably thinks less of Kadrick because he isn't in such a high position in society. Although, I've never known Zire to care much about that.
"Was," I mutter, wrapping my arms around myself.
Zire goes to walk past me, but pauses right in front of me, looking down with a disapproving gaze. "Don't tell me you broke up with him for Isaiah."
Oh Zire, you have no idea.
This solidifies that I cannot tell anyone, even Zire that Isaiah is my mate. If I did, he would tell me to leave, to run away and never speak to the Alpha again. I can't bear that judgment. I can't bear to be told that I should stay far away from my mate, just because of who he is.
"Goodnight, Zire," I murmur, turning around to disappear into the night.
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"Tomorrow, we don't have to speak of this again." I hardly know what I'm asking. I just know I want whatever it is.
He watches me with an intensity that I know only he is capable of. "Put my hand where you want me to touch you."
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!! Thank you all!
