PROWESS. (COMPLETED)

Chapter 71

Jones dutifully keeps to the shadows, maintaining a good distance away from the two while still within hearing range. With about a quarter of the journey left to go to the Wolfe's residence, Anastasia and Aries phase back to their human forms and continue the walk back on foot. Although Jones knows he shouldn't listen in, he finds himself overriding his better judgement for the sake of his curiosity.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Asks Anastasia. They walk close, Aries with his hands in his pockets and Anastasia with her arms crossed. Aries shrugs.

"I didn't know how. I spent so long trying to get my head around everything that happened, I just gave up on everything for a while. I went to a very dark place." For a while, the two walk in silence, both lost in thought until Aries breaks it. "Anyway, enough about me. What about you? That was a lot of pent up emotion you kicked my ass with yesterday."

Anastasia shrugs, eyes fixed ahead. Pulling her to a stop, Aries cups her cheek waiting until she meets his gaze. "Stace, come on. This is me you're talking to." Pulling her face from his grip, she continues walking.

"What do you want me to say? You've obviously read the newspapers."

"I don't give a rats ass what the papers say. It's usually all fake" returns Aries cynically. Ana throws him pained look, to which Aries expression darkens. "You're kidding?"

Her shoulders drop. "I can't do it anymore, Rhys. I haven't got it in me to keep up the façade."

"Back up a second. Is this about the lovechild?" Asks Aries, his suspicion blooming. "Why are you really here instead of him?" 

"I told him from the beginning I wanted us to be open and honest with each other which he agreed with. Next thing I know, I start finding evidence he's keeping things from me, but I don't ask in case its Royal stuff. After the Ball we had a massive fight because he said it wasn't any of my business what happened in the past, only what happens in our future. Then he had the audacity to accuse me of wrongdoing; omitting that I'd had relationship with an Alpha, especially given how close I work with him now" exasperates Ana, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Chad will be thrilled it was considered a relationship" Smirks Aries, derisive. Ana throws him a dark look. "Sorry. Couldn't resist. It fulfills me knowing he can't have everything he wants. You were saying?"

Ana rolls her eyes. "Kellen isn't here because he was attacked and kidnapped two weeks ago. They never caught the perpetrator. He's been suffering from amnesia ever since. He thinks I'm some girl he hooked up with whose boyfriend beat him up" Ana laughs without humor. "The official story is he's got the flu."

Aries curses. "That sucks, I'm sorry you're having such a crap time of things Stace."