CHAPTER 32: CHAPTER 32: CAUGHT

HARLEIGH’S POV:

Were Francheska and Eric caught?!

I swallow hard as I reach for my phone from Damian’s grip.

After entering the password, I hand it back to him and let him scroll through it.

My heart thuds painfully, but his tense expression softens when he finds nothing except old calls and messages.

Luckily, out of instinct and caution, I deleted all call logs and text messages from Eric and Harper, and I told them to do the same.

Even so, I’m still not entirely relieved.

What if Damian takes my phone again and they contact me? All our plans to save Alpha Torrin will fall apart.

"Why do you have to hide your phone underneath the mattress?" Damian asks, suspicion still threading through his tone.

"I’m scared you’d take it away, and I’d lose contact with the new friends I made in Dingle Valley," I answer.

"If those friends won’t interfere between us, then there’s no reason to fear me. Unless,..."

"They can’t interfere. That’s their life’s principle," I cut him off, my voice surprisingly steady. "But, you won’t trust that anyway. And that’s why I can’t trust you either. Trust begets trust, and so does love. If you want trust and love from me, then show them to me first."

Guilt flickers across his face.

After a moment of hesitation, he finally returns my phone without another word.

He tucks me into bed, but the atmosphere between us stays heavy. And it becomes even heavier when he falls asleep beside me.

I want to remove his arm from my waist, but doing so might wake him and anger him.

I never imagined the usually nonchalant Damian becoming this violent. I’ve created a monster out of him, but I’m prepared to be the one to tame him.

Morning comes, and I’ve barely slept, constantly checking my phone for any sign of Eric. I’m burning to text him myself, but what if they took his phone and would see my message?

I head down to the kitchen, hoping to see Francheska alive, the Gammas assigned to guard me trailing closely behind.

Relief pours through me when Francheska greets me with her usual enthusiastic energy.

I pretend to help her chop vegetables, whispering while cautiously glancing around. "I-is Eric okay?"

"I think so. I saw him last night and he looked alright. Why?" she whispers back.

"That’s good news. You and him should be careful..." I stop when the Gammas step closer.

To avoid suspicion, I quickly change the topic. "Anyway, help me make breakfast for Damian."

We prepare Damian’s favorite meal: a glass of protein smoothie and a bowl of savory oatmeal, while I settle for a bacon and cheese omelet and a cup of black coffee.

By the time we’re done, Damian is already awake. He seems surprised to see me cheerfully guiding him toward the dining table.

"About last night," he begins, guilt still clinging to his voice.

"Let’s forget about last night. Let’s try trusting each other starting today. No more fights, no more threats," I say, forcing a smile, hoping he’d say ’sure’.

He considers it for a moment, then returns the smile. "No promises... but I’ll try."

Well, small progress is still progress. I’ll take that. Now I need to stay consistent to earn his trust completely so I can manipulate him easily.

The dining table becomes noisy and crowded when Atticus, Cassandra, and five Crimsonbane werewolves join us.

Cassandra keeps blabbering about her upcoming inauguration as Luna. She seems more excited about that than her wedding to Atticus. Atticus doesn’t mind at all, while a few Crimsonbane werewolves offer her empty compliments.

Until,...

One of them says, "A pack can have multiple Alphas and Lunas, but there can’t be two Main Lunas nor Main Alphas at the same time."

Cassandra and the others fall silent, all eyes turning to Atticus, who seems caught off guard.

"Don’t worry about Luna Beatrice," he says.

"Well, she still has a claim to her title if she’s to marry someone from your pack. Which means... whoever that someone is will be a threat to your Alpha title, Alpha Atticus," the Crimsonbane werewolf argues.

Atticus grins cockily. "Luna Beatrice has been suffering from depression ever since my twin brother passed. And I’m sure her depression will become worse now that she lost Torrin too. The council has already favored me over her. We’ll strip her off of her title after my wedding with Cassandra."

Oh my goodness! I forgot Torrin still has a mother! But where is she all this time?

"Alpha Atticus is right," Cassandra chimes in, hugging Atticus’ arm. "No one wants an emotionally and mentally unstable leader."

My fists clench under the table, but I manage to hold back my anger at Cassandra’s insult.

After breakfast, we all head to the pack’s cemetery to bury the fake Alpha Torrin. For the first time, everyone wears black, a stark contrast to their hair and the snowy surroundings.

To my relief, Eric, Beta Samuel, George and the others are here too, unscathed.

Suddenly,...

As the casket descends into the ground, a heart-wrenching scream erupts from a middle-aged woman, whose beauty is hidden beneath her distressed expression and frantic moves.

She rushes toward the casket as if she wants to be buried with it, while several Omegas try to restrain her.

"Please! My son! You promised you won’t leave me too!"

Tears stream down my cheeks.

So, she’s Luna Beatrice? How I wish I could hug her now and tell her Alpha Torrin isn’t dead, just so her pain won’t consume her.

But,...

I stay frozen in place.

Soon, everyone begins to leave after offering flowers and prayers, while Luna Beatrice continues sobbing, her body slumped over the grave.

Without looking away from her, I ask Damian, "Can I talk to her... just to try and comfort her?"

He hesitates, then finally says, "Go ahead. I trust you won’t tell her about Torrin."

That’s another threat. Though at least it doesn’t sound as frightening.

I approach and crouch beside Luna Beatrice. I then open my mouth, but unsure of what to say.

"And you are?" she asks.

"I’m Harleigh Hale."

"You’re Harleigh Hale?" she echoes.

"Yes, Alpha Torrin’s..." I pause to search for the appropriate word. "... friend."

To my surprise,...

Her depressed expression suddenly twists into fury. "So that’s all he is to you?! A friend?! He always told me stories about you! How much he’s in love with you! Are you happy now he’s dead so you can be with your other fated mate?!"

She lunges at me, claws extending and piercing through my shoulders.

The Omegas and Gammas struggle to hold her back as I crawl away.

"My son should’ve listened to the elders about the bad omens you bring! But he didn’t! Now he’s dead, while Damian - his envious and ambitious cousin, is still alive and celebrating with you! Both of you, including Atticus, should be burned alive!"

The Gammas drag her away as Damian helps me to my feet.

"She’s becoming more dangerous each day, even Torrin has to agree to locking her up," Damian mutters.

"She’s a prisoner?" I ask worriedly.

"Not really. She’s in a safer and a more comfortable place than regular prisoners. There are Omegas, nurses and Gammas with her twenty-four seven," Damian replies.

I need to find where Luna Beatrice is being kept, so I can explain everything to her, so she won’t hate me, and so she won’t suffer any more than she already has.

When I’m back in my bedroom, finally alone, I send Eric a text message.

-[Where’s Luna Beatrice being kept?]-

He replies a second later.

-[At the tower near the military camp. It’s highly guarded, that’s why no one can visit her except Alpha Torrin, and now Atticus. Based on what I heard, Atticus keeps going there to mentally torture her.]-

-[Is there a way to let her know that Alpha Torrin is still alive and will come back for her? I’m worried her condition will get worse if she doesn’t find out the truth as soon as possible.]-

As I wait for Eric’s reply, a sudden commotion outside pulls my attention away from the phone.

I hurry to the balcony.

Outside the gates, three chained Frostveil werewolves are being forced to their knees as they face Damian and Atticus.

The longer I stare, the clearer their faces become: George and another Gamma. The third one looks like a doctor based on her white coat.

I rush downstairs and head straight to the gates to better understand what’s going on.

Damian turns toward me and says, "We caught these three through the CCTVs. They drugged the Gammas then healed and fed Torrin."

CCTVs?!

My heart pounds so hard it echoes in my ears as apprehension swallows me whole.

Atticus kicks George in the chest, making him curl in pain on the ground. He then yells, "Tell us! Who else is betraying us aside from you?! If you don’t talk, I’ll include your entire family, even the innocent children, in your punishment!"