~Kade~
The Alphas had all been shown to their rooms where they would spend the night. In the morning, we would continue to think of a plan of attack against the Emberclaws. I stood awake in my room by the window and looked at the dark sky. The moon was at its peak. It was the second day after the full moon, which meant the Emberclaws had their sacrificial ritual yesterday. The thought of Layla being there was causing my heart more pain than it had ever experienced. I tried not to think about her, but it wasn’t easy.
Hesitant knocks banged against my door, and I glanced at the clock as I walked over to open it. It was two-thirty a.m., so everyone should’ve been in their rooms. I opened the door and stared down at Anna, who was smiling timidly and keeping her frame small.
“What are you doing up?” I asked her.
She rubbed her hand up and down her arm and chewed on her lip.
“I talked to your mom after dinner and thought she was confused about you and Danielle. She said that there had to be a reason behind it and that you would never hurt Layla again,” she said and looked up at me through her thick lashes.
I smiled and stepped aside to let her in. Something about my mom trusting my decisions and knowing there was a plan did warm my heart.
I closed the door and put my hands in my pockets as I let my shoulders fall.
“I’m sorry that I jumped to conclusions, but if you had seen you two from where I stood, you would’ve taken that leap as well,” she said with a quick swirl on her feet and her finger pointed in the air.
“It’s all right. Don’t worry about it. I’m sure it looked bad from where you were standing,” I said and nodded. I understood what it must’ve looked like, but I was glad that Anna was here right now and she trusted me.
“So, are you going to tell me the plan or keep me in the dark?” she asked.
I pulled the armchair around to face Anna as I sat on the sofa.
“After Danielle left me, word spread, and within days, I had Alphas calling to see how well the pack was being run. Some had honest concerns, those who were loyal to our family, but some were waiting for that peak moment when they could finally hear that Alpha Kade was weak and unfit to rule the pack. They were waiting like vultures for me to fall to my knees in pain and grief, but that day never came. Instead, I got my reputation. I went on a killing spree, and many say that my pack was better for it. Nobody knew that Danielle had come back. I made sure that the information never left the pack grounds, but now that she’s here, they assumed that we had fixed things, and they think that she’s my mate,” I said everything exactly as it was because I wanted her to know the truth and for her to believe that I wasn’t actively trying to keep her in the dark.
“Are you pretending to be together?” she asked with a loud hint of distaste and disgust.
“We are, but, Anna, you have to understand, if they find out that I have another mate only to later find out that she’s an Emberclaw, Layla will be in more danger than she is now. Not only will some packs do anything they can to hurt me, but once they realize her powers, powers that no other wolf has, they’ll never stop coming for her,” I said and leaned forward, placing my elbows on my knees.
Anna leaned back. She created space between us, and in her eyes, I saw the uncertainty she felt over my words.
“Please just play along and believe me when I say that this is for Layla,” I said, nearly begging. I couldn’t have Anna thinking that I would ever hurt her friend. Anna and I had grown closer over the past months. Just as I would never do anything to hurt Layla again, I wouldn’t ever want to hurt Anna either.
She brought her hands together and sighed as she sunk into the sofa.
“I guess as long as you guys don’t have feelings for each other anymore, then it should be fine to pretend for a few days.” She wasn’t all that convinced by her own words and even less so when she saw my reaction.
She leaned her head forward, and her eyes penetrated mine in a deep stare.
“You don’t have feelings for each other, right?” she asked. She pulled up the sleeves of her white hoodie as they fell over her hands.
“I don’t,” I answered honestly.
Her mouth fell agape, and her body slumped back. Her head subtly turned from side to side.
“Then you can’t do this,” she whispered.
“The only girl I care about, the only one I love is Layla, you know that! This thing with Danielle, it’s a hoax to make sure that Layla stays safe.”
“If that were true, it wouldn’t be so easy for everyone to buy the fact that you’re a loving couple. They ate it up without hesitation. Why do you think that is? How can a room full of Alphas not see that they are being played? Because they’re not, pretending to love someone shouldn’t be easy and selling it should be even harder. Have you rejected her yet?” Anna asked.
I leaned back this time when it felt like her words pushed my shoulders against the armchair. My body fell like cement on the soft, and it felt like the fabric was closing around me, suffocating me.
Just as Anna saw the answer to her question in my eyes and began defending down a thorny path of anger and judgment, there was a hard knock on my door. I let out a low, rumbling growl and watched as Anna’s head snapped to the side when she heard me.
I was already agitated, tired, and on the brink before Anna had walked in, so having another guest was the last thing I wanted.
“Sit,” I said and pointed at her when she stood to her feet. Anna slowly sunk back down and didn’t say another word, for which I was grateful.
I opened the door, and like a punch to the gut, I groaned and shook my head. Of course, this would be happening.
“I couldn’t sleep and just wanted to see if you were up so we could talk for a bit,” Danielle asked with a soft smile.
I hung my head and took a small step to the side. I looked over my shoulder at Anna, who sat with her arms crossed and a fire in her eyes that I hoped would dim down soon. It’d been there for a long time now.
“I don’t think now is a good time,” I said and pinched the bridge of my nose.
“Are you okay?” Danielle asked and stepped closer.
I didn’t have to look to know that Anna was standing behind me. I heard her steps and felt her glare at the back of my head.
Danielle leaned to the side and looked past me, her eyes locked with Anna. She smiled and cautiously waved her hand.
“Hi,” she said with that honey-sweet voice that got everyone under her spell. Until now.
“You two haven’t rejected each other yet?” Anna snapped in a steady tone and a hardening glare. My head snapped to the side. I turned and looked at her. Danielle’s jaw dropped, and her shoulder slumped in a defenseless stance.
