Chapter 24

I had unpacked almost everything last night leaving remaining boxes still for the work. Skylar and Ashley had helped me quite a lot in unpacking and even Lucas did.

It would be too awkward if I stayed in his room with him, I have never been with any man in my life and suddenly shifting into one had me very nervous and self-conscious. I had to be very careful with every step in the house although Lucas had told me to feel free to do anything. Well, I was going to spend a huge amount of time in this house.

It was lunchtime and Alpha willed to give me his helping hand in making food. Apparently, his cook was on leave for a couple of days, so we had to move our muscles to survive this day.

"You move so freely in the kitchen, you taught you how to cook?" Lucas was at the sink, washing the chemical away from the black grapes.

"My neighbour taught me, we were very close." I solemnly gazed at the onion as it diced it.

He nodded, munching on his grapes. "Can I ask you something?"

I tapped my back of the wrist to my eyes as they slightly blurred. "You just did."

"Let me do the job, you can check the oil," he said and got off of the counter.

"No, it's fine," I assured her. "You were saying something?"

"Uh yeah, I wanted to ask you about your parents. Do they live somewhere else?" He asked.

I stopped cutting and stared ahead for a second. His eyes held curiosity and uncertainty as I gazed in his honey eyes. I cannot run away from my past and I knew about it, someday or another I have to explain to him what happened to me.

I wasn't uncomfortable but I wasn't sure how he would react, he might look down at me and my family which I would not be able to bear. Now that I have started liking him it would be nearly impossible.

I parted to say something but said something else, a signal that my heart was still very sensitive to it.

"What about you?"

"Mine?" He raised his brows cutely while holding a bowl of black grapes he had been munching on. "They are not here."

"Did they—"

He waved his hand. "No, no they are very much alive, just they are not here at the moment. They are on their world tour."

He chuckled and I gave out an unconscious smile.

"Do they know about me?"

"My mother is dying to meet you, but don't worry, they will take some time before coming back."

A loud bang interrupted our normal convo as Lucas and stared at each other before he said, "I'll go and check."

I nodded turning back and doing my job. I heard the sound of the main door being opened and then the slight clicking noise against the tile floor of—probably heels?

Curious that a girl had entered the house I turned off the stove, cleaning my hands with the black apron as I entered the main hall.

I thought that the only person which I hated the most in this entire world was my mom, but never knew that someone else was dying to steal her place.

Obviously, I was talking about Alpha Ava.

"Alpha Lucas." She bowed down in respect.

"What are you doing over here? At this time?" He asked, closing the door behind her.

"I was just—" She cut herself short, her eyes going from shock to a silent glare.

"Luna Heaven." She bowed down to me, but I didn't try to hide my frustration as she took the message before she pulled over in a tight smile.

"Surprised to see you here," she said to me.

I shrugged. "I was meant to one or the other day."

She scratched her neck as she controlled to breathe normally. Lucas was very much enjoying our invisible battle but his face remained professional.

"Anyway." She turned to Lucas. "I was passing by your pack though I would inform you early. I want two of my pack members to go rouges."

Lucas hesitantly looked at me then at her. "Let's discuss that later, come to my office tomorrow."

I was clearly confused, something about these rouges was very unknown to me. I wasn't well knowledged about werewolves but knew basics about them and few stories from Skylar. Rouges were lone wolves if I wasn't wrong they... were rebels? And didn't like staying in the pack.

But whatever it was, Lucas didn't want Ava to continue on this topic, he particularly didn't want me to get involved with it and I let it slide.

Alpha Ava as soon as she came she left, not like any of us cared and even she wouldn't want to be hereafter learning the fact had moved in to live with her 'friend' as she opines.

Lucas and I prepared our whole dinner, keeping our exchanges minimal. Lucas kept giving me unsure looks, fighting his own battle with the complex theories in his mind.

"Is there something you want to share?" I asked. I had been seeing the creases on his forehead since Alpha Ava had informed him about the rouge thing and I just couldn't hold back the query.

He bit his lip pondering. "About the rouge issue, don't worry about it."

I narrowed my eyes confused. "I won't."

He breathed in solace.

"But...about it, what is the rouge issue?" I asked, my fork playing with the food.

His shoulders stiffened but his broad voice balanced his posture. "Don't you know about the rogue system in the country?"

I shook my head innocently.

"If a wolf wants to cut ties with the pack and the Alpha, they contact me. The wolf is brought to me and depending on his reason I decided whether he should be given a chance to shift in another pack or want to live in the jail—"

"Why jail?"

He stared at me, no once daring to avert his eyes. "Because they are very dangerous if left alone and their route is decided on their will. If the wolf holds twisted rules he or she is sent to the jail, until they unravel their will."

"Oh," I muttered. "If that's the case then why were so hesitant about it?"

He ran a hand through his softly combed hickory brown hair, messing its position. "Tomorrow they will be brought to my office and you will be there too. So, I do not want any unnecessary fights."

I got the message he was trying to deliver.

"Alright. I won't go tomorrow," I sipped my orange juice. "Anyway, I don't have any serious issues to attend. You can relax if that's what you are worried about."

He released a breathy chuckle. "You are very smart, my dear."

Well, my heart seriously raced at that endearment, hammering on my poor rib cage.

I cleared my throat, wetting my lips foolishly. "Um... the issue is resolved, I guess."

You are so dumb.

"But in return, I want something too."

He motioned me to continue.

"You see, I have never really seen your wolf properly and I was getting curious to how you will look in your wolf form." I bit my lip. "Can I see your wolf, if you don't mind. I want to see your other side."

***

"Heaven Blaine," Aunt Sheryl, tested her name on her lips, nodding to herself as he smirked.

Alpha Ava gritted her teeth as she spat, "I hate her so much, she came between Lucas and me. I am going to destroy"

"Let's not rush niece," her aunt remarked. "Killing her is not in our plan."

She let out an angry hiss, "She gets on my nerves so easily that all I can see is red, Aunt. Killing will not change our plan, it will only benefit us."

"We will not kill her but use her."

Alpha Ava sat on the opposite sofa to Aunt Sheryl looking puzzled. "How?"

"I'll say when all three of us are present," Aunt Sheryl said. "Heaven, the poor girl, she went through such a sad life."

"What do you mean? You know her?"

Aunt Sheryl only smirked.

Alpha Ava asked again, "Aunt Sheryl, do you know her?"

Aunt Sheryl chuckled, no ounce of kindness in her laugh. But her eyes betrayed her laugh, her Amber's pools of eyes resurfaced with good old memories—the memories even after trying so long she couldn't get rid of it, engraving permanently in her senses.

"How can I forget my daughter?"