Page 12 of Alpha’s Fake Marriage

Was she a mole? Was it all fake?

No… surely that couldn’t be right, because according to her father, Irina was a missing person. She had to be trying to escape him.

“We need to tread carefully, Ratty,” I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil raging within me. “Irina’s life may depend on it.”

As the shock of the revelation washed over me, a sense of urgency gripped my heart like a vice, driving me forward with a single-minded determination. I couldn’t afford to waste a moment, couldn’t stand idly by while the danger that loomed over Irina’s life potentially grew ever closer.

“Ratty,” I said, my voice tight with emotion. “I need you to do everything you can to find out more about Irina’s father’s pack. We need to know who we’re dealing with and what they’re capable of. We need to find out if they’re coming here.”

Ratty nodded, her expression mirroring my own sense of urgency. “I’m on it, Octavio. I’ll leave no stone unturned, no lead unexplored. We’ll get to the bottom of this, I promise.”

With a nod of gratitude, I watched as Ratty set to work, her fingers flying over the keys with a speed and precision that left me in awe. As she delved deeper into her research, I felt a sense of unease gnawing at the edges of my mind, a fear of the unknown that threatened to consume me. Consume all of us whole.

SEVEN

IRINA

As I walked into the office, the warmth of the morning sun kissing my skin, a sense of contentment washed over me like a gentle wave. Today felt different somehow, lighter and more hopeful as if the world itself was smiling down upon me.

But as I made my way to my desk, a cloud of unease settled over me. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled with an inexplicable sense of foreboding. And then I saw him—Octavio—his expression guarded and distant, his eyes flickering away from mine as if I were a stranger.

Confusion gnawed at the edges of my mind, a thousand questions racing through my thoughts like a whirlwind. What had I done to deserve this coldness from him? Had I said or done something to upset him without realizing it? I thought our date went really well and the kiss was magical.

Oh God, had I been foolish? Imagining everything was perfect when it wasn’t?

As I settled into my chair, the weight of Octavio’s distant demeanor pressing down upon me like a heavy burden, I couldn’t shake the feeling of hurt and confusion that gnawed at the edges of my heart. What had happened to the easy camaraderie we had shared? The warmth and laughter that hadfilled the air between us like a sweet melody? How had our date somehow ruined everything when it felt like the best night of my life?

As the day wore on, the weight of Octavio’s distant demeanor bore down upon me like a heavy burden, the silence between us growing more pronounced with each passing moment. I couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the air, a palpable tension that seemed to crackle with unspoken words and unexplained emotions.

With a heavy heart and a sense of trepidation gnawing at the edges of my mind, I resolved to confront Octavio, seek out the truth behind his distant demeanor, and mend the fractured bond that had once bound us together.

“Octavio,” I began tentatively, my voice barely above a whisper as I approached his desk. “Is everything all right? You seem... distant today.”

Octavio’s gaze flickered away from mine, his expression guarded and unreadable. “Irina, I... It’s nothing, really. Just... a lot on my mind, I guess.”

The words hung in the air between us, heavy with unspoken meaning and unresolved tension. I could sense the distance that had grown between us, a gaping chasm of uncertainty and doubt that seemed to stretch on into eternity.

“No actually, you’re right, Irina.” The sharp change in Octavio’s mind left me whip-lashed. “We need to talk.”

My heart skipped a beat at his words, a sense of dread settling over me like a dark cloud. What the hell was going on?

“Okay,” I replied weakly, feeling jelly like in the knees as I spoke. “What is it?”

“Irina,” Octavio began gently, his voice tinged with sadness. “I know about the fake information you gave me. I found out.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut, the weight of guilt pressing down on me like a heavy burden. I had known thatthis moment would come, had dreaded it with every fiber of my being. But now that it was here, I found myself at a loss for words, my throat constricted with emotion.

“I’m sorry, Octavio,” I whispered, the words barely audible above the rustle of the wind. “I never meant to deceive you. I was just... scared.”

Octavio’s expression softened at my words, a flicker of understanding in his eyes. “I know, Irina. And I forgive you. But we need to talk about what’s really going on. The truth. If we’re going to continue working together and… well, maybe more, then I need to know it all.”

The weight of guilt settled heavily on me as Octavio’s gaze bore into mine, his eyes searching for answers in the depths of my soul. I could feel the shame burning bright in my cheeks as I stood before him, my heart heavy with regret for the deception that had driven a wedge between us.

“I’m sorry, Octavio,” I whispered, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. “I truly never meant to lie to you. But I had no choice.”

With a heavy sigh, I gasped, knowing that there was no turning back now. It was time to lay bare the secrets that had haunted me for so long, to reveal the truth that I had hidden deep within the shadows of my past.

“I grew up in a world filled with darkness and deceit,” I began tentatively, my voice barely above a whisper. “My father... he’s a bad man. He’s a monster, a cruel and heartless man who would stop at nothing to get what he wants. He’s the reason I have always been afraid of wolf shifters… until I met you.”

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