Page 32 of Brutal Alpha Beast
While that may be true, I decide to keep a watchful eye on her as I assume my leadership duties as normal.
***
On my way home from Sawyer’s pack, the rain begins to fall. I gaze up at the heavens and realize that it’s going to storm.
Morale has been fairly low recently, given that more and more pack members are noticing the deterioration of our nature. At least the rain will be good for the soil.
I’m about to shift, and then I notice Danielle.
She’s rushing into town, preemptively shielding herself from the rain. Nothing is too out of the ordinary, but then I notice the path she’s taking.
It’s a shortcut behind the trees, a path that only our pack guards know about. It’s a path that they take when we’re under attack.
I pause, rain droplets violently stabbing the back of my neck. There’s just no way she could have found that path by herself. No way at all.
I run, my shoes squelching in the mud as I follow her. Anger rises in my chest.
What I’m sick of is the lies. If they have spies here on our side, then we should have spies on their side, too.
Danielle doesn’t hear me coming. She’s running now to get out of the rain, but I’m faster, and the skies rumble as my feet smash against the muddy floor.
“Danielle!” I yell.
She turns sharply, droplets dripping down the frame of her face.
“We need to go inside!” she calls, “it’s pouring out here.”
She turns, heads in the other direction, but I’m faster. I block her path, and she darts me an incredulous look.
“What are you doing?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
She looks at me as though I’m crazy.
“You’re spying, aren’t you?” I can no longer hold it in. “Penelope agreed to this marriage and sent you to keep an eye on the pack. Is that what's going on?”
She pauses. She looks confused as hell, and if she’s acting, she’s putting on a good show. Then, her face twists with anger.
“Have you been following me?”
I scoff. It’s crazy she thinks she’s the one who should be upset.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“I can’t believe you!” She shouts, running a hand through her hair, which is wet with icicle-looking droplets. “It’s so hard for you to trust a witch, isn’t it? Danielle steps forward, her eyes bright. “You just can’t accept—“
A big gust of wind swirls between us, so loud that it drowns out her voice and causes her to stop.
“I’m trying to trust you,” I yell above the wind. “But how do you know about this route? It doesn’t make any sense?”
She’s not listening; instead, her eyes are widening with fear at something behind me. She’s paralyzed.
“Danielle?”
Then she screams. “Ellis, watch out!”
She hurtles herself toward me so quickly I can barely make sense of what’s going on.
