Word Count: 1913

~Avia

I lean back in my seat, letting the sun drench me.

"How are you and the Alpha doing?" Cherry's sweet voice asks from beside me. I turn my head, looking at her. Myself, Cherry, Mari and Savea have found ourselves louding out the back of Isaiah's manor, enjoying the heat from the sun. My morning was hectic with everyone running around trying to make sense of what happened to my personal guard, and since I'm not allowed out of sight without one, I'm forced to be in the company of three girl's I struggle to have anything in common with.

"I'm getting there," I respond, exhaling through my nose. With these girls, I struggle just as much to be truthful about what is going on between Isaiah and I, even if they, like Malin, want to hear that our relationship is progressing.

Maybe I'm afraid to admit anything because it entrenches it in proof...I'm with Kadrick, and I love him. I feel nothing for Isaiah, he is a poisonous, horrible man.

Cherry leans forward in her seat, grinning in a way that shows off her perfectly white teeth. "You kissed him, yet?"

"Not yet. He's very intoxicating."

"That much is true..." Savea mutters from the other side of me, not raising her eyes from her book. When I tip my head, I'm surprised to see she's reading some kind of murder-mystery style novel. These girls don't have much to do to fill out their days, so I'm not surprised they resort to reading.

"Do your families know much about Isaiah?" I ask them all.

"Sure they do," Savea says, threads of dark being pulled back behind her hair with slender fingers as she talks. Savea's striking beauty makes a sense of vulnerability swirl in my stomach. She is to be married shortly, I've heard. "They have known him since he was born."

"I get the feeling I'm reading him wrong," I admit, more to myself than any of them.

By no means do I trust Isaiah, but I get the feeling there's more to him than I know, or even Malin and the entire rebellion knows. His control over this Pack relies on far too many other groups, including the girl's families, meaning his power is divided into such a complicated web it's going to be hard to rid of. That's why killing him isn't an option. We need to garner as much information as possible.

"All we know of Isaiah is that he's cold, cruel and can't stand us," Mari mutters grouchily. Mari never seems to have anything nice to say about anyone, a bitterness to her tone that has been forged by something in her past...

"Does he have any friends?"

"One," Cherry says stiffly. "Elise."

Each of the girl's seem to deflate at the mention of this woman's name. Elise. That sounds vaguely familiar, meaning Malin has some research on her, but not as much as she would like. The amount of digging for me to do is only increasing by the minute.

"She hates us too. Those two can be very pretentious when they are together." Mari's brown eyes gleam as they narrow.

"I haven't heard anything about her." I had at least hoped Isaiah would mention her to me.

"We suspect she is going to marry him eventually," Cherry explains lightly, shifting her hair back in a way that has her golden locks tumbling down her back. So there is no alliance to this Elise figure if they have all been so willing for me to seduce Isaiah, who could potentially be her husband. "She has good connections with Isaiah's father."

"And what about Zire?"

"Cherry is in love with the man," Mari reveals, smirking cruelly at Cherry, who swats at her with her blush pink fan. "I however, don't trust him."

"He's so hot..." Cherry sighs, dramatically falling back into her seat, placing her fan over her face. I can't help but giggle, Savea nodding in agreement with her friend. Cherry and her over-the-topness can admittedly be very entertaining, a glimpse of warmth and light in this dark, cold manor.

Even if I don't agree with her taste in men...

"Why don't you trust him?" I ask tentatively. It benefits me greatly to know at least one of these girl's is biased towards Zire. It could help me get information later.

"He's a man, and Mari hates men," Cherry says extravagantly, honey eyes bright, even as Mari kicks her in the shin with her far too expensive shoes. Cherry yelps, slapping her back before tucking her wide brimmed hat more over her head, sulking beneath it. "She would much rather a pretty lady with bright green eyes to occupy her time."

"Shut up Cherry, don't mention Lillia here," Mari hisses, before dragging her eyes back to me. "I have my reasons. I try to stay away from him."

Perfect. I've gleaned that Cherry is in love with Zire, Mari has a love interest who sounds as though does not share her affections, and Savea is soon to be married. Lovers are weak points, easy to use in terms of manipulation. And even though these girls, in all their wealth and blissful ignorance, are people I should hate, my resolve is slowly chipping away, and I'm finding less reasons to hate them beyond my own prejudices. Can they really be faulted for the life they were born into that I envy so desperately?

"He hates me anyway, so that's not hard to do," she adds, mood souring at the topic of Zire.

"Excuse me." I jump at the sound of someone's voice from behind me. It's Caiya. "The Alpha would like to speak to you."

***

I already know why I'm being summoned as I walk into Isaiah's office.

Sure enough, Isaiah sits behind his desk, looking grim, and to his left, Kadrick stands with his hands behind his back, dressed in the black and red guard uniform. I don't so much as gasp in surprise, wearing a mask of indifference as I sit down casually, not sparing him another glance. Thankfully, Kadrick has proven to be a wonderful actor, keeping his gaze pinned to the floor.

"Kenna. Your new personal guard has arrived," Isaiah states, motioning over Kadrick.

I finally catch his eye, smiling tightly. "Hello..."

"This is Kadrick." My boyfriend doesn't so much as tremble as the Alpha speaks, looking neutral, vaguely bored. "He will be perfectly adept at keeping you safe."

I don't wince, although my heart flutters in my chest. Malin seriously agreed to let Isaiah be aware of his name? Kadrick isn't very recognisable to anyone, but it means he will be a known traitor once leaving here, which will mean a death sentence on top of his head. Although I share a similar fate to him...

"Thank you for bringing someone in so quickly," I force myself to say. "I was starting to feel unsafe in here."

"How was your time with the girls?"

"Good," I reply. "I really like them. You don't though."

"They are only mildly infuriating on a good day," Isaiah responds, sweeping his hand back through his dark hair. I can feel Kadrick assessing the tension between the Alpha and I, trying to place where our relationship is. Is he intimidated by him? I still am, and I've been in Isaiah's presence for a few weeks now.

"They mentioned you had a friend, Elise," I push. The more information the better, and this matter is one I can't shake. A future wife is competition for me, and if she already has his affections, I'll have to face this mission with a new strategy. Regardless, Isaiah has made it clear how he feels about me, and it's my move in response. If she comes here, I'll have to make a move.

"Yes. She will actually be visiting here in a few days." Damn it.

I blink coyly, fingers brushing up and down the arm of my chair mindlessly. "Does she stay in your room?"

"No Kenna, she doesn't," he murmurs quietly. How he manages to lower his tone and allow his eyes to drift over me in such a seductive manner is a talent in it's own right. I wish I possessed such skill. "So you're free to visit if you ever become tempted."

My breath catches in my throat. I can feel Kadrick's eyes on me, pinning me down. His impression was that Isaiah is not interested in me, and yet here the Alpha is, speaking to me as though I'm a lover her has thoroughly enjoyed in the past. My cheeks flush, which I hope Isaiah mistakes for his doing.

"I'll be okay. I imagine my dark, lonely nights will now be occupied."

I glance obviously at Kadrick, letting Isaiah understand my intentions. When I look back at him, that cold, dark green gaze is locked on my personal guard, surveying him in an entirely different light. And just like that, Kadrick isn't just a shadow in the corner...He's a threat.

"So you are attracted to average, awfully short men with what I doubt is not much going on inside the head?" Isaiah muses. His tone hints at a joke, trying to rouse a word from Kadrick, to test his worthiness as his guard, but mercifully, my boyfriend doesn't take the bait.

"Just the latter part, actually," I muse, twisting a section of my dark brown hair around my finger. "Which is probably why I considered your offer the other night, Alpha."

His eyes glitter with the challenge. "Ouch."

"He can hear you by the way," I exclaim, the desperation to protect Kadrick's dignity rising up within me. I track Isaiah with my gaze as he stands, rounding his desk toward me. "And just because someone is lower rank than you, doesn't mean you can speak about them that way."

I get up, suddenly flustered and hot, however Isaiah grabs my arm before I get a chance, his grip tight to the point it nearly hurts.

"I'm teasing you, Kenna," he murmurs, his sudden proximity making me twist in his grip, but it remains firm as he tugs me a little closer to him. "I chose this man myself. He is adept at what he does, and will protect you well. I don't take such a role lightly, meaning I had to fill it with who I deemed the most appropriate."

"And I suppose you think that's an honour," I respond, lifting my chin.

His gaze flickers down to my lips, my entire body answering to that single movement, fluttering with anticipation. "More so than you can imagine."

He lets me go, allowing me a moment to rub the tender spot beneath my sleeve. Before Isaiah walks from the door, he pauses in front of Kadrick, who stands a few inches shorter than the Alpha. I can practically see the hatred burning in Kadrick's eyes, the way his fingers clench into fists, trying to stop himself from punching Isaiah, which he would very quickly regret.

"Behave," He purrs to him, before striding from the room.

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