LUCA

        I could have shown Ellie and Jayson that I was awake when they walked into the room. I could have moved and given them a sign that I wasn’t really asleep and I could everything they had to say but I didn’t bother.

        I knew it was rude to listen in but something was wrong with Ellie after we left the cells. She didn’t want to speak to me. She couldn’t even look at me. Hell, she threatened me with death, and that was something she had never done before – she should have known that I would never let anything happen to Elliot and her pup.

        I would rather die myself than see anything happen to Elliot. She was a sweet girl, somewhat shy and cautious around new people, but she was sweet nonetheless and she made people fall in love with her so easily. It was impossible not to love her because she was too lovely for her own good.

        I can’t imagine what I would do if anything was to happen to Michael and Daniel. I would kill the person who dared to do anything to either of them because they were my world. They were the reason for the smile on my face when I woke up in the morning and went to bed at night. They were the reason for my constant stress because of their non-stop arguing over some toy or over who I love more – I have to keep reminding them that I love them both equally and they’re both my two favourite boys. They are even the reason I want to cry sometimes.

        But I love them. I love them and I would do everything to keep them safe. I know what it’s like to love something so much you would drop everything in a heartbeat so I would put myself in harm’s way before I allowed anything to happen to Elliot and Jackson’s defenceless pup.

        Something is wrong. I can feel it. That’s never a good sign. You only ever speak when there’s something wrong and you can’t usually tell me what the problem is. I have to work that out for myself.

        No. It’s Charlotte. She’s with someone else. It’s probably nothing. She has told me before that she has a lot of different friends that she likes to spend time with. She even knows a couple of rogues which is why is she comes home smelling a little strange some days. I am used to it.

        This is different though. She’s different. And I don’t know what it is. You are probably panicking about nothing. I will speak to her about it tonight when we get back home and I am sure she will have a reason for what you’re feeling.

        I hope you’re right. I really do. I am always right. Charlotte would never do anything to either of us. She certainly wouldn’t do anything which would put the boys in danger. She would rather die than see anything to happen either of those. I hope that’s the case anyway.

        And there is was. The seeds of doubt which my wolf had so kindly planted in my mind. Charlotte had never done anything to show me that she didn’t love me and she had never done anything other than the best for our boys. There was no way in hell that she was up to something off the books.

        She would tell me if there was something wrong. She would come to me and ask for help if she needed it. There was no way she would go behind my back and plan something which was only going to end with people hurting at the end of it. She cared too much for the people in this pack to do that to them.

        I quickly pushed the thought to the back of my mind as I went back to listening to the conversation which was going on around me. All of them foolish enough to believe that I was actually still asleep and I couldn’t hear a single thing they were saying.

        I was a freakin’ werewolf. I had increased hearing and the slightest noise could wake me up – though that is due, in part, I was a trained warrior and that meant I had to be far more alert than your average wolf anyway. I couldn’t believe that they seemed to have forgotten that small amount of information as they talked about me like I wasn’t in the room.

        I didn’t want to believe what I was hearing. I didn’t want to believe that Ellie actually thought I was trying to kill her pups and Blake. I didn’t even want to believe that she actually thought in the plan to overthrow her in favour of James’ son.

        I hated James. He made my life hell and he enjoyed doing it. He spent all his time with my mate and he never seemed to stop threatening the lives of my children. He would have me working deliberately long hours so that I never saw either of my children and, if I failed to do anything he wanted me to do, I was injured to the point I was just about able to work – and I only took the beatings I did so that James never touched the boys.

        When we were told that he was dead, I literally had a party and more than three-quarters of the pack turned up to celebrate the fact that asshole was finally dead. When I discovered that Ellie was going to be our Alpha, I had literally never been happier to hear a piece of news, I knew she was going to be different and I knew she was going to do good by this pack.

        And, when she remembered who the hell I was, I was even happier. Though not as happy as when she told me I was going to be her Third in Command and her personal bodyguard because of how strong I was. I didn’t stop smiling for a month after both of those things happened and I knew life was going to get better from then on.

        For the last two years, I had stood by Ellie’s side and I had done everything she wanted me to do, so to know that she actually thought I was planning to kill her did hurt. It hurt a whole lot more than the thought of Charlotte rejecting me for some reason. Ellie was my best friend, she had been my best friend since the day we met, I had never done anything to even suggest that I wanted her dead – I could have cried but I held it in and I continued to pretend that I was asleep until I heard Blake and Ellie walk out of the room with each other.

        “You don’t really think Luca would do anything? Do you?” Jackson spoke into the silence. His voice was lowered slightly and I could tell that even he was thinking about the possibility of me actually betraying one of the people I cared about more than anything.

        “I couldn’t comment. I don’t know the guy well enough. But, from what I have seen, I don’t think he would be stupid enough to go against Ellie. He cares about her a lot and I am sure he would rather die himself before he allows her to die,” Jayson sighed quietly. At least someone believed I was innocent and didn’t think I had it in me to organise the death of my best friend.

        “He’s had plenty of chances to kill her. He is, after all, her personal guard whenever they travel away from the pack. If he wanted her dead, he would have done it by now,” Jackson replied.

        “I think this pack member, whoever the hell it is, has told Ellie that Luca is out to kill her just to make her second guess every decision she has ever made involving Luca. There is something else going on here and I think we need to find out what the hell it is. Before Ellie does something stupid,” Jayson said seriously.

        “Jonah. That would be the name of the pack member who is stirring up shit,” I finally spoke into the darkness. Well, the room wasn’t actually dark, I was just sat in a dark corner and that made everything else seem darker than it actually was. “And good to know you always thought I was bad news Jackson.”

        “I didn’t know you. There was just something about you which screams traitor but I don’t know what it is,” Jackson defended himself. It was a crappy excuse if ever I heard a crappy excuse. He shouldn’t have judged me if he didn’t know me. I didn’t judge him when I first met him and, the more time we spent together, the more I actually grew to like him and thought of him as a friend.

        Apparently he didn’t feel the same way about me and he actually thought there was something about me which meant I would snap at a moment’s notice. I would never do anything to Ellie and, even if I was planning to kill her, I certainly wouldn’t do it now that she has the pups to take care of – I may have been heartless in my past but I wasn’t heartless enough to take a mother from her children.

        “I would just like to refer you to your previous comment. If I wanted her dead, I would have done it by now. Being her personal guard and everything,” I muttered coldly.

        “Who is Jonah anyway?” Jayson asked.

        “He was the guy Blake picked to the Beta of your old pack before he moved here with Ellie. However, when you didn’t come back and your pack fell apart, Jonah begged Ellie for help but the only thing she could do was combine your pack with her own and Jonah willingly agreed to do it. Turns out he was only doing it to get closer to Ellie so that he could help with the plan to kill her,” Jackson told him as Elliot stirred a little. I thought she was about to wake up but she simply rolled over and cuddled herself into Jackson’s body.

        He winced a little from the pain as she grabbed hold of the injuries on his side and mumbled in her sleep about she needed him to wake up. She told him that she needed him, that they needed him, they wouldn’t be able to cope if he died – the look of shock on Jackson’s face made me wish that I had a camera on me in that moment so that I could capture it.

        “Why would he want El to believe you want her dead?” Jayson asked. He was oblivious to the look currently covering Jackson’s face and it was almost comical how he continued like nothing had happened.

        I told you there was something off. And you didn’t listen to me. I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. You are wrong. Whatever you are thinking. You’re wrong.

        Think about it. I recognised the smell when we walked into the cell and I know you did too. The smell which Charlotte is constantly covered in. It probably doesn’t mean a thing. Just because she smells of Jonah on a daily basis doesn’t mean she was with him. They could have simply come into contact with each other. You are just trying to think the worst about our mate without giving her a chance to explain.

        I don’t want to accept that our mate is a liar. But it all makes sense. Think about it Luca. I am thinking about it and it doesn’t make sense. She doesn’t have a reason to want Ellie dead. She doesn’t even know the girl because she never leaves our house. And, when she does leave, it’s only for her to see her friends. I’ve never even properly introduced her to Ellie.

        It wouldn’t hurt to ask her. And have her hate me for accusing her of being involved with something she doesn’t even know about? I don’t think somehow.

        Just this once. Trust me. Speak to her. And if you’re wrong? If she’s not involved with anything and you have got it all wrong? I will be blamed for whatever happens and I will have to deal with the consequences of your accusations. I don’t really feel like dealing with that. Not after having people who are supposed to be my friend accusing me of something as preposterous as killing Ellie.

        I can tell something is off. We will know if she’s lying. Speaking to her won’t hurt. Fine. If it will get you to leave me the hell alone, I will speak to her and I will find out that she’s not lying. You are wrong and you will see it.

        “Perhaps we should ask Charlotte?” I suggested against my better judgement. I usually pushed anything my wolf said to the side and ignored what he had to say because he was an idiot and he didn’t know anything. But he seemed so sure that something was off with Charlotte and it was better to talk to her rather than push it to the side.

        “Your mate? Why?” Jackson asked in concern.

        “She would often come home smelling of Jonah. She said it’s because they were friends but, now I think about it, there’s got to be more to it than that,” I sighed. I didn’t want to believe that she could be a part of this but it was looking increasingly more like she was involved and that meant I couldn’t trust anything she had told me in the past. I was actually beginning to think that my wolf might be right.

        I didn’t actually know who Charlotte was at all. All I knew is what she had told me. But all of that was starting to look like a whole bunch of lies and I had no who my mate really was.

- So? What do we think? And do you think this story is moving too slowly with too many twists too soon?