Chapter 21
1446 Words
NORA
I'm in the middle of reviewing the third document when the knock comes.
I paused whatever I was doing and I looked up,to see who was knocking.
Serena is standing at the office door with a container of food in each hand and a warm smile on her face.
"I thought you might have skipped lunch again," she says as I watch her walk into my office visiting room, her gaze landing on me.
I look at the time and realize, it's already far gone.
She's right. I did,skip lunch.
I didn't realize time had already gone this far, I guess I was too focused on pack tasks.
"Come in," I tell her. She's been standing at the visitor room for maybe a few minutes now.
She comes in and sets the food on the corner of my desk and pulls the chair across from me closer and sits.
I watch her settle calmly on the chair.
After that,I close my files just to focus on her.
She served the food and we both ate.
We went quiet for a few moments, before she started talking.
That's the thing about Serena. She talks easily. Smoothly. One topic moving into the next without any obvious joins.
The pack.
The history of the Southern territory. A gathering that happened two years ago that apparently everyone still talks about.
And then Raphael.
She brought him up , I was able to forget about him and focus on pack duties , at least for a few hours .
And now , she's talking about him again. The mention of the name sent chills down my spine.
"He used to hate mornings," she says, smiling at her food. "Would not speak to anyone before nine. Damon learned that the hard way in the first year."
I eat and say nothing.I didn't think he would also hate stuff. I don't know much about him and I never asked about his private life.
I wouldn't dare.
"He's different now," she says.
“He's more settled and running the pack suits him."She added , and took a soft bite on her meal.
She then took a quick glance at me.
And I kept my face steady,our eyes met and she looked away immediately.
She goes on, about little things.For a moment, I wasn't comfortable with her or the talks.
And somehow,I feel this is not lunch.
It's more like a conversation, probably a conversation I wasn't ready to have. Since it's about Alpha Rapheal's.
Somehow, I kept glaring at her and I noticed the way she speaks about him.
"He keeps things very close," she says eventually. "Always has. It takes a long time to really know him."She mutters.
She looks at me when she says that one and I don't why she did that.
She doesn't know him that much, how come she still talks about him , like she had known him for years .
I was told , she never gets to have more direct contact with Alpha Raph.
I didn't want to indulge so I put my fork down and decided to maybe ask her a few questions.
"How long have you two known each other?" I ask.
It was a simple question.
Her smile stays exactly where it is for one second and then does something. She pricks her food slowly and sighs. Maybe it's more than just a sigh, who knows .
"Years," she says. “We go back a long way."She added.
"That's nice," I say.
We are in silent after my last response
She stands to her feet and collects the empty containers and then tells me to take care of myself and not work too late.
I tell her I will.
She leaves after that .
I couldn't help but sit and stare at the closed door.
‘'Sera,' I finally gathered the courage to call out to my wolf , after what seems like a long time.
‘What? isn't it obvious?’ she asked immediately and she rolled her eyes dramatically at me.
'She wasn't here for lunch.'
'Obviously not,' Sera smirked, the moment she answered.
'She seems to know him . She might know more than we thought. Maybe things you don't know about him.'
'Yes,I figured' I couldn't help but agree with Sera on this .
She was watching my face the whole time, especially when she mentioned or talked about Alpha Rapheal's.
I lean back in my chair and wonder what this is about.
'And that smile,' I muttered, 'When I asked how long.'I added, wondering if she did smile.
'It slipped,' Sera says. ‘There's something she's hiding’ Sera concluded.
'Which means the question landed somewhere it wasn't supposed to.'Sera stated again and I went silent.
I stare at the ceiling, with so many different thoughts running through my mind.
I couldn't place my head on one.
'I think we have a problem,' I mutter, almost like I am whispering.
‘'I agree with you,' Sera said, sighing.
'I don't think she's here by accident.'
'No,' Sera said . 'She's not, someone who's on a mission wouldn't be hard to know,I guess' She added, obviously reading more meaning to Serena words that I am.
'She came here for Raphael,Maybe' I told her.
‘'Maybe' Sera agrees.
After a while , I stopped talking to Sera as my mind drifted back to everything Serena had said during lunch.
The specific details she gave me.
The casual mentions, the way she talks about Alpha Rapheal
None of it was accidental.
All of it was placed exactly where it would do the most damage to someone who was still finding their footing in this pack.
Someone who was still unsure of where they stood with the alpha. Someone who could be made to feel like an outsider very easily if the right person pushed the right way at the right time.
She read the situation correctly.
I'll give her that.
'What do we do,' Sera says.
'Play alone,I guess ' I say and shrug ‘'Lets watch how she behaved too'
'And Raphael,' Sera pushed forward.
I picked up my files again and sighs. She's once again, intruding.
'What about him,' I say.
'Are you going to tell him.'
I opened the first document and started going through it.
'Not yet,' I responded casually.
If there's anything going on, I should be able to figure it out myself and not disturb him about it.
'Why not,' Sera asked .
‘ I don't have anything solid yet,' I responded.
Right now, I should focus more on being his Luna more than being intrigued by whatever anyone said.
'i don't think, it will be nice to indulge’
'Fair,' Sera agrees.
'Also,' I continued.
'Also what,' she says.
'I want to see what she does next,' I say.
'Before I say anything. I want to see what she's actually planning.'
Sera is quiet for a moment.
'That's smart,' she finally said.
'Don't sound surprised,' I tell her.
'I'm not surprised,' she says. 'I'm just shocked.'
'Stop talking and let me work,' I tell her.
She goes quiet and I couldn't help but rejoice.
I went back to the document and started going through it,but despite that my mind is not fully settled.
Part of me is still reminiscing over Serena's words.
Her smile.
The way she sat across from me and talked about Raphael like she was reminding me of something.
The way she was drawing a line and standing on one side of it and making sure I knew which side I was on.
Years.
She said they go back years.
What does years mean exactly?
How many years?
What happened in those years?
What does she think those years gave her?
'You're thinking about it,' Sera says.
'I told you to be quiet,'
'I know,' she says. 'You're still thinking about it.'
I close the document.
Open the next one.
Concentrate.
This is not the first woman who tried to make me feel like I didn't belong here.
Iris does it every time she walks into a room. Isolde did it from the moment she arrived. Zoey made it her personal mission back in Kael's pack.
I'm still here.
Every single time I'm still here.
Serena with her containers of food and her carefully placed stories about Raphael is not going to be the one that finally breaks that pattern.
'No,' Sera says firmly.
'I didn't say anything,' I tell her.
'You were thinking it,' she says. 'And I'm agreeing. She's not going to be the one.'
I almost smile at that.
Almost.
I pick up my pen and get back to work.
- Writer
