My Luna is a Spy

CHAPTER 3

“I found her snooping around. I told you that hiring her was a bad idea,” Joe said, pushing her into another room where Sage stood with two unfamiliar men.

Taylor raised her face to stare at Sage and their eyes met. Joe had scratched her bare arm while dragging her, and she had no choice but to play along so as not to blow her cover.

Sage searched her entire body with his eye and let out a wry smile. “What are you trying to do, Gia? Why do you always have to make me question your values and loyalty?” Sage asked, dragging his words. He was too calm. Too calm that it worried Taylor. He was unreadable. She could not figure him out.

“I did nothing wrong. Joe's been rude and condescending ever since he met me. Just because I saw what you didn't want me to see doesn't make me a bad person,” she spat, glaring at Joe.

“So why were you taking photos?” Sage questioned, standing in front of her.

“I needed leverage and I couldn't look away when I got one,” she replied, shutting her eyes before opening them.

“Leverage against what?” Sage asked.

“I'm a migrant from Beijing. I had a terrible experience back there and I've vowed to do everything it takes to get a better life here. You must have noticed that when you did an identity search on me,” she explained, observing their reaction. Sage's face was expressionless while Joe was vexed.

She breathed in and continued, “I already know that my days at Kinsmen Group might come to an end soon since Joe hates me and would do anything to make me a bad person. I felt that if I had leverage, I could stay.”

“And is that leverage enough?” Sage asked, holding her eyes with his.

“Yes! I don't know what you're doing but I know that you don't want it getting out. Why don't we strike a deal? I'll get an assurance of a stable job at Kinsmen Group and Joe will lay off my back. In exchange, I’ll delete the pictures and seal my lips,” she suggested, rolling her eyes at Joe.

Sage’s lips curved up once more as he approached her. He placed his hands in his pocket, tilting his face closer to hers; he shared a loud whisper, “Since you're sure that I'm hiding something, what makes you think that I cannot seal your lips by getting rid of you?”

She flinched and held her breath. He smelled of fresh sandalwood, clove, and cinnamon. She shut her eyes once more and chuckled. “You aren't that kind of person. I know you, Sage,” she replied, staring into his eyes.

He pulled back, startled at her response. It was so punchy that he felt touched. Was she aware of his feelings or was she trying to flirt with him or stir him into leniency? These thoughts clouded his mind as he rubbed his finger on his lower lip.

Her audacity captivated and charmed him. Never had any woman looked him in the eyes. He was one of the most sought-after bachelors in New York. Named one of the most powerful, influential, and handsome men in the world, his charm knew no bounds, and he was aware of all he had as bragging rights. His hazel eyes make him the cynosure in every room, and his unnaturally brown hair stuck out in the crowd. Even the female werewolves in his pack were often hesitant and quiet around him.

He grinned, checking her out. Then he finally spoke, “We have a deal.”

“What?!” Joe exclaimed, burning with rage.

“You heard the lady, Joe. Just let her be,” Sage said, gesturing to the men that stood by the door. One of them walked towards Taylor, grabbed her phone from her, and deleted the pictures.

“Now, we're good. Let's join the party,” Sage commented and left the room while the others followed behind him.

Sage stepped onto the podium and gave an appreciation speech while stealing glances at Taylor where she stood. She felt his eyes on her and had to leave for the bar before he stopped staring.

“Do you like Gia?” Joe asked Sage during the drive home. He was not yet over the incident and had his eyes on Taylor till the party ended.

“Not really. She amuses me,” Sage replied, browsing through his phone.

“So it's a crush?” Joe pried further.

“What's the problem here, Joe? Are you suddenly my babysitter?” Sage asked with his eyes still on his phone.

“I'm sorry, Alpha, but it's my sworn duty to protect you from anything that could harm you, whatever it may be,” he replied.

“Stop worrying about me. We have more pressing issues to think about. This Augustine dude is getting on my nerves. We lost over fifty million dollars because of the stunt he pulled,” Sage said, fondling with his tie.

“I'll work on it, Alpha,” Joe said, bowing behind the steering wheel.

**********

“Fiona has the images. I can't believe you got to extend your stay after all my ___” Gus complained over the phone.

Taylor knew what he would say so she cut him off instead. “We both know that I can't drop this op. Just look at what I got in one night? Who knows what else that pretentious and dangerous man is hiding? I bet most of the guests last night got that substance. He's definitely selling drugs but no one would have thought that he would do that through an awards party,” she explained.

Even though she always fought Gus, he was still her best friend. He was the only person she felt comfortable sharing her personal information with after Jude's death. They both carried out operations and when she found her late husband's diary, he was the only person who knew that she was out on a personal vendetta to fish out the non-existent werewolves and get rid of them.

“What if this guy is truly a werewolf? Do you know how dangerous they are? Haven't you read about them in books or watched TV? You could be in danger and The Federal might not be able to protect you. We're human, after all,” he stated, his tensed voice resonating over the speaker of the phone.

“I handled yesterday's incident pretty well. They never imagined that the picture had been shared already. Just calm down, Gus. We aren't new to this. It makes no difference if he's a werewolf or human. Everyone will get what they deserve,” she responded.

She chuckled as he shrugged, “Just keep me posted, okay? I won't be able to live with myself if anything happens to you.”

“Copy that, big bro” she teased and ended the call.

Taylor became dedicated to serving Sage more than ever and he compensated her with a bonus. However, despite his accommodating nature, she still felt that there was something strange about him. More like he was mysterious. He was like a fish in a translucent bowl. She could only feel him but she could not see his true self. He would giggle, smile, and even wink at her whenever they were together but would never make any move on her. She felt utterly confused and decided to thread more carefully as he might be setting a trap.

After a press conference at Kinsmen Group, Sage told her to wait at his home while he was busy attending to his guests. Since it wasn't the first time, she went to his mansion and jammed to Kid Ink's, Money and the Power.

Sage walked in on her, vibing and lip-syncing to the song. She noticed him and rushed to turn off the speaker.

“Who asked you to spy on me?” Sage probed, pulling off his jacket while his unwavering eyes pierced into her soul.

Taylor's legs froze and a sweat trickled down the back of her ear. How did he know?

“I don't know what you're talking about,” she replied, looking straight into his eyes.

“You must have thought that I was stupid. Why did you think I kept you around me? From searching my room and office to ambushing the cleaning lady, I knew you were up to something,” he said, walking towards her so his huge frame loomed over her like a brick wall. Taylor moved her right leg backward, shocked at the revelation but he grabbed her hand tightly.

“Sometimes, the sweetest words come from the most dangerous hearts. Stay alert.” - Anonymous.