RAPID-FIRE
1520 Words
CELIA
His devilish gaze glared into my eyes, and my heart dropped to my stomach. He was waiting for my lips to confess some horrendous truth.
“Answer me, Rose Lancaster.”
“Why do you have this dagger with you?”
My mind was dwelling on different excuses; none of them seemed to cope with my fear.
“A-Alpha”
His brow twitched at my shaking voice.
“This dagger is for self-defense. As you're aware, the pack house is not exactly a safe place despite being considered a heaven. There are wolfless wolves hiding among us and I'm afraid one of them might try to attack me.” Words finally rolled over my pale lips.
His mouth chuckled.
“You're worried about wolfless wolves attacking you?”
“Of course, they're dangerous!” My timid voice answered, but it felt like I was slandering my own image.
He twirled the dagger's sharp blade between his long fingers, and a smirk arose on the corner of his mouth.
“So you never planned to attack me?” His deep voice said with a certain calmness as if it wasn't a big deal to accuse someone of his assassination attempt.
“I am telling the truth.” My lips uttered the words with courage, though my essence was trembling in immense fear.
It wasn't even twenty-four hours since my feet entered the pack house, and I successfully raised his suspicions.
“Are you really Rose Lancaster?”
“Huh?” My eyes widened.
I thought he would be convinced, but his interrogative mind was far from satisfied.
“What's your father's name?” He asked.
“Joan Lancaster.” My words didn't hesitate.
Soon, it turned into a rapid-fire round.
“Your mother's name?”
“Mary Lancaster.”
“Why didn't your brother join the pack house instead of you?”
“I am the only child of my parents.”
“Weren’t you suffering from a rare disease?”
“It has healed.”
“Your father fought under me last year against one of our enemy packs. He is truly remarkable.”
“I think you're mistaken because my father's one leg is crippled, and that's why he was exempted from the fight.”
Rose Lancaster was my neighbor and there was nothing about her that my family wasn't aware of. She was a sickly child who never revealed her face to the pack, but despite that, I knew every tiny detail about her.
“About your fated mate…”
The moment he mentioned that my face turned pale like dead. It was my overconfidence to think that I knew everything about Rose Lancaster.
Adrenaline rushed down my stream, and fear once again replaced my courage.
“What was his name again?” He narrowed his eyes.
I had no idea about her fated mate.
“Speak!” His husky voice commanded.
“Ahm…his name is…”
Suddenly, the door slammed against the wall, and a guard gushed inside. He attracted our attention, and Killian’s devilish gaze at last left my face.
“ALPHA!” That guard's groan echoed through the room.
He sucked in a breath and his fingers brushed through the sweat matted on his forehead. His eyes were scared for some reason.
“The maid who disappeared from the kitchen a few days ago, we found her body in the garden’s well.”
“We he-ard the news from a guard that a wolfless is am-ong us and Gamma strongly believes it was her doing.” His tongue stumbled over his words.
My soul was completely shaken!
The guard was talking about me, but I didn't kill any maid. In fact, I was at the training castle when she went missing.
Everything was falling apart.
There was another wolfless, the one who probably killed the maid. Only the Moon Goddess knew what that wolfless was planning under their sleeves, but everything was coming down to my name.
If this continues, my secret will soon be revealed, and death might approach me before I can find Hayes.
Killian glared into my eyes once again.
“Go back to your room!” He ordered.
Fortunately, the rapid round was over, but I needed to know about Rose's fated mate. Killian Salvatore wouldn't let go of this matter so easily.
I bowed my head and anxiously left the room, walking past the guard at the door.
For the rest of the day, Killian didn't summon me, but his silence disturbed my peace and caused me to worry a lot.
“Who could be the other wolfless wolf?” My lips murmured in deep thought.
“An old member or a new member?”
As far as I remember, all the new members were thoroughly checked at the training castle except me.
“Did someone else also escape the check?”
A breath slipped free of my lips.
“As if accusing me of assassination wasn't enough, Killian even confiscated my dagger.”
***
In the evening…
My feet stepped out of my room and headed downstairs to the main hall. I was surprised to see many people lingering around a huge painting attached to a polished red wall.
“What's going on?”
I walked over to the crowd and was stunned to see the painting. It was Alpha Killian's gorgeous picture, drawn with much effort. One could tell the painter paid attention to every tiny detail, even a small mole beneath his charming lips.
“So, how's the new attendant doing?” A familiar voice reached my ears.
My head turned in the direction of that voice and saw Dania. She smiled at me and moved closer.
It was our first meeting after entering the golden gates.
“Attendant's job is quite difficult, especially when our Alpha is suspicious of me.” My lips told her the truth.
“That means Alpha Killian is living up to the frightening rumors about him.” Dania mumbled sarcastically.
I couldn't hide my smile.
While catching up with Dania, my eyes sneakily glanced around the main hall, and I noticed a few guards checking the claws of the pack house members. They were still investigating.
Fear crawled over my skin.
“Rose?”
“Huh?”
“What's wrong?” Dania inquired.
“Ahm…nothing!”
It was Killian's strict orders to catch the wolfless before midnight.
“What is this painting for?” I asked out of inquisitiveness, hoping to find a way.
“Tomorrow is oath day for all the new members. Every new member will scratch their palm with claws and leave a blood handprint on Alpha's painting, vowing to serve under him for the rest of their lives.”
“This happens every year.”
One after another, hurdles were trying to push me off the rail. First, the checking, then the search for the wolfless, and now the oath day.
It was a road filled with hidden mines.
At that time, I decided to do something vicious.
To distract everyone from the topic of wolfless, something bigger had to grab their attention.
Later, everyone went to the common dining area for dinner, even the guards. There was no one near that gorgeous painting.
I was sharing a table with Dania.
“Oh! My salad is finished.” My words muttered softly.
“Go get more.” Dania replied.
I got up from my seat and walked over to the salad counter, yet my feet changed their way to the kitchen.
Luckily, no one noticed me.
There were only two maids inside, immersed in gossiping behind their masters. They didn't even realize I stole a matchbox from the kitchen island.
When everyone else was busy enjoying the delicious food on their tables, my feet stood before the huge painting.
I lit up the matchbox in my grip and set the painting on fire.
My heart felt guilty about ruining someone's effort, but that was the last resort to save my neck.
I went back to my table in the dining area, throwing the matchbox into the dustbin, and grabbing a plate of salad on my way.
A guard who was checking the pack members earlier started taking rounds in the dining area. He was trying to locate someone suspicious.
My mind was counting numbers, and the news broke out when that guard's curious gaze fell upon my table.
“ALPHA'S PAINTING IS BURNING!” One of the maids shouted.
The peace turned into chaos.
Jaron had taught me that one distraction can replace another. It worked out perfectly.
Everyone rushed out of the dining area and gathered before the painting. It was badly destroyed, with only ashes left.
“A-Alpha!” A guard opened his mouth in utmost fear.
All the heads in the hall turned to the stairs, following that guard's gaze. Killian was standing on the last stair, and Gamma was beside him.
“WHO DID THIS?” Gamma questioned.
In the room full of people, Killian's eyes met mine.
Why is he looking at me like that?
Don’t tell me…did he catch on?
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