The Choice Between Trust
1781 Words
Chapter 10
Lilly stood frozen between the door and the window.
Her mother's voice still echoed in her mind.
The twins are not your greatest danger.
Then the Watcher's warning followed.
One of them will betray you again.
Lilly's chest tightened.
Which one?
Max?
Bruce?
Or was the watcher trying to make her doubt them?
Three knocks sounded again.
"Lilly."
Max.
His voice was calm, but she could hear the concern underneath it.
She looked toward the window.
The shadow was still there.
Two pale eyes stared through the darkness.
Lilly's hand moved toward the door.
Then stopped.
If the watcher were lying, opening the door would prove she had been manipulated.
If the watcher was telling the truth, opening the door could put her in danger.
She closed her eyes.
Think.
Don't react.
That was the first rule of her second life.
Don't let fear make her decisions.
Lilly took a breath.
"Max?"
"I'm here."
"Are you alone?"
There was a pause.
"Yes."
Lilly looked toward the window.
The shadow hadn't moved.
"How do I know?"
Another pause.
Then Max said quietly:
"You don't."
Her heart skipped.
He didn't try to convince her.
He didn't become angry.
He accepted the question.
"Lilly, open the door only if you want to."
She stared at the handle.
Then slowly unlocked it.
Max stood outside.
Alone.
His silver-black hair was slightly disheveled, and concern was written across his face.
"What happened?"
Lilly looked past him.
The hallway was empty.
She stepped outside.
"Someone was at my window."
Max's expression hardened.
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"Did they threaten you?"
"Not exactly."
"What did they say?"
Lilly hesitated.
"That I shouldn't trust anyone."
Max looked directly into her eyes.
"And do you?"
She swallowed.
"I don't know."
He nodded.
"That's fair."
Lilly hadn't expected that answer.
"You aren't angry?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because trust isn't something I can demand from you."
He stepped closer.
"It has to be earned."
Her eyes burned.
"You already earned it."
Max looked surprised.
Lilly quickly looked away.
"I mean..."
She struggled to find another explanation.
"You've been kind to me."
Max was quiet.
Then he said:
"Maybe I'm trying to be."
She looked at him.
Their eyes met.
Something shifted between them.
A strange warmth.
A pull.
Lilly's wolf stirred.
Mate.
She ignored it.
Not now.
There were too many secrets.
Too many questions.
Max glanced toward her room.
"Can I come inside?"
Lilly nodded.
He entered.
His eyes immediately moved toward the window.
"Show me."
Lilly pointed.
"The writing was there."
Max examined the glass.
Nothing remained.
"Someone erased it."
"It disappeared by itself."
Max looked at her.
"Did you touch it?"
"Yes."
"Then it may have reacted to you."
Lilly frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"I don't know."
He paused.
"But we're going to find out."
The next morning, Max called a private meeting.
Bruce was already waiting.
He looked exhausted.
"Did you sleep?"
"No."
Bruce frowned.
"Neither did I."
Lilly sat across from them.
Max placed a map on the table.
"We have another problem."
"What?"
"The border."
He pointed toward the Northern Territory.
"Three more patrols reported strange tracks."
Bruce nodded.
"And one guard is missing."
Lilly's stomach tightened.
"Missing?"
"Yes."
"Could he have been taken?"
"Possibly."
"By the same people?"
"We don't know."
Lilly stared at the map.
Something wasn't right.
In her first life, there had been no border attacks at this point.
No missing guards.
No Watchers.
No strange symbols.
This wasn't the future she remembered.
The future was changing.
And that meant something else.
Her memories were no longer enough.
She couldn't rely on knowing what would happen.
She had to start creating the future herself.
"What if they're looking for something?"
Bruce looked at her.
"Like what?"
"I don't know."
Max watched her carefully.
"You're thinking about the old chamber."
"Yes."
"The one beneath the estate?"
"Yes."
Bruce frowned.
"You think the attacks are connected?"
"Maybe."
Max nodded.
"Then we'll investigate."
Lilly looked at him.
"Together?"
"Together."
Bruce smiled.
"I like that plan."
They left after noon.
The three of them rode toward the northern forest with six guards.
The deeper they went, the quieter the forest became.
No birds.
No insects.
Even the wind seemed to disappear.
Lilly's wolf became restless.
Something is wrong.
I know.
They eventually reached a clearing.
One of the guards stopped.
"Alpha."
Max looked ahead.
A body lay beneath a tree.
Everyone immediately drew their weapons.
Lilly's stomach twisted.
Max approached carefully.
"It's the missing guard."
Bruce knelt.
"He's alive."
The man groaned.
Lilly rushed forward.
"Don't."
Max caught her arm.
"There could be a trap."
She stopped.
The guard suddenly opened his eyes.
His pupils were completely black.
Lilly stepped back.
"What happened to him?"
The man's body shook.
Then he whispered:
"Moon..."
Max crouched beside him.
"Who did this?"
The guard's eyes rolled toward Lilly.
"Her..."
Lilly's blood ran cold.
"Me?"
The guard grabbed Max's arm.
"She... must..."
His voice broke.
Then he passed out.
Bruce looked at Lilly.
She shook her head.
"I didn't do anything."
Max stood.
"I know."
The certainty in his voice surprised her.
Bruce nodded.
"We know you didn't."
Lilly looked at both of them.
Why did they trust her so easily?
They didn't know the truth about her first life.
They didn't know what she had done.
Yet they were standing beside her.
Protecting her.
She looked down.
"I don't deserve this."
Max heard her.
"What?"
She shook her head.
"Nothing."
They searched the clearing.
Bruce found something beneath the tree.
A small metal object.
He picked it up.
A silver coin.
One side carried a crescent moon.
The other carried a fox.
Lilly's stomach dropped.
"The Fox Kingdom."
Max took the coin.
"Maybe."
Bruce looked at it.
"This could have belonged to a trader."
"No."
Lilly's answer was too fast.
Max looked at her.
"Why are you certain?"
She froze.
She needed to be careful.
"Because Clarence once told me the Fox Kingdom uses symbols like that."
Max said nothing.
Bruce looked at the coin again.
"Then we need to question him."
Lilly nodded.
But something bothered her.
The Watcher.
The feather.
The strange creature.
Now the Fox Kingdom.
Were they connected?
Or was someone deliberately trying to make them appear connected?
When they returned to the estate, Clarence was waiting.
He stood at the entrance with Margaret beside him.
His expression changed when he saw the coin in Max's hand.
Lilly noticed.
His eyes widened.
Only briefly.
But enough.
Max saw it too.
"Do you recognize this?"
Clarence looked at the coin.
"No."
The answer was immediate.
Too immediate.
Bruce stepped closer.
"You're sure?"
"Yes."
Lilly watched him.
His fingers tightened.
Margaret noticed as well.
She placed a hand on his arm.
"Perhaps we should discuss this inside."
Max's eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
Margaret smiled.
"Because people are watching."
Lilly looked around.
The courtyard was filled with guards.
Servants.
Pack members.
Margaret's smile remained.
"I simply meant we should avoid unnecessary rumors."
Max looked at Clarence.
"Fine."
They entered the hall.
Lilly followed.
The discussion lasted almost an hour.
Clarence insisted the coin meant nothing.
He claimed the Fox Kingdom had many traders who visited surrounding territories.
Max didn't appear convinced.
Neither did Bruce.
Lilly stayed silent.
She watched Clarence.
His answers were smooth.
Too smooth.
Then Margaret spoke.
"Perhaps Lilly should stop getting involved in these investigations."
Lilly looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because you're putting yourself in danger."
"I can decide that."
Margaret smiled.
"I'm only worried about you."
"You've said that before."
Margaret's expression tightened.
Clarence noticed.
"Lilly."
"What?"
"You don't have to fight everyone."
"I'm not fighting."
"You are."
Lilly stood.
"Then perhaps people should stop giving me reasons to."
She walked out.
Bruce followed.
Max stayed behind.
Clarence watched them leave.
Margaret leaned toward him.
"We need to do something."
Clarence's voice was low.
"I know."
"What?"
"Lilly is remembering."
Margaret's face went pale.
"Remembering what?"
Clarence looked at her.
"The future."
Outside, Bruce caught up with Lilly.
"Are you okay?"
She nodded.
"I'm fine."
He smiled.
"There you go again."
She laughed softly.
"Sorry."
Bruce stopped walking.
"Lilly."
She turned.
"What?"
He stepped closer.
"You don't have to keep pretending with me."
Her smile faded.
"I don't know how to stop."
"Then don't."
He reached for her hand.
"You can be scared."
She looked down at their hands.
"I am."
"I know."
She looked up.
"Bruce..."
"I don't need you to tell me everything."
His thumb brushed over her fingers.
"Just don't disappear."
Her heart tightened.
"I won't."
For a moment, they stood silently.
Then Lilly felt something.
A pulse.
A warmth.
Her wolf pushed forward.
Mate.
Bruce's eyes changed.
His breathing stopped.
He felt it too.
Neither of them spoke.
Then a voice interrupted them.
"Lilly."
Max.
They turned.
Max stood several steps away.
His gaze dropped to their joined hands.
Something unreadable flashed across his face.
Jealousy?
Pain?
Lilly couldn't tell.
Bruce slowly released her hand.
Max looked at him.
Then at Lilly.
"The council wants you."
Lilly nodded.
"I'll go."
Max turned.
As he walked away, Bruce whispered:
"He's jealous."
Lilly's eyes widened.
"What?"
Bruce smiled.
"Nothing."
That night, Lilly returned to her room.
She opened her mother's journal.
She needed answers.
But before she could read, something fell from between the pages.
A photograph.
Lilly picked it up.
It showed her parents standing in front of the Luna Estate.
Behind them stood two young boys.
Max.
Bruce.
Lilly stared.
They were children.
Maybe ten or eleven.
Her parents were smiling.
On the back of the photograph was a handwritten message.
We trusted them with our daughter's life.
Lilly's eyes filled with tears.
Then she noticed something else.
A dark figure stood in the far background of the photograph.
A silver mask.
A black cloak.
The Watcher.
Lilly's blood ran cold.
The photograph had been taken years before her parents died.
Years before her first life.
Years before Clarence.
The Watcher had been there all along.
Lilly turned the photograph over again.
Beneath the first sentence was another line.
One she hadn't noticed.
If Lilly ever loses her way, the twins will lead her home.
Her breath caught.
She stared at Max and Bruce's younger faces.
Then the bedroom door opened.
Margaret stood there.
Her expression was strange.
"Lilly?"
Lilly quickly hid the photograph.
"What?"
Margaret smiled.
"Clarence wants to see you."
Lilly's instincts screamed.
She stood.
"Why?"
Margaret's smile widened.
"He says he has something that belongs to you."
Lilly's heart began to race.
"What?"
Margaret didn't answer.
She simply stepped aside.
And standing at the end of the corridor...
was Clarence.
Holding the sacred Luna seal.
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