Alice and The Rogue Wolf

Chapter 13

*Damn it!" I yelled at myself once I was far off.

How could I let my guard down around Brayden? I had just revealed to my archenemy that I was helpless around him. Just great!

A giggle, however, escaped my lips as I dragged my feet across the hot and dusty terrain. I took a sniff of my hair and I could perceive his cologne had stuck indignantly mixed with a rich dose of his manly scent.

"What on earth would lead such a man to murder my father?" I pondered.

From stories I had been told and from what I could remember, my father was nice, caring, and wise all at once. He'd never consider himself above others so why would he consider the Excelsis above the Rogues to the extent of prohibiting marriage between the two packs? Something about the whole situation leading up to my father's death didn't sit right in my ears.

I thought of requesting an explanation from Brayden but pushed the option off the table as it would only make the brown-eyed rogue grow suspicious and in the long run, expose my true intent. Perhaps, I could seek an in-depth explanation from someone when I return home. With this renewed couraged, I doubled my pace, I marched towards Jonathan's house eager to enjoy some alone time but was beaten to it by my mother whose car was parked in the driveway,

As the door closed gently behind me, I heard utensils rattling in the kitchen. so I crept up quietly and leaned on the doorpost oblivious to mom, who had her back to me. As I watched her move about, grabbing pots and chopping foodstuffs, I couldn't help admiring the fine independent woman that stood humming a familiar tune.

Those battle-dealt hands which moved in rapid up and downs as she sliced up the cabbage, her mildly broad arms that gave the warmest of hugs, and her bountiful bosom, one that every woman her age envied, all fell into proportionate positions in an average-heightened frame. Her hair, which fell all to her shoulders, was usually wound up in a messy bun, and just as any other day mom left it that way.

"Hey, Mom! You're back early," I announced my presence as I joined her in the kitchen.

"Hey, Alice." She had a taste of the rippling tomato soup. "I just wanted to make sure you had lunch once you returned from wherever you went."

That was a change of attitude from mom, who a few days ago would have nagged about me going out. Perhaps Jonathan didn't fill her in on my whereabouts and I didn't want to ruin the relaxed atmosphere, so I kept it to myself.

"Those grilled cheese rolls look delicious," I complimented, reaching in the bowl of cheese before mom could stop me.

"When you're done with that piece you can kiss the rest of the meal goodbye, you greedy fellow!" My mother teased, receiving a pretense wail from me.

It has been a long time since I last saw my mother this cheerful, well, with me at least. She helped out in any way she could but she was always so buried in work that she rarely had the time for mother-daughter moments like this. If I was being honest, I felt like spending so much time in her work was like a window of escape.

As we settled down for lunch, the silence returned but this time it was not as thick as before. We were both focused on our meal, but my mind had drifted off as usual to thoughts about Brayden. I contemplated bringing up the issue but was uncertain about how to go about it.

I looked up from my plate only to see mother already staring at me searchingly. Backing down now was not an option as I knew if I didn't ask the questions, she would.

"Okay, Mom. Lately, I have been missing dad!" I stated plainly.

The moment my words flew past her ears, she began coughing; a food chunk was stuck in her throat. It took minutes and a glass of water to get her to breathe steadily, and when she finally settled, she pushed her food aside.

Her reaction to my words was a lot fiercer than I imagined. I knew opening up old wounds was sure going to hurt. But hurt enough to make her lose her appetite? It didn't occur to me. I could feel my tears, as well as hers, threatening to escape but I needed her to talk so I hung on.

"I miss him too!" Her voice was slowly losing its usual authoritativeness. "I'm sorry you're seeing me like this. I've just been trying to be strong for you for so long."

"Mom, you don't have to. Sometimes, you have to, you know, let yourself grieve." I heaved a slow but long sigh. "But how did he die, though?"

Her head which was bowed suddenly sprang up. She looked alarmed. "I told you he was murdered by a band of Rogues."

"I know mom. But what was the reason for his death? I have thought this over and over but still, things don't feel right."

With a look of resignation, mother reclined back into her seat. "I told you what I know happened. If you think something doesn't sit right then you go and talk to Brayden. Surely he must know something as he fought in the battle as well."

What mother just said was at the very least convincing. There was nothing in her speech that I hadn't heard already from others. I was expecting a more lucid and detailed explanation, not this. Besides, how could she claim not to know all the details about her husband's death? That sounded quite unusual.

"But mom, I have been told by one of the sages I visited that the Luna's are mandated to be on the battlefields fighting alongside their spouses. Besides, for as long as I can recall you and dad were always together."

"So?"

"So, you and dad were together on that battlefield, weren't you? "

Perhaps, she was hiding all her emotions in, or in truth, she wasn't lying; the first one being the most likely, but my mother kept a straight face. She looked me dead in the eye and after a couple of seconds of suspense, she nodded in the negative to my question.

"C'mon Mom!" I nagged, but she gathered the plates and headed back into the kitchen to get them rinsed.

"That was weird!" I mumbled to no one.

I thought of going back in there to pester her more but she gave me no chance, shutting the door behind her. It was obvious she was withholding something and it seemed the more I was around her, the more her defenses weakened. Perhaps I needed to give her a break.

I headed up the stairs to the room I now shared with Jonathan, awaiting his arrival. Having lost the one clue I thought I had, he seemed to be the only chance I had left at finding out what happened to my father. I checked the wall clock whose loud ticks were depriving me of the serenity of the room; two hours had wheeled by. That meant I still had a couple of hours to spare before Jonathan returned in the evening. Feeling exhausted, I gave in to the thought of a quick nap.

****

"Is she dead?" I heard a masculine voice whisper as I slowly parted my eyelids to see Jonathan and mother both sitting on both sides of the bed.

"What is going on?" I was feeling drowsy but after a few hand rubs on the eye, I was as alert as could be, sitting. I looked out the window and soon figured out the reason for their worry.

"Do your naps usually last this long?" Jonathan blurted out. "Three hours?"

"you scared us a bunch. We almost thought you were dead," Mother chipped in. When she was

Jonathan escorted her out the door, and when he made sure they were alone, he hurried back and joined me on the bed.

"Your first day out on the field, and you're already sleeping for hours. What made you so fatigued?"

"Relax, lover boy!" I teased. "It's not like we spent three hours mating ferociously in an open field. Or did we?"

"Did you?"

"Relax, I'm just pulling your legs!"

He eyed me threateningly. "So how did it go?"

I narrated all that happened without mincing words. Jonathan's eyes were fixed on the bed while I spoke and it remained so till I was done.

"That was all he said, right?" He asked, barely looking at me.

"Yes!" I figured it was the right time to ask him what was bothering me. "I have a question though."

"Okay, Shoot."

"What was the reason behind my father's death?"

His eyes lit up the same way my mother did. He itched his brow nervously as if in contemplation of an answer and then he cleared his throat