*Maddox*
Alpha Charlton hasn’t changed that much since the last time I saw him—at the funeral.
He does have bags under his eyes that were not there before, back when he had no reason to lie awake at night and stare at the ceiling, asking why.
Back when we were all happy and full of light and hope.
I can tell when he shakes my hand he does so with reservations, and I can’t blame him. He still has unanswered questions, as do I. But from his perspective, someone who wasn’t there when everything happened, he is not only relying on what he knows of me but the rumors and whispers that began coming out of the castle right after the incident, whispers that continue to come from the castle still.
I’ve never blamed him for not fully trusting my side of the story. I still have moments when I don’t trust it myself after all.
Now, as he welcomes me back into his home, I am reminded of the feeling of excitement I had the last time I stood in the ballroom, waiting.
Waiting for her.
I follow a servant up the stairs to the room that’s been prepared for me, and I’m thankful when I arrive that it’s not the same room I stayed in that first time. In fact, it’s not a room I’ve ever stayed in before.
Perhaps that will keep the memories slightly at bay, though it will be impossible for me to push them completely out of my mind.
I am here to negotiate. I am here to meet with other leaders and discuss a strategy for stopping those who would attempt to take the kingdom from me by force.
But that hasn’t stopped Alpha Charlton and his wife, Luna Patrician, from holding a ball this evening. I’ve been told it’s an attempt to help the Alphas to come together and enjoy their time together before we get down to the matters at hand.
I have to question the strategy. After all, I’ve just moved an extreme amount of troops to the area between the border of this pack and the one right next to it, Ocean Side pack which is siding with Beach Front and Alpha Geofrey.
A ball doesn’t seem like the correct way to “celebrate” that. But I will be there. If that’s what it takes for me to have the opportunity to discuss with these leaders why I need them to stay on my side, then so be it. I will do just that.
Even though I am currently having a difficult time even imagining walking into that ballroom.
My luggage is brought in. It’s not much. When I’m out in the field with my troops, I travel light like they do. But I did have to bring a tuxedo for this ball.
I wish I could’ve brought a date. I can’t imagine Isla being here, though, especially not while she’s pregnant, not in this hostile area.
The servants are surprised when they open my bags to hang my clothes up and see they are practically empty. They exchange awkward glances and then head out the door.
I take a deep breath and stare out the window until a knock on the door has me calling Seth in. I recognize his knock.
“Yeah?” I ask him without turning around.
“I’ve just spoken with Beta Payton. He says the ball starts at 7:00. There will be eight other Alphas here beside Charlton, so that means some we were not expecting. All of them are leaning toward throwing you their support, but some of them will need convincing.”
I nod, but I don’t turn to look at him. I’m well aware of my negotiating skills. It’s a talent I got from my mother more than my father. I will find a way to convince these Alphas that there’s no other way to go than to stay loyal to me, loyal to the crown.
Loyal to the kingdom.
“Apparently, Alpha Jason is here,” Seth continues.
Now, I turn around, and my eyes meet his. I am surprised to hear that. Alpha Jason’s pack, Desert Moon pack, is far away, on the other side of the kingdom.
But he is Alpha Charlton’s brother-in-law, so I shouldn’t be too surprised he would come to the ball. “Is he considering coming in and lending some support to our side?” His army is large, well-trained, and easily controlled by the commanding Alpha.
“I believe so, but Alpha Payton says he may have some conditions. He’s really not sure. Since Alpha Charlton considers him family, they don’t do a lot of discussing the situation in front of their Betas.”
That makes sense to me. I nod and turn back around, noticing the rain clouds gathering in the distance. It would be fitting that it would storm the night I spend in this place.
“I’ll be sure to speak to him,” I assure Seth. “Thank you.”
“Of course,” he says. “Let me know if I can do anything to help.”
I say nothing as I know that Seth is always there for me, so there’s no need for me to reiterate that understanding.
I try to think of what it is Alpha Jason may want from me. Most of the Alphas who are trying to negotiate with me are doing so with their daughters or nieces. But Alpha Jason only has one daughter, and she’s quite a bit younger than me. Only… sixteen? Seventeen? I can’t remember. The last time I saw her was the first time I was here, and she was so young, she wasn’t even allowed to attend the ball.
So it can’t be that. What does he want from me? He already has a powerful, prestigious pack.
Deciding I won’t know until I can speak to the man, I decide to grab my briefcase and do some work I can get done, planning defensive lines of battle. I’ve spent quite a lot of time lately studying terrain. That’s something I can continue while I wait for the ball. After the dance, I’m sure I’ll have an opportunity to actually meet with all of these Alphas and convince them to come and help fight for the cause. I need to have firm plans in place.
Outside, thunder rolls across the sky and a bright bolt of lightning sends static rippling through the air.
Not for the first time in my life, I feel that I am not alone. But unlike before I met Isla, I don’t wish to turn around and see her face. I no longer need that. I need Rebecca to rest in her grave and leave the living to do just that—live.
At one time in my life, I wanted more than anything just to see her face one more time. Now, I have Isla. I have our baby. I don’t need that anymore.
Another rumble sounds outside, louder this time, and a chill sends the hair on the back of my neck standing on end.
Something is in the air tonight, and it’s haunting.
* * *
*Isla*
“What do you mean you don’t trust Commander Pepelos with a name like that?” I ask Mystica for the second time. My first question only yielded her shaking her head adamantly, like she’s not sure how to respond.
“Well,” she says with a sigh, “he either chose that name as a tipoff to anyone from Maatua that he isn’t who he says he is, or he no longer speaks the mother tongue.”
She still isn’t telling me what pepelos means, and it’s starting to irritate me. “Mystica, I don’t speak it anymore, obviously. I’m not sure I ever did. What does the word mean?”
The smile that spreads across her face has a twinkle of wickedness in it. “It means ‘liar,’ dear,” she explains to me.
I take a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds, and then release it. “Why would he do that?” I mumble under my breath, not really to anyone.
“I think this means we can’t trust him,” Poppy interjects. “I mean, I already don’t trust him, and I’ve only just seen him for a few moments.”
I roll my eyes at her. “Poppy, I’m pretty sure you feel that way because you think his eye color is strange.”
“It is strange!” she exclaims. “Who has yellow eyes? It’s like he has… jaundice or something!”
“Actually, when a person has jaundice, it’s the whites of their eyes that turn yellow, dear, not the irises,” Mystica explains to my maid, and I stifle a laugh because it seems clear to me that Poppy already knows that.
For once, Poppy doesn’t have a smart remark to make back. I can see that she’s worried. “We need to tell the king,” she says, her voice just a sharp whisper. “He needs to know that the man he left in charge here is not the man he thinks he is. He needs to know that he can’t be trusted. That he is a self-proclaimed liar.”
Everything she is saying makes sense. But I have so many more questions for my alleged cousin. I don’t want to send him away before I have a chance to speak to him, and I certainly don’t want Maddox overreacting and doing something… rash. I can completely see Maddox getting angry about this and actually killing the man—or since he’s not currently here, sending word for him to be killed.
“Let me speak to him again,” I say. “I want to ask him some more questions. I’m still not clear on exactly what it is that he wants me to do.”
“Are you crazy?” Poppy looks like she’s about to come unhinged. “You can’t just chat with him like the two of you are old pals!”
“He’s my cousin,” I remind her.
“Maybe he is—or maybe he’s a serial killer! You don’t know!” Poppy exclaims, her hands on her hips. “What we do know is that he’s a liar!”
I reach over and pat her on the head, and she narrows her eyes at me. “It’ll be all right, Poppy. If he wanted to kill me, he would’ve done it already.”
“Maybe he’s just luring you out to the island to kill you,” she argues.
I can’t help but laugh. “I can’t go to the island. Then, Maddox would kill me.”
“That’s what you say now, but we all know how badly you want to go.”
“I promise you, Poppy, I’m not going to the island, not until after my baby is born anyway.” It’s not a promise I want to make because I do wish I could go there to make sure my baby is safe.
Mystica makes a noise in the back of her throat that makes me think she doesn’t believe me.
“What was that?” I ask her, smiling as I feign offense.
“Oh, nothing,” Mystica says, looking innocent. “Nothing at all… Princess Pepelos.”
So now… I’m a liar??