The next day is a surprisingly uneventful one. Liam is stuck in his home with Casey, probably spending time with her. We're both still a bit busy from the aftermath of the rogue attack, but for the most part, both of us have finished our work early, giving us plenty of time to be able to relax with our friends and family.
Mabel and I have work, though. Liam's tasked us with cleaning up the afterparty of Red Moon Day before the rogue attacked. It's funny that I've been calling him "the rogue" this entire time, yet we still haven't asked for his name. I doubt he'd give it to us, though. He was quite odd, now that I think about him. Always twitching and brushing his snout. It's like he was a marionette doll - forced to act the way he was.
I'm broken out of my thoughts by Mabel, who's scowling at the smelly underwear she's picking up with kitchen tongues.
"Good lord," she says, pinching her nose as she tosses the underwear towards Jillian, Ben's mate who offered to help us. Jillian laughs her dainty little laugh, stuffing the article of clothing into the garbage back she's brought for us to use.
"It's hot today, isn't it?" I ask, wiping a sheen of sweat from my forehead.
"It is," Jillian agrees. "It was nice and cool yesterday. I'm surprised at the sudden shift in the weather."
"I'm not," Mabel says promptly, pushing her way past me and towards the garlands of flowers we had strung up weeks ago. "Unlike the both of you, I watch the news every morning. They said it'll go up to at least ninety today."
"Ninety?!" Both Jillian and I repeat, shocked. "That high?"
"Yep," Mabel nods. "That high. That's why I'm wearing shorts." She shakes her legs.
I laugh, throwing my head back slightly to emphasize my amusement. I feel the wind sift through my hair, like cold fingers combing through the black river I call my head. It feels so good, so soft, almost nurturing. Like when a mother soothes her child.
"Those are nice shorts," Jillian muses. "Where did you get them?"
"You'll never believe it." Mabel picks up a stray soda can. "But I got them from Burlington."
"Burlington?" I gasp. "Really? That good quality?"
"Tell me about it!" Mabel grins. "I went there with Lia and Yvan once to buy Yvan a shirt and I saw these on sale!" She gestures to her jeans. "I couldn't let that opportunity pass, you know."
I snort. "I know you," I say, reaching over the clothesline to touch the ripped fabric of her jean shorts. "They are good, though. Nice and soft."
"Not rough," Jillian adds. She beams, her bouncy blonde hair curling at the edges of her smile. "It reminds me of Ben's suit last night. All so warm and comforting." She sighs longingly. "He's my heaven, you know?"
"Just like Lia is mine," Mabel sighs with her. "You're really missing out, Adhi."
"I know," I say, forcing a smile onto my lips, although it's blatantly clear that I'm forcing it. "I just have to keep looking."
"Or, as Dory says: Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming," Mabel sings, grinning childishly at me. She bumps my shoulder with hers, laughing. "Come on, Adhira! Cheer up! We'll find you a mate! A man or woman worthy of your love!"
"Yeah!" Jillian pitches in. "You don't need to worry about a thing, Adhi! Mabel and I will take care of it!"
"And Lia," Mabel adds. "And Yvan. Ooh," she grins devilishly. "And Liam..."
"Oh my god!" I flush, slapping her shoulder playfully. "Why do you keep teasing me about Liam? We're best friends! He - we've known each other since we were in diapers, Mabel! He's like a brother to me!"
"Is he?" Mabel quips, quirking her eyebrow. "Because you two looked quite cozy last night dancing under the moonlight." She bites her lip, humming the low, sultry tune to herself as she swirls around Jillian and me, picking up the trash as she does so. "Can you feel the love tonight..." she sings, her voice gentle and melodious, like the wind. Mabel sings as easily as she breathes, and to her, it comes easily. The way she sounds just makes you want to either cry or sway to the beat of her music, depending on what she's singing.
"Mabel!" I snap, sure that I'm the same color as an apple. I feel my toes heat up, as if they're in the dance shoes I wore the night before, stepping all over Liam's feet as we awkwardly danced with one another. I remember vividly feeling Casey's scorching eyes on mine, but the tingles from my proximity with Liam blocked her out of my mind during that period of time. Back then, it was just Liam and me, dancing like nobody else was watching.
"What?" Mabel defends herself, planting her hands on her hips. "I'm telling you the truth! You guys looked so romantic and sweet - it was adorable!" She squeals. "Honestly, Adhi, you look way better than Casey does with Liam."
"Oh, please," Jillian scoffs. "Adhira would be ten times better than Casey in anything! I mean, does Casey even care about the pack? All I ever see her doing is wasting Liam's money on expensive Gucci clothes and handbags!"
"Guys," I hiss. "Lower your voices! Someone can hear you!"
"So?" Mabel's frowning. "Let them hear. Adhi, you have to know the truth."
"Agreed," Jillian says. "You're living in this blind world where Casey is a goddess to you, and that's not the case."
"What?" I snap. "Since when did I say that?"
Mabel shrugs. "You didn't, but we know you are." She reaches out to me. "Adhi, Casey's just a self-absorbed, obnoxious bitch who likes to take all of Liam's attention and money. She doesn't love him - anybody can see that!"
"No." I shake my head, leaning out of Mabel's grasp. "Liam and Casey are made for one another. Liam and I are just friends." I tremble slightly, reaching for the broom Jillian had left unattended. "That's all we'll ever be."
Jillian and Mabel exchange what seems to be a nervous glance between one another, but maybe they don't say anything for my sake.
"Okay..." Mabel mumbles. She turns, and is about to pick up the pick she was using to get the garbage littering the pack square when Yvan comes bolting up to us, panting and sweaty.
"Adhira!" His gaze falls on me immediately, his electric blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight. "The Alpha King is requesting your presence in his office, immediately."
"What?!" I stand straighter. "Why?" I deepen my voice.
Yvan shrugs. "I don't know," he says. "I was just told to come to get you."
"Okay." I nod, looking down at the broom in my hands. "Er, Jill..."
"I got you." Jillian winks at me, taking the broom from my hand. Now ready, I nod to Yvan, and together, we begin to make our way across the pack and towards the Alpha house.
"So..." I awkwardly try to begin a conversation. "Did Liam really not tell you why he called me?"
"Nope." Yvan pops his lips. "Not a word. I was leaving his office after doing my morning rounds when Nick came in. He told Liam something - and damn, you should've seen how pale he went."
"Pale?" I repeat, frowning. "Like, deathly pale?"
Yvan nods. "Yeah. He looked like a ghost, Adhira." Then, he shrugs. "Anyway, I don't know much about what Nick said. I heard Casey's name, but that's it."
I'm not supposed to, but somehow, I feel my heart plummet at the idea that Liam was so worried about Casey. It makes sense, I say to myself. She is his wife, after all. Yet, somehow, I can't shake the feeling that it just feels...wrong. That Liam's worry over Casey is making me feel so...so...
Jealous.
I shake my head, pinching my eyes shut as I do so. Snap out of it, Adhi! He's your best friend! You're supposed to be happy for him, especially when it comes to his family!
But should you be happy even when you know that the person in his family isn't right for him? My subconscious asks, scowling at me from over the newspaper she's reading - Liam's face plastered all over the front page.
Shut up, I sneer. I'm not jealous. I'm just...irritated. Yeah, that's it. Irritated from picking up shit all day.
"So..." Yvan brings me out of my inner monologue, his hands swinging behind his back. "You're the Beta..."
"Yes?" I frown. "Why?"
"Nothing," Yvan says. "I'm just...awed that we have a female Beta and not a male."
"Do you have a problem with that?" I snap, unintentionally harsh.
Yvan's eyes widen, and he puts his hands up, as if to placate me. "Um... no, not at all!" He says quickly. "It was never meant to be an insult, I swear! I was just...surprised."
"I don't blame you," I scoff. "A lot of wolves were surprised when Liam named me his Beta. But." I shrug. "I don't really care what others think of me. If they want to hate me, I let them. I'm the Beta. They can't change that."
"That's true." Yvan's lip quirks. "Although, I'll admit..." he trails off.
I frown. "You'll admit what?"
"I never really got to know you," he says, leading me up the steps of Liam's house. "Apart from the times when we fought in battle together, that is..."
I give him a half-smile. "Well, what would you like to know?"
Yvan's answer is quick, almost like he's been expecting me to ask him that question. "Who's your mate?" He asks rather eagerly.
My eyebrows go up. "My mate?" I repeat.
Yvan nods. "Yeah! I wanna meet him or her!"
"Why?"
This time, he blushes. "To learn more about you," he admits quietly.
I blink. "Why...don't you ask me?" I asked.
Yvan shrugged. "Because we aren't very close. I didn't think you'd want to talk about yourself to someone that you don't know, so..."
He trails off, and I smile, reaching up to pat his shoulder. "If you want to know anything about me, you can just ask," I say. "I'd like to become your friend."
He blushes again. "Really? I-I mean...I'd like that too..."
"Great! So now we're friends," I say, putting my hand out for him to shake.
Yvan stops in front of Liam's door, staring at my hand for a few moments. Then, suddenly, a smile breaks out onto his lips and he nods, shaking my hand profously.
"Friends," he says. He then clears his throat. "Uh, I should be going now, though. Liam requested to speak to you privately, so..."
"Sure," I nod. "Safe travels, Yvan."
He smiles, nodding to me, and just like that, he's gone, running down the steps and out of the Alpha Palace. I wait for him to get out of the door before I knock, smirking to myself. I like Yvan. He's quirky and cool, kind of like Mabel.
"Come in!" Liam's voice calls from the other side.
Tentatively, I open the door, closing it behind me as I walk inside. Liam's leaning in front of his desk, gazing down at the ground, but his nightly black eyes shoot up to mine once my footsteps near him.
"Hey!" I smile. "You wanted to see me?"
"Yeah," he nods, running a hand through his hair. "I...I need your help, Adhi."
"Of course!" I chirp. "What's up?"
"Well..." Liam nibbles on his bottom lip, looking more nervous than the panicked description Yvan gave me. "It's about Casey..."
"I'm all ears," I say, cupping my hand around my ear. "What happened?"
"Well...she's been poisoned!"257Please respect copyright.PENANAVKhHl3LsKT