Liberty POV
I had spent the morning playing with Elspeth, which wasn’t hard to enjoy. She was the cutest of girls. She and Rex were sharing a room whilst here at Reuben’s, but had separate rooms when at home. She also kept talking about a boy back at the Silver Moon pack called Harry.
When I asked if that was her boyfriend jokingly, expecting her to get embarrassed and shy away…she did the complete opposite. She quite confidently claimed that Harry was her boyfriend and future husband. That they were very close and she hated being parted from him.
All of this whilst she was quite happily setting up a tea party, and Rex moaning on his bed about her trying to claim his friend as hers.
Rex left shortly after that, muttering something about girls before heading off downstairs. Elspeth sent me downstairs for some real tea and milk, apparently water from the bathroom tap just wouldn’t cut it. She had inherited Father’s more luxurious eye to life.
Heading down the stairs I notice Reuben’s office door closed but quickly backtrack up the stairs when Nate walks out of the office, but in his hurry, doesn’t close the door properly. I start to walk back down the stairs when that voice enters my mind.
“Wait, listen.”
Then something really odd happens, my ears start to buzz, as they concentrate on every sound coming from that office.
“Pierce, be reasonable man. You can just take her…”
“Why not, she’s mine.”
“She’s safest with me, where I can protect her. He won’t come after her, not if I’m with her.”
“Reuben, you don’t know that. He might not even get his own hands dirty, hence the reward.”
“He won’t want her hurt.” Evelyn’s voice adds to the conversation that my ears aren’t even straining to hear. How is that possible.
“It’s not him now, it’s them…any of them. He’s asked for her alive. That’s what she’ll be…just alive, just barely breathing….” He’s cut off by an almighty roar, as I hear a loud bang… furniture being thrown aside. I hear Reuben’s slight growl as if someone was grabbing at his throat.
“Pierce, calm down. Let my mate go.” Evelyn roars back, before I hear her chair scrap across the floor as she stands up.
“She’s family, she stays with us. She will accompany us to the Lake House. You are welcome to join us, but I won’t have that temper around my children.” She commands not at all frightened by the large wolf men in her midst. She was a bit of a bad ass I was realising.
“What about the rogue?” I’m shocked to hear Noah’s voice also in the room. He hadn’t uttered a word until now.
“What about him?” Reuben seems to have been released around the throat. His voice a low hoarse noise.
“Are we transferring him to our cell facilities at the Silver Moon?”
“No…” Evelyn responds quietly.
“He’s not talking, even with this new development. He’s no longer useful. I’ll take care of him.” Reuben coldly states.
What did that mean?
I can hear Nate walking back towards the front of the house and if he finds me in my current position, he’s going to know that I’ve been eavesdropping.
I quickly backtrack again, walking back into the children’s room to find Elspeth playing with her bunny teddy.
“I’ll get the tea now Elspeth.” I say loudly before walking back down the stairs. It seems to have worked, as I walk to the bottom of the steps, I find the office door closed and Nate already in there.
I flick the kettle on knowing I need to let it cool down so it was of a suitable temperature for Elspeth to play with.
Lake House? Where was that? And how long would I be there for… I couldn’t leave knowing that Malcolm was in danger. I know he’s helped Vicky but he would have just been following her orders. He wasn’t to blame here, he was just doing what he needed to do to survive. I can’t leave him to die can I? What kind of person would that make me?
I’d been quiet for the rest of the day. All I could think about was Malcolm in those chains…being killed. Pierce picks up on my lack of talking, often asking if I am feeling okay. He tells me that we are leaving in the morning, going to a place near Evelyn’s pack, a place that would give me space to bond with my wolf side.
His men arrived whilst I was playing tea parties with Elspeth. He introduced me to them and I smiled, trying to remember their names and trying to concentrate.
They didn’t call me Liberty they called me Luna instead. Luna? As if I was ready for the title, qualified to command them.
But I didn’t even have a wolf yet? Pierce claims he can feel her and I believe him, something inside of me was telling me to trust him. But I was a see it to believe it kind of girl.
I stick with Elspeth for the most part of dinner. She was uncomplicated, she didn’t lie to me. She didn’t play games with me. Reuben was keeping a close watch on me over dinner as I played around with my food.
My hunger being the least of my problems right now. I can’t let him just die. I need to give him a fighting chance, if he takes it then that’s up to him. At least I can leave with the peace of knowing my conscious is clear.
Pierce insisted that I stay with him again tonight, which I didn’t protest, I liked falling asleep in his arms. I retired to his room claiming I was going to have a shower, which I did, but I also didn’t want to be around Evelyn. I felt guilty for wanting to help Malcolm. I felt torn.1
Pierce returns finding me flicking through the television channels in his room, his body covered in mud.
“You’re filthy.” I chuckle as he walks in, I could smell the night’s rain storm also on him.
“I had to show my men the borders so they can help with night patrol. I’ll just take a shower and will join you.”
“Okay.” I smile at him, as he walks into his en-suite as I lean back on the bed.
“Top drawer!” That voice calls out to me in my mind and I have to lean forward on the bed to make sure the en- suite door is closed.
Checking that it was shut, I shimmy across the bed and very quietly open the top drawer of Pierce’s bedside table. I find a document laying on top which looked out of place.
My heart is racing at the thought of Pierce opening the bathroom door at any minute and catching me peeking. I had to be quick.
I turn the piece of paper over to find another death certificate. Why would he have this here? Then I realise…it’s my death certificate. Claiming I also died from pneumonia.
What on earth?
I put it back as I hear the shower switch off. I can’t stay in here, not when my heart is racing, my anger growing. He’ll know something is wrong.
“I’m going to make a hot drink!” My squeaky voice shouts before I exit the bedroom, not waiting for his reply.
I enter the kitchen to thankfully find it empty. Switching the kettle on, I use the boiling sound to steady my heart rate. A house full of werewolves that could hear the smallest of noises, notice the slightest change in heart rhythm…I needed to calm my rising anger.
They pretend they are without fault, that they know what is best. But they are lying to me, what else are they lying about. Even Pierce, why would he keep this from me? He’s showed me my Mum’s death certificate so why hide this from me? If I was dead I had no way of having an identity. Is that what he wants? For me to join his pack and remain there hidden away…like in the apartment?
My internal voice is making me see reason, but I can’t help it. Everyone keeps lying to me, keeps trying to keep me hidden.
I needed to get to him, I needed to get a message to Father.
