Lost In Luxuries

The tension hung thick in the air as we continued our walk, Alpha Zach’s eyes searching mine for answers. I could not shake the feeling that my secrets were like time bombs waiting to go off.

Zach, still focused, spoke with a mix of authority and concern, “Rue, you can’t keep everything locked up. Trust matters in this pack.”

“I know, but it’s just an agreement, I’m only here for a job, remember that. In the same way, you don’t get to know your plumber or electrician but allow them to do their jobs, I’d suggest you do the same for me,” I replied in a monotone.

“And some things are just better left unsaid,” I added, shrugging.

He then stopped, leaning against a garden bench, his posture less rigid. “Well, as I said, you’re now under my roof. I can’t just let a stranger stay with me for the next two weeks. Trust goes both ways.”

It was a weird mix of being under his protection but also feeling the pressure to open up. Memories of being back at the orphanage sparked in my mind and a s