THORN’S POV
"Outside. Now."Hunter and Dylan rushed outside at my command. Once we stepped into the hallway and shut the door behind us. We glanced at each other with the same shocked look on our faces."How long has Jerry been spying on us?" Hunter asked and folded his arms."I don't think that's it. Even our nanny couldn't tell us apart," Dylan reminded him. "What's with that woman? I noticed her eyes when we spoke. She was observing us carefully.""Everyone else has tried to do that too," I told him. "How could she know in less than thirty minutes?""Even Kate couldn't tell us apart," I clenched my fist at Hunter's words."Nor Rebecca," Dylan added."Nor Jane," I rubbed my forehead and began to pace the halls, moving further away from the door. I could feel the presence of my brothers behind me. We walked in silence, each to our own thoughts but we could tell what we were thinking so easily.Those women we mentioned were our mates. From the most recent to the first- not leaving out Anna. In the span of seven years, we had met four mates and lost all four of them.Anna was the first. We met her at eighteen. Destined to be our mate, we went on with the mating ceremony like any other couple but after a year, she died. While we were still grieving, the moon goddess bestowed a second chance mate upon us- Jane. She easily took away the pain of losing the first mate and with the bond, we were bonded to her and decided to live the rest of our lives but the same tragedy befell.
We lost her to the cold hands of death. Once again, a third chance mate came and a fourth, we lost them all.
"She's not our mate," Dylan said.
"I know that," I clarified. I didn't feel the mate bond towards her. That was a relief. At this point, I was certain that my brothers and I needed a break and we hoped the moon goddess could hold out on sending a mate to us.
We reached the other end of the hallway and Hunter sent the guards away for privacy. Out of habit, we all folded our hands and stared at each other.
"So the plan," Hunter began.
"The same one you keep walking out on?" Dylan asked with a tease in his voice, causing Hunter to roll his eyes."A bait, huh?" he glanced at me. "I don't quite like the idea."That was exactly what he said the first time we brought it up. Hunter was having cold feet and without all three of us agreeing to do this, we would hardly proceed."It's just to fish out the killer," we wouldn't say it to each other but we knew we were ashamed to even admit that none of our mates had died natural deaths. It wasn't until the third- Rebecca, that we got to know that they were murdered. Even worse, right under our noses.The humiliation shattered us and affected us in different ways. It was evident in the bags under Hunter's eyes. He could hardly sleep. Not after what happened with Kate."If there's one thing we know about this killer, it's that it only strikes on Dad's death anniversary," I explained. "That gives us enough time to prepare beforehand.""At least, before the moon goddess sends the fifth," Dylan mentioned. That was one thing we dreaded. The idea that our fifth mate could be on her way to us and could probably suffer the same fate. I didn't even want to think about it."We need collateral damage," I stated."Someone of little to no importance," Dylan continued."Someone who would die anyways," Hunter glanced at us before looking towards the other end of the hallway. "I see that the opportunity has presented itself," he chuckled. "We will be fools if we let it go."His agreement was a relief and I made sure to let him know that without everyone's approval, we wouldn't carry on with it. I gripped his shoulder and he smiled.
"You're a baby sometimes," Dylan mocked.
"I am the third after all," Hunter said in his defence and we started to head back. "But it’s so strange that she could tell us apart. She's going to be an interesting one."
"Indeed," Dylan agreed. "So what's the plan this time?"
"We treat her right. We make her Luna and we wait and prepare for the anniversary which is in eight months. We have a lot of time on our hands," I informed them as we approached the door. I held the door knob and paused.
"If you're about to set rules, I'll die," Hunter started to say but it was already too late.
"No sex. We cannot risk being attached."
"After all we've been through?" Dylan scoffed like I just mocked our heart wrenching journey. "You don't need to say it twice. This is just a plan to uncover the truth, Thorn. We understand."
"Yet he feels the need to baby us," Hunter chipped in.
"I'm just looking out for you," as the eldest- by two minutes- I always felt responsible for us. I just couldn't bear to see them hurt again. I could trust myself to keep my emotions away. Heck! I did that the second time we lost our mate but Hunter kept on falling and falling which broke him into pieces.
Dylan on the other hand, came around a little later. He became distant around the third so the death of the fourth didn't affect him. I wish I could say the same for Hunter.
With a deep breath, I pulled the door open. I held her gaze immediately and she looked past me to my brothers before lowering her eyes. I motioned for the guard to leave and he bowed before walking out.
We sat on the desk, watching her stare at the floor for a while before Hunter broke the silence.
"What is your name?"
She perked her head up and looked straight at him.
I was stunned at her behaviour. The fact that she knew who spoke without even looking at us was strange.
'Did she just,' Dylan trailed off through the mind link and I felt the surprise coming from both of them.
'I guess she did,' Hunter confirmed.
"Emy," She answered after blinking out of her shock. Her gaze fell again and she stared at the floor strangely. Even with the dirt on her face, I could tell she had a pretty face. As for her body shape… well… she was on her knees so-
"You're going to die, Emy," I dropped the bomb and I could almost hear Dylan's sigh and Hunter slapping his forehead. There was no need to dilly-dally.
She touched her head to the floor, shaking with her fist squeezed. I could already imagine the tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Unless you'd like a trial," Dylan got up and began to head towards her. "If you do, the outcome will be the same regardless. You not only trespassed into our land, you're also a spy."
She shook her head where she bowed with her shoulders shaking tremendously.
"Do you have anything to say to this?"
"I-- I-- I'm not a spy," her voice broke and she sniffed. "I was only asked to carry the supplies. I'm only a slave."
So she was an Omega. I could hardly smell that. She had no distinctive smell other than the smell of dust and dirt around her. I could hardly tell.
"You partook it in. It doesn’t matter what you did-"
"Please, please believe me. I was forced to do it."
"Why did the Alpha send you here?" Hunter joined in. "What does he want to know?"
Again, she shook her head, refusing to lift them, "I guess he just wanted to have any information about this Pack. That's what they said on our way here. I didn't meet with the Alpha directly-"
"We'll let you pick how you want to die."
To this, she jerked her head up and stared at Dylan with shock and hopelessness on her face. Her jaw was left hanging and tears rolled down her eyes freely. She looked frightened and at this point, she seemed like she could do just about anything to get out of the situation.
That was the plan after all.
"But," Dylan squatted to her level. I could hear the smirk in his voice. I admired the look of hopelessness and fright on her face. She wore it well. Her eyes were round and big. Seeing how glassy they looked with tears and how devastated she was, I smirked and looked the other way.
"There's something that could get you out of death," he presented it to her like a saviour and she stared into his eyes like a sinner who had somehow managed to get the mercy of the moon goddess.
I wondered what she would do if she knew the plans we had for her; that the hope we were about to give her would still take her life in the end.
There was no escaping death. She was wrapped around our fingers already. The minute she took on her mission, her fate had been sealed.
"You're an Omega?" Dylan asked, wanting to make sure. He too was having troubles with her smell, for sure.
"Wolfless," she added. "I have no wolf."
"No wonder," I heard Hunter mutter beside me.
I didn't know what they saw but all I saw kneeling before us was the perfect bait to lure out our mate hunter.
"You're a trespasser, a spy and you're wolfless," Dylan chuckled. "Well, well, Emy, Death should be a mercy for you-"
"Please, don't let me die," she begged again. She was falling apart too easily. "Please, I'll do anything."
"Anything?" Dylan asked with an outstretched hand. She glanced at it with suspicious eyes before looking past him at Hunter and I.She gulped and nodded, placing her small dirty hand in his own to show her agreement."If that is what you wish," Dylan pulled her up to her feet. "We have an offer for you. Be our Luna.”EMY'S POV I was still in shock by the time the maids threw me into a nice scenting bathtub. The water had bubbles in it and they smelled…clean. It didn't have the usual rusty smell that the tap at the back of the shelter house had; it didn't have little red worms in it. Immediately I stepped my feet in it, I could feel even my insides sparkling immediately. I sat still in the tub as they scrubbed my arms and my hair. They took their time with it. I even felt bad at some point because they were using such good water that I felt I didn't deserve. They cleaned me up so good till I felt my skin could squeak if rubbed against each other. The room they led me to this time was enormous. There was nothing but a queen sized bed, a big wardrobe, a nice dresser by the side, a couch in one corner and finally, large curtains that could be well managed to fit over twenty people. The colours in the room was a mix of dark colours and gold. It was beautiful… but at the same time, scary. They put
EMY'S POV I had been a slave for far too long and maybe this offer should be a relief but I couldn't help being suspicious. It was all too good to be true. Were they in a tight situation that they had to throw the offer to a spy they presumed me to be? Even worse, a woman like myself. I didn't deserve all these things yet I sat on the table with the three most feared Alpha's while one of them fed me and took his time doing it too. I racked my brain for his name- maybe I had forgotten it somehow but the only names I could remember were Thorn and Hunter's. The one in front of me? Not quite. He didn't have the cold features like Thorn nor did he have the ever smiling face like Hunter. His distinct feature was that he wasn't too cold nor too playful. He was very much in the middle. He smiled a little, he furrowed his brows a little, he barely kept any emotion on his face - "What?" His brows jumped as he held my gaze. "Are you studying my face?" He sounded amused and I saw the ghostly
EMY'S POVI was already nodding before I could even think about it. I guess I would do pretty much anything to not be by myself in that room.He led me to his own room and I admired how he walked with his head held high even as he smelled of alcohol. I had seen lots of other wolves misbehave and act out of character at just a small sip but the way the smell clung to him, it was obvious he took larger than a sip."Here we are!" He swung the door open and stepped aside. "My paradise!"I tore my eyes from his smiley face and stepped into his room. "Woah!" I muttered with my jaw hanging loose at the bright room that was as large as mine if not larger. The decor in the room had bright colours, so did the walls and even the floor. It looked fluffy here unlike mine that felt like the walls had eyes.I saw a huge glass at one end with fishes behind it. How he had managed to have a small part of the sea in his room was simply beautiful."It's beautiful, isn't it?" He asked and I turned to see
Emy's POVI could hear the forest and the wind too but my vision was blocked by a hand or a warm body, I couldn't tell but I could feel a beating heart. It was beating wild and ferociously.Was it mine or was it them? I couldn't tell.We were being chased but I didn't know who or what was chasing us. It was too dark to see.I felt a hand press against my head as if trying to hide me from the evil eye of the ones who were after us.Wake up! Wake up! I told myself. I knew this place. It was too familiar. I was having a nightmare again but the thing with this nightmare was that I never got used to the feeling.The fear that gripped me was like wearing a piece of clothing, only this time, I couldn't take it off-"E-my!"I jumped awake, panting as I looked around. The room looked unfamiliar for a moment but after a while I realised I was in my room.How did I get here? The last thing I remembered was lying on the bed with Hunter in his own room. So how did I get here?I placed a hand over
DYLAN'S POVI couldn't take my eyes off her nor could my brothers. Her actions had left us speechless but only for a little while. I knew that pose anywhere but now I wondered just who had taught her this-"Hunter," I narrowed my eyes at him and he hurriedly threw his arms up in surrender."I swear I'm innocent!" He said in defense. Well given the shock on his face too, I had no choice but to believe him."Emy-""Let me," I stopped Thorn before he could ask overly sensitive questions without even thinking. I didn't know life in the Nightwalker Pack was this bad. Actually I had never imagined it.If things were worse, why didn't the others just leave? Maybe it wasn't as easy as it sounded. I knew Alpha Jerry had a weird obsession with stepping on smaller packs and absorbing them but did the imbecile ever stop to think for a second if his pack members were living well?I got to my feet and I headed to her. She knelt there unmoving and refusing to even lift her head. She had clenched her
EMY'S POV Dylan left without another word and Kelly, who had been talkative a while ago, was suddenly quiet. I stared at my hands feeling uncomfortable because I could feel her gaze and I debated whether or not to lift my head. When I finally did, I was shocked to see her staring at me purposefully with her legs crossed and her hand on her cheek. She smiled brightly when we locked eyes. "How lucky you are to have three Alphas to yourself," she teased. "Are they your mates or was it love at first sight?" "Mates," I replied, giving off no body language that it was a lie. It was a good thing Thorn had mentioned it. I would've stupidly said I didn't know. "Sorry, if I'm making you uncomfortable," she apologised again. "We haven't had a Luna around here in- hmm," she quickly stopped herself before she whirled her chair around. "Let's get to why you stayed back, yes?" She picked up her notepad again. What was she going to say just now? It felt like she suddenly realised she was talking
EMY'S POV"A-A reward?" I blinked in shock. What could I possibly offer him for his time? I didn't have anything to give but I couldn't tell him that. What if he realised how useless I truly was and he and his brothers decided to toss me aside?My heart jumped in fear."Hmm," he turned his face away as he thought. "Maybe... Something nice, I guess." He turned to face me again. I could almost see myself in his orbs, " I don't know, you tell me-"Without thinking, I leaned forward, pressing my lips to his own in a quick peck on his lips.Hunter froze and his smile dropped. He blinked at me for a while and I worried whether I did something wrong.Wasn't that he meant by that?"Emy," he suddenly sighed and started to smile again. "You're going to put me in trouble. Who will believe I didn’t initiate the first kiss?" he rubbed his eyes but he didn’t sound mad. I found his drama amusing."Let's keep this between us, okay? Don't tell the others, hmm?" he silently begged and I nodded. He clas
DYLAN'S POVIt took a while before she took her eyes off Thorn with that solemn look on her face and I wondered what transpired between them. I could ask Thorn but I'm sure whatever he did, he probably didn't realise it."Did I come at a bad time?" I asked when I got to her and she sighed."No. I'm sorry. I spaced out," she admitted. How awfully truthful she was. A woman like her was not cut out to be a spy at all. What was Jerry thinking? Speaking of Jerry, I needed to have a meeting with my brothers about what to do to fix his attitude."Did you have a good day? I heard Hunter took you down to town," I took her hand and kissed it before leading her inside."It was alright," she answered in a quiet voice.I could tell there was more to what she wanted to say but she chose to use such simple terms instead. Emy was a woman of few words and somehow, I liked it. She only spoke when she was spoken to or when she saw it was necessary. But most times, it was the former. She acted like she w