One Bite

Chapter 2-9

After cleaning up, I walked down the living quarters' hallway, crossed the expansive great hall, and continued down to the doors associated with the pack offices. Unlike my father's office, Alpha Faelon did not have security guards positioned outside his office. In fact, the open door implied that all casual observers were welcome. The small gesture was quite a simple, quiet, and powerful statement.

Alpha Faelon trusts his pack members.

Must be nice.

As I tried to suppress the feelings coiling in my stomach, I raised my fist to his door and rapped the back of my knuckles loudly.

"Zara." Alpha Faelon's head lifted from the papers he looked over at his desk and he offered a tight smile.

"Raina told me to come see you, Sir." I hovered in the doorway.

"Come in." He waved his hand at one of the chairs facing his desk.

Alpha Faelon's office could not have been more different than my father's. While my father's office held a commanding large desk, dark, brooding furniture choices, and muted lighting, The office I stood outside had floor-to-ceiling windows that flooded the room with light. Random piles of papers littered his desk and family pictures covered one wall. I smiled at the many smaller versions of Raina and Lucus.

"Are you all right?" His eyes scanned over me. I needed a second before I comprehended that he meant physically, after being contained.

"Yes, everything was... fine."

For my first and hopefully only prison sentence.

"Everyone was very hospitable, considering..." my voice trailed off as I pressed my hands into my lap.

"Good." He nodded, making his intentions of why I sat in his office apparent, "I heard you spoke with the prisoner, that's why I shortened your sentence and sent Lucus to release you."

He wants inside information.

My mouth dried and I swallowed at the constriction in my throat.

"There's not much to tell." My fingers curled around the charms on my necklace, triggering the mental image of the rogue's tattoo. "He said they didn't attack the caravan to kill me though."

"And you believe him?" His eyebrows lifted.

"I don't know," I admitted. "I don't have any reason to believe him, but don't any not to either."

Faelon's broad shoulders sat back in his seat and he hummed. "Did you recognize him?"

I shook my head silently, rolling the charms in the pads of my fingers. Handsome or not, the rogue could have been no one or anyone, and I wouldn't have known.

Handsome? I'm reading too many toxic love stories.

"I don't want to tell anyone how to do their job, but maybe if I talked to him instead of Lucus' torture..." My voice trailed as his chin lifted and eyes narrowed, so I added, "Or not."

"After your departure, he's no longer my concern." He sat back in his chair with a sigh that sagged him down in his seat. "It is not my place to inform you, but your father is going to intercept your travels south east, to pick up the rogue."

"My father?" I squeezed my fists, remembering Baron's lingering presence for my father's 'status update.' Alpha Faelon nodded as a faraway look came over his eyes, like they focused on nothing in particular.

"Your father and I go very far back." He spoke after a few moments of silence, lifting a fist to his chin. "I would not consider us friendly, more political allies."