Liz POV
My eyes feel heavy as I try to open them, and a subtle beeping noise is in the background. I squint against the harsh light of the bright white room, trying to make my eyes come into focus.
I open my mouth to yawn, and a pain shoots through my jaw. I raise my hand to touch my face, and I realize it is swollen and painful to the touch.
The blurriness in my eyes subsides, and the world comes into view. I am in a bright white room with wires and tubes connected to my arms, chest, and legs. Gingerly, I try to sit up in the bed, but a strong hand lays me back down.
“It is nice to see you awake, Luna,” a soft voice says to me.
I look to my right and see a doctor standing beside the machine, watching my vitals.
“Where am I?” I ask stupidly.
“You are in the hospital,” the doctor says with a kind smile. “Alpha Deimos got you here just in time.”
I try to shake the fuzziness from my brain. I thought I just heard the doctor say Deimos brought me to the hospital. Why would he do that? Wouldn’t it get rid of his hated spy for him if I died conveniently?
“What happened?” I ask as I try to recall the events that led me to this point.
The last thing I remember is Deimos scooping me into his arms before everything went blank.
“You seemed to have a rather nasty run-in with the head Omega of the pack house,” the doctor reminds me. “You have several broken ribs and a fair amount of stitches on your cheek.”
“Deimos brought me here?” I ask in confusion. I still do not understand why he would bring me here when he knows I am a spy.
“He just left,” the doctor replies. “He refused to leave your side until you were stable.”
A snort of laughter escapes my lips. “You must be mistaken.”
“I promise you, Luna, I am not.”
Suddenly, the door of my hospital room flies open and I see Nico standing in the doorway with a very irritated look on his face. I shrink down in the bed, feeling like a child who is about to be scolded.
“Leave us,” Nico commands the doctor.
The doctor rolls his shoulders back and lifts his chin. “She needs her rest.”
Nico refuses to leave the room. A growl fills the room, and the doctor’s shoulders slump over. “I said for you to leave us.”
The doctor gives me an apologetic look before he scurries from the room. The air around me feels too thin under Nico’s merciless gaze. I don’t know what I have done to upset him, but he is clearly irritated with me.
“You lied to me,” Nico growls.
‘What?” I respond.
“Let’s try this again,” Nico’s voice is harsh and terrifying. “You lied to me.”
My mouth becomes abnormally dry, and I try to swallow. “I don’t understand.”
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you right now?” Nico growls.
Tears fill my eyes because I have no idea what he is talking about. “What did I do?”
“You fed me false information,” Nico snarls.
“I didn’t,” I cry. “I told you exactly what I heard from Deimos’s phone call. There was to be a convoy tomorrow at noon.”
“That was an hour ago,” Nico says angrily. “And guess what? There was no convoy.”
“You must be mistaken.” The words rush from my mouth. “I know what I heard. I told you everything.”
Then a sense of dread washes over me. That convoy was headed for my family. “My family… Are they okay?”
“Do you think your family matters anymore?” Nico laughs evilly. “You didn’t uphold the part of your deal.”
“But I did,” I plead as I try to sit up. “I reported to you just as you asked. Where is my father’s convoy now?!”
“I wonder who you would miss the most.” An evil grin spreads over Nico’s lips. “Would it be your little brother, Phineas, or perhaps your sister, Belle? Or maybe your mother and father should be the first to go.”
“Please,” I beg. “I had told you everything I knew. Maybe Deimos changed his plans last minute.”
“If he had changed his plans last minute, it was your job to find that out,” Nico sneers.
“I have been in the hospital,” I cry. “How could I?”
“That feels like your problem,” Nico chuckles. “Now tell me. Who’s life do I take first?”
“You were supposed to protect my family,” I raise my voice. “Now you are threatening them.”
“I get what I want by any means necessary,” Nico reminds me.
Tears begin to stream down my cheeks. I finally realize what is happening. I am in a losing game. There is no way for me to win. My family will be in danger no matter what I do.
Nico’s phone rings in his pocket. He looks at the caller ID before disappearing into the bathroom.
I strain my ears to hear what he is saying. His voice is low as he speaks to whoever is on the other end of the call. I know he doesn’t think I can hear him without a wolf. But little does he know, I used to have a wolf. When I was younger, she lived inside my mind, guiding me through the hardest parts of my life. Then one day, she was gone. Not a day goes by that I do not miss her.
“No,” I hear Nico groan. “The information we were given was wrong. No matter, we will have another chance at the convoy.”
There is a long pause before Nico speaks again. “It turns out my newest spy is as useless as the last. She will have to be disposed of.”
What did I do?! I gave Nico the information on my family’s convoy, and he is after them, too! Just like his evil son!
Panic rises in my chest. I have been wrong. I thought Nico would help me against the devil, but he is actually as bad as Deimos, or maybe more!
I try to compose myself when I hear the door to the bathroom open, but I know the look of fear is still etched into my face. I look down at my hands, trying to hide my face from Nico.
“This conversation isn’t over,” Nico growls as he walks out of the hospital room.
I twist the edge of the blanket in my hands, trying to calm my nerves. I try to formulate a new plan. I need to get in touch with my family and warn them of Nico’s plans. They deserve that much since I have failed them.
My hospital door swings open again, and the scent of Applewood fills the air. I let out an uneasy sigh as Deimos walks to the edge of my bed. I need to come clean and tell him the truth. He might be the only person who can save my family and possibly me. I need to take advantage of the conflict between him and his father.
Deimos puts two fingers under my chin, and a spark of electricity spreads across my skin. He lifts my face so our eyes meet. “You betrayed me, Princess.”
Liz POV I sit in the hospital bed and shake fearfully. I don’t know what to say. Deimos is right; I did betray him, and there is no sense in trying to deny it. I open my mouth several times to speak, but nothing comes out. “Get dressed,” Deimos’s growl fills the silence between us. “You are being discharged.” Deimos tosses me a bag of clothes, and I am touched that he remembered I would need clean clothes to go home in. I patiently wait for Deimos to leave the hospital room so I can change. Instead, he draws the curtain and waits with his arms crossed over his chest. “Change,” he commands me. I can feel his Alpha Aura wash over me, but it doesn’t have the desired effect. “I would like some privacy,” I try to sound confident. “I have already seen you naked,” Deimos laughs. “Or have you already forgotten?” Memories of the shower flash through my mind, and my face heats. “I have not forgotten. But I would still like some privacy.” “And if I don’t?” Deimos gro
Liz POV My eyes widen with fear. “You want me to be a double agent?” Deimos chuckles. “For lack of a better word, yes. You will feed my father just enough information to make him think you are still on his side, and in return, you will tell me everything he wants to know.” “Won’t it be dangerous?” My voice is dry and raspy. “If you prove yourself,” Deimos pauses. “I will keep you safe.” I look at Deimos. He is stripping off his clothes and getting ready for bed. I try to avert my eyes from his partially naked form, but my eyes are drawn to him. He is easily the most attractive man that I have ever seen, but I would never let him know that. This is officially a strictly business agreement. “You should get ready for bed,” Deimos growls. “You have had a stressful day.” Deimos crawls into his bed, settling himself right in the middle, and I know that I will be sleeping on the floor again. It is probably best that we keep our distance from each other anyway. There is
Deimos POV From the moment that little wolf-less girl walked into this pack house, my life has been turned upside down. My father has been demanding I mark and mate her. I know what he wants. A mate like her is only going to make me weaker. Nico has always been obvious and stupid. It was obvious that she was a spy from the beginning. That is why I refused to offer her any type of solace. I vowed not to make her stay her comfortable. That's why I insisted she sleep on the floor. I watch as my father drags her down the stairs to his office, and my wolf, Duko, is running wild in my mind. From the moment he laid eyes on Elizabeth, he insisted that she was his. He has never found himself concerned with the other females in my life. He is sure this wolf-less spy is my mate, but I refuse to believe the Moon Goddess would be so cruel to pair me with someone like her. I slam the door so I don't have to watch Elizabeth fight against my father's grip. I lean my forehead against the
Liz POV The paper crinkles underneath me as I scoot around on the hospital bed. I pinch the gown together behind me, trying to hide my bare bottom as Deimos paces the floor in front of me. I don't know why I am bothering. It isn't like he is paying attention to me anyway. He is playing a game on his phone. "Would you please sit down," I say, trying to sound commanding. Deimos looks up at me with a shocked look on his face. "Did you just try and command me to sit down?" I immediately look down at my hands. "Your pacing is just making me nervous." "What the fuck do you have to be nervous about?" Deimos stops in his tracks. "I'm sitting in a hospital gown at four in the morning for the second time in less than twenty-four hours. I have every reason to be nervous," I spit at him. "Elizabeth," Deimos breathes out. "I don't think I have ever heard you sound so assertive." I cannot stop the slight grin that tugs at the corners of my lips. "You have known me for less than a day,"
Liz POV After too many stitches to count and another barrage of tests, the doctor hands me a bottle of pain medication and tells me to take it easy. The doctor quickly leaves the room and I slide off of the hospital bed. Gingerly, I slip off the hospital gown and slide the bloodied oversized t-shirt back over my head. I peek out of the hospital room and see the hospital is in full swing. The hallways are busy with nurses and doctors running from one room to the next. Looking down at my clothes, embarrassment washes over me. Between the blood on the shirt and the bruises on my face, I know people will be watching me as I leave the room. I step back into the room and wait for several minutes but it is clear that no one is coming to get me. I will have to find my way back to the pack house on my own. "You are the Luna of this pack," I whisper to myself. “You can do this.” I hold my head high, pull the t-shirt down around my hips, and walk out of the room. I weave my way in and ou
Liz POV Nico opens the hospital room door, and Deimos stands on the other side with a bag in his hands. I look between the two men and step back into the darkness of the room. If there is going to be a fight, I don’t want to be in the middle of it. Deimos ignores Nico’s presence and tosses the bag into my hands. “I brought you some clothes,” he grumbles. "I didn't know what to bring, so I brought a variety.” "This was very kind of you," I say as I dig through the bag, looking for a top and bottom that would fit. Deimos only grunts in response. A sly smile is on Nico’s face as he slips from the room. “I will leave you two alone. I trust you can take your wife back to the pack house.” Deimos growls at Nico, causing Nico to hurry from the room. Once Nico has left the room and shut the door behind him, Deimos lowers his voice and inches his way closer to me. “Would you like to explain what that was about?” “When we get back to the pack house,” I whisper. “No,” Deimo
Deimos POV Elizabeth hops out of the car and dashes across the driveway at the pack house before I can even get out. I know she feared I would carry her from the vehicle into the pack house. When I carried her across the hospital parking lot, I could see her pale skin flush with embarrassment. While I carried her, I could not help but feel angry. With each limp of my leg, she kept insisting she could walk herself. I don't know which irritated me more—her concern over my leg or how comfortable she felt in my arms. I had to keep reminding myself that I don't need or want a Luna. Having Elizabeth around is only proving to make my life harder. Slamming my car door shut, I hobble into the pack house. Hobble. I hate that word. It implies I am incapable in some way, but there is no other word for how I walk these days. Irritation is still bubbling under the surface of my skin as I make my way into my office. My father tries to stop me as I head to my office. "Where have you
Liz POV I must have fallen asleep while I was online shopping. I refused to buy more than what I needed. If I could have gone to second-hand shops to do my shopping, I would have. I don’t feel comfortable spending someone else’s money. Someone shakes me by the shoulders, and the splitting pain from my broken ribs wakes me from my peaceful sleep. My eyes fly open, and I see Deimos’s darkened eyes looking down at me. “Did you find some clothes?” He asks. “Good morning to you, too,” I say. A low growl rumbles in Deimos’s chest. “Yes,” I roll my eyes. “I bought the necessities.” “Let me see,” Deimos grumbles. I open the laptop and pull up the order confirmations to show him what I purchased. When I get to the dark green ball gown, Deimos grunts in disapproval. “This won't do,” he says as he grabs the laptop from my hands. He flicks through the online dress shop until he lands on a tight red ball gown with a sweetheart neckline. I stare at the dress and shake my he