Someone Is Watching

~ Adrain ~

I paced in my room, patiently waiting for Austin to arrive.

“You called me." Austin bowed as soon as he stepped in.

"Earlier at the courtyard, did you make sure all the guards were present?" I stopped to face him.

He tilted his head, then nodded.

"Yes, Alpha, I made sure they all left their quarters."

“No," I shook my head. “They didn’t all leave their quarters.” I leaned closer.

“Who then threw the glass?"

“The glass?" Austin echoed, confused.

“Yes, the vase. Not just once or even twice, but thrice. Three fucking times." I made the sign with my hands for clearer understanding.

Austin still looked confused, and then I knew I needed to explain.

“After addressing the guards, I was leaving and then bumped into Emilia, and next thing, a vase fell from the servant quarters almost hitting her.” I paused.

Austin's expression was unreadable, but a mix of shock and confusion was written all over him.

“I pulled her out the first time, the second, and the third time." I clenched my fist tighter.

“Find me the fucking asshole that did that." I roared, my wolf Antha growling within.

“Yes, Alpha, but I made sure every servant left their quarters. I guess it’s a coincidence; probably the vest must have been in their windows when they were leaving, and the wind blew it off.” He shrugged.

"You can’t tell me that, Austin," I yelled.

"It wasn’t the wind. Just watch them closely and find me the intruder among them.”

I headed to the chair in my study and sat down. Took a stick of cigarette from its pack and lit it.

I began

The smoke from it reminded me so much of Charlotte. She was a lover of cigarettes, but she made it clear she hated them now.

What irony?

Charlotte was the one who pushed me into taking cigarettes years back.

I had stayed with her most times she took it, warning her to stop taking the damn thing.

But she wouldn’t budge, so I had to join her.

“You promised to stop that, Alpha." Austin said, walking to the front of my desk.

I glanced at him, then glanced back and continued taking the cigarettes.

“What if she comes here?" He quivered and moved to sit on the couch.

“Who?"

“Emilia."

Oh yes, I literally forgot this. Emilia hated the smell so bad. She had barged into my room on a day after I had finished taking it.

She coughed so hard that it nearly choked her. And I promised myself never to take it again.

“She is asleep right now. She wouldn’t barge in here now for any reason.”

Austin stared at me and then smiled.

"What was that?”

He stood from the couch and walked over to the front of my desk again. "You said she was sleeping right now, so I was wondering how you knew.”

"Oh..." I uttered, then forced my mouth to close, swallowing the next words.

How would it look if I said I tucked Emilia to sleep?

It’s going to sound desperate, and I would look weak too.

Right after the last vase had wanted to hit her, she was so terrified that she couldn’t stand well.

Her feet wobbled as she stood, and then I offered to carry her to her room, which she agreed to.

She insisted I stay with her for a while, and I did till she slept off.

I knew I had this soft spot for her whenever I saw her, but making it obvious wouldn’t be nice.

I wouldn’t say I love her, cause loving a human isn’t something I would do.

But for sure, my heart melts whenever we are together.

“I helped her to her room earlier, and she said she would have so much sleep. So I guess she will be sleeping by now."

"But..." Austin was interrupted by a knock on my door.

He opened the door and stepped out and then returned after a while.

“Alpha!" He called, hurriedly walking towards me.

“The intruder has been found.”

I sprang from my seat, throwing the half-burnt cigarette on the floor.

“He isn’t here though. A guard found him leaving the quarters after disposing of the body.”

"I don’t get it."

"After you addressed the guards at the courtyard, they had locked their quarters after everyone supposedly left.

After the general commander returned and opened the quarters, he found someone leaving just then.

From his description, the figure was clearly putting on the guard's uniform, but then a masked face.”

I looked at Austin puzzled. “And he made no effort in getting the person?"

“He said the figure ran off before he could get him, and the guards hadn't returned to their posts when all this was happening.”

"Hmmmm," I exclaimed.

Was the story even adding up?

Someone disguised as a soldier or a soldier trying to hurt Emilia.

There was more to it, though, but the fact here is that an enemy has locked in, and we would stop at nothing in finding him.