CHAPTER 4

LIORA BROOKS

I WAS PULLED roughly back to the pack. I could hear my uncle prowling angrily behind me, but he could not do anything to me because of the guards. The pack members had come out of their houses and were actively trying to put out the burning house.

The fire was so hot and large that I almost felt proud until I remembered that I had not set it. I saw another guard wrapping Natalie in a blanket. She was weeping and stained with soot like she had been in the burning house. The guard patted her back gently, then she looked up at me and her face suddenly changed from the sad tears, into a maniacal grin, and the realization hit me – she was responsible for the fire and she was trying to frame me while playing the victim to garner attention. “You bitch!” I snarled.

“Hey, move it!” The guard behind me pushed me forward. “You are going to answer to the alpha on why you tried to kill your cousin.”

“I did not -”

“Walk!” the guard snapped. I swallowed my words and walked on silently, wondering how I was going to exonerate myself from these false claims.

I WAS LED into the pack house quickly with my uncle hurrying and breathing angrily behind me.

“Wait here,” one of the guards snarled. “The alpha will be with you shortly.”

I tapped my thigh with my thumb nervously as we waited. I could not look at my uncle as I feared what I would see. I kept my gaze focused on the surroundings. The pack house was a very impressive sight. It was beautiful and the fact that I am hardly here makes me even more appreciative of it.

A few minutes later, a voice cleared at the door and Alpha Robert stood at the doorframe. I immediately lowered my head to the floor in respect.

“Alpha,” I heard my uncle greet with a bow.

“Liora,” Alpha Roberts said. “Every time I see you, I am starkly reminded of how much like your mother you look.”

“Before she killed her,” Uncle Sylvester muttered.

“Yes, before the… incident,” Alpha Robert agreed, stroking his jaw. “Come, we will be meeting in the study.” He looked at me with something like pity in his eyes before he turned and walked away. My mother had been a well-loved person in the pack, but unlike my uncle, some people including the alpha did not blame me for her death. Someone would think that with the alpha on my side, things should be easy for me. I should not be subject to the maltreatment by my uncle, but I wish. I scoffed inwardly as we followed the alpha down the hallway.

Alpha Robert was not a bad alpha, but that did not make him a good one either. He was lax, nonchalant, and unbothered about what happened in the pack, so he depended on every word from my uncle to make his decision about pack affairs.

“Have your seat, Liora,” the alpha gestured to the couch.

“She should stand,” My uncle interjected.

“Stand by the corner, Liora,” the alpha said to me as he and my uncle took their seats. I sighed and obeyed. Alpha Roberts accepted the cup of drink from a servant and asked, “Where is Robert Junior?”

The servant bowed and replied, “He was still in his room. Sir.”

“Go and call him out immediately,” Alpha Robert said. “Tell him not to keep me and the Beta waiting.” The servant bowed again and exited the room.

“Your son?” Uncle Sylvester asked. “What will he be doing here?”

Alpha Robert chuckled and took a sip from his drink. “I am about to step down. This will be a chance for me to see his sense of judgment.”

“But-”

“No argument, Syl,” The alpha cut in. My uncle nodded and took a sip of his drink. We waited for almost 10 minutes before the future alpha walked in. Robert Junior was even worse than his father. He was nonchalant about everything except video games and sex with girls who only fucked him because of his position.

He ran his hand through his scattered sandy-colored hair and grunted, “What is it, Dad?”

“Sit down, son.” The alpha commanded. “You will be the judge of this.”

Robert junior yawned and his eyes roamed the room. They fell on me and he frowned slightly. I felt uncomfortable at the way he looked at me and rounded my shoulders in an attempt to look smaller. “Is this your niece?” he asked looking at my uncle who nodded. He licked his lips and asked, “What has she done?” he sat down.

“She-“

“Dad, is she the one I will be getting married to?” he asked, looking at me with that unsettling look in his eyes.

“No, son.” Alpha Robert replied. “It’s her cousin.”

“That’s a shame,” Robert Junior said wistfully.

“My daughter, your future mate, is very much more beautiful,” Uncle Sylvester interjected. “You must have seen her in school, yes?”

Robert Junior shrugged nonchalantly and sat back in his seat. “Let us get over this quickly. I need to go back to what I was doing. What did this one do?”

“She set my house on fire, and that is a threat to the whole pack,” Uncle Sylvester said. “And then, she tried to run away. That, on its own, is a punishable offense, it is treason.”

Robert junior looked at me silently then he said, “Is there any proof that she set the fire?” he asked.

“Well, N-no. But-” Uncle Sylvester stammered. It was obvious that he had not expected the questions.

“Then she will not be punished for that,” Robert Junior said, looking at me as I was filled with a sudden rush of hope. Maybe the son will be better than his father. “Liora…” My name rolled from his mouth like jelly, and I looked at him. I was struck with the sudden realization that his nonchalant, lazy hazel eyes were sexy. “Why were you trying to run away?” he asked.

“She is just -”

“Are you being maltreated?” Robert Junior asked softly. I was falling for him even more as he stood up to my uncle in ways that his father could not.

I looked at my uncle, whose eyes glimmered with hate and anger, daring me to speak anything about what really happened in the house. I swallowed and shook my head, “I am not being maltreated, sir.”

“In that case…” he stopped as the door burst open and Natalie rushed in, crying dramatically and rubbing her arms.

“Dad, I think some of the fire touched me,” she cried. “Look, do you see?” Then she looked around and as if she was just seeing the alphas for the first time, she bowed. “Alpha, I am burnt.”

“Oh, Natalie dear,” Alpha Robert said. “How did it happen?”

She wiped her eyes and went closer to Robert Junior. “Can you see the marks?” she asked, pressing herself to him, and intentionally giving him a sneak peek into her shirt. He rubbed the spot nonchalantly and looked away. “I was in the house when she set the fire,” Natalie said, pointing an accusing finger at me.

“Did you see her do it?” Alpha Robert asked.

Natalie’s big head bobbed up and down. “I saw her do it. She was angry because my dad was going to punish her after the meeting. She went to his office and scattered everywhere.”

“Liora, is that true?” Alpha Robert asked.

I nodded and immediately shook my head. “Yes, I was angry but I did not set the house on fire, and I definitely did not try to kill my cousin.”

“Liar!” Natalie snarled. “You heard me crying in the fire and you left me.” Like a paid actress, tears flowed freely from her eyes as she broke down in tears. “I can still feel the fire and smell the smoke as it was choking me.” She gripped her throat and coughed dramatically to get their attention and it worked because all eyes immediately went to her in concern.

The bitch, I snorted and shook my head.

“What will be her punishment, alpha?” she asked.

“Ask your future mate,” Alpha Robert grunted. Natalie’s eyes went wide in shock as she looked at Robert Jr.

“I will be the future Luna?” she gasped. Then she gave me a look and repeated, “I will be the future Luna.” It was like a normal statement, but I knew better than that. I knew it was a promise that she was going to make my life miserable when she became the Luna.

“My verdict…” Robert Junior said, looking at me. “…is that Liora will remain in the pack house until further notice while Beta Sylvester and Natalie will be given another temporary cabin where they will remain until their house has been repaired or built again.”

My uncle tried to argue but Robert Jr’s mind was set firm already. He stood up and extended a hand to me, “Come with me, Liora?”

Things had taken an unexpected turn now in my favor. I looked at my uncle and niece, and I could not resist the smile that crept to my lips at the incredulous, angry look on their faces as I placed my hand on Robert Jr and followed him out.

I heard Alpha Robert guffaw loudly as we left. “That was such a wise decision, won’t you agree, Syl?” he asked, chuckling. My uncle snorted in response.

I had escaped his snares again. Maybe I was luckier than I thought, I concluded as I allowed Robert Junior lead me away.