Chapter 9 - The journey to Town

He used to run a small, cluttered shop in the town square near Open Creek. He mended clothes and mostly gossiped with older women. 

He once told my grandmother that his cousin disappeared, after getting into "trouble" with some "shady people," a group called the Ombra Nera. 

He'd scoffed at it, saying the name only brought bad luck but it got stuck at the back of my mind. Now I knew where I heard that name before. 

Mr. Perri might know more. Maybe why they had been attacking our pack.

I needed to get to town. Find Mr. Perri and talk to him. He was my only hope, my one shot at unraveling this mystery. 

I finally thought of a way to do so. It was a foolish idea, but the alternative was complete ignorance and despair. I had to know.

I slept with determination burning inside of me. 

The next day passed fast, it was unusually busy in the large house. I had my lunch and then retreated to my room. I was still brimming with fear of the possibility that Alpha Romano only changed his mind to accept me as his mate because I was from Open Creek. But why? 

After a semi formal dinner with the alpha and a few other top ranking pack members, I found the courage. Alpha Romano was still seated at the head of the table, sipping wine.

"Alpha Romano," I began, my voice steady despite my nails digging into the leather of my chair beneath the table.

He looked up, visibly irritated that I was talking. "Yes?" 

"I... I would like to request permission to go into town tomorrow," I said, forcing politeness into my voice. 

He wanted me to be submissive, and that was exactly what I was going to do. 

"I used to know some excellent local artisans. I thought perhaps I could... purchase some materials for embroidery. It would help pass the time." The lie felt clumsy on my tongue, but it was all I could think of.

 His gaze was piercing, weighing me down. The silence seemed to go on for very long. It was agonizing and it made my skin prickle. Just when I thought he would deny me, I saw his head move in a small nod.

 "Very well," he declared, his rumbling voice echoing like thunder. "You may go."

Relief washed over me. I wanted to scream, to dance, to weep. I was one step closer to knowing the truth. I didn't know what I was going to do with the truth, but I needed to find out first. I kept my face carefully blank, forcing a grateful expression. 

 "Thank you, Alpha."

I rose from the table, my legs trembling slightly. I was eager to go back to my room, now that my aim had been achieved. I took one step, then another, and just as I neared the door…

 "Wait.”

I paused at his order, holding my breath. 

“I'll be going on a short trip tomorrow morning. My rules apply even in my absence,” he simply stated.

I almost laughed in relief. For a minute I thought he was going to change his mind. 

“Yes Alpha,” I replied without turning back.

I tossed and turned in bed that night, wondering what I was going to learn and what I would do with it. 

I was curious, but I was also very scared. 

Before dawn, I rose without waiting for Chayil. She frowned when I emerged from the bath.

"Luna, it’s my job to care for your needs."

 "I’m fine," I told her, waving her away. I wasn’t an invalid, and I’d managed well enough before I came to Romano Crest.

The one thing I couldn’t ignore was my closet, overflowing with clothes, shoes, bags, accessories, more than I could ever count. I chose a plain pair of flowing yellow pants and a floral top.

My eyes caught sight of the red mark below my ear and I ran my hand over it. A shiver went through my spine as my finger came in contact with the skin.

After breakfast, I stepped outside. My guard waited by the passenger door; another man sat behind the wheel. As I settled into the seat, I began rehearsing my questions for Mr. Perri. He was talkative and loved to gossip so, getting him started wouldn’t be the problem.

But the thought of Grannie Alba caught me off guard. I’d pushed her to the back of my mind for days, yet the idea of crossing paths in town made my chest tighten. She hardly went herself. I’d always run her errands, but now….

Somewhere along the drive, I dozed off.

"We’re here," the guard, Nigel said, clearing his throat.

The driver leaned out his window. "Two hours," he warned as I stepped out. "Then we have to leave."

With my sunglasses resting on my nose, covering half my face, I didn’t expect anyone to recognise me.

 I walked into a local textile store and purchased some knitting equipment. The two men kept their distance, close enough to watch without hovering. 

When I’d gathered enough useless items, I headed for Mr. Perri’s store. The place was empty except for his small frame hunched over a stool, mending a torn shirt.

“Hello,” I greeted. The guards outside glanced in but stayed put, to my relief. I hadn’t yet figured out how I’d keep them from overhearing.

Mr Perri peered over his glasses. “Hello. How may I help you?”

I pulled out a pair of jeans from my bag. “I want these mended. I was told you’re the best.” I said, stretching the cloth towards him.

He inspected the rip, one I’d made myself with a razor, and named his price. 

“That would be two dollars,” he said. I paid, stalling for courage before anyone else walked in or, he was done mending the clothes. 

Just as I was about to say something that would have been undoubtedly stupid, he beat me to it. 

“Are you new around here?” he asked. “I haven't seen your face before.”

 “I…I am. It's my first time here,” I said. “Visiting family actually, my brother,” I gestured vaguely at the shop.” 

I studied the look on his face. “We were supposed to meet at a restaurant nearby but he was late so I came here to get a thing or two.” 

As he worked, I added casually. “It's probably a meeting that ran late. I heard him on the phone yesterday talking about ‘Ombra Nera’ or something. Must be a new project he's working on,” I said, moving aimlessly around the shop. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught one of the guards watching me through the window, his gaze following my every step.

His hands froze mid-stitch, he slowly turned. 

I blinked, faking ignorance.

“Did you just say Ombra Nera?”