In Reach?

Mira’s POV

I reach my hand out to twist the doorknob. But just as my fingers touch it, the door swings open. I stand there looking at a pair of beautiful but familiar blue eyes.

Cutie looks me up and down with a concerned look on his face, “come in”. He stands aside so I can walk in, with somewhat of a limp. Dimples, or should I say Liam, is sitting behind his desk, looking quite seriously at me, as if this is going to be a stressful ‘conversation’. He closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose as he takes a deep inhale.

I stand in the middle of the room, not knowing what to do next, while looking Dimples straight in the eyes. I missed those eyes. As much I hate to admit it, I was a little disappointed when I didn’t find him in the room.

“Have a seat.” Dimples gestures to the seat to my right. I sit down and Cutie take the seat to my left.

We sit there in silence with the two of them staring at me as if I’m the one chairing this sit-in. I look down, trying to focus on the scar on my hand. I hate attention.

“You look better. You’re healing is slow, but faster than I expected it to be.” I look up at Cutie, with an annoyed look. I know I’m weak, physically, but I don’t like him to point it out just like that. “It’s a wonder you managed to survive this long out there as a rogue.”

There is that word again. Maybe he’ll be willing to tell me what it is.

“What’s a rogue?” I ignore the gaze from Dimples on my right.

Cutie seems to be taken aback by my statement. “You don’t know what a rogue is?”

I shake my head. He seems to almost believe me.

He looks at Dimples with a questioning look but looks back at me again. “A rogue is a wolf without a pack.”

I tilt my head a little not quite understanding him. “But I’m not a wolf”.

The room is silent for another few seconds. “What exactly do you know about werewolves?” Cutie is now leaning forward a bit in his chair, very interested to hear my response.

I see Dimples from the corner of my eye sitting a bit straight. He must also be curious.

“Honestly speaking, nothing before I came here. I wouldn’t have believed you were wolves, had I not seen some of you guys shift outside. I still can’t really believe it. But then again, nothing around here makes a lot of sense.”

These two keep giving each other silent looks like they have some secret conversation going on with just their eyes. So annoying. Dimples better start speaking soon. I want to hear his voice.

“So why do you keep calling me a rogue?” I direct my question at Dimples now.

“You’re a wandering werewolf”, he says with a straight face. At least I got to hear his voice. You’re pathetic right now, you know that? I shout back to my inner thoughts.

I let out a chuckle and this seems to surprise him even more.

“I think I would know if I was a………….a werewolf.” My body is weaker than that of the average human, how can I be a werewolf? What are these people playing at?

“So, you never knew that you were a wolf?” Cutie asks me like he’s trying to solve some big mystery.

“I’m not”

“Your wolf is dormant, yet you don’t know that you are a wolf. That only raises the question as to when your wolf was made to go dormant.” He speaks to me, but it seems more like he’s speaking to himself and just voicing his thoughts.

My wolf? Are they really convinced that I’m one of them? What made them think that?

“What makes you so sure that I’m a wolf?” I cross my arms.

“We can smell it.” Dimples interrupts.

They can smell it? Well they are practically dogs, they can probably smell scents like it’s second nature to them. Wait! Is this why I can smell them so distinctly? But how can I be like them? And what did they mean when they said my ‘wolf’ is dormant?

“Did your parents never tell you that you’re a wolf?” Cutie seems even more curious in me and I don’t like his attentiveness. I don’t like talking about my parents. I never really had any. From what I was told, they died when I was still a baby. So, I don’t know them. I grew up in the foster system and moved from one house to the next my whole life. Until I got my scholarship and moved out of there quicker than you can say ‘bye’.

“No.” I reply as simply as possible. Annoyed with this one-sided interrogation, I figured it’s my turn to get answers for my questions. “What do you mean by dormant?”

Cutie notices my sudden change in attitude. “A person’s wolf only goes dormant if it is pushed to the point of death, yet the body is unharmed. It’s a very painful process. You must have been very young if you can’t remember it.”

“Process?” Is he saying that someone did this to me?

“Yes.”

With the looks on their faces I think they’re starting to realize that I may really have no idea about any of this.

“So, my wolf is dead?” I can’t believe those words just came out of my mouth. “Why did you keep me locked up like some murderer then? I already told you I don’t know of anything you were talking about.” I look at Dimples again. “I don’t have anything to do with the killings here. And I’m sure you can figure it out, that I won’t be able to go up against a village of wolves and come out of it unharmed.” I’m starting to raise my voice a bit as I remember all the shit Dimples had put me through in the last few days.

He finally decides to take this conversation over. “Well that’s just it.” He stands up looking down at me, with anger in his eyes. “None of this makes any sense. First you say that you don’t remember how you winded up in the middle of a massacre on private land. Now you say you didn’t know that you’re a wolf. That sounds a little too convenient.”

Is he seriously insinuating that I am lying? I stand up challenging his gaze, even though I still have to look up with my short height. “Do you honestly think that I have anything to do with this? Me?” I gesture over my body, and he doesn’t hesitate to look my body over. But that angry look on his face almost makes him look like some predator hungry for its prey. “I already told you, that I don’t want to be here. In fact, I don’t want anything to do with any of this!”

We’re at another stare-off and I can hear him release a deep but low growl. Damn! I know it should creep me out or probably scare me, but that was sexy as hell. I felt it through my whole body. I want to feel that on my body. What the hell! Like,……..I agree with my subconscious, but I’m pretty sure now is not the time.

“We can’t let you go yet.” A voice from somewhere in the room comes.

I look at Cutie. Oh crap, I forgot he was still in the room.

“Why?” I say, almost as an order.

“Well, for one thing, you haven’t healed up quite yet.” He says with innocence I refuse to acknowledge.

“And we don’t know whether or not your being here is a threat to us.” Dimples adds. “We can’t let you go until we find out more and are sure of our pack’s safety,…….as well as yours.” He sounds hesitant adding that last part.

“So, what, you’re going to lock me up again?” I look back at him.

“We will let you stay here, in the room we have provided for you.” He says it like I’m supposed to be grateful to him. I mean, yeah I probably should be, but this is still kidnapping, sort of. “We will have someone accompany you at all times.”

I raise my brow knowing that he’s putting a babysitter on me. What exactly does this guy think I’m capable of? I don’t know if I should be proud or just angry. How can he make me feel such contrasting emotions all at once? Dammit! Now I don’t know if I’m angry at him or me.

“You will of course be expected to pull your weight around here.” He says matter-of-factly.

Oh hell no! That’s just a nice way of saying that I have to do housework. Now I’m vexed.

“Just who do you think YOU are, forcing me to stay here and basically telling me to do housework without complaint? This is practically kidnapping! And you want me to just be okay with all of this?” I give him a questioning look, waiting to hear what he has to say.

Cutie looks beside himself with huge eyes, looking worried at the situation in front of him. Dimples clenches his jaw so hard, I think I almost see a dimple. I don’t know if he is biting the inside of his cheek, maybe to help keep his anger contained, but I still feel a rush of excitement. Is it my obvious defiance against him, or that almost-dimple? I don’t know. But I’m not backing away from his tall and rigid form in front of me.

As if reading my mind, he smirks at me. “You will do as I say,” he pauses as if trying to give effect to his next words, “unless you want to be locked up in the dungeons again.” My eyes bulge at his statement and his smile grows. And there it is, -those dimples. Both, one on each cheek. F*#k me! I’m sure if I’m locked in the dungeon, my chances of seeing those dimples will be even less. Shit! He literally sealed my fate with that smile. I have no other choice.

“Fine.” His smile grows that I can see those pearly whites. Dammit!. This man makes me want to keep him happy and smiling. I’m shameful! I never thought I would ever become one of those women. I just have to use this to strengthen my resolve against him. “Can I at least get a phone?” I have so much catching up to do with my life. I need to let Lady Bronte know that I won’t be of much help to set up the show. I need to let Alex know I’m fine in case he goes all caveman on me gain for going MIA.

“No!” Is all that Dimples says.

“What? I have to let people know that I’m fine in case they come looking for me. Need I remind you that this is kidnapping, even more so if I don’t call to say anything.” Like, what is this guy’s problem?

“Like I said. We don’t know if your being here is indeed a coincidence. I can’t risk my pack’s lives if you let anyone know where you are. Just getting word of you being here or even being alive and fine with my pack, may be a trigger to something happening again.”

“Wait? You think I’m a spy?” Seriously. “I don’t have time for this nonsense, I have a life to get back to and it’s not something you can just put a hold on whenever you deem so.”

“Well I have people’s lives at stake. So, consider your life as of now, ‘on hold’.” He says with finality.

When he puts it like that, I understand his concern. But has this guy never heard of ‘asking?’

I release a frustrated grunt and he raises his brow at my response. I turn away from him, not wanting to see the look of victory on his face. I find Cutie still there, dammit, I forgot he was there, again. What the hell is wrong with me? Every time I’m with Dimples, it’s like I forget there are other people around.

Trying to save myself from this potential awkward moment I say to Cutie, “So, who is going to show me around?”

Cutie looks like he almost wants to smirk and looks at Dimples, who seems annoyed. What? Is he angry that I kept his victory dance short?

“Follow me.” Cutie leads the way and I follow without giving a look back. I know he’s looking at me, I can feel it burning the back of my body.

Liam’s POV

She exited my office walking after Aiden without even a glance back at me. The nerve of this woman. I sit back into my chair and huff out of annoyance. She kept talking to me as if challenging me. The Alpha in me hates such provocations, but my wolf got excited, I couldn’t help but smile a bit. I made sure to speak with finality in my voice, so that she can get a grasp on the seriousness of the situation and my position of authority.

But then she just turns to Aiden and asks him to ‘lead’ the way. What the f….? I’m supposed to have the last say. I say when a meeting is done. The nerve of this woman. I practically stared daggers at her as she walked out, hoping for her to look back. But she didn’t, like she wasn’t bothered by me at all.

I don’t even know her name. I wanted to ask, but she caught me off guard with the whole situation. She was already walking out when the thought crossed my mind, I didn’t want to ask and then seem like I was interested.

She’s so difficult to read. I can’t tell what her angle is, if she has one.

But enough of her. I need to stop thinking about her. I have a folder of profiles to go through. The gala is soon and I need to at least have some background knowledge on the she-wolves coming, if I’m going to choose a mate from one of them, to choose my Luna.