Filed To Story: Luna Riannon and Alpha Brayden Novel
“That?” He almost choked. “Please, tell me you are not taking this seriously!”
“Okay,” she arched her brow, “so, tell me then, is there anything between Fenrir and Salome? Were they ever together?”
“Why do you want to know?” Devoss’ lips stretched in a sly smile. She was about to tell him to forget it when a familiar scent enveloped her.
“Yeah, why do you want to know?” Fenrir’s breath burned the skin on her neck and next to her ear, making her whole body shudder with excitement.
“I-” Astrea was looking for the right words when the Rogue King laced their fingers together and tugged her gently to follow him.
“I’ll take it from here, Dev.” Fenir led her back to the line of people on the other end of the square as she was cursing at herself inwardly.
He stopped before they reached the crowd and said, without looking at her.
“Nothing ever happened. She is a friend just like Kara. I have no other women in my life except for-“
His mates. Or that other woman he said he loved. He did love someone, after all.
“Except for you.” His grip tightened, and her heart skipped a beat.
Target, target, target. Just a target.
“So, what is this?” Astrea asked, clearing her throat and pointing at the people. Warg and Kara were checking something on their wrists and then typing something on their tablets. After this check or whatever that was, they were greeted by the warriors Astrea remembered from the Fortress and given a red box.
“This is what I brought you here to see today,” Fenrir replied, the corners of his lips rising slightly. “The newcomers.”
“Newcomers?” Now that she was looking at the people with interest, she noticed three familiar faces almost instantly.
The woman she saw back at Raja with twin girls. Fenrir spoke to them privately back then, and now they were here with red bracelets on their wrists. Just like everyone else in that line. “Is that-“
“I see you recognise them.” The rogue chuckled.
“Back then you-“
“Gave them the passes” he nodded with a smug smile on their face. “Raja means border, Astrea. People who live there need to prove that they aren’t rogues in the traditional
sense. We keep watch over them and choose the worthy ones to live in Solace.”
“What are the criteria?” she wondered, feeling warmth spreading over her chest.
She was happy to know that the
woman and the twins would live here now. Solace was a good place. She had to admit that.
“Basically, not to be a criminal or a psychotic murderer,” Devoss snorted to her left, appearing behind her back with a cardboard box, full of the red smaller boxes they were distributing. “Wanna help?”
“Sure,” she smiled, “what can I do, though?”
It was rare for her to be able to do anything that didn’t require either killing or spying, so she was really happy to join them today.
“Each red box has a number corresponding to newcomers’ bracelets. They tell you their number, and you find their box,
” Fenrir explained. “Be careful as their new life is in it. New documents, the keys from their new home, information they need for their new job. We try to think of everything.”
“That’s very kind of you.” She had to admit that. “Not everyone would bother with such things.”
“But someone should, and here we are,” Fenir replied, as if it was the simplest of matters.
They stood in front of tables with the red boxes, distributing them, and Astrea found peace in this little task.
The people were thanking her as if she did more than just hand them something that others had prepared, but thanks to that she could tell how much this new life meant to them.
Deep inside, she could understand. After all, a new life was what she craved. Like a stealthy intruder, a treacherous thought slithered into the depths of her mind. What if she could have a new life right here in Solace? Next to Fenrir…
Astrea swallowed hard, chasing it away. It wouldn’t work.
The Teacher would search the whole desert for her. It would never be safe here.
“Thank you so much! I don’t know how to thank you!” The woman she met in Raja was accepting her box from Fenrir, her eyes glistening with tears.
“I chose the perfect place for you.” He smiled at them, and Astrea felt an unmistakable pang that tugged her heartstrings. Did he have to be this sweet?
“Anything would do!” The mother clutched the box and pressed it against her chest. “You have no idea how much it means.”
“It’s very close to the school,” Fenrir added, and Astrea closed her eyes. This was too much. “There is a little garden attached to the house and a big playground within walking distance. You are going to love it here.”
“Damn it,” Astrea swore under her breath, pretending to look for something underneath the table. Anything to take her eyes off that man.
He was changing lives here while she still plotted to kill him.
He was her target, and usually, Astrea wouldn’t think twice.
Especially not when Niki’s life was also on the line. But this … this was different. Fenrir wasn’t a criminal mastermind or a corrupt politician.
She came here thinking that he was just a rogue, but in reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Fenrir was anything but. The people of Solace relied on him. They loved him.
The whisper of doubt echoed in her mind, planting seeds of uncertainty deep inside her soul.
She couldn’t do it.
She wouldn’t be able to kill Fenrir.
“My number is 4837.” A familiar voice brought her back to reality, and, to her credit, Astrea didn’t flinch when she saw the woman who was not supposed to be here in Solace, despite knowing this wouldn’t bring anything good.
Astrea stiffened, carefully observing the woman in front of her.
The unexpected arrival triggered her, and now her brain was frantically trying to find an explanation as to why this person was here in Solace. The city was a secret no one knew about, after all.
Unless the secret was out…
“It’s 4837,” the Dragonfly repeated the number from her bracelet with a hopeful smile curling on her dry lips. A fake smile.
Astrea had to give it to her. Lenora was always one of the best at acting. Even now, she looked nothing like her usual bright self. Her long, medium-length ginger hair was dull and braided to one side, with a linen cloth thrown over to cover her face that looked sunburnt and sweaty. As if she had made it here on foot, which she definitely hadn’t. All new arrivals were brought here by Fenrir’s men on buses and in other cars.
The square brimmed with warriors and sentinels, indicating a high level of security, and Astrea wondered how on Earth Lenora managed to get in.
It was time to return to her real job from this wonderful hazy reality Fenrir almost made her believe in. She diligently went through all the boxes in front of her, starting with number four and finding the correct container. She really hoped that Lenora didn’t kill anyone to get the place.
“Here.” Astrea smiled as she had with anyone else in the long line and handed the red box to the woman, only now noticing that she had a big round stomach… as if she was pregnant.
“Thank you,” Lenora accepted the box with trembling fingers. Damn, she was good.
“You are welcome. Everything you might need should be in there, including contact details in case we did miss something,” Astrea dryly gave her the same line they gave to everyone
“You have no idea how much it means to me,” the Dragonfly tilted her head as if she was truly grateful for the help.
“How far along are you?” Astrea decided to keep up the façade.
“Almost seven months now,” Lenora smiled again and then suddenly her face contorted, and the red box fell to the ground as she hissed from pain, which was imaginary for sure.
“Let me help!” Astrea charged to her, knowing that it was a signal. They had to talk one way or another.
“Is everything okay?” Fenrir asked as she knelt on the ground, and she waved him off with a little chuckle while her heart was pierced with needles of guilt.
“Yeah, just helping this lady. Maybe I can take her to her new house? Considering her condition-” The words felt like crushed glass in her mouth. It wasn’t the first time she lied to Fenrir, but the taste was somehow bitter now.
“No need,” he brushed her off, handing another red box to someone, “just get her to the cars over there and tell one of my men to take her. They were instructed to do what you say