The cozy looking restaurant that Helen suggested had a homely atmosphere. The restaurant had a soft music playing in the background and almost all the tables were occupied.
People looked like they were having a good time, smiles gracing their faces as the ate with their families, friends and mates.
At first, i was skeptical why Helen chose a place far from the pack house. The restaurant was situated at the outskirts of the pack grounds but she promised i wouldn't regret coming and i didn't. Though set up at the outskirts, there were many people.
Helen dodged any questions regarding the people we met in the market. They were from the pack of abandoned wolves was all she said about them. She was being tight lipped about them so i let it go.
After giving our orders, Helen made a trip to the washroom leaving my mother and i alone. She sat opposite of me, facing me with a soft warm look on her face.
"You've grown so much." She said with a smile, her hand rested over mine giving a light squeeze. "You look happy now."
"I am happy now that you and dad are here." I smiled at her, my heart filled with love for them.
She smiled shaking her head. "I mean, with Alpha King." Her voice was a whisper. "Is he good to you?" She asked uncertainty shining in her eyes.
My mind started recalling the incidents after i got back from my pack, he was still far my acting like how a mate should but he was trying and i was happy with that.
Facing my mother, i pulled my hand from under hers and held her hand. "He is trying."
Mum nodded in understanding. "He seem like a different person from the one who took you away with him from our pack." She had a thoughtful look on her face making me anxious what kind of difference she was hinting at.
As if hearing my thoughts, mum smiled amusedly. "A good different."
Her words somewhat made me happy and assured me that i wasn't over thinking Xerxes' actions towards me but he really was trying and my mother can see that too.
"Meryl." Mum's smiled dropped and she looked serious all of a sudden.
She opened her mouth to say something but a waiter interrupted us with his presence as he served us our drinks.
I thanked him, taking a sip from my lemonade to quench my thirst. I turned to mum when the waiter walked away from our table. "You were saying something?"
Something about her expression made me worry. I pushed the glass away from me and faced her properly, waiting for her next words.
"Listen to me carefully, Meryl."
I nodded my head when i noticed how serious she was. She leaned forwarded and i did the same, she held both of my hands in hers.
"No matter what the situation is, always listen to what the Alpha King says. He will protect you." Her voice was low, only for my ears to hear.
Why did she sound so worried? "Why do you say it like something is going to happen?" I brows furrowed in slight confusion and worry.
She blinked her eyes at my question looking lost for words. Slowly she let go of my hand and leaned back in her seat, taking a sip from the glass of water.
"Ma-"
"Sorry, there was an emergency in the washroom." Helen scrambled to her sea, a wide smile on her face. "What did i miss?" She looked to and fro between the two of us.
"Nothing much." Mum answered, putting on a smile on her face. "What was the emergency?" She asked conversationally.
The waiter brought us our food, and placed it on the table.
"Someone caught her boyfriend cheating and instead of beating the hell out of him she's hiding and weeping in the washroom." Helen tsk, looking angry for some reason. "If it were me, i would make sure he rest in bed for weeks."
Mum laughed at her words lightly. "I am sure you would do that."
"So aggressive." I teased.
Helen grinned widely before shrugging her shoulders. "Let's dig in."
*
After we had our fills, it was already 4:30 in the evening. We decided to head back to the pack house as Xerxes wanted me to be there.
He had to stay back at the pack house for some work when i was heading out with mum and Helen so he'd probably still be there.
The trip back to the pack house was filled of confusion and distress. I didn't know if it was only me or they were sensing it too.
The atmosphere felt chilly and something lurked behind the silent air. An unusual calmness blanketed the pack that irked me and caused goosebumps to rise on my arms.
I rubbed my arms and looked around. "Something feels weird." I mumbled.
Helen let out a light laugh. "You're thinking too much. Come on." Her laugh wasn't genuine nor did it reach her eyes. Mum was silent and looked deep in throughout our trip back to the pack house.
There was pin drop silence in the pack house, no one was in sight which didn't settle well with me.
"I am tired, i will be heading to my room." Mum's voice was low and tired.
"Okay."
She halfheartedly smiled at me and kissed my forehead. "Don't forget what i said."
I nodded my head at her. She turned and walked towards her room.
"Why is it so quiet?" I asked Helen who looked distracted.
Her eyes snapped on me when she heard my voice. "They might be sleeping."
"So early?" i felt like she was lying to me. Mum's behavior bothered me too.
"Enough with the questions." She waved it off, "Why don't you freshen up?" She suggested.
It didn't sound like a bad idea so i agreed without giving much thought to it.
"Come, you can use my room." She held my hand and dragged me towards her room.
There was a door next to her room and without much thought i stopped before it making her halt in her tracks. "Whose room is this?" I pointed to the closed door.
Something crossed in Helen's eyes but it disappeared quickly.
"Helen." I shake her slightly when she didn't answer.
"It was Lisa's." She swallowed visibly as her eyes shone with deep hurt.
At the mention of Lisa, my heart thudded and guilt coursed through me. Her whereabouts were still unknown, she might be somewhere safe or somewhere battling with hardships perhaps for survival.
I missed her.
I wanted to see her, hold her and tell her how grateful i was for her help and how sorry i was. Because of me, she had no choice to flee her own pack, leave her family behind and stay in hiding.
No moment of apologies would make up to what she did for me. If i can, I'd repay her for what she did for me.
"Can i have a look?" My eyes stayed glued to the door, my heart missing her.
"You can't." Helen solemnly refused me. "Alpha's orders." She answered my unasked question.
I nodded in understanding, she couldn't go against his orders and i couldn't break into someone else's room.
Helen ushered me in her room. "That's the bathroom. There will be an unused towel inside." She informed me before closing the door behind her.
I freshen up, and let my hair loose from the ponytail. My fingers tips massaged my scalp as the strain of tying the hair up whole day started to surface.
My hair tie stayed around my wrist and i decided to let my hair loose for a while. Exiting the bathroom, i sat on the bed and looked around Helen's room. It was a normal room, a single bed, a dresser, a study table and a closet.
The bed sheet and pillow covers were in a light shade of blue. My hands ran over the soft material of the cotton sheets as i felt the texture.
The eerie silence around the house causing a heavy atmosphere to settle around me. My eyes went to picture frame placed on the dresser.
Getting to my feet, i felt myself walking towards the picture. I saw a familiar mop of curly dark hair and smiled, Helen. My smile dropped when i saw who she was standing along with, Lisa.
I picked the picture and stared at the beautiful moment captured in the photograph. They looked younger, perhaps the picture taken a year or two back, they were both smiling widely, hands around each other as they faced the camera.
Tears stung in my eyes as my heart ached for Lisa. She was living a peaceful life with her pack but my stubbornness to get away made her leave her pack.
"I am sorry." I clutched the picture and held it close to my heart.
Suddenly, I heard a sound, my ears strained to focus on what the noise was, then i heard it again. It was of someone crying.
Placing the picture back on the dresser, i tried to concentrate from where the sound was coming from.
My legs moved towards the wall and i placed my ear on it, which partitioned Helen and Lisa's room.
I heard it clearly, someone was clearly, softly.
Pulling away from the wall, my eyes narrowed at it. Didn't Helen say no one was allowed to enter? Who could it be?
Lisa.
There was only one person who struck on my mind. Not wasting a second, i opened the room and rushed out, the door to Lisa's room was left open, slightly.
My heart started hammering with hope and possibility of Lisa's return but then i got a whiff of a familiar scent.
All hope dissipated and was replaced with worry when i recognised the scent. My hands went to the doorknob and i pushed the door open slowly, revealing Lucy.
She was on the floor, clothes, pictures and other things scattered around her. Her shoulders shook as she wept clutching a cloth.
I walked further into the room when i saw the state she was in. "Lucy, are you okay?"
She turned to me, her face streaked with tears, her eyes so broken and sad. It was a devastating sight.
I rushed to her and engulfed her in a hug. I looked around us to realised the things scattered around Lucy belonged to Lisa- her clothes, her pictures and the things she used to use.
Lucy cried into my chest and she held onto me. "She's...going to....my child...why did...do that...my baby..." She managed to say in between her sobs. I couldn't make out what she was saying, i held her tightly and let her cry. She was probably missing Lisa.
My heart broke for Lucy. She was like a mother to me and was there when i needed someone. She treated me like her daughter.
I didn't say anything because nothing i say would make her pain any less. All i could for her at the moment was to give her comfort and a shoulder to cry on.
I jumped a little in surprise when the door was pushed forcefully making it bang against the wall.
It was Liam, one of the twins and Lisa's brother. His eyes were filled with so much hate and anger that i was terrified of him for a second.
The Liam i met back in school was goofy and playful, not this Liam. He looked like a whole new person.
When his eyes set on me, his eyes registered surprise before he apologized. "I apologise, I wasn't aware you were here, Luna." He avoided my eyes.
Lucy slowly pulled away from me and got to her feet. I got to my feet and stood beside her, worried. "Are you okay?"
Lucy wiped her tears and nodded. "I will be fine." Her voice broke a little. "You should go." She patted my hand, her eyes not once meeting mine.
"But..." I looked at Liam who was staring at his mother with a pained look on her face. I was hesitant to leave her alone with Liam whose previous behavior bothered me.
"Don't worry, Luna. He's my son." It was like she read what was on my mind.
When Liam saw the look on my face, he looked surprise yet hurt at the same time. "I would never hurt her my mother."
"I will be downstairs." I told Lucy who nodded still avoiding my eyes. Giving her hand a squeeze, i walked out of the room.
I wasn't even a feet away from the door when i heard Liam talk. "Don't you get tired, crying for a traitor?!" His tone was harsh yet i sensed an underlying tone of hurt.
Lucy didn't say anything but i heard he soft sobs.
"She will receive her punishment." Liam said the words with so much hatred. "She betrayed all of us, especially Luna." Liam's words were soft.
Me? By she, did they mean Lisa? I didn't want to believe what he was saying. Lisa can't be a traitor. She didn't betray me or her pack, all she did was help me escape. Was it such a big crime?
"But she's still my child, your sister. How can i let her die?" Lucy's voice broke and that was all the confirmation i needed.
Lisa was going to be punished for helping me. And it wasn't any other punishment but death. I can't let this happen.
My legs moved on their own and i pushed the door open. Liam who was holding a weeping Lucy in his arms, turned towards the noise.
"Luna." His eyes widen slightly when he saw me.
"Is...Is Lisa here?" I asked, swallowing pass the lump.
Liam didn't give an answer and i didn't need one either to know Lisa was in the pack. It was written all over his face and even on Lucy's.
Wiping my eyes, i braced myself. "Where is Alpha King?"
"Luna, you shouldn't-"
"I said, where is Xerxes?" I wasn't having any excuses. I felt his presence and knew he was somewhere in the pack house.
His lips parted slightly when i addressed The Alpha King with his name. No one dared to say his name out loud. Noting how serious i was, he responded. "He's with Beta Damien, in the study." There was a study in the pack house which only Xerxes used.
My eyes went to Lucy, who was shaking her head at me. "Meryl..."
"Don't worry." I smiled at her in promise before turning away from them.
I descended the stairs and my own heart beat ringing in my ears.
His scent soon engulfed me when i neared the study. I knocked on the closed door thrice to get his attention.
'Not now Meryl.' I hear his voice loud and clear in my head but i wasn't having any of it.
I knocked on the door again making Vivi worry, 'I think you should let it be for now.'
I ignored her further protest and focused on the matter at hand.
The door swung opened and I saw a glaring Xerxes. If i say i wasn't scared, I'd be lying but i can't let it go, someone life was at stake.
I wanted to cower and run away when i saw the glare he had on but if i couldn't voice out now, i would never be able to. I was done running and putting someone else in danger for my sake.
"Didn't you hear me?" His voice was a low growl. He was pissed, perhaps because i didn't listen to what he said. He wasn't alone, there were figures behind him but i didn't pay any heed to them.
My eyes not once left his as i asked him the question that i wish he answered with negative. "Are you going to kill Lisa?"
At the mention of her name, his eyes turned hard and his glare intensified, only this time, it wasn't directed at me.
"Yes."
***
So Lisa is back!
And before you all start judging Meryl let me point out that, she DOESN'T know Lisa is a part of a faction who are conspiring to overthrow the Alpha King neither does she know it was Lisa's plan to use her to weaken the Alpha King.
Okay! Now that being cleared.
What do you think will happen next? What will Meryl do or what will Xerxes do?
Comment you thoughts.
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