Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

Chapter 19 - Mari

I had lost track of the days. They all felt the same. Rafe had gone. My fated. The one I held so many dreams upon. I had not even had a chance to speak to him. I did not even get to know the man the Moon Goddess had chosen for me. And now I was back to a cycle that I now knew would be endless. My life. Stuck here within my pack. Trapped by my very own father. I was not even sure if life was worth living any longer.

But I continued to function, even if only on auto-pilot. My body becoming numb to the things around me. And no longer going out of my family home. My life at present was staying within my room, and completing my family chores. There was little else. And certainly nothing of purpose anymore.

I wiped the counterside within the kitchen as if in a trance. Cleaning up, again, ensuring all my chores were done whilst my Dad and my brother were at the offices within the packhouse. We may have had a major incident occur within our pack when Rafe was killed here, but life within pack soon returned to normal. Any affect of the traumatic occurence soon forgotten. But not for me.

My pack had wasted no time in a full investigation. Or that was what my brother had told me. From the information he had told me, it sounded like a very much biased investigation. But, it had been completed all the same. And, soon after, it had not took long for a report to be produced, and from the feedback my brother gave me, it was stated that a rogue was being blamed. The offical cause of Rafe's death according to the report was an attack from an unknown rogue present within our borders. Despite our pack seniors being fully aware there were no rogues within our pack at that time. But, the report that would be sent to Alpha Carter would state that there was. Basically to take any blame away from us. Cover things up. Hide what my own father had done. Though I did not know if anyone other than my family knew that little truth…

Only as I moved away from the countertop, and turned toward the breakfast bar was I suddenly aware of my brother’s friend Matty, our upcoming Alpha, standing at the kitchen doorway watching me. I frowned at his presence. Having grown up alongside him I would consider him a friend, but I was not as close as he was with my brother. His appearance now, unannounced seemed peculiar…

“What’s up, Matty?” I found myself questioning.

“Just wondered if you were okay?” He asked, a little tentative with his words, which in itself was unusual for him. Matthew Martinez was a confident and cocky guy. Bold and arrogant, as an Alpha should be. Yet at the same time he had the ability to be kind and fun too. The kind of guy people wanted to be around. Always had been since being a kid. That was the side of him I preferred.

But the uncertainty in his question didn’t sit right with me. “Why would I not be?” I threw a question right back, and he chuckled.

“Not making this easy for me, are you, M?”

My brows furrowed as I looked over at him, leaning myself against the breakfast bar as I do. I still had chores to do, and him being here was only holding me up. I did not want to cause any further friction with my father, and not having the chores completed would be a sure fire way to bring tension, and likely punishment too. But I was also curious what it was Matty wanted to know. Or why he had even come here. He should be at training with my brother at this time of day… a training I currently avoided, because my wolf was still a no show. Thanks to the fact my Dad had begun slipping me the wolfsbane some way or another the moment Alpha Carter and his men had left our pack. If I knew how to stop him I would, but I was unsure when, or how he was doing it…

I could feel my friend's eyes watching me, he seemed to be waiting on a response. But I had no idea what to tell him. There was no easy answer. “You may have to give me a little more to work with then, Matty, my head is not in the best place right now. So mind games it definitely is not ready for. Just speak your mind, yeah? It doesn’t normally bother you.” I told him, earning myself another chuckle.

“Jeez, girl, you going to get me admitting my emotions? I felt bad for you, Mari, losing your mate. That a bad thing? We are friends, yeah? There is nothing wrong with caring for you, is there? And I have seen how much it has affected Leo. He is worried for you. Not to mention, that I’ve read the reports. The damage done to him… they seriously slaughtered him…" He began.

“Stop!” I interrupted quickly. That was information I did not know. Maybe Leo had avoided that information to protect me, and thankfully my father had not gone as far as giving me the gruesome details of exactly what damage he had done to my mate when ensuring he was no longer present within my life.

Matty was quickly around the breakfast bar, resting his arm around me. “s**t, sorry, Sissy.” He called me the nickname he had given me as little kids. I was like a little sister to him. Always around, with our parents being so close, and my mother dying when I was born, meant Leo and I spent a lot of time with Matthew’s parents, usually his Mum. “I thought they may have let you see the report.” He added, pulling me a little closer in a bid to comfort me. Little did he realise there was no way to do that anymore. I was all but broken.

“I am not of rank. There is no reason for me to see it.” I told him, repeating the same words my father had told me when I asked of the report.

“But it was your mate.” Matty whispered, resting his head upon mine, and I nodded. That had been my logic too. But, now, hearing the things Matty had implied, maybe I was glad I had not read the report. Having to read a detailed description of the damage done to my mate may have been too much. Knowing he was killed because of his link to me was bad enough.

“I know. But, maybe it is better not to know.” I said with a sigh.

“You know the report says it was a rogue though, yeah?” He questioned, and once more I nodded.

“Did Leo tell you we know there was no reports of rogues that day?” He now asked, and I felt my heart fall. I don’t know that I am able to handle all this now but I nodded, regardless. I knew that Matty was opening up to me right now. Sharing confidential information with me that likely was only for the eyes of the senior pack members.

“Yeah he did. I hope he won’t be in trouble for telling me.” I whispered, because I know in admitting it, shows that my brother broke the rules too.

“Of course not. You should know. They said rogues to protect the pack. Only we don’t know who or why he was killed, Mari. It has to be one of the warriors, be it from their own pack or our pack. They were training out there in the forest, and that is beyond our camera covered area. Like it was intentional. But, I like to think I know and trust all of our men…” Matty’s voice faltered, doubt in his voice. This was a guy preparing to become Alpha of our pack. Of course he did not want to believe there was somebody within the pack he could not trust. Somebody capable of killing so unexpectedly. Little did he know it was a man he considered family…