The Alpha Killed My Husband

21| The Missing Phone?

THE OFFICE where Rudransh spends most of his time, forming plans, taking over strategies, and authenticating documents is his mini planet—a world in the galaxy that the Mansion is.

It is the place where he makes plans to bring glorious kingdoms down, lure clients in his favour, deals with the manipulative sharks, and supereminent the superpower alongside playing ‘good-friends’ with the natural terrorists—the Grim Reapers.

I have read all about the technicalities of the floor. It's a specially designed platform that can survive fire, flood, and earthquakes. All of the visitors are bound under an NDA whereas only the eligible staff is allowed entry on the stringent terms.

There are sensors to register the biometrics of each individual. Every motion is under the radar. It’s highly automatic and invisible to the naked eye. However, the dread of feeling eyes on you is defeaning.

Fortunately, there aren’t any special regulations for Luna of the Mansion as there aren't for the Alpha. I have free access to every corner of it so long I do not mess up with the sensors.

I gulp at the darkness and mystery when I meekly step in. A strong gust of wind whoosh in my ear. Sprinkles follow. I shriek terrified.

It feels like one of those horror movies. A gorgeously sexy actress wanders around in a tiny silk nighty at two in the morning, forewarned about the ghosts waltzing in the kitchen. She brushes it off and ends up seducing the resident devils because she happens to be the dumbest b***h available in the market but she got perfectly enormous round t**s that jingle at every twist.

'Luna Aaradhya on the floor!' A mechanic female voice booms from the above. I gape in wonder as the light automatically flickers on when I pass through the security cameras.

It’s a slow opera thereafter. A huge glass table in the centre with a white throne overlooking the whole floor illuminates in vision.

Behind it, a massive portrait of Rudransh’s wolf gleams hungrily. It’s black and swinish adorned with radium light.

I marvel at the quality of the picture. Every bitsy feature stands out even from a distance from afar. Kevin. The name blinks in sapphire beneath the frame.

The rugged wolf is athletic, good-looking and brimming with self-confidence while occupying an invisible throne.

Unconsciously, my legs take me to it. I want to peer at it. Trace it. Feel it. Choke it. I have seen it when it pounced on Vachaspati in the middle of the night. Its sharp jaws have clenched around a million throats. Its gums reek of blood and flesh.

It is stronger and more aggressive at close quarters, managing to generate notoriety wherever it marks its territory. Its deep amber eyes gawk at me with so much evil intensity, I almost shudder.

I rub my hands over my arms to soothe the goosebumps.

The wolf gives off a dark reputation, opposite to Rudransh’s subtle flickers. It’s insanely powerful, intimidating and egoistic mainly due to invidiousness over its consistent success at acquiring states and well…the mate.

Avika has told me all about the 'deeds' it has done with females.

Bloody r****t! I scorn, stepping forward.

The Alpha wolf in full stride is quite impressive. Its manliness makes my heart skip a beat in nothing but pure hatred. This animal, looking right through my soul, is my nemesis. I hate him and his beings.

No wonder, firing orders at subordinates while on the phone with his father talking about torturing serpents is his routine. The puissant wolf is born to dominate and win. No one can get the job done quite as efficiently as he when it comes to wiping away ethics. He is the dirty business and not his other half who walks on two legs and giggles like a toddler at everything.

But Rudransh shares his body with him. He must interact with him all the time. How can he be a pure soul while fostering a devil 24/7? I am clueless. I have been digging for quite some time but never come up with a logical explanation.

I am so pleased you ended up here. Nagini drools with a giggle. We will see him in the contest. Won’t we?

You are eager to kill him. I chuckle at her enthusiasm ignoring the feeling in the pit of my stomach.

The contest!

It’s a bucket of cold water on a chilly winter night. I loathe the reality of it crawling closer. It reminds me of all the reasons I have risked everything. It reminds me of the little time I have on my hands.

Prepare! Search. We have to come up with a plan to take over. I tell myself.

Guilt creeps in when I calculate all the odd hours I have wasted in distraction over a stupid crush. There is only one way to dodge the feelings—by slipping in another beautiful distraction.

I have always wanted to explore Rudransh’s castle—his data, pattern, and tactics but never got the perfect opportunity, to begin with.

Friday evening with barely anyone in the Mansion comes down as a blessing. Rudransh is out with Shantanu to AnantNath knows where. Tarifa has gone to the temple with Lucida. The other staff is probably busy minding their own business that I do not care about.

I sit in his chair and look at everything through his eyes. It's a huge bright room with walls painted white. There are patches of lavender in some places. Towards the left down some stairs is a boardroom with neatly arranged chairs and a flat-screen.

A triangular corner is adorned with modern artwork and tiny diamond-studded sculptures. Its brightness blinds my vision.

I blink and look at it intently. The pedestal is decorated with flowers and pearls. It compels me to leave the chair and scrutinize it. I gawk at the masterpiece with the parted mouth.

Oh, my! Till now, I was confident I speak fluent English. Years of education have taught me the heavy vocabulary that can impress even the queen of England. However, amongst zillion words, I cannot think of a single syllable to describe its beauty. I am paralyzed.

It’s of a she-wolf in human form, riding another diamond-studded wolf that resembles Kevin.

He is Kevin. Nagini hisses. The riding she-wolf has a crown of ruby stones adorning her head, and her hairs are shimmering with topaz. The rest of her body glimmers with tiny and finely cut white diamonds and emeralds.

She rides a sapphire embellished wolf that howls at the sky. Its eyes are standing out with an ocean-pigment jewel I cannot name. It’s amber.

‘I want to steal it…’ Nagini is furious. I want to throw it down the Hanuman Hill. I will pluck every tiny diamond and splash it in the river.

The desire to touch floods down and I find myself stretching my hand to trace its shape. I cannot see the art in the back. It’s greyish, dark, red, and white that undermines whatever.

Adjacent to it are cabinets, a lot of them. They are everywhere—left, front, and back. The right wall overlooks the back lawn where the gardener mows the weed. I can see the flower bed and the hut stall for evening tea.

The front has shelves and a memory rectangle which is filled with maps, deadlines, and threads connecting pins. The official Gazette has earned a place there alongside the announcement of the second innings.

My shaky hands retreat on their own. I shrug off the temptation with a tilt of my head and walk back to the head chair.

I cannot touch a Goddess with bare hands. I have to perform my penance first. She may be riding Kevin but she is pure. I dodge an overpowering ethical conflict and go as far away from the statue as I could afford.

I slump on his swivelling chair with a garroted sign. His chair is so high that my toes don’t touch the ground. It accommodates my whole frame like a monstrous throne. I do not fail to notice how comfortable it is. I wiggle my butt a little deeper into the leather. It feels completely obscene but I want to feel the fabric. It’s imported.

I keep one eye permanently swivelled toward the elevator, and use the other to examine his office for clues. His desk is a nasty mess with pens, books, papers, and Post-its everywhere. He has a beautiful pencil stand that is devoid of any possession. There is a globe beside it.

A full-size computer occupies the right side surface. Its keyboards are at hand's length. Ignoring the computer, I peep at the globe intently. It has special markings on Cape Comorin and Sarp-Samrajya. There is a dot pathway that I believe he has used to invade during the war.

CAPTURED is engraved on the state in big bold letters.

I close my eyes and heave out a shaky breath. The more I explore the more ashamed I feel about myself. How can I be enjoying this douchebag's company?

‘I have been praising his gorgeous looks forgetting all about his dark heart!’ I groaned out of annoyance when my eyes caught a series of portrayals hanging on the farthest wall with a fireplace.

And I am on my feet again…thrilled to peek into Rudransh’s personal life. Anything that will earn me an advantage. I have already heard nearly everything about his current life, but knowing about how he grew up, and who his favourite people were had always been some invisible line of demarcation that I could not reach.

I do not have to ponder longer. Around thirty pictures are covering the brick wall opposite the boardroom.

All of them come from different backgrounds, timelines, and frames. I can see a younger version of Ronit and Rudransh playing in the mud with their mother. Atharva was standing beside them with his hands on his hips. He has the ironic ‘done-with-these-lads’ look while Laxmi smiles wholeheartedly.

The Alpha King and Luna Queen look very young and happy beside the toddlers.

Next, there are Atharva and Laxmi with another old couple that I do not know. It was from a family function. They are wearing matching formals. In their back, Rudransh and a baby struggle with the food. Rudransh looks annoyed and out of place.

I peer at another and another. Each one seems special with a unique story to behold. I hope Rudransh will talk about it in future. He used to look so cute in his childhood.

The pages flip and he is an adolescent now. Ronit and Rudransh are standing side by side with their prom dates. Aaradhya has a clumsy hand around Rudransh’s arm while Ronit’s date is an unfamiliar face grinning widely at him.

The almighty denied reciprocating it. His face is sullen like he was threatened with his life into the tuxedo and made to stand by her side.

Brat! I giggle aloud.

The next is from the graduation ceremony with Rudransh and Aaradhya dabbing with their folks beneath a statue. They are cladded in the graduation robe and hat with their degrees clutched in their hands.

Bright sunlight enhances their flawless complexion. Their parents are beaming with pride. It has to be a happy occasion.

Next, Tarifa is smiling with a man who stands by Atharva's side. His arm is wrapped around Atharva's shoulder. It is candid while sipping wine under a full moon sky.

I move on to the next one and next memorizing every singularity until a frame halts my quest.

It’s Tarifa again with a male version of herself. She looks young in the picture with a rather charming guy. Both of them smile at the camera, cradling a pup in a blue wrap. The pup’s face is vague but the father's face is clear. It looks familiar.

Could be Tarifa’s grandchild with her son! I shrug and move to the next, making a mental note to dig up more information about her.

It is Tarifa with her son and a she-wolf…a loud noise breaks through the room.

A phone is ringing. I leave my quest and jog to escort the trapped device. I have to shuffle through three drawers before a buzzing sleek device slips into my palm. It's pink and the latest version available on the market.

‘Rary❤’ The screen reads.

I slide the green arrow to accept the call. It hung up.

'What the...' I curse under my breath when the phone chimes with an email.