5

¬Avia 

His arms wrap around my body, tugging me closer against him. 

The feeling of Kadrick’s lips against mine, his body pressed so close to me, scent evading my senses, is delightful, and yet I can’t keep my mind from wandering. It’s getting late, but I needed a moment with Kadrick, to make sure everything between us is still okay, that he still isn’t bothered by my mission. He isn’t, as far as I’m aware, but it doesn’t make me feel any less guilty. 

At the very least, I’m glad I’ve been able to sneak out most nights to come to the compound. It’s not realistic to do it every night, but seeing Kadrick and Malin makes me feel better about what I’m doing. It reminds me that even if I suffer through this, it’s for them, and for everyone else in the Pack. 

Kadrick breaks the kiss, examining my face, sensing my attention has drifted. "You seem distracted."

"Sorry. There is a lot on my mind,” I mutter, running a hand down my face. Kadrick sighs, letting go of where he had been cradling me against him, letting me sit up properly on the couch. We are in his room, as it’s furnished far nicer. Living here at the compound, I’ve always been too busy, too distracted to bother decorating my room. 

Or maybe it’s because I’ve grown up never having a permanent room, never having the luxury to take care of myself, let alone my room. Aside from Kadrick, no one but me goes in there anyway. 

Kadrick twirls a piece of my dark hair around his finger distractedly. "About the mission?”

"It's harder than I thought it would be," I admit, tipping my head back and closing my eyes. The conversation at breakfast this morning got into my head more than I thought it would. They told me straight to my face that I need to be heartless and cruel to achieve the job Kenna has been assigned, that I’m stepping into her place to achieve. "I hate him so much."

Kadrick grins, gripping my hands tightly. "Good. It means our revenge is going to be far sweeter."

"I know..." I look down at our hands clasped together. 

"What?" Kadrick asks, not accusatory, but concerned. Sometimes I wonder whether he would walk away from all this if I asked him to. I never would, but it’s a thought that comes into my mind. We established our relationship here, with everyone having a common goal. Would he still wish to be with me once we have successfully dismantled Isaiah’s place as Alpha, when I’m not the leader of this rebellion? 

"I don't like Zire," I say, concentrating instead on the insufferable second-in-command whose presence in the estate has been an unwelcome surprise. "I need to get rid of him somehow, stop him whispering in Isaiah's ear, stop him watching me."

Malin was disgusted when she heard that we had missed out on a vital piece of information. It only proves Isaiah’s dark webs of deception run far deeper inside that estate then we have previously thought. If he has a second-in-command who he is hiding, what could Zire's overarching purpose be in there?

"We will figure it out,” Kadrick exclaims. It’s exactly what he said to Malin to calm her down when she considered completely pulling me out of the estate to announce our failure. 

"I don't like Kenna being locked up.” Hiking my knees up to my chest, I think of the poor girl in that room, in my old office which has been converted to be suitable for her comfort.  Malin obliged reluctantly, but it’s something important enough for me to fight for. "We have to get this over with quickly."

Kadrick nods. "We will."

It’s glaringly obvious that his words of comfort are empty. How well this goes relies on me and how well I can seduce the Alpha, or at the very least, gain his trust. 

The door to Kadrick’s room is suddenly flung open, and Malin strides. "We need to move things up a notch.”

"Do you have to barge in like that, Malin?" I mutter, resting my head back against the couch. She has never been one to respect privacy, even between Kadrick and I. She has never had a lover, and I doubt she will ever want one. She is too powerful, too intelligent for anyone else anyway, even if she doesn’t want to admit it. 

"Your first task was successful, I assume, in distracting him," Malin claims, pulling at Kadrick’s desk chair so it’s facing us, sitting down to address us. The dark circles under her eyes are deep. It’s the consequence of having to convene late at night. I wonder if I look as miserable. "But we need to move it along if you want him to lure him in."

"I know, you're right,” I mutter, leaning forward to clutch my head in my hands. I’ve been putting off any blatant seduction out of fear I’ll be rejected, and it will all end there. 

"Everything on our end is going perfectly," Malin explains. She hands me a folder I hadn’t even noticed she was holding, too focused on all the thoughts swirling around my head, mainly all being doubts. "Isaiah will be expecting you to correspond with a few girls who belong to wealthy families. I have all the information you need on them."

I take the folder, flipping it open. "Perfect."

"Don't screw this up, Avia. We are relying on you,” she exclaims, getting to her feet. I don’t watch her go, too busy looking at the profiles of the girls on the page before me. 

They are all beautiful, each coming with a brief explanation of who they are and what families they belong to. It’s a diplomatic friendship that I’m expected to establish with them, to strengthen the relationship between Isaiah and his estate and their families. I doubt the Alpha wants to maintain direct correspondence with these girls on a weekly basis, so the responsibility will fall to me. And if the public sees I’m friendly with such respected Pack members, it will make Isaiah look better. 

Ugh. 

"She's just stressed. I wouldn't worry,” Kadrick assures me once Malin is gone. I shrug, trying to look unbothered. I shouldn’t complain, not when Kadrick will be the one dealing with the tornado that is Malin when she is under any stress. 

"I know what Malin is like. She can be my closest friend one moment, and the next, want me dead.” I flip the folder shut, facing my boyfriend. 

"That’s the Malin we love,” Kadrick mutters flatly, furrowing his brows. 

"Are you okay?"

"I mean, it's not nice to hear that your girlfriend needs to seduce a man," he admits. There is that doubt that I knew he was feeling within himself. He hasn’t always been the best with sharing emotions that don’t make him appear strong and resilient. "Not just a man, but a powerful Alpha. How can I compete with that?"

"You know how much I despise him. This is the last thing I want to be doing,” I reassure him, reaching up to hold each side of his face, the scruff of his facial hair rubbing against the palms of my hands. If he were doing what I have to, I would be having the same feelings. 

Kadrick smiles despite himself. "It's hard having such a beautiful lover. You will have no issue putting him under your spell."

I swallow, but my throat is dry. If only I believed him, and if only it were so simple. There are many roadblocks that I’m going to have to get through if I want a chance with him. He already has the attention of the entire Pack, so I’m going to have to be especially different if I want to pique his interest. 

"I have an uneasy feeling that this may be a more difficult task than we think.” I’m always apprehensive about voicing my concerns. If Malin hears doubts, she is going to be upset with me. 

"How could he not desire you?" Kadrick questions, nudging me. 

"Let's not talk about this anymore," I say, leaning forward to kiss his cheek."Alpha Isaiah isn't going to come between us.”

**

Night has stretched into early morning as I sneak back into the estate. 

Climbing back in through my window, I wince at it being ajar, likely having blown open with the wind. As I approach it to close it, I hear voices from in the hallway,

“This is a bad idea, Alpha.” It’s Zire.

“Father wants her here,” Isaiah responds. I bristle, realising they are talking about me. Their voices are getting closer to my room, so I push my door closed until it’s open just a crack. “He wouldn’t have gotten off my back unless I agreed to it.”

Zire’s voice is clear as they walk past. “As long as she doesn’t get in the way.”

“She won’t. It will only be a few weeks, alright?” Isaiah mutters. 

Leaning back against the wall, I wince. They couldn’t make it anymore clear that they don’t want me here, but Isaiah could at least sound a little grateful that I’m doing him a favour by improving his reputation. 

Their voices drift off as they continue walking, quieting them as they realise my door is right there. I hate it here, and whether Isaiah likes it or not, I’m staying until I can take him down.