Chapter 86: The Lie Anna POV

"Do you believe he bought it?" My voice could hardly be heard above the crunch of leaves beneath our feet as I murmured.

Lucas's jaw was clenched as he looked at me. "He doesn't leave without raising any red flags. But he's gone for the time being. That's what counts."

The uneasiness in his voice made me doubt my desire to believe him. Oliver was convinced, which is why he had stayed. Because he was playing a longer game, he had left.

As we arrived at the cabin, it simultaneously seemed like a haven and a trap. With fatigue weighing me down, I collapsed onto the shabby couch. Lucas paced the cramped room, his every step tense with annoyance.

He ran a hand through his hair and mumbled, "We can't stay here."

"I understand," I said quietly.

The tenuous silence was broken by a knock at the door.

Lucas's gaze snapped to me as he froze. He approached the door silently, his hand lingering over the handle.

From the other side, Darius's voice called, "Caleb, Lia." There was no request.

Darius stood there with an unreadable expression on his face as Lucas opened the door. His usual serenity gave way to something colder as he motioned for us to follow him.

I felt his presence weighing heavily on me as we made our way to his office in silence. He shut the door behind us as we walked in and leaned with his arms folded against his desk.

His voice was low and measured as he said, "I'm going to make this simple. Really, who are you?"

Lucas's shoulders squared as he tensed up next to me. "I have no idea what you mean—"

"Don't tell me lies!" Darius snapped, and I recoiled at the acerbic tone of his voice. "You sound a lot like the two rogues Oliver described. And how did you respond when he showed up? It provided me with all the information I needed."

With a dry throat, I swallowed hard. Lucas's eyes searched mine as he looked at me. It was this. We were no longer able to maintain the façade.

At last, Lucas remarked in a steady but tense voice, "It's not what you think."

Darius's eyes became stony. "Then describe it to me."

With shaking hands, I inhaled deeply. I muttered, "My name isn't Lia. He's not Caleb, either."

Darius remained silent, his face revealing nothing.

I went on, my voice just above a whisper, "My name is Anna. And his name is Lucas."

"Anna and Lucas," Darius said again in a monotone voice. "Oliver is hunting rogues."

"We're not outlaws," Lucas asserted. "Not in the manner you believe."

Darius's eyebrow went up. "So instruct me."

I could tell Lucas was considering the hazards because he hesitated. But now there was no use in holding back.

"Anna is... different," he finally murmured. "She is more than an omega. Oliver wants to take advantage of her gifts. Because she poses a threat to him, he has been pursuing her."

Darius turned to face me, his gaze narrowing. "Is this accurate?"

My chest tightened as I nodded. At first, I had no idea who I was. However, everything changed when Oliver learned. He murdered Leo, my guardian, and if I hadn't gotten away, he would have killed me as well.

"And you?" Darius looked at Lucas and inquired.

With a regretful tone, Lucas said, "I was sent to hunt her. However, I discovered that everything my pack had told me was false when I found her. She poses no threat. She is merely attempting to survive."

Darius's expression was unreadable as he gazed at us for a long time. He then rubbed a hand across his face and groaned.

"Are you even aware of what you did?" His voice was quiet yet angry as he said. "You misled me. You endangered my pack."

"We didn't mean to," I blurted out. "All we needed was somewhere to hide."

Darius yelled, "And now Oliver is breathing down my neck because of you. If he discovers that I have been harboring you, do you know what he will do?"

"This is not what we asked for!" Lucas retorted, raising his voice. "To be hunted like animals is not what we chose!"

Darius stated icily, "That doesn't change the fact that you lied. You violated my confidence."

As the impact of his words set in, a knot formed in my throat. He was correct. We had deceived him and endangered his pack. And now we had nowhere to go.

"Now what?" Lucas asked in a hostile tone.

Darius's eyes became stony. "You go now."

The remarks were like a kick to the stomach. "What?"

He said, "You heard me. You must leave this place. Not after this. I will not allow your errors to harm my pack."

I started to say, "Darius, please," but he interrupted me by raising a hand.

"This cannot be debated," he stated firmly. "You have until nightfall to leave my territory. You're on your own after that."

There was no room for debate in his voice since it was so definitive. As Lucas took hold of my hand and dragged me to the door, I felt a surge of hopelessness.

Lucas's voice was tight as he said, "Thank you. For allowing us this amount of time."

Darius remained silent, his face as expressionless as stone.

The truth of our predicament struck me like a tidal wave as we emerged into the last of the sunlight. Once more, we had no one to trust and nowhere to go.

But a glimmer of hope appeared in my eyes as I saw Lucas's resolute jaw. Even though we had no other choices, we still had a struggle.

Not quite yet.