My Jolly Alpha - Burgov Series V

17. Markella

Orson hasn't called me back. It made the rest of my evening and night a living hell. I never really knew that about me, but it turns out that whenever my mind is left in that dreadful, uneasy state without all the answers at hand, it goes to all the darkest scenarios possible. And frankly speaking, there were at least a dozen reasons why his uncle might have called and why Orson fell off the grid, and none of that made me even a little bit comfortable.

My head went from some family emergency all the way to Kimmy attempting to harm Orson, and with every new idea I felt more and more like crying from my helplessness.

I couldn't even call him, not after what we discussed the night before, and I had absolutely no idea what to do with myself. So I settled for tossing and turning, allowing my wild imagination to get the best of me, and that's probably the reason why, when the sun came up, I had less than three hours of sleep behind my belt.

But despite my tired body, I dressed as soon as it was proper time to venture around the house. My phone told me it was only seven am, but I couldn't stay in that room any longer without losing my senses.

And oddly so, my last decision turned out to be the best one to make, especially when I stumbled upon drenched in sweat Ellie coming up the stairs.

She smiled at seeing me, but her expression quickly changed into a worried frown when she saw my face, with dark circles under my eyes and the absent look I saw earlier in the mirror.

"What's wrong?" - she asked, taking the earphones out.

"Orson didn't call me back yesterday, and I have a bad feeling." - I told her without beating around the bushes. There was no point in that. If anyone cared about Orson here, it would be her.

I may have known Ellie for something around thirty hours, which isn't a lot, but it takes no more than ten minutes in her presence to know she's a resourceful woman, one who doesn't ask for help, because she's simply capable of writing her own fate.

So it came as no surprise when she started acting immediately, taking her own phone out and started dialing.

"Yeah, what's going on in there? Your Luna is beside herself with worry and I would like to know who I have to throat-punch for it." - she said in a rather dangerous, hostile tone, with a few u-hmms and I see thrown here and there, before she hung up the phone and looked at me, with a visible crease on her usually very relaxed face.

"They had a situation in Midnight Banes." - she started, carefully picking her words - "Orson is occupied with Kimmy, and from what Dave said everyone is at high alert, that's why you haven't heard from him."

"Why? What's going on?" - I demanded.

"Orson caught her right before passing some sensitive information to someone. They don't know who, and it wasn't nearly enough to end this whole charade, so Orson hasn't let her out of his sight since, and my family, with a few of my father's best men, are looking for the person she was supposed to meet with." - sheen explained.

" Oh, Dear Goddess." - I gasped, covering my mouth. - "So it's all true, she was trying to incriminate him and take over his pack, just like Sasha said."

"Yeah, it seems so." - Ellie nodded gruffly - "And if you haven't noticed it already, aunt Sasha is rarely wrong."

"So what now?" - I asked, ignoring her comment.

"Now they are looking for her conspirator, and I'm sure my cousin will call you as soon as he can." - she assured me.

"Okay." - I nodded absentmindedly, turning on my heel to go back to my room.

"Where do you think you're going?" - Ellie called after me.

"To my room." - I said, turning back to face her.

"No, you're not." - she said in a tone that left me no place for discussion. She crossed two steps separating us, and hooked her hand through mine. - "You're coming with me."

"What? Why?" - I frowned at her, a little surprised by how a woman at least five inches shorter than me can be strong enough to drag me behind her like that.

"Because if I were you, I would be halfway to doing something incredibly stupid by now, and I made a promise to keep you safe. So, whether you want it or not, you're with me until Orson calls." - she announced.

"Are you always this bossy?" - I asked, looking down at her, but my only response was a wolfish grin that wordlessly confirmed that yes, she was always this way. I shook my head, knowing that this was the battle I was very unlikely to win. - "You and Cilia are very much alike, although her authority never went beyond going to a club or shopping." - I muttered, making Ellie snort very unlady-like, clearly showing that they also had their differences.

"After all, we are a family. You'll find out soon enough that this clan is full of stubborn individuals." - she said it with some sort of strange pride about that fact.

"And how does Maddox deal with it?" - I arched one brown at her. Ellie regarded me with a side glance and tried really hard not to smirk, but it didn't work.

"I'm rather an expert at apologizing." - she admitted truthfully, and at that moment I'd decided that I rather liked Ellie Burgov and her no-bullshit policy. At least she was able to make me smile when the only other thing I could think of was crying from worry. Yes, she was definitely a good companion for hard times.

She led me to Alpha's suite, where she claimed she needed just five minutes to take a quick shower, before we could go downstairs and eat. It didn't really matter that I assured her that I would be perfectly fine on my own, and she didn't have to babysit me all the time, because she had none of it. Actually, seeing how determined she was, I counted my blessings that Ellie hadn't yet mentioned being in the bathroom with her while she had the said shower.

But her companionship quickly turned awkward when we entered her and Maddox's suite, where right in front of the door, on the massive bed laid her mate and Alpha, completely naked, with his manhood on full display.

I'm not sure who sprung into action quicker, him trying to cover himself, or me doing the same thing to my eyes, or Ellie, who doubled over and started laughing. It probably all happened simultaneously.

"Oh, babe, you probably regret picking this day to surprise me, don't you?" - Ellie said, still chuckling, and shaking her head at the ridiculous situation we had come into.

"I… Am… I better get dressed." - Maddox muttered, covering himself from waist down with the bedsheet and walking backwards towards the walk-in closet.

"Yeah, you do that." - Ellie said with amusement, clearly laughing in her man's face.

I turned to her when the door behind him closed.

"I'm so sorry, I swear I didn't see anything."

"That's your loss." - she shrugged, like it was no big deal, making my eyes almost jump out of their sockets. - "What? There's nothing to be ashamed of about Maddy. The man has the ass of a Greek God."

The fit of giggles bubbled in my throat. There was something ridiculously funny about that situation, and I was secretly glad Ellie didn't make a big deal out of it. The last thing I needed was to make my stay awkward.

Maddox came out a few seconds later dressed casually in sweats and a t-shirt with his cheeks lobster-red, and Ellie left my side, snapping his ass as she went by him.

"Markella, I'm sorry, I didn't know…" - he said sheepishly, but I honestly didn't have the strength to go through with this conversation, so I shook my head to stop him.

"Let's not talk about it. Like ever again."

"Deal." - Maddox agreed immediately, looking relieved. - "So what are you two doing so early in the morning? Nothing good knowing my mate."

"Nothing really." - I sighed, wrapping my hands protectively around myself - "I was worried about Orson and then I found Ellie…"

"Something happened?" - he cut me off frowning, apparently knowing where I was heading with it.

"Yes, Kimmy made a move and they are all on it right now." - Maddox nodded, and even without having a full picture his expression hinted that he could understand my distress quite well.

"Who's they?"

"Orson, David and apparently his father and brother." - I said.

"Good." - he nodded - "The Burgov Gammas are the rivals I wouldn't want to have against me. Orson is in good company." - he said so reassuringly that it almost made me forget he and my mate don't really like one another.

"I thought you wouldn't care about him." - I said truthfully, before I could stop myself. It seems that the stress made my vocal filter stop working.

"He's not my favorite, but he's a family. And, believe it or not, I can understand how you feel right now."

"How come?" - I asked with interest.

"There once was a time I was left behind when they all took matters into their own hands. It felt horrible, especially when I learned the depth of the ploy afterwards, but with time I started seeing things differently." - Maddox said vaguely, spiking my interest even more than feeding my curiosity.

"Differently how?" - I pressured, even though I probably had no right to pry.

"They are so much more than just a family. They are like a pack within packs. And their loyalty works exactly that way. There will always be their clan above the place they swore their lives to. And it's rather comforting to be a part of this family, they will never let one of their own fall."

I thought about his words long and hard. I got the exact same feeling with every new person I met. They were not quite like any other family I've met. And Maddox's words brought me a lot of comfort, no matter if he intended it this way or not.

Ellie was true to her word and her shower took exactly five minutes. And just by that, I will never ever compare her to Cilia, because, for my best friend, five minutes was more like an idiom than a time frame. So, after Ellie joined us, still laughing at her mate, may I add, we went downstairs for breakfast, where Ellie, to everyone's amusement, shared the embarrassing story about my third degree with Maddox.

Watching the entire leading squad, I noticed something rather peculiar, how everyone, probably unconsciously, was flanking Ellie. She seemed the epicenter, or maybe the heart of this place, and it strangely made me think of her aunt, Sasha, and one other woman from their family like that, Cilia. They were the ones bringing people together, and it made me realize those must be the traits of a female in charge.

But do I have those?

Am I even enough to step up to the task of inspiring the masses while supporting my man as best as I can? I honestly don't know. Right now I feel rather helpless. Hidden in far away land, like a child that needs protection rather than a woman worth the role she was assigned with.

It made me realize that while Orson tries his best to solve the situation, I must do the same.

The thought made me abruptly stand up from my seat and rush upstairs to the guest bedroom, hearing Elli calling my name and most likely following me, but I just couldn't stop, I had to do something.

Once in my room, I pulled out all the volumes I had brought with me, and started going page by page, looking for the thing Kimmy might have used to trick Orson. I don't know how, but it must be another step in the right direction, or at least another puzzle piece that falls in its place.

Eucalyptus wasn't that uncommon, it was known for its narcotics properties, as well as an intense scent, able to fool even the best trackers. But anemone petals were something else entirely.

The flowers were very common and surprisingly easy to get, but not many knew about their scentless properties, and they weren't that often used in potions. People simply underestimated it as something too mundane to even bother, but that could actually work in my favor.

"Markie, is everything okay?" - Ellie stopped in my doorway, watching me with concern.

"Yes, I just need to do something. I can't just sit around and wait for Orson to deal with everything alone. We're supposed to be a team, right?" - I answered, and when no reply came, I looked up, noticing Ellie smiling down at me. She pushed herself from the doorframe and came into the room, locking the door behind her.

"I knew I liked you the moment I met you, but now you proved how right you are to my cousin." - she said, sitting on the bed next to me and placing her hand on mine. - "I knew that the woman who befriended Cilia must be someone extraordinary, but you've got a soul of a fighter and that's something I will always respect. But in this family, we're never left alone. You wouldn't believe what crazy thing Nicky did to keep an eye on me." - she snorted, but there was a lot of love and gratitude in the gesture. - "So tell me what we're doing, because sitting and waiting isn't exactly in my nature as well." - she smiled, and I answered with the same, turning one of the books towards her.

"Your brother smelled eucalyptus and anemone petals in the cup Kimmy always carries with her. I thought that if I managed to find one potion she's using, maybe they could prove she's been faking it all along and…"

"And get rid of the bitch." - Ellie ended up for me, nodding in agreement. Her eyes suddenly glazed over and I knew she was mind-linking, but I didn't ask who. - "Okay, so those are your herbology books I presume, and we're looking for the mixtures with both, right?" - she asked after her eyes came back to normal.

"Yes." - I confirmed.

Without a word, Ellie took one of the books and right away started flipping through the pages, trying to locate what we were looking for. She didn't ask any more questions, she didn't make an attempt to change my mind. She simply knew that was what I needed and she was ready to help me every step of the way.

Still, going through all the eight books with thousands of different recipes would take us probably a week or so, but it was still comforting that she hasn't pegged me for being insane, but rather backed my need to act.

I focused on the book in my hand when, after three quick knocks, the door opened and Maddox, with the rest of his team, came over and they all sat on the bed or the floor and looked expectantly at Ellie.

"Grab the books, we're looking for anything that has eucalyptus and anemone petals in it." - she ordered the rest, and they didn't even try to argue with her. They obediently took one book each and started reading, finding the most comfortable spots for them.

I watched the whole scene in disbelief. It was one thing to accept the help from Ellie. After all, she was Orson's relative. But when those complete strangers came to my aid with no questions asked, I felt moved to the point of the unbearable stinging in my eyes that foretelled tears.

I glanced at Ellie, who so happened to watch me back. She smiled and winked, as if assuring me that's exactly how they are doing things down here.

And to think Orson thought no one cared for him…

The work went faster than I imagined. Of course, there were moments when I had to decipher some of the notes, especially those in older books. It wasn't like my tribe's knowledge was perfectly cataloged and printed in an encyclopedia with a table of content that would have helped us a great deal. No, they were mostly handwritten, without proper order or even a main thought or theme, so the faded pages weren't always easy to read. But surprisingly, no one complained. They even kept the atmosphere light, joking here and there about one of the other blends they discovered . In particular Danny, the young Gamma, seemed to get the role of a comedian to the heart, annoying his, what I gathered, a little bit more professional, brother-in-law with no end.

"Um… Markie, I think this could be of use." - Dev, the Beta female said, pointing to the paragraph she was reading. - "It says here that eucalyptus is strong enough to mask any scent."

"That's right." - I agreed with her.

"So what if we're looking at it all wrong?" - I raised my brows, silently asking her to go on. - "What if what we're looking for is actually two different blends? So the anemones and eucalyptus…"

"Won't be mentioned in the mixture." - I ended in a whisper, just realizing what she so politely tried to tell me. - "How could I be so stupid!" - I groaned in frustration, rubbing my eyes in disbelief about my own stupidity. Of course, she used one thing to hide her natural smell and the other to somehow steal mine. Which, by the way, I still don't know how she did.

"And look here." - Devina pointed to a specific phrase and I sighed again.

"An eucalyptus extract mixed with other ingredients combining scents from at least four odor groups in one, is known as one of the best masking techniques. It's untraceable and lasts even seven days after consumption." - I read out loud.

"What four odor groups?" - Danny asked.

"Like, for example, coffee, it's at the same time bitter and earthy and nutty and a little acidic." - I explained, knowing exactly how Kimmy got rid of her own scent now.

"Or licorice." - Ellie said with wide eyes. - "That's what she used at first."

I nodded, thinking she might be right, and it also would explain why Dave hadn't mentioned that undertone on Kimmy now.

"Okay, so just to be clear, we're looking for something with an anemone only now, right?" - Danny asked, not even making a fuss.

"Right." - I nodded.

"Okay, so I found one thing before, but it didn't fit, so…" - he said, flipping a few pages back and looking for what he had found before. - "Check this out." - he said, turning the book towards me.

It was a blend of anemone petals with dried orris root that is extremely rare and a burned resin from basically any tree and it was said to be an attraction mixture. It was used on dangerous animals to be able to come near them, and the trick lies in drowning in resin a bit of DNA of the creature you wanted to approach. The person who digested the mixture started emitting the creature's favorite smell, so for cats it would be catnip, for sharks it would be blood, and for werewolves… the unique scent of their mates.

That's brilliant in its simplicity. However, Kimmy twisted something that was meant to be helpfully scientifically to her own accord.

"That's it." - Ellie said, leaning over my shoulder to read. - "That's what she used."

I nodded, reading it over and over again. And one thing didn't sum up.

"But how did she get Orson's DNA in the first place?" - I asked out loud, but my sight was focused on Ellie.

"I really wish I could tell you." - she said, shaking her head helplessly.

"Wait. They met at the summit." - Maddox pointed out. - "On the last day, right before we left."

"Do you think she was following us even back then, and what, stole his toothbrush?" - Ellie asked with a dubious face.

"I know it sounds a bit out there, but she put a lot of thought into it, so we can't rule this possibility out." - Maddox said - "And how would you explain that he hasn't felt her before for three previous days? That's a little fishy, right?"

"The man has a point, Ellie." - Danny backed Maddox up and I agreed too, I wouldn't put anything past Kimmy, this thing was already mighty complicated, then what's a few days of spying to add on top of it?

"Fine. Let's say I agree." - Ellie caved, and judging by the shared look among her friends, this wasn't an everyday occurrence. - "How do we get this thing off of her? Without that, we can't prove she's an imposter." - she pointed out, and I knew she was right. And whatever we do, we need to give it to her fast, otherwise Orson could face consequences for holding his own Luna hostage, but if we could only…

I jumped on my feet, frantically moving away the books scattered on my bed, until I found my phone. I dialed my home number, knowing that I needed guidance from someone with a lot more experience than I have.

"Markella, how nice of you to call…" - my Nana answered with a certain dose of sarcasm in her tone, and I winced, knowing she referred to the calls I promised to make weekly but often forgot.

"Nana, I need your help. Is there some universal antidote for all the potions?"

"Markella, what have you got yourself into this time…" - she started with her usual lecture, but now was not the time for that.

"Nana!" - I cut her off. - "I found my mate, but he's in danger and I desperately need to know if there's something that works on every mixture you know of." - I said dead serious and the tone of my voice probably helped her believe the sincerity of my words.

"You have…" - she whispered - "Yes, there is. But I demand to hear everything." - she said much more sternly.

"Of course, but once this is all over." - I countered.

I heard her irritated exhale and my chances were 50/50 at that point.

"Fine. But I want to meet this man too!"

"Of course!" - I said, smiling from ear to ear.

"Take a pen, it's rather long."

And just like that, I knew I wasn't just sitting and waiting for life to happen, I took the steering wheel in my hands.