My Jolly Alpha - Burgov Series V

18. Orson

Kimmy was sitting on her bed with an expression that betrayed absolutely nothing. After opening the envelope, it was like she transformed into a statue and regarded me with nothing but silence and complete lack of interest. She didn't cry, she didn't even try to explain herself, she just locked her mouth and watched emotionlessly the wall in front of her. Someone must've watched one too many detective movies with all that you have the right to remain silent crap, and she obviously took it to heart.

Fuck, I didn't even know how to approach her or how to make her c***k. It seemed like nothing I said had any effect on her, and I knew that the content of the envelope wasn't enough to expose her, without sharing a very important detail that I met my true mate already. And since it wasn't nearly enough to show her true colors and the depth of her scheme, I wasn't about to tell her about Markie, even though the phone I ought to use burned the hole in my pocket.

I wanted nothing more than to talk to her. No, I needed nothing more than to talk to her. But until I get everything that Kimmy probably gathered through the months she has been here, I'm not about to break my character. Kimmy obviously won't do it, so why should I?

So it leaves us in the impas with the two of us playing their own games hoping the other one hasn't seen right through.

"Kimmy, for the hundredth time, tell me what were you about to do with those photos and how on earth did you get my emails? Have you been breaking into my computer?" - I asked, but once again she had absolutely no reaction. She hadn't even glanced my way, as if she was above it all.

"Okay, so different question. Do you want to reject me and go back home?" - I asked and that at least made her glance my way and took a sharp inhale, but no word left her mouth.

I sighed, rubbing my face. Staying calm in front of her was probably the hardest thing I ever did. Well, maybe the second hardest, right after not claiming Markie in that cottage when I saw what she hid underneath her clothes.

"Kimmy, you obviously aren't happy here, and if those photos were meant to force my hand, you don't have to do it. I won't keep you against your will, if you want to go, I can call the League right away and make the arrangements." - I tried the reasonable approach, and it had some effect too, because her eyes started flaring with rage.

"You are keeping me against my will." - she pointed out.

"No, I'm not. The entire house is on lockdown and I just want to talk to you and hear what's going on."

She crossed her arms and looked away from me.

"Look, it wasn't perfect from the beginning. I don't think we ever really clicked. You hate my family and we have very little in common, so I'll understand if you want a way out of it."

And again, nothing.

I stood up from her vanity chair and went to the window, resting my forehead against the cool glass. It's not the first time I have done that since I entered this room. It was my way of hiding my fogged from mind-linking eyes. The last thing I needed was for her to think this was more than a lovers' spat, while, in fact, my family was looking for the person she was trying to make an exchange with.

'Tell me you have something, because I may not last for very long.' - I mind-linked Dave, and the first answer to my tired tone was a chuckle.

'Actually yes, but not exactly what you hope for.'

Why does he have to be so goddamn cryptic all the f*****g time?

'Dave… Can you for once, ONCE not play your mind games with me.' - another fit of laughter filled my head and I started pondering about how much my family would be pissed if he went missing one day.

'Your woman is rather the brilliant one of the two of you.' - he started and right away I wanted to find him and punch him. - 'She believes she found what Kimmy used to fake her scent. She even got a recipe for an antidote, and I'm making it now.'

'Really?' - I asked, once again hopeful that this day might actually go somewhere.

'Yup. If it works you will have your proof that Kimmy tricked you, and you will have something more solid against her.'

'So you talked with Markie?'

'Nope, with Ellie, but Markella was there. From what I gathered, they spent the entire morning going through her books.' - Dave answered.

'Okay. So make the antidote then, that's always something. And did you get a whiff of whoever was supposed to come for the envelope?'

'No.' - he admitted gruffly. Dave hated not having all the answers. - 'He or she wasn't even close to the Pack House so we were running in circles. But for what it's worth, aside from my father, Mickey and a few of his men, there are no foreign scents.'

'So it's someone from here?' - I asked.

'Most likely. So let's hope our brilliant Luna's idea works, because without her we're in deep shit.'

My heart swelled for this woman once again. She wasn't even here and I could still feel her support from hundreds of miles away. She was indeed one of a kind, and the one perfect for me.

I thanked Dave and closed the link with him and turned back to face Kimmy, who hadn't moved for even an inch.

"Do you want to go down for breakfast?"

She hasn't answered, but the rumbling in her stomach at my question made me smirk.

"Fine, then we'll eat here."

'Bring us both some breakfast and put the antidote in juice or coffee.' - I mind-linked David more openly, having a reason she could know.

'On it.'

"Dave will bring us something in a few minutes." - I announced, but it was as pointless as talking to the wall.

So we sat in silence a few minutes longer, each trying to show as little disdain for the other as possible. This waiting, tiptoeing and still too many questions to answer were excruciating. I didn't know what could possibly make her snap, and why hasn't she defended herself yet? Why hasn't she made even a single attempt to talk herself out of this mess?

Sure, she would have had to explain the emails and photos and they were rather hard to twist, but there was something odd in the way she hadn't spoken at all.

A few minutes passed and David came over, sheepishly, yet friendly, smiling at Kimmy, and he set the tray on the desk and, without a word, turned around and left.

'Juice.' - was the only word he mind-linked me when he was already outside the door, and I glanced at the tray curiously. To my surprise, the bottles full of orange juice seemed to be sealed, so how the hell had he put anything in there? Knowing his father, he probably showed his pups a few tricks that, for any normal person, were taken straight out of spy novels, just for fun. And who knew they might come in handy now?

I stepped closer to the food and glanced at Kimmy.

"Do you want me to fix you a plate?" - I asked, jerking my chin towards the steaming pancakes, buttered toasts, eggs and the rest of the goodies my mother prepared.

"No, thank you." - she murmured, and I sighed, pretending to be tired with the situation.

"Then perhaps you'll fancy coffee?"

To that she only shook her head.

"Juice?" - I raised one of the bottles that looked new and untouched, and I could feel Kimmy's gaze scanning it.

We were here for hours and the sounds that her stomach made weren't the only reasons why I knew she was famished. But her stubbornness was something she didn't even try to hide, probably thinking I would let the matter go eventually, getting bored like every time I wanted something she wasn't going to give me. But this time the joke was on her. I wasn't about to quit when I finally got something to grab onto.

"Juice will do." - she announced and I almost grinned, passing it to her. Damn, I was such a bad actor.

I watched her unscrew the cap and take a few greedy gulps as I fixed myself a plate and poured some coffee, sitting in my previous spot and watching her as I ate my breakfast.

I didn't know what to expect. Was the antidote supposed to work immediately or did it need some time? I had no clue. And I wasn't going to ask Dave, because he most likely didn't know that either. So I settled on being patient. I trusted Markell's judgment, and if she was the one to come up with the mixture, I was more than sure it would work. unless, Dave screw it up, but just for today, I want to have faith in people.

It was maybe five minutes into inhaling my food, which, thanks to my Mom, was as good as ever, and oddly comforting in current circumstances, when I felt it.

Up until now, being in Kimmy's presence constantly made my wolf happy, longing to be close to her, while I was just irritated, because, unlike my animal counterpart, I knew that was all an illusion. But when I stopped hearing a small, needy whimper, meant to make me comfort my upset fake Luna, and instead my subconscious filled with alert and then low growling, I knew it was happening.

I put my plate away and I focused on smelling my surroundings, wishing for the first time in my life that I had my cousin's senses. The caramel undertone got progressively less and less noticeable, and instead it was replaced with the most hideous and suffocating odor of flowers. I couldn't quite tell what it was. I was never a botanical expert, but it smelled cheap and like something that would attract a lot of flies.

"Kimmy, your scent…" - I said out loud, trying to feign surprise, and finally, after what felt like forever, I got some sort of reaction from her.

At first her eyes widened, then I noticed her eyes glowing and she was smelling the inside of her own wrist. Kimmy jumped on her feet, trying to put even more distance between us, but I was also standing by then, and there was no chance she would outrun me to the door.

I made a slow step towards her, and she almost became one with the wall from hard she pressed her back against it.

"What's going on with your scent? Why the hell do you smell like flowers?" - I asked in a low tone, watching her from under narrowed eyes like a predator does its prey.

She shook her head a few times, as if she was trying to tell me she didn't know, yet her eyes were too spooked, no, not spooked, terrified, to make anyone believe that. Then she started opening and closing her mouth, but at first with no words coming out.

"It must've been the juice." - she blurred out. - "It must've been bad or something."

"Then you would get sick, not change your scent." - I pointed out, taking another step closer. Would those be justified circumstances to just kill her? To me, yes, but the rest of the world may not be this lenient. And after going through everything I did, it would be rather foolish to let the moment of pure revenge destroy everything that I could have with Markie.

Yes, Markie, she's my lighthouse. I must keep that in mind.

"I… I don't know. It must've been Dave! You saw him bring the juice here. He probably poisoned me!" - she shrieked and I almost laughed at how panicked and unreasonable she had become.

"Dave? My cousin? My Gamma, and sworn protector of this pack?" - I asked mockingly, playing her little game hoping it would make her spill. But when all she did was lose the coloring on her face, I straightened my back and nodded. - "Let's find out then."

'It's happening, come in here.' - I mind-linked him, but hoping I was distracted enough, Kimmy tried to dash for the door, forcing me to catch her in the middle. And when she noticed I wasn't about to let her go, and even clawing at my hand wouldn't free her, she released the scream from a f*****g murder scene, alarming everyone within reach that something was going on.

Dave arrived first, probably waiting just around the corner, but hot on his heels were my parents and Teddy. The first three only take in the scene with curiosity, but Teddy started immediately growling, seeing Kimmy's hysterical state.

"Let. Her. Go." - my Beta demanded through his clenched teeth, and I smiled, kind of proud that he was showing strength to oppose his leader, which was expected of him when the need arose.

"Feel her scent, buddy. She's fooling us all." - I told him calmly, because Teddy did nothing wrong, he just didn't know what was going on under his nose and it was only because he was an even worse actor than I am. Had I told him the truth, his guilty conscience would have blabbed to Kimmy the first opportunity he had, or he would have changed the way he treated her, which might have been just as bad. And it's not that I don't trust him, I just know there is still too much youthful innocence in him that makes him equally the most honest person I know and the worst liar possible.

Teddy frowned at my request, but growing up under my wing and treating me like an older brother he never had, gave me at least that much credit, and his eyes shone for a second as he stuck his nose up feeling the air. Then he scrunched his nose and took a step back with wide eyes.

"What the hell?!" - he muttered. - "What happened to the caramel scent?"

"My question exactly." - I said, letting Kimmy go and taking a step back to join my team as a united front. - "What's going on, Kimmy? Why do you smell like…" - I glanced at Dave, who was just watching the exchange with crossed arms and an expressionless, or maybe even bored face.

"Peony." - he filled the gap and I looked back at her.

"Peony." - I repeated - "Why do you smell like peony?"

She watched us all with hatred in her eyes and flaring nostrils, until she stiffened her back, raised her chin and clasped her hands in front of her as a sign of utter defiance.

"What? Nothing to say?" - I c****d my head to the side, enjoying this moment probably more than I should have. - "Are you even my true mate?" - I asked the million-dollar question, even though I already knew the answer to that. But it gave me a grand pleasure watching the brief surprise in her eyes and how she was momentarily thrown off by my question.

But her lips stayed locked, just like my mother's alcohol cabinet when I was a teenager, and I knew Kimmy wouldn't say anything.

"We spent months together, and you weren't even who you said you were." - I shook my head, finally having the opportunity to tell her off, but somehow I didn't even feel the need to waste my energy on her. I just wanted her gone. But maybe a small moment of victory was in order. I deserved as much. - "Just so you know, I'm not as blind as you think. I knew for over a week." - her eyes went wide, and she started looking like all my strange, unnaturally explosive behaviors were finally making some sense to her. - "And now it's game over, Kimmy. Lock her up, Dave, and I want only you two" - I tilted my head to my cousin and Teddy - "and warriors from Harvest Moon watching her. We still have to find the mole she was working with." - she narrowed her eyes, but she didn't fight when David was escorting her out.

I turned towards my parents and Beta. Mom looked beyond proud, and it was strange having this expression pointed at me. Dad sported an amused smirk, probably because he never even tried to get along with Kimmy, and he wasn't the kind of man who dwells on the past for too long. At least not anymore. Apparently, he did enough of that in his lifetime.

But Teddy… Well, he looked as if someone had announced he was a cat shifter, not a werewolf. He was so confused that I had to suppress the urge to chuckle.

"Not our Luna… And I didn't… Oh, Dear Goddess!" - he muttered under his breath, looking ape-s**t baffled.

"It's gonna be alright, my friend." - I said, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"How can it be? We just lost our Luna."

"No, we didn't. We're merely making a place for the real one." - I grinned at him, feeling f*****g good to finally be able to say it out loud, and not clandestinely, behind closed doors only.

Teddy knitted his brows hard until his eyes went wide.

"You found her, the real one! Who is it, you dog?" - he asked with a grin.

"You already know her." - I announced with a smirk.

He thought hard and a little bit of disbelieving like my three-year-old nephew, when I was telling him that his father wasn't exactly the strongest. And then it clicked.

"You said you've known for over a week. It's Markella, isn't it?!"

A wide grin spread on my lips as I nodded, but I wasn't expecting him to knit his brows again.

"What?" - I demanded impatiently.

"Nothing, she's great. But isn't she too nice for you?" - he asked teasingly, earning himself a semi-hard punch in his arm, after which he spun on his heel and left the room chuckling.

I was left with my parents and, for the first time in a long time, I didn't feel like a complete failure in their presence. I did something. No, Markie and I did something amazing that helped the pack. And for the first time, the title wasn't weighing on me that much.

"You did good, baby." - Mom said, cupping my cheek, and smiling brightly.

"It feels good. I should call Ellie to arrange Markie's return." - I said happily, almost rubbing my hands from impatience to see her again, even though it was just one day.

"Not so fast, son." - Dad said, making me frown.

"I think you shouldn't leave any loose ends. Learn from my mistakes." - I tentatively nodded, hoping he would elaborate on that - "Make it official as soon as possible. Right now, Kimmy is still your Luna by law, and you need the League to remove her from this post. So file the report as soon as possible, otherwise, in light of the law, she's one of the leaders being held in prison, and we don't know how she could spin this story. And don't forget, we still don't know what exactly she gathered on you. Also, people will need some time to adjust to the changes."

It sounded like yet another lecture he had for me. Another opportunity to point out what I should do or didn't do. But I also noticed something else in my father's words.

Care.

I finally understood that all the nagging and endless talking was because he cared. It's possible that he wasn't always proud of me. I wasn't always proud of myself. But all those years I read his intentions all wrong. He wasn't hard on me because I wasn't enough, he was hard on me because he wanted to protect me. And he still does.

Maybe Markella's jar worked better than I thought.

I smiled at him and nodded, agreeing with him.

"Would you meet me in the office in fifteen minutes? We could call uncle Troy together." - I offered, making him look surprised. For the last four months, since I took over, I haven't even once asked for his help or guidance. So, of course, he's taken aback.

"Of course." - he muttered, struggling to find his voice.

"Good, I just need to call Markella first and tell her what's going on. The waiting is probably killing her, and we all know Ellie is as subtle as a sledgehammer, so she is probably of no help." - they didn't even pretend to think otherwise, and their laughter was proving just that. - "Mom, do you know someone who could come in here and tear this entire room down to the concrete?" - I asked, glancing at the horrible floral wallpaper Kimmy had picked soon after her arrival.

"I could do it myself." - she said, scrunching her nose in the same way I did.

"Thanks. And guys…"

"You don't have to thank us, ever for anything." - Mom cut me off, knowing exactly where I was heading with that. She always knew.

I nodded, accepting this statement and probably starting to believe in it, and I left them, going back to my bedroom to make the long-overdue call.

Markie answered right away, with my name on her lips, and I knew that just like that a pretty productive and awesome day had turned into something simply amazing.