Lunar Temptations

Ch 53

"No way you're getting that shot. They're mine," I said before he could even imagine killing them, let alone actually doing it. The tornado of emotion reflecting on his face was not so kind. A mouse would appear in front of him, and he would crush the creature in a split second.

When he didn't say anything, I looked at him with a raised brow. "What's wrong, Zayd?"

"Drake just sent me their files," he said, raising his phone to show me something. I watched, shocked, taking in the face on the screen. It wasn't just any face; in fact, it was a very familiar one. It didn't take me long before her name landed on my tongue.

"Sage," I muttered, gasping, and my eyes widened.

"Sage Barlowe, Elio Barlowe's sister," he continued, confirming me. I couldn't speak for a long time and kept staring at her picture. It was taken from somewhere, and she wore a white tee with her usual piercings prominent there. I opened my mouth to speak but closed it again. Memories began to resurface as I stared at the picture, gawking.

Sage was a faint memory but someone unknown. Both Zayden and I were aware of her, as she would join us at times along with Elio. It would be outside of both of our borders and even though Zayden was mostly busy, we hung out a few times. Sage wasn't the kindest or the sweetest like her brother, and it showed through her personality too. Elio used to be decent looking and extremely contrasting to his sister. She had several piercings, and her gothic style wouldn't go unnoticed by anyone. She was a daring soul, and at that time, Elio would sometimes keep her by his side so she wouldn't go on her ventures. Even though they were both rogues, they held onto each other like family and looked after each other as if they weren't rogues themselves. Their bond was incredibly strong and explained a lot.

"She was the grey wolf, Raya," Zayden said, bringing me out of my trance as reality hit me like a ton of bricks.

I shook my head. "How- this can't be true." Distress began to take over me, and I ran a hand through my already tangled hair. "Why would she attack me? You must have got it wrong," I tried to reason.

Why would Sage attack me? She used to approve of my relationship with Elio, and we had somewhat of a good understanding. I could have believed it if I had discovered that she hated me or she didn't want to see me, but attacking me was an entirely different matter. I did leave after Elio's death, and it was tragic as it was, but it wasn't my fault - at least not entirely. She must have known it was just as terrible for me too. Then, why would she attack me?

"She couldn't possibly be wanting revenge from me?" I questioned, more to myself.

My conscience told me to believe it, but my heart was unable to bear it. Unfortunately, everything pointed clearly towards what I was fearing. Elio was dead, and I had been paying for it indirectly for years. The weight of his death rested on my shoulder like rocks bound to me, and I couldn't shake them off. The command of his killing was issued from the higher levels, probably from Zayden's parents. He was seen as a threat and declared a spy, but I believed none of it to this day. His visits to my pack, disguised sometimes, and to other packs too had led to this accusation, and I still blamed Zayden for being the one to become suspicious first. It was on his word that Elio was taken into consideration and later declared to be killed on sight if even seen inside the pack again. Fate took its turns, and that day Zayden, following his commands, took him out.

When he said nothing, I had my answer.

"You can't take her out too," I said, or rather stated to him. He snapped his gaze to me. "Do I have to remind you that she tried to kill you?" He spoke coldly, reminding me of the time. That moment was glued to me, and my anxiety had multiplied ever since then. In Esther's office, I had zoned out to that very moment. I was cornered once again as they both attacked me; it was horrible to go through again in my hallucinations. If Sage was intentionally behind it, then I was too traumatized because of her, yet I couldn't get her reason behind it. I didn't kill him, and neither did I have any active part in it, so why?

"Whatever is going through your head, it's not happening." Zayden snapped. "I am not setting her free." His tone was stern and unwavering. Well, I wasn't going to ask him to set her free either, but we once shared a good bond, and her execution would definitely not bring me peace, even after knowing the fact that she had attempted to kill me.

That was terrifying. The attack on me appeared to be planned and carefully carried out, and if it was her revenge for her brother, then I really needed to talk to her. She deserved at least an explanation and something to correct their misconception.

"How did you find her?" I questioned as he intently listened. "She wasn't hard to find."

"I have some spies living among the rogues. They can only give us information though, but it was enough to capture her," he finished.

I blinked twice. Spies among the rogue wolves? Zayden was really ensuring safety here. The rogues weren't usually that much of a danger, but stories of their rebellions have our history books filled with it, making everyone cautious of them. Many of them were either banished from their packs or had left to go rogue. It was a truly terrifying thought, knowing there was no protection living outside the borders, and you would have to spend your life sleeping with an eye open. Another reason they were considered dangerous was that they were sharp and quick-witted with their antics, and packs always wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Suddenly it hit me that Sage was not only the rogue wolf that attacked me but was also among the ones that had broken into the Lunar Pack.

"I want to see her," I said, contemplating whether there was more to the story than revenge.