The Alpha's Ghost Bride

Chapter 12 – The Secluded house

Alpha Jake

I secretly made my way back to my room, the weight of the situation pressing heavily on my shoulders. I grabbed a bag and started packing some clothes, knowing I couldn’t stay here for long. My cover was thin, and every second I lingered in this mansion could spell danger. As I stuffed some essentials into the bag, Gary, my wolf, chimed in with a teasing tone, breaking the tense silence.

“You seem to enjoy talking to Megan,” he said, his voice playful. “So, you feel something's off with her, or is it just that she’s different?”

I sighed, zipping the bag shut. “Megan seems innocent for now, but we can’t trust her completely. Someone could easily use her to find out if I’m still alive.”

Gary fell silent for a moment, understanding the gravity of what I said. “You’re right,” he finally said. “She might not even know she’s being used.”

I slung the bag over my shoulder and gave a nod. Together, we made our way to Beta Lucas’ room. As soon as we entered, Lucas, who had grown used to seeing me in my altered form as Jay, grinned and wasted no time teasing me.

“So, why was Megan almost naked when I saw her? You didn’t walk in on her, did you?” he asked with a knowing smirk.

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling a little exasperated. “I thought she’d be going to bed to rest, but instead, she went to the closet. That’s where I was, so I didn’t exactly have a choice.”

Lucas’ grin widened. “Megan’s pretty, isn’t she? Maybe she’s deserving to be your mate.”

I let out a long sigh, shaking my head. “It’s not that simple. Megan’s scared to even talk to me. She’s trying to follow the rules about being a ghost bride and widow. She thinks she’s forbidden from speaking to any man, not even you, Beta Lucas unless it’s something important.”

Lucas’s expression softened. “I’ll talk to her, tell her not to be afraid of you. She doesn’t need to keep living like a prisoner.”

“I already told her to keep quiet about me,” I said, my voice dropping into a more serious tone. “No one else can know I’m here.”

Lucas nodded, understanding. “What’s your next move? You could stay here in the mansion. I could make you one of my assistants, and no one would suspect anything.”

I shook my head. “No, for now, I’ll stay outside the mansion. Earlier, Gary and I caught a scent—rogue werewolves. I think one of the guests, or even someone in the pack, is allied with them.”

Lucas’s face darkened, his casual performance replaced with concern. “That’s no ordinary threat then. Whoever ordered the attack on you, Alpha Jake, might have more plans in motion.”

I nodded grimly. “There’s a traitor in the pack, someone who’s working closely with the rogue werewolves. That’s how they’ve been able to execute orders so easily.”

“We need to stay on high alert,” Lucas said, pacing the room. “This isn’t over.”

“I’ll leave for now and observe the pack from a distance,” I said. “I’ll keep an eye on things, make sure we’re not caught off guard.”

Lucas nodded, his jaw clenched. “If you need anything, call me. We can’t let them get away with this.”

With that, I took one of the blue orbs from my pocket, chewed it quickly, and felt myself turning invisible. The effects were immediate, and I slipped out of the mansion without a trace. The night air was cool as I moved swiftly through the shadows, keeping my senses sharp. As I walked through the forest surrounding the mansion, something caught my attention.

“Look, it’s Norton,” Gary whispered in my mind. I followed his gaze, spotting Norton perched in a tree, talking to someone, though I couldn’t make out who it was. “He’s talking to someone, but who could be?” Gary added.

I sniffed the air and nodded in agreement. “Yeah, but maybe just a friend, we can’t deal with that right now. We need to find a safe place before the effects of the blue orb wear off.”

Gary remained silent, but I could feel his tension. We moved quickly, heading toward a secret hideout I knew well—a secluded house that belonged to me, a playhouse my father built when I was younger. No one else knew about it, and it would give me a place to lay low while we figured out our next steps.

Once we arrived, Gary spoke again. “What’s the plan now? Do you think we should add Lucille and Norton to our suspect list?”

I dropped my bag on the floor and sat down, staring out into the dark woods. “No, it’s impossible,” I said quietly. “I know they’re capable of a lot, but I can’t believe they’d go this far. They’ve always treated me like family.”

Gary growled softly, pacing in my mind. “Then we need to expand our list of suspects. We can’t just focus on our current suspect list – the elders, we need to watch each of them and link whoever the mastermind is.”

I nodded, feeling a mix of frustration and determination. “You’re right. We’ll need to be methodical. Stay out of sight, observe, and gather as much information as we can. But we have to be careful. If we are right that one of the elders are the real culprit, and they feel and suspect that we’re onto them, they might strike again or do something even worse to the pack.”

Gary agreed, his presence calm yet focused. “We need to be patient. If we act too soon, we risk tipping them off. But for now my main suspect is Elder Simon and Elder Victor. I feel their greediness.”

I stood up, glancing around the small house. It was simple, but it would serve as a perfect hiding place. For now, the mansion was too dangerous, and being close to Megan would only complicate things. She was innocent, at least for now, but I couldn’t risk her getting involved in something bigger than she could handle.

“Let’s rest,” I said, my voice low. “Tomorrow, we’ll start tracking the rogues and finding out who’s really behind all of this.”

Gary growled in agreement, and I felt a sense of resolve settle over me. The road ahead was dangerous, but I had survived worse. With Lucas’s support and the pack’s safety at stake, I couldn’t afford to fail.

As I settled into the old, familiar space, I tried to relax, but my thoughts raced. Was it really possible that Lucille and Norton were innocent? Or was I just trying to convince myself of that because I couldn’t bear the idea of betrayal from those I’d trusted?

The sound of a twig snapping outside the house snapped me from my thoughts. I froze, every muscle tensing. Gary’s presence sharpened, alert to any danger. My heart raced as I moved quietly to a window and peered out into the darkness.

There, in the distance, a shadow moved stealthily through the trees. It was too far to see clearly, but the figure seemed to be making its way directly towards the hideout. I held my breath, waiting for more movement. Was someone else onto us? Or was it merely a coincidence?

Gary’s voice broke the silence, filled with unease. “Jake, do you think they’ve found us already?”

I could only shake my head, unable to find words. The chill in the air felt colder, the night darker. I had no idea what was approaching, but it was clear that whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

The figure moved closer, the rustling of leaves growing louder. I had to act fast. We were vulnerable, and the slightest misstep could be fatal.

Gary’s voice was barely a whisper in my mind. “Get ready. We might have company.”

I nodded, preparing for whatever was coming, my heart pounding in my chest. The figure was almost at the edge of the clearing now, and I held my breath, bracing for whatever would come next.

The suspense was unbearable as the shadow moved closer, and I could only wait, tense and alert, as the figure approached.

Would we be discovered tonight, or would we manage to remain hidden? The answer lay just beyond the veil of darkness, and I had no choice but to face whatever was coming.