The Alpha's Ghost Bride

Chapter 7 – New Identity

Alpha Jake

The door creaked open, and I saw Beta Lucas enter his room, looking exhausted. He sighed deeply as he stepped in, clearly burdened by the weight of the ongoing chaos in the pack. Before he could fully close the door, I tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

He froze, his entire body going rigid. Slowly, he turned around, his eyes widening in shock as they fell on me, sitting casually on his bed. I allowed the invisibility effect of the blue potion orb to wear off, my presence now fully visible to him.

"Alpha Jake?" Lucas stammered, his voice a mix of astonishment and relief. "Is that really you?"

I nodded, a grin tugging at the corner of my lips. "Yes, it's me. The blue potion orb Amelia gave me works perfectly. It not only makes me invisible but also hides my scent."

Lucas's expression shifted from shock to admiration. "I’m amazed. I didn’t think the potion would be that effective. Are you alright?"

"I’m fine," I assured him. "But we have a lot to talk about."

Lucas nodded thoughtfully. “Okay, but May I ask, kay I understand that the potion’s effects only last a few minutes. It makes you invisible, but how do we continue investigating if you want to stay hidden for longer?”

I smiled and reached into my pocket, pulling out the mask Amelia had also given me. I held it up for Lucas to see and then slid it over my face. As soon as I wore it, my appearance and scent completely shifted. I became someone else entirely.

“With this mask, I can take on a new identity,” I explained. “For now, you can call me Jay. This will let me blend in, gather information, and keep our investigation going without raising suspicion.”

Lucas’s eyes widened again at the transformation. “That’s incredible. With this, you can move freely without anyone knowing.”

"Exactly. And that’s what I plan to do," I said firmly. "I was at the meeting earlier, and I overheard them discussing my so-called 'death.' They’ve already started pointing fingers about who should be the acting Alpha. Elder Victor and Elder Simon seem eager to take advantage of my supposed death, but Elder Marlon and Elder Edgar are no less suspicious."

Lucas sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. “They’re all too eager, aren’t they? Pushing for the Ghost Bride and rushing the funeral so they can vote for the next Alpha. It feels like they can’t wait for you to be buried.”

I leaned forward, my tone growing serious. "For now, we’ll let them go ahead with the Ghost Bride and the funeral. The sooner they think I’m out of the picture, the more reckless the real mastermind will become. They won't suspect you know anything."

Lucas nodded slowly, taking in my plan. “I understand. I’ll play along, make sure no one suspects I know you’re alive. But I’ll keep investigating and watch everyone closely.”

"Good," I replied. "We can't trust anyone yet. And I need you to be careful too, Lucas. Whoever’s behind this, they won’t hesitate to eliminate anyone who gets in their way."

Lucas’s expression hardened with determination. “I won’t let them get away with this, Alpha. We’ll find them. I’ll make sure to observe every move, every conversation.”

"Right," I said, standing up. The mask now firmly in place, my voice sounded different, and I felt the subtle shift in how I moved and spoke, just like Jay. “For now, I’ll stick with this identity and start looking outside. I need to cover more ground and see if there’s anyone else involved.”

Just as I turned toward the door, Gary, my wolf, spoke through our mental link. "We should also check the pack guards. There could be a secret group, or maybe one of them is loyal to someone other than you."

I nodded, replying through the same mental link. "Good point, Gary. If there's a hidden leader or any disloyalty, we'll root them out. I’ll keep an eye on them."

Lucas added, “We should also look into the servants and the normal pack members. Sometimes, the ones you least suspect have their hands in the dirt.”

"Agreed," I said aloud, turning back to Lucas. “We’ll make a list of all potential suspects. The ones we know for sure are Elder Victor and Elder Simon. They were far too eager to push for my funeral and the voting process. It’s like they want the leadership transition to happen fast."

Lucas frowned, clearly uneasy. “But we can’t rule out Marlon and Edgar either. They both have their own agendas and were quick to oppose Norton’s temporary leadership.”

"Exactly," I nodded. "We’ll watch them too. For now, we’ll put them all on the list: Elder Victor, Elder Simon, Marlon, and Edgar. Each of them has something to gain by getting rid of me."

Gary chimed in again through our link. "And we shouldn’t limit ourselves to the high officials. The one who paid those rogues to kill you might not even be in the inner circle. It could be someone we haven’t considered yet."

I agreed silently. "We’ll dig deeper. No one is off the hook until we have solid proof."

Turning to Lucas one last time, I said, “For now, keep your eyes open and don’t trust anyone. We’ll continue investigating from the shadows, and when the time is right, we’ll expose the traitor.”

Lucas nodded, his face set with resolve. “I’ll keep you updated. Be careful out there, Alpha jake, I mean… Jay.”

With a final nod, I stepped out of his room, my new identity firmly in place. As I walked through the hall, Gary’s voice echoed once more. "We’re getting closer, Alpha. But something tells me the real mastermind is still hiding, waiting for the perfect moment to strike."

I clenched my fists. "Let them wait. I’ll be ready."

The door clicked shut behind me, and as I disappeared into the night, a cold wind swept through the mansion, as though it carried a warning.