She figured you out

Jos looks at me in surprise "You seem to be taking this far too well… are you sure you're ok? I know this must be scary, but I assure you we don't want to hurt you!" she says worriedly.

"Jos, I'm not taking this well. Just before I got here, I thought 1001 different ways of killing everyone" I explain calmly "But you haven't harmed me yet, so as long as I'm left alone soon, we will be fine" I keep saying with my straight face.

"1001?" I hear a voice saying in between giggles "That's a lot" I look at the woman talking. Sophie's mom, Katherine, was the one that talked.

She's looking at me tenderly, she still looks sad but better than before. I sigh. I know that look, she's not 'recovered' or 'happy' she's looking at me with a tenderness that is bordering desperation and obsession. I have to stop this before she breaks her own mind.

"Katherine, I'm not Sophie" I say with my monotonic voice and she flinches, starting to cry again.

"I-I know you're not…" she starts saying.

I resume eating my food and start to talk in between bites "Good, please don't use me to fill the void she left, I understand how you feel. I'm not bluffing, I really do. I'm not asking you to stop being sad. You can be sad, it's normal to be sad, someone you love dearly is gone" I have to stop talking for a moment, I think I ate a rather large piece of meat. Alright, eating and talking was not a good decision.

Once I'm done eating, I keep casually talking "The only thing I ask you is that you don't allow that sadness to swallow you and make you give up on life" I look at her tenderly while smiling a little.

"Don't worry, you will meet her again" I say and she looks at me with trembling eyes "I will?" she asks.

My smile widens and I slowly close my eyes, visualizing the life Sophie wishes her mother has, and open my eyes again "Enjoy the company of your husband, love the sons you have, and the children you may or may not have later. Keep on being that kind teacher that takes care of her students with love and after you lived a long, long life when your hair turns white and your last breath leaves you while sleeping in bed, that day, you will see your daughter again. Ready to guide you to the same place she is right now" I end up saying and I finally see it, how the shadow of regret and wickedness leaves her, leaving only a sad mother ready to continue living.

She cries harder, her husband hugs her, and I get up from the table. I leave the dishes where they belong ready to talk to Nick. Honestly, I just want to walk away from all this drama.

"You… how do you know all this?" a male voice says in surprise.

I turn around and make eye contact "I don't know what you are talking about" I say calmly while tilting my head.

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Nick's POV

After I hear my mate say all that to my gamma's mother I'm left speechless. How does she know all this? I made a background check on her! I know she shouldn't have this information.

…Is she perhaps a spy sent by the Red River pack? No, that's nonsense I'm sure a spy wouldn't be obviously leaving clues about their work.

"Mate wouldn't betray us like that! She's kind! Don't you see she's trying to help aunty Kat!?" Apollo shouts in my mind and I hear her melodic beautiful chuckles, why is she laughing?

I look at her again and I notice she's also looking at me. "what's so funny?" I ask but she plays the fool again. I'm not liking this disrespect she's showing me.

"I asked you a question, Alice" I say angry "Answer it" she tilts her head and looks at me with an emotionless expression, the one she always has but I know I can change that. I will have her show all the expressions I want later when she's begging for me.

She's still not answering and I'm not liking this. The disrespect is too much, in front of members of my pack too! "Alice, I'm not asking this again. Answer.my.questions." I say with a clenched jaw, making everyone but my dad and my mate show their necks in submission. I see my mate look around with curiosity, the only moments I see her breaking that emotionless face if only a little.

She looks at me again "why are they showing their necks?" she asks but I smirk without answering.

"If you answer my questions, I will tell you" We can both play the fool card, Alice. I will get my answers one way or another. "This happened way too often to be a coincidence. First, you noticed us when we were in your room, then what happened with Richard and now Aunt Katherine. What is your secret?"

She stays quiet, it seems she's thinking "It's alright if you don't answer. I'm not that curious" she says after a couple of seconds "I have something more important to say".

Does she want to ask me something? She will have to change that attitude if she wants something. "What?" I say with gritted teeth, I will let this slide for the moment, I will learn everything about her later on.

"My dad" she says "If I'm going to be staying here, you have to tell my dad. Explain to him about your kind, about why you took me away, if you don't, I will get really angry" she says casually, and I smirk at her silly attempts to sound threatening.

"Really? What will you do? Run away?" I smirk, I really want to hear her innocent attempts to run away.

She sighs and that action makes my blood boil, she's looking at me with pity… fucking pity! "Nick… you said I was your mate, right? For what I've seen, mates are supposed to care for each other, to protect each other… right?" I nod, what she says is right.

"Well, I care about my dad, If he's sad, then I'm sad and I think that would make you sad. Don't make him worry, he only has me left… I don't think he can put the pieces of his heart together again" she said while making eye contact.

"Your father already knows about us" I hear my dad explaining and I can see her surprised expression "The factory is a really important part of town and for our pack, those in the higher-ups are needed to know, he was informed and introduced to our pack days prior to his arrival here"

"I see, then please explain the situation to him" she says and then I can see her thinking about something "I don't understand… if my father already knows about your kind… why did you kidnap me? You could've told me about the whole mates deal and slowly court me"

She makes a face full of disgust once the word court leaves her lips. "So why did you do it?" she knows direct the question to me and I'm sweating… I can't tell her… I just can't.

"We have rogues attacking our territory, and probably another pack ordering those attacks. Leaving you so far from the packhouse and the warriors would be too risky. I brought you here to keep you safe" I say without making eye contact.

"Is my house in your territory?" she asks and I shook my head "but… aren't rogues attacking your territory? That means the probability of them attacking near my house is really small, even more important, why only bring me and not also my father? If what you're saying is true, then he's also in danger" she says and I keep sweating… damn it! She's about to figure it out!

"…" I don't know what to say… what should I say!?

"I get it, you brought me here because you only wanted to have me by your side as soon as possible, isn't it? The rogues were only an excuse to do it" she says with a calm voice while nodding to herself. As if she finally found the solution to an interesting puzzle.

I can't even make eye contact with her "She fucking figure you out!" I hear Dylan laughing.