Chapter 5: Lila In The (Hall)way

Things were tense in the Bronson compound. Azia couldn't help but spend the following few days mentally reviewing minute details of every member of compound security. She tried to review all of her recent encounters with each of them, attempting to view them with a new, suspicious lens. In truth, she was lousy at it--a fact she took secret pride in. She didn't want to think of any of her pack as a potential enemy. As future Alpha, it would one day be her duty to do so, and she hated the thought. She hated it, but she would comply, because the well being of the pack depended on it.

Azia mulled over her thoughts as she pushed open the heavy, steel doors of the Knowles compound entrance. She, and Vivian had both spent a considerable amount of time there since Mack's attack. Azia walked through the large entry way of the compound, listening to the sounds of her boots thud against the concrete floor.

A few Knowles wolves were about, talking in small groups, or lounging on the plush, purple couches that lined the walls. Several of them eyed her as she made her way through, but they collectively seemed less alarmed than before. The Alphas had each made impromptu announcements to their respective packs, letting them all know of the alliance, and an impending marriage ceremony. They knew the War Council would need to meet often, and the impending party was the perfect front for those meetings.

Not to mention the fact that the party DID actually need to be planned. Every time Azia thought about it, she had to suppress a groan. She was going to marry Ezekiel Knowles. Admittedly, the Knowles heir was attractive. Azia hated to admit it to herself, but it was true. His gray eyes reminded her of stars, and his jawline oflike a Greek statue.

"Oh, shut up," she muttered to herself, turning down a large, plum-colored hallway. After all, his looks weren't the problem. His Casanova approach to relationships was. Despite being enemies, she had heard about the Knowles heir several times through her teenage years. Friends of hers would spot him from afar, venturing into some restaurant or other in the Overlap. He always seemed to have a different girl with him each time.

Some of Azia's friends commented on this fact. They weren't afraid to admit to her that they, too, wished they could have a go with the handsome heir. His reputation as a player didn't seem to bother them. Azia couldn't understand it. Whenever she had gotten involved with a young man, she was loyal to him, and expected the same courtesy in return. Successful relationships were built on trust. Successful relationships were built on fidelity--in her opinion, anyway.

And here she was, making her way through what was once enemy territory, searching for the man she was going to marry. The man who encompassed none of her ideals, or values. Not a lick of her ethics. She groaned aloud, unable to help it the second time around.

She made the final turn towards the royal quarters, and stopped dead in her tracks. Zeke stood twenty yards further down the hall. A young woman with dark brown ringlets stood close in front of him. Uncomfortably close. She had one of her hands curled around the back of Zeke's neck, disappearing up into his black hair.

Azia wanted to flee, but her feet were frozen on the spot. Silently, she urged herself to move, to disappear back around the corner, before she was seen. But it was no use.

The woman with the ringlets giggled inanely from down the hall, her voice suddenly growing in volume. "Oh, come on. You know you want to," she purred, stroking at his hair. The woman's light blue eyes made their way to Azia, and grew wide in surprise.

"Oh," she said, detangling herself from Zeke without seeming to hurry. She touched her fingers to her mouth in feigned modesty. "I'm so sorry, we didn't see you there. I'm afraid you've caught us in a...compromising position," she added, giggling again.

Azia gave her a small, smug smile in return. "Who you compromise yourself with is no concern of mine," she said, and turned to look up at Zeke. "I was just looking for your mother."

The lie slipped out casually, easily, and Azia privately thanked the universe for it. Nobody needed to know she had come to speak with him. Zeke didn't deserve the satisfaction, nor did the insipid woman on his arm.

Azia blinked at him expectantly. "Well? Is she here?"

"I'm not sure," Zeke said, scratching at his chin. "I'd be happy to escort you around the compound until we find her, if you'd like," he said, offering her his most charming smile.

Azia blinked again, slowly. She had a way of blinking at him that made him feel stupid. "I'd like not," she replied, and spun around to leave. "I will seek her out some other time."

Zeke took a step forward, ignoring the sound of protest Lila made in her throat beside him. "Why don't you just stay?" he asked, feeling his shoulders lift into a shrug.

Azia scoffed, and turned back around to face him. "So I can watch you, and your poodle makeout? I hardly think so."

Zeke's brows dipped into a glare. "Now you're just making assumptions," he argued. "Since nothing of the sort was taking place. Or would," he added.

The pause between his sentences only seemed to feed her suspicions. "I'm sure," she said, her tone filled with undeniably sarcasm. She nodded at him with exaggerated movements before turning around again.

Zeke's gray eyes narrowed. "I don't know who you seem to think I am, but I am not a liar. You would learn that quickly enough if you stuck around long enough to find out."

Azia whipped around again, as if unable to help herself. Her hands came up to rest on her hips as she smirked at him. "Maybe you aren't a liar, but you're a lot of other things," she countered. "A great deal many more things, so I've heard," she added pointedly. "And you can't say that THAT is a lie when it is right before my eyes." She indicated Lila, then turned around for the final time, disappearing around the corner before he could reply.