Chapter 10: Dead leaf in the wind

His eyes read between hers and he was picking a thing or two from her appearance, that meant nothing to him after years of merely being trivial. But there was something peculiar about the way she looked.

She gulped when he kept speculating with a curious light in his eyes.

"Pardon me, I didn't mean to startle you, you look very familiar," He grinned.

"From the packhouse?" She suggested.

He shook his head and she marvelled because she thought he wouldn't look twice, he prompted her to get his cane. "I don't really like big places. And I gather you came upon the rogue, Zev,"

"Uh..." She looked to the side and remembered the last incident and swallowed. Zev inclined to her when she felt them coming at the borders.

"You tell anyone and I'll kill you myself,"

Her heart spiked shaking her head as though she just woke up from a bad dream. "No," She whimpered.

"No?" He seemed disappointed and patted her shoulder.

She bit her lip "But why am I here?"

"I only ask you for one thing, did you or did you not see Zev?" He scrutinized and she stood up straight conflicted. It was best if she gave them away and yet Zev looked like he meant it.

"Not after the fighting, they've all taken off,"

'Don't test me,' His voice told and she broke free from her thoughts.

"I'd also like to thank you for your bravery, we would probably not be where we are today if it wasn't for you,..." He implored for her name.

"My name's Jet," She asserted and her hands dropped to her side.

He grinned, he happened to smile a lot. Perhaps she saved him but she also disrupted the rogue's schemes. The rogues were undecided yet they still depended on Zev.

"Thank you again, Jet," He was still pondering about her. "I've taken much of your time, you probably want to go home now,"

Then she thought of home and cringed "Yes. That," She could say what she had to, the words just bubbling up inside. Even if she did, she wouldn't stay long enough to enjoy it. Uncertain, it was left unsaid. For now, she would have to return to Lovota and her rants again. Her mood changed.

"Goodbye, Alpha," Jet hurried to the door and Efilian was left alone with his cane, he tossed it aside, even her strides when she went over to get the cane was familiar, he laid back

disheartened as to why he didn't remember.

She huffed and pushed the door open filled with regret. Trudging through the packhouse to the foyer, the arched windows revealed the forest and her image, she grimaced at herself. Running home.

She strumbled around the house, light shed on the clear, wooden floorboards. She gaped at the clean house, all the books and stuff were in the right places.

She checked what else needed to be redone and the parts of the house were clean, even her little bed in her room she left for days was rearranged. For the first time, it didn't look so repulsive anymore.

The rogues and the Lobisomem didn't treat her any differently, except today, Efilian, maybe Ray but they were obliged to be civil.

She took off the barrette and sighed. She heard snoring and found Bernard sleeping in, in his room. His darkened eyelids were shut, his hair was tangled and his bulbous nose swelled and his two sets of teeth showed as he snored, his hairy arm was strung across his round gut and he tossed.

She took off his glasses and replaced them on his study desk. Lovota had not returned home yet.

She walked to her room and crouched in front of a small box, flicking it open, she gazed at her necklace. Possibly the only thing she owned. She let it slink into the box back and shut it. She didn't understand why it spiked Beta Jackson's interest or why he wanted to have it.

She wasn't used to the quiet, they were usually calling even if there was nothing to do.

"Bernard," She said and touched the walls when his bloodshot eyes opened. He grimaced and went back to sleep, tired from doing all the work. He stirred.

"Aren't you tired?" His voice rumbled and she didn't believe he was talking that way to her.

With a softspoken voice.

"N_no sir," She stuttered.

"Then what do you want?" His forehead creased in a big frown. She looked for the right words to say.

"Have you ever met my mother? Or do you have a name?"

His eyes flared open and then they rolled to her. "I don't know who she is," He confessed.

Bernard continued to surprise her again "I don't even know where she comes from,"

She had the feeling something was wrong. Her eyes blinked at the dry leaf fluttering.

"Tell me what you know, what about my father?"

"If I knew, I would be the last person to take you in, Jet,"

She sniffed while he talked.

"Let that sink in, you better wash up and eat, before dear comes back," He reclined and her eyes watered marching to the steps to sit down and sobbed.

Tossed into a new sphere of doubt, she cried and wiped her nose with her sleeve and the dry leaves were starting to baffle her. She got up and searched for any leaf piles around the house, the trees rustled but there were no dry leaves.

She looked up at the sky spotted by the leaves, running down the brook. Her hair quivered when she looked into the river at her reflection and she growled washing off the make-up.

Perhaps Bernard was right, she needed to sleep hard and long.

Alas, the salutary was home, she brushed her face dry and hurried to the front terrace to see how she was doing.

...

Amy grimaced while they trudged up the southern ridge, Zev looked content and noticed she couldn't wait to protest. "So you just let her go?"

"And what is wrong with that?"

"Please tell me you have a backup plan,"

"Yeah?" He looked bored.

"She'll tell everyone that we're_" She growled. "I trust you Zev, I won't let one slip up fool me,"

"Let it go," He said and she withered forging on still.