27

27

My fingers expertly fly across my phone's keyboard as I type. I feel awful knowing that my pack won't be like other packs, mind linking with everyone at the same time, since I technically have no mate, the mating ceremony as well as the mind linking ceremony will not hold. Our best bet was the phones we have. Thankfully we do have a group text, it's the same thing as mind linking if you think about it hard enough.

"Find your way to the holding cells. Get them out and use the short cut to leave Rufus's land immediately!!!" I press send to one of the guards that followed us. I only hope that they don't get caught.

When I find my way to the screen room, it was still focused on the forbidden tree, this time they guards were hoisting a big camera down from a very hidden spot, you would not see it if you were not aware of it.

"Yes!" Rufus clapped as the guards make their way back to us.

"is there a way for rogues to walk in and out of here without your notice?" I ask him

He looked insulted that I would think to ask him such a ridiculous question. His fat nose stuck in the air in haughty derision.

"No, my pack is the safest, no one can come in or go out without any of my men spotting them, is that what happens at your pack?" he looked excited at the thought of my pack being broken into. He could not be among them, whoever they are. He was far too proud, he hates me for sure, but this thing they are up to must be top secret, and Rufus keeping a secret is the same thing as me accepting my mate. NOT going to happen.

"Your head of security did not act alone. He would not have done all of that just to end up committing suicide. Look into it again. There is something fishy."

He squinted at me.

"You know something don't you?"

I sigh.

"I do, but I will tell you what I know once you find the 'fishy' something about the head of security's death. Report back to me at once, in secret too, we don't want to alarm our pack members if it turns out to be nothing."

He nods. In a split second, I see he regards me as a fellow alpha but it vanishes immediately, in his eyes I am a teenage girl in need of guidance.

I look away from him and back at the screen, the footage had switched, it was still following the guards.

"Have you met my son? He is your age." He smirked at me.

"Why do I have to meet another version of you?"

He chuckled.

"He might be your mate you know."

That earned a brow raise from me.

"Your son hasn't found his mate as well?"

The top of his ears turn red.

"Don't shout it. But Yes, like you, he has not. I'm thinking, he might be your mate."

I hold back an eye roll.

"Because I'm yet to find mine?"

He nods. I'm tempted to brag that I found my mate and everything. I hold myself back. This might be a good thing.

"Well, bring him to me when you have information on your head of security. We'll check it out then." I ignore the feeling of hurt I get when I imagine someone else standing by my side. But I convince myself it will be a good way to join our packs together.

Rufus cocked his head to the side, observing me.

"You.. I didn't expect this from you."

I know he means smart. But dragging the conversation helped no one, especially since the camera was already in the palace.

"No Rufus, you never expected anything from me. You wrote me off as soon as you heard it was a young girl who appeared in the water. Before you even knew my name."

The doors burst open as he carried the camera into the room.

"We got it."

"Great. Can you print out the pictures?" I ask.

"M, I miss him." I hear Grace whine.

I blink. Pretending I don't hear her, like I have been pretending like I can't feel the ache and need to be in the human's presence.

"Yes, it will take a few minutes."

"Good. Make it three minutes." I order.

They scamper around me, trying to print the pictures out.

"You are here already, can't you see him now?" Rufus asked.

He was in a haste.

"I came for business Rufus, I don't mix business and pleasure." I tell him as i hover around the working guards.

"So he has to come to you?" he follows me really closely so others don't hear us.

I stop.

"Are you ashamed that he might be my mate?"

He doesn't say anything.

I scoff, "Both of us are more or less the same, you know? We found our mates late."

"My people don't really know about that. I don't let him walk around so openly when I know he might be a target."

I want to respond but I lack the words. This guy was selfish and proud. Very self centered, I don't want to imagine how his son is like.

"If you don't bring him to me, we both might remain mateless. Do what you please."

"M... I really really miss him. It's almost like I can't breathe." Grace complained again.

I grit my teeth together.

"I can feel it too Grace. But I need to focus here."

Just then my phone dinged. I move the screen away from Rufus's view and i see it's a message from the guard I messaged earlier.

"We got out safe. By our vehicles."

Good. Now I just need those pictures.

"We are done with the pictures." One of them announced. He looked proud of himself.

Rufus moved to take it but I beat him to it.

"I will be taking these."

His ugly face twisted into confusion.

"It is what I came here for. I ought to take home with me."

"I have to look through it as well.."

"For what? You would not even understand what you are looking at. Do your part, and i will show you what is on here. Anything you find might be relevant so look over everything thrice or five times. Make sure not to miss anything."

He opened his mouth to argue but I needed him to be very interested in the pictures, I don't care what it was, but as long as he was interested, he will find me what I am looking for.

"Are these the only copies?" I asked the guards.

"Yes. This camera can only give out one copy per picture."

"Good. Have a wonderful night."

"Guards, don't let her go with our pictures."

I sigh.

"I will use that one wish here then. I wish to be allowed to go alone with the pictures. Don't try to stop me, you'll see the pictures once you do your part." I tell him before walking away.

Whatever the camera might have captured may be useless, but he doesn't know that. I can use the pictures to my advantage.

This time, I run. I run across the long route and I'm by our vehicle in a minute.

"I got what we came here for." I say waving the pictures in their face.

Three of them were hurdled together, in a bid to keep themselves warm I guess.

"That stunt you pulled earlier was dangerous." Noah tells me.

"It was more humiliating than dangerous. Especially since we can't mind link, I had no way of knowing what you were thinking." Patrick grunted.

Abby must have spoken to them and explained, I had expected a little violence from them but thankfully that was not the case.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that. I promise it won't happen again."

They grunt and walk towards the vehicle they came with. Abby and i enter our vehicle.

"Did you find anything good?"

"oh I found something alright. Something really scandalous."