A Thrilling Information

LUCIAN'S POV

I paced back and forth in my office, the polished wooden floor creaking under each heavy step. It sounded like the boards were as tired of me as I was of the situation, but the pacing wasn't helping much. The frustration still bubbled just beneath my skin, ready to explode at any moment.

What in the world did she mean by "sacrificing herself for her sister"? The words kept bouncing around in my head like an annoying ping-pong ball I couldn't swat away.

******

FLASHBACK

Yesterday had been no better. Ares, my ever-so-helpful wolf, decided to spend the day whining incessantly about Teresa. It had only been two days—just two damn days since I'd last seen her, and already I was losing my mind.

Why do I care so much? I thought, annoyance creeping into my veins. This wasn't like me.

"You know why," Ares growled in response, his voice sounding like it had just downed a pack of cigarettes. "She's ours. We need to protect her."

"Protect her?!" I snorted, glancing out the window at the drizzle that matched my mood. "I don't even know if I need protection from her or from myself."

Yesterday, I had finally cracked. Instead of doing something useful like, I don't know, running the pack or finishing the towering stack of paperwork on my desk, I'd ended up parked in front of Teresa's apartment building. Classy move, right? Stalking her like some deranged ex-boyfriend. The irony was painful.

Ares had been chirping in my ear the entire time like a motivational speaker on steroids.

"Just knock on the door!" he urged, as if it were that simple.

"Oh yeah, brilliant plan, Sherlock," I muttered. "Because nothing says 'I'm a stable alpha' like stalking your own mate."

Sarcasm was my only defense mechanism at this point.

Then, as if the universe was in on the joke, Teresa had appeared out of nowhere, looking as mopey and adorable as ever. Of course, I did what any rational alpha would do—I slunk into the shadows like some kind of creepy ninja.

And what did she do? She started one of those casual, scenic walks that people take when they're either thinking deeply or auditioning for a slow-motion film montage. Naturally, I followed her like the total lunatic I had become.

There we were, in some random park, me trying to act all nonchalant like it was some huge coincidence we'd run into each other.

END OF FLASHBACK

*********

I pulled out my phone, my thumb hovering just above the screen. "That's it, I'm done playing these stupid games," I muttered under my breath before aggressively jabbing Kenneth's number into the phone like I was trying to punch a hole through the device.

The phone rang only once before Kenneth answered, his voice way too cheery for my taste. "Yes, Alpha?"

"Where is the information I asked for about Teresa?!" My voice snapped like a whip through the phone and practically echoed in the evening air, the words sharp enough to cut through steel.

Kenneth stammered, as expected. If he wasn't shaking in his boots right now, he damn well should've been. "Y-yes, sir! I-I'll bring it right up!"

"Now!" I barked, slamming the call dead before I could hear any more of his pitiful excuses. The audacity—pathetic.

I resumed pacing, each step pounding the floor like I was trying to drill a hole straight to the center of the Earth. Ares, of course, was still yammering in the back of my head like some grumpy old man.

"We need to figure out what the hell to do about this. I can't be losing my mind over someone I met last week. Teresa? Of all people?" I grumbled, running a hand through my hair.

"Mate bonds are hard to ignore," Ares reminded me with his usual sage-like wisdom. "You're just angry because she reminds you of mom."

And there it was. The line that hit too close to home. "Of course I'm mad!" I snapped, my voice bouncing off the walls. "She's just like her, weak! And I hate it! I hate it so damn much! And why the hell won't she tell me who's threatening her?! What is she hiding?!"

Our little shouting match was cut short by a sharp knock on the door. "Come in!" I barked, the irritation already cranking up a few notches.

Rylan, walked in, his face pulled tight with concern. Great, just what I needed—another problem. "Alpha," he started, voice urgent, "rogues have been spotted near the border. They're trying to sneak in."

Ah, finally—something I could actually solve with my fists.

"Perfect," I growled, a predatory grin creeping onto my lips. "Lead the way. Ares and I could use a little...stress relief."

Rylan blinked, clearly unsettled by how excited I sounded, but nodded and turned to lead me out.

The fight was exactly what I needed. Brutal. Bloody. No thoughts. Beautiful. Ares and I tore through the rogues like a hot knife through butter, relishing every second of it. The power, the control, the sheer thrill of it—it was intoxicating. By the time we were finished, the ground was a crimson mess, and the air was thick with the scent of blood and victory.

Finally. Peace, even if just for a moment.

I shifted back into my human form as I neared the house, my skin still warm from the change, the blood drying in streaks across my chest. That's when I spotted Kenneth, standing by my front door like an awkward lawn ornament—rigid, pale, and clearly praying to the moon goddess that he could vanish into thin air.

"Alpha," Kenneth stammered as I stalked toward him, completely naked and still covered in blood. His eyes darted everywhere, desperately avoiding certain areas, though I could see the panic in his face as if he was playing a game of "Don't look, don't look!" and losing spectacularly.

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms. "Kenneth, I don't have all day. You gonna start talking, or do I need to parade around like this until you pass out?"

He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing like he had just swallowed a live fish. "Y-Yes, Alpha. I've gathered the information you requested about...Teresa."

"Brilliant," I said, voice dripping with sarcasm as I tapped my foot. "Continue."

Kenneth fidgeted, his face now several shades paler. "As for Teresa's relationships, she's had three boyfriends. The first two dumped her within two weeks, both claiming she was too timid for their taste."

I rolled my eyes. Of course. Exactly what I'd expected.

"But I still want them dead, for hurting her feelings," Ares growled, his voice filled with anger.

I sighed, exasperated. "Fine." I turned my attention back to Kenneth, feeling the heat of Ares' rage simmering beneath my own calm exterior.

"And the last one?"

Kenneth swallowed hard before continuing. "Her last relationship lasted a month and ended two weeks ago. Her ex, Mark Louis, is a journalist. He only dated her to get inside information about the company she worked for. Once he got what he needed, he dumped her, then published an article about a classified contract—naming Teresa as the source of the leak. She lost her job because of it, and now she's being sued."

Ares seethed inside me. "I'm going to kill him."

I nodded in agreement, a dark satisfaction creeping over me. "It's going to be slow and painful."

For once, Ares and I were on the same page. Clenching my jaw, I glanced back at Kenneth. "Go on."

Kenneth nodded quickly, sensing the tension in the air, and hurried to continue.

"Teresa's mother, Mrs Aurora Williams is dead. She died sixteen years ago of a heart attack. Her father is Gregory Williams."

I froze. Gregory Williams? The name rang a bell, and not a pleasant one. "Gregory Williams?" I repeated, my tone flat.

Kenneth nodded frantically. "Yes, Alpha. The same one you made a deal with last week."

My jaw clenched. Oh, this was getting interesting. "Go on."

"Teresa has an elder brother named Luke Gomez Michael, he changed his last name to that of his wife's family." I nodded. "Makes sense. I would too if I had Gregory for a father. Go on." I urged and he nodded.

"She also has two stepsisters, Sarah and Jennifer. Their mother is Mrs Vanessa Williams." He said it like that information wasn't about to open up a whole can of worms.

I raised an eyebrow, the tension growing. "And?"

Kenneth's nervous gulp was almost audible. "Teresa and Luke ran away from home at different stages; Luke left when he turned 18 and Teresa followed him when she was around 17 years old because of mistreatment by their father and stepmother. After that, Luke gave up his academic future to support Teresa's, and she holds him in very high regard."

Aha, there it was. The martyrdom. I was still waiting for the other shoe to drop, though. "Keep talking."

Kenneth shifted nervously. "Currently, Luke is dealing with...issues with the government, having to do with his wife's family, and apparently, Mr Williams is behind all of it."

I stopped pacing, narrowing my eyes at Kenneth. "What kind of 'issues' are we talking about here, Kenneth?"

He scratched his head, looking like he wished a rogue would burst through the woods and drag him off. "I don't have all the details, but it seems Mr Gregory wants Teresa involved in some deal he made. Something big. And he is using the government to hold Luke's family as leverage." Kenneth said and then all of a sudden the pieces started falling into place with a satisfying click.

That was what Teresa had hinted at during that gloomy park walk. The whole "decision that wasn't hers in order to protect her brother," the whole "sacrificing for her sister" spiel.

I felt the heat rise to my face. "Wait a damn minute—that slimy, manipulative bastard actually thought he could pawn Teresa off as Jennifer to save his precious daughter from becoming my maid?"

Kenneth's eyes practically popped out of his head, but all he could do was nod weakly, like a man who had seen the face of death and decided to embrace it.

I couldn't help myself—I burst out laughing. It was the kind of laugh that came from deep within your gut, the kind that made your ribs hurt. "This is rich! Gregory Williams really thought he could outsmart me! This is fantastic! "

Ares growled in agreement, his voice dark and rumbling. "He will pay for this."

"Oh, don't worry," I said aloud, still catching my breath. "Gregory Williams will learn his lesson. He won't get away with this little scheme—and certainly not with mistreating our little mate."

Kenneth blinked, his face a mask of shock, like I'd just slapped him with a wet fish. "M-Mate?"

"Dismissed." I waved him off, grinning like a cat who had just caught the biggest, juiciest mouse.

Kenneth didn't need to be told twice. He practically sprinted out of there, leaving me standing alone in the fading light, smiling to myself.

Everything was starting to make sense now. But one thing was crystal clear: no matter how much I tried to deny it, no matter how hard I fought it, the moon goddess was hell-bent on shoving Teresa into my life. Whether I liked it or not, that bond wasn't going anywhere.