Chapter 18
The betrayed Luna-
Thorne watched as she fidgeted, her hands wrapped together, her lower l*p caught between her teeth. He smirked a bit on enacting this reaction from her.
“You won’t give me an answer?” He asks, seeing the way she blinks, opening her mouth to speak and shutting up again like she couldn’t decide. He leans back against the chair, smiling just a bit.
“Okay, I won’t push you anymore.” He tells her and she visibly relaxes like she’s been on some weird edge for a while now and couldn’t get out of it.
“Clean the shelves, they’re dusty.” He tells her, taking out some papers. Natalie blinked twice, looking at the shelf again. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. The shelves were not dusty as just just cleaned them that same week. She looked at the man, wondering if he couldn’t see they were still clean.
“Yes, your grace.” She replied after a beat, turning to leave the office. Thorne’s eyes widen on seeing her leaving the office. “Where are you going? Aren’t you supposed to clean?” He rushed out in panic. Natalie stops at the door and looks at him, a little confused at his reaction. Thorne seemed to catch himself, he clears his throat and settles back into the chair.
“I mean, I asked you to clean not leave.” He says more calmly than he did the first time. Natalie nods slowly. “I have to go get the cleaning supplies. That’s why I’m leaving.” She replied.
Thorne stared at her for a second longer, realization dawning on him. He nods, waving his hand dismissively at her. Natalie nods and steps out of the office. Thorne settles into the chair, groaning at his stupidity. Why did he panic so stupidly? He groaned in annoyance, feeling like a twelve–year–old with his first crush.
Natalie walks in after some minutes with the cleaning supplies. She looked at Thorne who now had his nose buried in some pack business. She swallows and shuts the door carefully, not wanting to disturb his peace. She walks towards the first shelf, she curses internally, wondering why the shelf had to be so close to the man’s table. She kneels and gets to work, trying to get the fact that he’s literally behind her away from her head. She definitely doesn’t need to think about how good his scent is now.
Thorne stops working, he looks at her knowing she couldn’t see him this way. He watched
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carefully how she began to take out the books and started to clean. He wondered just how long he would have to keep this secret with him. How long would he be able to go on pretending like she doesn’t mean anything to him? How long does he have to watch her from the sidelines and pretend like he isn’t watching her? How long does he have to keep his urges deep inside of him and pretend like he doesn’t want to bury his nose in her hair or he doesn’t want to k*ss her silly?
Frances walks away from the balcony, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She stops, looking back at the balcony. She knows Thorne has a brother, some long lost brother no one has heard about but seeing the man in the flesh had her thinking. What is he here for and more importantly what does he want here? She looks away and continues walking, there’s only one person that can answer her question now. Frances walks towards Thorne’s office, needing answers to the numerous questions plaguing her mind repeatedly.
If it had been in the past, she would’ve assumed the other had come back for her upcoming mating ceremony with his brother but now… certainly, that isn’t the case.
Frances neared the office, slowing down a bit when she saw the door slightly open. It’s weird. Thorne never leaves the door to the office open. She shook her head fondly, wondering if the return of his brother had him so bothered he would forget to close the door properly, with a smile on her face, she quickened her pace to the door, opening her mouth to speak only to stop dead in her tracks. Her eyes wide with betrayal she stood behind the door, looking at Thorne watch Natalie.
Her breath hitches, her eyes getting red by the second. She watched as he stared at her with so much intensity and love that had never been shown to her. Natalie knelt there doing the most basic thing yet he sat there, behind her staring at her like she was doing something admirable, something that was worth the love in his eyes. Frances’s throat tightened painfully, she blinked back the blur in her eyes and heaved deeply, taking a step back and walks away.
Thorne had barely been able to get work down when he had Natalie cleaning something that wasn’t necessary all because he wanted to have her close to him. She eventually finished cleaning and he had nothing to say to keep her there longer. At least, now he’s able to work. He leaned back, stretching his fingers a bit. He’s been sitting in the same position for three hours now.
The door opens and Nathan walks in, eyes wide, an envelope in his hands. “Alpha.” He bows in respect, shutting the door behind him.
“What’s up?” Thorne asks, an eyebrow raised on seeing the look Nathan wore. The beta
sighs and sl*ps the envelope towards Thorne.
Thorne eyes the Envelope carefully, picking it up. “What’s in it?” He asks and Nathan shakes his head. “I couldn’t check it. It’s meant just for you.” He says this confuses Thorne
even more.
“What do you mean you couldn’t open it?” He asks, glancing at the envelope in his hands.
“I think it was spellbound.” He states. Thorne looks at him for a second and back at the envelope again. “You don’t think..?” He stops halfway just as Nathan nods, confirming his suspicion.
Thorne opens the envelope with ease, he glances at Nathan who shrugs. He goes back to read the letter.
‘Dear Alpha Thorne,
It’s Theodora, Mistress of the Rouge witches. It has come to my attention that you now harbor the traitor who had murdered my child. Jeffery Ashbourne. Once embraced as a kin in our coven’s embrace, now a renegade in your midst. I make a solemn request, Alpha Thorne, that you bequeath Jeffery Ashbourne unto my custody. His existence is a debt owed to my sorrows.
Awaiting your response.
Theodora.
Thorne sets the letter on the table, he looks at a curious–looking Nathan. “What does it contain?” He asks and Throne shrugs, pulling the drawer open and taking a stick of cigarette open.
“She knows Jeffery is here and is asking for him back.” he says in summary and Nathan’s eyes widen.
“What are we going to do? Jeffery coming back to the kingdom only makes it difficult for us. Why did he have to come here and not just go somewhere else?” He groaned out.
He looks at Nathan. “Ask Jude to see me immediately.” He tells Nathan who nods, already getting ready to leave. He stops at the door, his hand on the doorknob.
“May I ask what you plan to do?” He asks and Thorne shakes his head. Nathan looks at him for a second longer before walking out of the office. Thorne looks at the letter again. He and Theodora have never had a reason to communicate in all his years of living. They’ve been
at arm’s length, no one crossing the other but this, this sets things apart. Thorne cannot just surrender Jeffery, not when there is so much at stake, so many lives at stake.
Five minutes later, Nathan walks into the office with Jude behind him. The younger man bowed fully in respect, a nervous smile sprawled on his l*ps, he looked back and forth between Thorne and Nathan. The young man reminded Thorne of Nathan, very willing and eager to work.
“Go get your things ready, you’re traveling to the north,” Thorne tells him casually. Nathan’s eyes widened, and he snapped his eyes at the Lycan king.
“Alpha.” Nathan blurts out.
“Yes, your grace.” Jude accepts easily, not like he ever had a choice.
“I want you to find out everything you can about the alpha in the north and his involvement with Theodora, the leader of the rogue witches. You will be going as a slave, that should give you more leverage. You have two weeks to fulfill this.” He tells the younger man, taking the envelope filled with wads of cash he had taken out before the men arrived, he passes it to Jude.
“That will sustain you for two weeks.” The younger man bows again. “I’ll go get ready now, please excuse me.” He says and walks out of the office.
Nathan looks at Thorne “If we don’t give Jeffery back this might just turn into something worse.” He says and Thorne rolls his eyes.
“Do you
think I’ve been able to keep my position and my reputation because I’ve chickened out of things like this? I’ve seen worse. This doesn’t faze me. I need to confirm first, just how deep this thing runs before deciding on anything.” He tells Nathan.
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