Ian’s POV
I needed to think and before I knew it I found myself in the my private woods, surrounded only by the tripping of birds and the crackling of dry leaves under my feet.
Then my brother’s voice.
“Brother I heard what happened,” it was my brother Cassius coming down the path towards the lake, you took him a couple of seconds until he was behind me waiting for some kind of acknowledgments as I remain seated on the cold Rock facing the lake when he did not get his after a while he coughed louder than necessary.
“Brother is it true?” He said and you could hear the glee bubbling right under his fake sympathy, I still didn’t respond and he was either not bothered by this or two eager to get out his own peace to really stop and think about that.
“Southerners can really never be trusted, so think you were so kind to her bringing her here and even leaving her in charge of the Alex which gave her so much Liberty that a slave could you never expect in their lifetime only for her to turn around and try to betray you, what does she think she could have achieved with that?”
I brought out the green bottle from my pocket staring at it then I repeated his words.
“Yes, what could she have possibly thought she was going to achieve from this?”
Revenge?
It was true that she had palpable hatred against us here in the North and I who had killed several of her people, she only started to hide her anger after she wanted me to accept the meat Bond but I could tell sometimes even when she covered her actions with artificial sweetness the rage that still simmered underneath it all.
But beyond that hatred…
Beyond any urge of revenge there was the need to restore the North, killing me would have not accomplished that.
“Brother…” Cassius fingers on my shoulder felt like they were cockroaches there I moved it away not a sharply as I normally would have because I felt tired both physically and inside at the same time.
“I’ll be involved in the investigation on this woman, find out if she has any accomplices.”
I didn’t like the sound of that I turned you on the rock to face him.
“I already have people on that-”
“And I am just lending a hand as any good brother would when the life of their family is being threatened, it is only natural that I try to find out if there is anybody else who could be working with her because I have a good feeling that she didn’t just think of this on her own…”
“If we are worried about accomplices…”I said looking straight at him, “…. Then shouldn’t you be a suspect yourself?”
He didn’t reply to that immediately just maintained a strained eye contact before finally breaking it with laughter that felt so fast it was literally like sandpaper against my ear.
“Brother you know that all those things that happened are now just in the past, let’s focus on the present now… What kind of brother would I be if I didn’t help you?”
I thought about refusing him again, then I had a better idea.
If I refused him now he will probably get one of his rats to sneak information to him.
it was clear that he did not fully understand the power I had as the grand alpha if not you would have not so carelessly planted those rats amongst my own people, but I let those rats there because they were also a way for me to watch him to see what part of my life he was focused on.
All while making him feel like he had control.
Now whatever he was going to try and pull I will be able to watch him even though closely.
“Fine as long as you don’t get in the way of my people I won’t stop you, for just be aware of your limits Cassius. I will not tolerate another ‘mistake’ like what happened in the past.”
He gave me the smile that almost sent all of the anger I was feeling into a direct punch on his face because he was clearly testing me but I did not have enough strength to waste on his games as always I had to drive the higher road. The source of this chapter is NovelPing.
“I’m going…”I announced a bit unnecessarily because I didn’t really have to explain myself to him as I was leaving he called after me.
“Are you going to see her?” The chirpiness in his voice when he said it he already knew the answer once again he was testing me.
But I had to keep my calm, there was too much that needed my attention right now and wasting any of my energy on casio’s would just be giving into what he wanted.
“I am going to question her…”
“Then can I come along?”
I thought about it for a second, “maybe as another time… For now I want to question her alone,”as I kept work in Cassius called after me.
“Brother don’t be too disappointed, not all of us can be a good judge of character. That doesn’t say anything about your capabilities at all,” he said with a voice that sounded as if it was exactly meant to do that.
To question if I was truly capable to create a weakness out of thin air.
“Nothing has been proven yet Cassius,”I said looking at him as he stood next to the lake his eyes widen briefly with surprise.
“Do you think she’s innocent? Even after the poison was found in the annex where only she stays?”
“Yes,” I said even though I know that I might come to eat those words later, “… That’s why I’m having this investigated, and I won’t rest until I know the truth…. For your sake Cassius you better not be lying to me.”