Page 42 of Framed and Forgotten
Since directly asking Nerine’s relatives or packmates was too risky, I only had a few ways to figure out what she wanted from me. At this point, I was ready to assume she was the same obsessed bitch she had been when we were married. Instead, I focused on uncovering the identity of the man in Elias’ memory and why he looked exactly like me. I snuck books out of the library, researching every possibility. Fromdoppelgängersto magical illusions to appearance-changing spells, none of them quite fit the mystery.
I also had to figure out how Nerine knew about the Ashen Wolves. The subject hadn’t come up since the day she saw my mark, and I couldn’t find a single thing linking her or her pack toAshen Wolf history. In the end, I could only assume she was the only one at Crystal Pond who knew - and that whatever she knew was somehow connected to my mysterious duplicate.
And that realization led me straight back to square one.
“We need to work harder,”Col stressed.“We’re wasting too much time. We need to get back to mate.”
“I know,”I sighed, frustrated.“But what else can we do?”
A growl reverberated in his chest.“We can torture that bitch for information, and kill her to erase the evidence afterward.”
As anger consumed me, his idea didn’t sound half bad. I wasn’t a violent person by nature, and hurting females never sat right with me. Up until this day, there had only been one exception to that rule - Angela, the she-wolf who dared to touch my mate. When it came to protecting her, I saw no gender. I would kill anyone who threatened to lay a finger on her.
And right now, that was Nerine.
I couldn’t blame Nerine for hurting Avril - that was on me. I had failed my mate, and that was my fault only. But I couldn’t turn a blind eye to how my ex-wife had gone the extra mile to try to break us apart.
As Col’s thoughts mingled with mine, our fury becoming one, I fantasized about giving Nerine what she deserved. I could almost feel her carotid pulsing under my thumb as I closed my fist around her neck. It would be incredibly satisfying to watch the life drain from her eyes, and, looking straight into them, I’d tell her that I belonged to Avril - andonlyto Avril.
“Koen?” The nauseating voice permeated my thoughts, dragging me back to reality.
Blinking, I glanced at Nerine, the mere sight of her making me want to throw up. Yet, I smiled. As though I hadn’t just considered murdering her. As though the picture of her suffocating on her own blood as I ripped out her throat wasn’t still fresh in my mind.
“Sorry,” I uttered. “I zoned out. I’ve been tired lately.”
“You haven’t been sleeping well, have you?” She pouted in pity, stretching the mug I hadn’t noticed she was holding toward me. Then, she averted her gaze sheepishly, biting her bottom lip as she shyly explained, “I prepared this for you. It’s a calming tea. I hope it can help you sleep better.”
If I couldn’t be completely sure she was spiking my drinks before, by now it had become blatantly obvious. She brought me something to drink at least once a day. Never from a bottle or a can. Never something I asked her for. Unwilling to deliberately poison myself, I had to find ways to throw it away when she wasn’t looking. At least tonight it shouldn’t be hard - it was late, and we would both be heading to bed very soon.
“You’re always so perceptive,” I remarked, trying to keep the sarcasm off my tone as I accepted her offer.
“Well, I did live with you for two years.” She shrugged, rubbing her arm in fake innocence.
Setting the tea aside for a moment, pretending to wait for it to cool, I tried to distract her with lies she wanted to hear. “You know me better than anyone else. I wish I had seen that three years ago,” the words burned on my tongue as I spoke them.
A sickening smile stretched across her lips. “Better late than never, right?” she chuckled, resting her arms on the window sill to gaze into the night with me.
After a moment of silence, she quietly asked, “How long do you plan on staying?”
I sighed genuinely, but not because of the reason my answer suggested. “To be honest, I wish I never had to leave.”
My words clearly surprised her judging by how her head darted toward me, her eyes wide. It was time for a bolder move, an outstanding performance. Turning to her, I lifted my hand up to her face, tucking a strand of her hair behind the ear. I could feel her softening under my touch as my fingers brushedher cheek, and I had to contain the urge to slap her. She wasn’t supposed to enjoy this, but I needed her to.
Looking into her eyes, I declared, “It’s been a dream living with you for these past few days. With you and Elias, I…I have the family I’d always dreamt of.”
A gasp broke through her lips, half-parted, awaiting. Was she hoping for a kiss? She was completely delusional.
I let my smile soften, pretending to be enjoying this moment with her, before clearing my throat and pulling away. “I won’t keep you any longer; I’ve troubled you enough as it is.” I raised the mug, nodding toward it. “Good night, Nerine. And thank you for the tea.”
“It was my pleasure,” she replied, her voice practically dripping with swooning.
I hoped she couldn’t see the hairs on the back of my neck bristle with repulsion as I walked toward my room at the end of the hallway. For the third night in a row, I lay awake in bed, reading a different book, coming up empty just as I had every other time. But, for the first time, a noise outside caught my attention before the sun even began to rise.
Who could be up and roaming the packhouse at this hour? Curious, I carefully opened my door, poking my head outside just in time to see none other than Nerine turning the corner toward the exit. Where was she going before dawn?
Desperate for answers, my wolf urged me to follow her, and I obeyed without a second thought. There would be consequences if she caught me spying, but I could deal with that later. I couldn’t pass up this chance.
From a distance, I kept up with her. I had to be careful not to stand in plain sight as she often stopped to glance over her shoulder, as if she feared anyone could see her. Her behavior only confirmed that, whatever she was doing, was shady.What is your secret, Nerine?I would soon find out.
