In Reach?

The next day

Mira's POV

Things have gotten so tense with everything happening, that I decided to watch a movie today. Theo and Rachel joined me, probably as my so-called bodyguards. But I’m having fun with the idea that I can force them to watch ‘The Secret Life of Pets’ and watch them secretly get all mushy for the cute animals.

Rachel is pretty cool. Very feisty, but still very girly. She’s the type to easily make friends with anyone, if she wants to. She even has a mark on her neck. I guess Mason didn’t waste any time. I wonder how the pack feels to have a hunter as part of their pack?

Half-way through the movie, I hear Noah and Liam rushing through the house. Not long after we hear tumbling and crash noises. We all get up to see the fuss, but we see Liam dragging Marcus out of the house and throwing him onto the grass outside. We all rush out, everyone coming to see what’s happening.

Mason stops Rachel from running to Marcus. “What’s going on?” she asks worriedly.

“He’s the one that stabbed Aiden.” Mason says in a frustrated tone.

“What?” a few of us say together, hearing Mason.

“Aiden just woke up, and told us that Marcus is the one that cut him in the woods that night.” Noah turns back to inform us.

I see Liam punching him with such force that his body keeps flying to the ground with every punch.

Even other pack members are coming out of the woods to see what’s going on.

“Why?! What would hurting Aiden help Dahlia? Why do it?” Liam asks as he continues to punch Marcus, in the stomach now, as his face is already too bloody.

Marcus doesn’t even get a chance to actually give an answer.

“Where is it?” Liam pulls him to his face by his shirt. “Where’s the dagger?”

But Marcus just gives a bloody smile.

Liam throws his body to the side and looks at his head-members with such anger in his eyes, I know his wolf may just push through any second now.

“Go check his room. Find the hexed dagger.” He orders, and they all just reply with “Yes Alpha”, as they march back into the house.

Liam puts his foot down on Marcus’ lying body, stopping him from getting up. “You will die. Whether you cooperate will determine if your death will be quick or painfully slow.”

“Y-you……a-already…..lost.” I hear Marcus trying to choke out his words, which is just pissing Liam off even more. Even Rachel seems surprised by his words, his admittance to this crime.

Liam kicks him in the stomach, sending him rolling a few feet away. Liam walks back to him, pulling him by his shirt, both kneeling. I can see Marcus trying to say something, but it’s too soft. Even Liam pulls him closer to his ear.

Liam’s back muscles instantly tense and I can feel his intense anger running through me, through the bond. He immediately gets up, pulling along Marcus limp body and kicks his knee in.

Aaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!! I hear Marcus scream as his knee is bent at an awkward angle. Liam throws his body back onto the ground. This side of Liam kind of scares me, but I know I shouldn’t be.

That’s when the others come rushing out. Liam looks back at them and Noah just shakes his head saying, “nothing.”

But he steps forward, holding out something. Liam grabs it to look at it, as Noah continues. “This is his phone, it’s a burner, and only one number is in its contact list and history.” They both just look at each other, as Liam hands the phone back to him.

“See what you can find on it.” Liam says before turning back to a whimpering Marcus.

“Who is it? Who is helping you? Who’s helping you hide it?”

Marcus just looks at him, but he screams again when Liam steps on his hurt knee. Aaaahhhhh!!!!!

“Who is the traitor that keeps dishing that bitch information?”

Marcus looks around him, seeing everyone gathered to watch, and his gaze stops on…….me. He smiles slightly as he looks back up at Liam.

“Mira. She’s the one helping me.”

I hear gasps all around me and I know they’re followed with stares. But I’m too shocked to want to acknowledge them. I can see Liam looking back at me, with a confused look on his face, but I just shake my head, hoping he knows I mean ‘it’s not true’.

“Stop lying.” Liam shakes Marcus a bit.

“Why would I lie?” Marcus says as he spits some blood onto the ground.

Liam steps back and runs his hand through his hair, as he looks at the crows that gathered. He walks back up to the head-members.

“Check the room. We know he’s probably lying. So, just check the room, and confirm that the dagger is not there.” They walk back into the house rushing up the stairs.

I don’t know what’s going on. Seeing the smug look on Marcus, even in his pathetic state, has me very worried. The dagger can’t possibly be in my room, I don’t even know what it looks like.

I look around and see Rachel looking at Marcus with a surprised look, I see Theo looking concerned, and even Aubrey is out here, but she just briefly looks at me with scared eyes before she lowers them. Liam doesn’t come near me, but looks at me with such confused eyes.

Don’t worry. Everything will be over soon. I him say in the link.

“Alpha!” We hear a shout as Noah and the others rush outside with a dagger in his hand. My eyes widen at the sight, knowing I’m doomed. Yet again, I’ll be blamed for something I have no clue on.

I look at Liam and he looks just as shocked. “Where did you find it?”

“It was among her clothes.” And now everyone is looking back at me with suspicious eyes.

“Take her in for questioning.” Liam says with a firm voice, not even making eye contact with me.

“Liam?” I try to get his attention as Noah and Mason make their way to me.

But my view of them is blocked, when Theo and Rachel step in front of me.

“Step aside.” Noah orders, but Theo just growls back. I bet he can feel the confusion and dread in me, I bet Liam must feel it too. So why?

“Baby. Don’t do this.” I hear Mason, probably saying to Rachel.

“I’m here as her guardian. I cannot let you take her. Just like you have orders, I have mine.” I hear Rachel saying in a calm but firm voice.

But the closer Noah and Mason gets, the more tense Theo and Rachel get, as if ready to fight. I can’t let this happen. I can’t let Theo fight Noah. I definitely can’t let Rachel fight her mate. But before I can say anything Liam speaks up in a very commanding voice, one I’ve never heard before.

“Enough!!!” It leaves everyone frozen in their spots as Liam walks to me, picks up my shivering body and carries me inside.

He looks so angry, and the tears that gathered in my eyes finally fall. What is going to happen now? It’s not long when he puts me down in the room and walks away as he closes the door behind him, leaving me alone.

Click. He just locked the door. He locked me inside. I turn around and see I’m not in our room. I’m in my old room.

I fall onto the floor on my knees and let the waterworks free as I cry into my palms.

Liam’s POV

After what just happened, I ordered that asshole to be taken to the dungeons and called the rest to my office. This is so fucked up! I know that fucker is lying, because before he even put the blame on Mira, he whispered to me, ‘she will die’. I don’t know why he’s out to get her, but I won’t let him. I will protect my mate, with my own life if I have to.

They’re all sitting here, even Rachel as they fill the room with their mumbling.

“He’s lying.” They go quiet with my voice.

“Liam, we have to think about this objectively.”

“Exactly.” I interrupt him. “Investigate this and figure out how and why he’s trying to pin this on her.”

“But she knows Marcus. It’s clear that they have history.”

Gggrhh! I growl at Mason just as Rachel glares at him. He instantly lowers his head with a sad look.

“That fucker is delusional.”

“And why would she help him to try and kill Aiden when she’s the one that saved his life?” Theo adds.

“But how do we know she didn’t already know how to do it?” Liz questions.

“Why are you all questioning about her when you should be questioning about Marcus?” Rachel argues back.

“Exactly.” I gain back their attention. “Think about it. Dahlia is after Lunas, and out to destroy me. Why would she try to work with Mira when she can kill two birds with one stone by getting rid of her? By doing all of this, she’s trying to turn not just me but my pack against Mira, against their Luna. Dahlia is doing what she told me she will do, - she’s destroying my pack from the inside.”

The room is quiet as they all starts to think over my words.

“It’s time we figure out who the real traitor is and why they’re helping Dahlia in this. It’s clear that the enemy is closer than I thought. From here on out, I won’t let any of you near Mira.”

I look at Theo and Rachel’s worried faces and try to reassure them. “It’s for her own safety. We need to be extra careful now.” They both just nod.

Right now, the whole pack will be under the impression that Mira had a role to play in this. Not everyone knows yet that she is my mate or their Luna. I’ve been trying to sort this out and get her name cleared for all to see and trust her. But now, I can’t trust them with her. They doubt her. I can’t let my pack and Luna be on separate ends. They’re both an Alpha’s pride.

I put Mira in that room, because I know, no one else is in that hallway. I’ll hear them before anyone can get to her. I was definitely not going to put her in the cells. But I can’t let her stay with me, because I have to be fair with her questioning. I can’t have pack members think that I’m letting her free of her so-called crimes just because she’s my mate. I have to let the investigation run and provide me with solid evidence before I have to make an official verdict on her. At least she’ll be near me.

I walk back to the room I put her in. I unlock it, and when I open it, I don’t see or hear anything. But just as I step in, my gaze falls down, and I see a small body lying on the floor right in front of the bed. I walk over to her, and as I try to pick her up, she flinches.

I sit on the floor, leaning against the bed and pull her into my lap. She’s hiding her face, but I know she’s crying, I can hear her sniffling.

“Mira?” I try to calm her as I stroke her hair down her arm.

But she’s trying to lean away from me, and I hold her tighter.

“Liam, I didn’t do it.” She muffles through her palms.

“I know.” I whisper in her ear.

She finally looks up at me with wet cheeks. “Then why would you lock me in here?”

“It’s just until the investigation is over.”

“But I didn’t do anything. Marcus is lying.”

“Just trust me Mira. Okay. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She looks at me with her doe-eyes, as if pleading for more. But she then just rests her head back into my chest.

It’s starting to rain again, but it sounds more like a thunder storm. It seems like even mother nature is pissed off. Mira flinches every now and then when the loud thunder rumbles. I just hold her tighter, hoping she knows she’s safe with me. I sigh in relief when she holds me tighter too, pushing her head into my chest and inhales my scent. I sit like this until she falls asleep, and gently put her on the bed.

I need to go back. I will find out what that asshole is up to. I hate seeing my Mira like this. Why does the world keep trying to hurt her? I must keep her safe, even if I have to keep everyone away from her.