Eric stands quietly, refusing to sit down. The room seems to grow smaller as we wait for the pair as if the truth is preparing to rain down and suffocate us. I am expecting something well planned, something selfish from Alpha Kenn, but who can blame him for acting like an Alpha. The way he went about it was unusual, though: slowly and carefully digging a way in, gaining my trust. He has done it all only to leave. Maybe he wasn't planning that until Eric kicked him out, or maybe he got what he needed from the office and had to reason to stay any longer.

   Caroline and a rested-looking Lucas enter and wake both of us up. She studies Eric, looking for any signs of hostility.

   "I'm not going to hurt him. Now sit down," Eric orders, and the two follow. "You're going to tell me what you know, or things are going to get ugly."

   Caroline crosses her arms, "Stop threatening him. He's going to tell you whether you play bad cop or not."

    I ignore the siblings bickering and turn to Lucas. "Anything will be helpful. We understand that you're doing this for the protection of your Mate. Caroline told me that Alpha Kenn had planned this."

   "Yes," he begins, "my Alpha discovered that we were mates and he used it to his advantage. He told me to disappear for a while. I questioned it, but he only became angry when I did, so I just listened, thinking I would get to see Caroline again next week. More days went by, and I asked if I could see her, and Alpha Kenn ordered me to stay away longer. After I wouldn't stop asking, he finally told me that he was building a relationship with you." His eyes stare at me, and I see Eric becoming uneasy and tense. "He wanted you to trust him, to protect him if Alpha Tate questioned his actions. It wasn't until another few days had passed that he told me he wanted to take over your pack."

   "So he wants my land? He wants my pack gone as a threat?"

   Lucas shakes his head, which has me more intrigued. "He wants your position."

   "But he's an Alpha?" I ask, confused. "What do you mean his position?"

   "He wants to be Alpha of this pack; he wants your Luna as his, he wants to combine both and rule over all."

   "But he has a Mate!" I burst up out of frustration and anger. "It's not my fault that he got rejected. H-He can win her back—"

   Lucas shakes his head. "He rejected his Mate."

   "But he told me—ugh! This is insane. So what, he wants your life and a little more?" I look to my mate, feeling the need to break something. "W-Well he can't have me! I'm not something to be taken."

   "He's not going to get near you, Isabella. He is obviously deranged. Where is he now, do you—"

   "Isabella?"

   Standing on the stairs is Kendra, hair tousled and eyes puffy from hours of needed sleep. She wanders down the steps, and I meet her at the bottom. I look to the group, signaling them to continue in my absence. Leading Kendra to the kitchen, I pull out the stool for her, and Marina smiles. "Hello. And who is this?"

   "My younger sister, Kendra. She's visiting for a few days."

   "How lovely. Are you hungry, dear?"

"Now that I think about it, yes. Do you know how to make pancakes in the shape of hearts?"

"Kendra," I scold lightly, giving Marina an apologetic look. "She's not your personal chef."

Marina waves me off. "Of course I can make that, and don't worry, I miss having children in the house. Ever since Caroline and Eric grew up, along with my own, it's been all regular shaped foods."

Kendra is amused by this, and I can already see her taking a liking to Marina. "Say thank you, and wash your hands, please. You probably drooled all over them."

"Drooled? I do not drool, Isabella. Don't listen to her; she's a liar," Kendra defends herself. I point her in the direction of the bathroom and shake my head casually as I sit down in her place.

"She's a fun one."

"She sure is something," I murmur.

"How are things? I've been hearing a lot of yelling lately," Marina asks, and I rest my chin on my fist.

"It's been a bumpy ride, Marina. Sometimes I wonder if this was how my life was supposed to turn out. When I look at my sister, all I see is my past. At home, with her and mom, taking care of things—sometimes I miss it."

"You're happy here, yes?"

I sigh. "Well of course I am. I love Eric, I love Caroline, and I'm committed to this pack."

"So it's your sister then, you can't let her go."

I swallow and lean further into the counter. "How can I? She's stuck back there all alone. I feel like I abandoned her—I feel selfish."

"Is there a possibility for her to stay here, permanently?"

"She's all my mother has left. My father died, I left, and I can't take Kendra away from her—"

"Take me away from who?" Kendra hurries back in and pushes me off the seat with her eyes, though there are more beside us.

"No one. I should get back in there," I look to Marina, "thanks for listening, even if it was only for a minute or two."

"I'm always here," she smiles and turns to Kendra, chatting her up while I slip away.

"So when is he planning on coming back?"

   "Is it going to be an attack?" Caroline asks her mate as I slip back in. "Isabella, tell them what you saw him doing—what you told me earlier."

   My cheeks heat up, and I feel Eric's eyes immediately on me. I saw this coming, I expected this, yet telling Eric to his face about my mistake, bringing up the kiss again—it all seems like we are taking a step back. "Well, the night Alpha Kenn... The night he attacked me, I found him in your office going through things—"

   "You've got to be kidding me, Isabella," he groans with obvious frustration, "and I'm only finding out now?"

   My cheeks flush with more color as I notice Lucas peering away, trying to escape the awkwardness of a couple beginning what seems to be a fight. If I can help it, there will be no fight, though. "I'm sorry. I was distracted with what happened to me. Can we not focus on that—let's focus on him. What could he have taken?"

   The look on Eric's face tells me he sees my attempt at a cover up, my attempt to jump over the problem. Hopefully, he will let it go until later. I much rather deal with this without the company of Caroline and Lucas.

   Thankfully, Eric looks to me, studies me for a brief moment, then crosses his arms. "I'll look to see if anything significant is missing. Right now I need you to get Heath for me," he looks to his sister, "Lucas, go with her, and Isabella, come with me."

   The four of us split up, Caroline and Lucas heading to the training grounds, and Eric and I to the office. I walk behind him after checking on Kendra, feeling like a child being escorted to the principal's office. I've done a bad thing, and hopefully, Eric cuts off the 'bad cop' attitude. There is no escaping my mistake, my act of stupidity. I saw Alpha Kenn rummaging through my mates office and said nothing about it. I let a silly kiss get in the way of pack safety. An Alphas office is where many important, irreplaceable things are kept, and as Luna, I'm supposed to protect those things as well. As Luna, I'm supposed to help keep the pack safe.

   Because of me, something precious could have been stolen. Because of me, Alpha Keen could have gotten the upper hand.

   Eric shuts the door behind me, then says nothing as he begins searching through his desk and computer. I wander to one of the file cabinets, old, wooden, and carved elegantly as if they have been around for decades. The drawers are heavy, and I am not sure what I am exactly looking for. How can I spot a missing thing if I've never made use of the space?

   "I didn't ask you here to search," Eric says to me, and I slowly shut the drawer, looking for more time to hide my embarrassment. I bite the inside of my cheek and try to convince myself that he appreciates my trying. "Just tell me what you saw him going through."

"I don't know. It was dark. He just looked like a shadowy figure."

"Did you ask him what he was doing?"

I think back to that night, removing the kissing fiasco, trying to focus on what happened before. "Um, I did. He said..." I shut my eyes. "He said—he said he was looking for a paper. He said he needed it back from you."

Eric pauses. "Did you ever see a paper in his hands?"

   I shake my head.

   "Did he leave with anything at all?"

   I freeze in my spot. Oh goddess, what have I done?

   "Isabella," Eric says slowly, "please tell me you did not leave him in here."

   My throats feels like it is closing up on me. "I-I—I don't remember," I struggle. "I just remember saying that I needed to get back to you and... And leaving."

   I watch Eric closely; I watch as he stands up straight and stares me right in my eyes. The disappointment is as clear as day. "Please, leave."

   My brows furrow together. "What—"

   "Just go," he mutters and turns away from me, turning to more storage. He says nothing as he continues, waiting for me to do as he said, waiting for me to leave.

   I do. I leave the office and gently shut the door behind me.