Chapter 35 Shadows & Secrets–2
|| Lilac’s POV ||
Dad and Mom turned their gazes to Ezra, and when they saw the pictures on the camera, their faces hardened. Dad’s sharp inhale was the only indication of his anger, while Mom’s lips pressed into a thin line.
“Ezra, explain this,” Dad demanded, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Ezra looked between us, his face a mixture of guilt and frustration.
“Relax, you all. I just wanted to give Lilac a little surprise, okay? I know a lot has happened recently, and Lilac has been through so much. Though she smiles before us, I know it’s hard on her. So I thought I’d get her the video games she used to play.”
He turned to me, his eyes pleading. “I knew you liked them. I thought it would cheer you up. But the games are hard to find, so I met up with this guy I found on the internet.” He searched his pocket and threw a small box at me. It was the same box in the picture. “Here, you can look for yourself.”
I caught it, my hands trembling, and slowly opened the lid. Inside, resting on a cushion of black velvet, was a simple USB drive. It looked ordinary, harmless even, but my gut twisted at the sight of it.
“It was supposed to be a surprise, okay? Why are you all so worked up? And on top of that, why do you have my pictures? Are you spying on me or something?” he yelled, his voice cracking with frustration.
“You idiot! The guy you dealt with is a rogue,” I said, my voice low and dangerous.
“A rogue? What are you talking about? I met him, and he had a normal scent. How do that?” he argued, his voice rising.
you know
“Rogues are deprived of scent as well, so that others can easily identify them. But for sure, this one found a way to mask it,” I said, my patience wearing thin. “Look at the mark on his neck, you idiot.”
Ezra’s eyes widened as he finally understood.
“I” he started, then stopped, his jaw tightening. He turned back to the pictures on the camera, zooming in on the man he’d been dealing with. His face paled further as he finally noticed what I had seen earlier the unmistakable ink of a lone wolf tattoo, barely peeking out from under the man’s high collar.
I folded my arms, my voice colder than I intended. “Still think this was just some harmless
trade?”
Ezra swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I didn’t know,” he murmured, running a hand through his dark hair. “I swear, I didn’t know.”
1/3
Chapter 35 Shadows & Secrets–2
+8 Pearls
Dad let out a slow, measured breath, but I could see the barely restrained fury in his stance. Mom, however, stepped forward, her eyes filled with something worse than anger disappointment.
“Ezra, you put yourself in danger,” she said, her voice quiet but sharp. “Do you have any idea what could have happened? You made a deal with someone who could have slit your throat the moment you turned your back.”
Ezra clenched his fists, shaking his head. “It wasn’t like that! He just… He was a normal gave me the box, I paid, and that was it. He didn’t threaten me or anything.”
“On top of that, a friend of mine spotted someone spying on you,” I added, my
guy. He
voice sharp.
“What is going on here? Why would someone spy on Ezra, a minor wolf?” Dad asked, his voice filled with confusion and concern.
“Of course, to swipe him out from the royal beta position,” I said, my voice cold as ice. “Ezra might be young, but he’s still a contender. If an enemy wants to weaken us, taking him out would be an easy way to start.”
Ezra’s mouth opened, then closed, as if he wanted to argue but couldn’t find the words. His breathing grew uneven, and I could see the gears turning in his head as he pieced everything together.
Mom pressed a hand to her chest, her eyes flicking between us in worry. “We need to handle this carefully,” she said, her voice softer than Dad’s but no less serious,
Dad nodded, his gaze locked onto Ezra. “You’re going to tell me everything about this exchange. Every detail, no matter how small.”
Ezra nodded mutely, all traces of defiance gone.
Dad stepped forward, his face a mask of restrained fury. “Ezra, did you tell him who you were?”
Ezra’s brows furrowed. “What? No! I didn’t just go around announcing my name like an idiot. I used a fake name when I met him.”
That brought me little relief. Rogues weren’t just your everyday criminals; they were smart. They operated in secrecy, with eyes and ears everywhere. If they had even the slightest suspicion that Ezra wasn’t just some random kid, they’d find out soon enough.
Ezra looked down, his shoulders tensing. “I just… I thought I was doing something good. For you.”
For a moment, my anger wavered. I knew his heart had been in the right place, but that didn’t change the fact that he had unknowingly walked into something dangerous.
Dad pinched the bridge of his nose, his patience clearly wearing thin. “Lilac,” he said, turning to me, “play the USB.”
I hesitated, then nodded. I crossed the room to my laptop and plugged in the drive, my fingers trembling slightly as I opened the files. A single folder appeared. It was that game Ez mentioned.
Chapter 35 Shadows & Secrets–2
Ezra looked at me, his eyes wide with fear and guilt.
“What do we do now?” he asked, his voice trembling.
+8 Pearls
I took a deep breath, my mind racing. “Well, I have a plan. Since the spy lost his camera, they might be desperate to get something else on you. Ezra, can you still contact this rogue through the internet?”
“Well, it wouldn’t be hard. But why?” he asked, his voice hesitant.
“Ask him to meet again. Meet him in a sketchy back alley,” I said, a small smile tugging at my lips. “They want to spread rumors about you? We’ll give them a chance.”
Ezra’s eyes widened, but he nodded slowly. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
Send Gifts
归
