Chapter 84: She Had Lied
Rodrigo stood quietly as he watched Nina disappear into the living quarters. His hands were folded behind his back, his face unreadable. After a long moment, he turned to Caleb.
"Take the horses in."
"Yes, Alpha." Caleb bowed his head.
Rodrigo’s gaze shifted to Seven. "Come with me."
He turned toward the east wing without waiting for a response. Seven followed him through the quiet halls until they reached the Alpha’s private study. Rodrigo pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The room was swallowed in darkness. Moonlight slipped through the narrow windows, casting pale strips across the floor. The familiar scent of old books, parchment, and burnt wax lingered in the air.
Rodrigo crossed the room as though he’d mastered every step by memory. He reached the desk and lowered himself into the chair, resting both forearms on the polished wood. His eyes remained fixed ahead, his brows drawn together, his jaw set so tightly that a muscle twitched beneath his skin.
Seven closed the door behind them before finding a match and lighting the lamps. After he was done, he remained standing by the light.
Neither of them spoke. Seven stood still, watching the Alpha for a long moment, before finally breaking the silence.
"Alpha." He waited until Rodrigo’s gaze lifted to him. "You have had nothing all day. Should I get you anything?"
Rodrigo gave no answer. His fingertips pressed into the polished wood. Seven knew better than to press him further, so he said nothing else. He walked carefully to the window and pushed the curtains wider, letting the cool night air settle into the room. He was still standing by the window when Rodrigo’s voice rang out.
"The Luna..."
Seven paused. He had known that was exactly what the Alpha was thinking about. The question had been on the tip of his tongue, but he hadn’t dared to ask. He turned around, folding his arms behind his back. "Yes, Alpha?"
"She’s hiding something." Rodrigo reached for the box and lifted the stone from within. "Whatever she’s after..." His thumb brushed across its rough surface. "...it requires the Earthstone."
Seven frowned. "How can you be certain?"
Rodrigo looked down at the stone. "Because she reached for this, thinking it was the Earthstone. I need you to look into her very carefully. Send someone to her family. Bring me whatever you can find. Do this discreetly." His voice had gone cold.
There were only a few times Seven had seen the Alpha like this. He didn’t respond for a long while. Then, he asked, "Do you think she’s working with Lady Charlotte? What other reason would she want the Earthstone for, if not to pass information to them?"
Rodrigo stared at the stone in his hand and shook his head. "No," he said. "It is something else. Something that requires her to touch the stone."
Seven frowned. "What?"
Rodrigo placed the stone back into the box. "She tried to touch the stone because she thought it was the Earthstone. Whatever the reason is, I need to find out."
Seven nodded once. "I’ll send someone tomorrow."
Rodrigo’s gaze drifted back to the small wooden box. "The Earthstone was a ruse," he murmured. "We are back to square one." His voice was laced with an emotion Seven couldn’t quite place. His eyes darkened as he stared at the stone.
Seven exhaled slowly. "We are out of options," he said.
Rodrigo was quiet for a second, and then he shook his head. "No," he said. "We have one last move."
Seven frowned. "What is that?"
Rodrigo stood up quietly. "We turn over every last patch of soil in the Hades Pack territory until we find it." He walked towards the window, gazing out into the thick darkness. "If no one has seen the Earthstone, there’s only one explanation: it has never been found. So, we go to the source."
"But The Hunt is in less than a month’s time," Seven countered. "And it’s being held here. We cannot leave for the Hades Pack on such short notice, especially without a plan."
For a while, Rodrigo said nothing. His eyes remained fixed ahead, his brows furrowed as though piecing together a path where there seemed to be none.
"There’ll be another full moon after the Hunt," he said at last. "If the seers cannot hold it back, the packs will have no choice but to reach an agreement."
"Will Alpha Hades allow for that to happen?" Seven asked. "Knowing who he is, he would ask for the Vothraki in exchange."
Rodrigo’s jaw flexed. "With the current lack of control over the full moons, he would not have much of a choice. Either it is found, or he remains a beast for eternity—and I am certain he does not want the latter."
Seven nodded. He stepped away from the window and came to stand beside the Alpha, folding his hands behind his back. "The Vothraki?" he asked. "Is there any progress yet?"
"Nothing yet," Rodrigo replied.
The answer brought another heavy stretch of silence. Neither of them spoke. The only sound in the room was the steady crackle of the torches burning against the stone walls.
"I shouldn’t have raised my hopes for this one," Rodrigo said, his voice sounding grave. "I should have known it was too easy."
Seven pursed his lips but did not reply.
After a while, Rodrigo turned away from the window and headed for the door. "The night is far spent," he said as he pulled it open. "You may return to your quarters."
Seven bowed his head. "Good night, Alpha."
Rodrigo gave no reply. He stepped into the corridor and continued down the hall. Seven remained where he was, listening to the Alpha’s footsteps fade into the silence before finally turning away.
Rodrigo didn’t stop walking until he reached his private chambers. The corridor was almost deserted now, the silence broken only by the distant footsteps of the night guards making their rounds. He stopped before the doors, his eyes settling on the carved wood before him.
When Nina’s maid had told him she’d gone to the auction house, he’d been completely blindsided. The words had caught him entirely off guard.
The auction house? He had never told her he was going there.
He’d tried to think of a thousand reasons why she might have gone, but nothing made sense. He’d pushed down the clawing suspicion that she was hiding something, refusing to believe any rational conclusion his mind came up with. He would have believed any excuse she gave as to why she followed him. But then...
Rodrigo’s hands slowly tightened into fists at his sides. She had looked him right in the eye and lied.
Why?
Rodrigo looked away from the doors, dragging a hand through his hair as he tried to rein in the rage bubbling inside him. She’d looked at him and lied, and he hadn’t wanted to believe it until he saw the way she looked at the Earthstone.
That was what she was after.
Why? Who sent her?
Rodrigo’s jaw ticked, his gaze darkening as it drifted back to the closed doors before him. He stood there for another second, then reached for the handle and pushed the door open.
The first thing he saw was her.
She was seated before the vanity with her back to him, her long blonde hair spilling down her back in soft waves, almost hiding the thin straps resting against her shoulders. A single candle burned on the vanity, its light dancing across the room.
As though sensing his presence, Nina lifted her head. Their eyes met through the mirror before she slowly turned around to face him.
Rodrigo stopped just inside the doorway. As his eyes met hers, he stilled. For a moment, every rational thought slipped away, and all he wanted to do was cross the room and pull her against him. Whatever she did, whatever her reason was, he wouldn’t care.
Rodrigo flexed his jaw, his fingers tightening around the doorknob as he anchored himself before he could do something foolish.
She rose from the chair, smoothing the folds of her nightdress with trembling fingers. "You’re back."
He didn’t answer. His eyes dropped to her hands.
The bruises left behind by the chains had darkened since earlier, spreading across her wrists in deep shades of purple against her pale skin. His gaze lingered there a second longer than he intended.
Do they still hurt? The question came unbidden. He swallowed it down.
His eyes slowly lifted from her wrists until they found hers. Rodrigo held her gaze for a long moment, then blinked once and quietly shut the door behind him.
"Should I have the kitchen prepare dinner?" she asked. Her voice was steady at first, but the last few words wavered almost imperceptibly.
He shook his head. "I’m not having dinner." He walked past her without looking in her direction. "If you’re hungry, have them prepare something for you." He crossed the room.
"Alpha..." Her voice stopped him.
Rodrigo’s steps came to a halt. He went completely still.
He wanted answers. He wanted to turn around and ask her why she’d lied. Why was she searching for the Earthstone? Who had sent her to him? He wanted to know, and yet... he couldn’t bring himself to hear whatever excuse she was going to give.
Rodrigo’s chest tightened.
"Alpha..." she called again, more quietly this time.
Rodrigo closed his eyes for the briefest moment. Before she could say another word, he walked the rest of the way to the bathroom, pushed the door open, and shut it firmly behind him.