Read The Half Blood Luna by The Black Daisy
Chapter 32
Ella’s POV:
Joseph took one look at us; me pinned against the wall, shaking, breathing hard and trapped by alpha Klaus whose anger could be felt from a mile away, and was standing next to me in an instant.
“Klaus, let her go” ordered Joseph warily.
I was trapped in his eyes, I couldn’t look away from them. The hurt I saw in them made me feel guilty for saying what I said. I wasn’t expecting him to be affected that much by it. Comparing him to alpha Grey and telling him that he was worse than him was wrong. Alpha Grey was still the worst person on the planet earth. But, I wanted to hurt him so much that I had no control over what came out of my mouth. I felt like I needed to apologize to him, for the last part at least. But I couldn’t open my mouth.
Join Our Telegram Group for Update Notification and Novel Query
He kept staring at me for a few seconds before turning around and going back to where he was standing before, near the window. He gave us his back, but I could still see how tense he was from his rigid form.
“Are you ok, Ella?” asked Joseph in concern.
I managed a small nod as I felt myself unable to speak yet after the intense confrontation I just had with the alpha.
“Come here” he put his hands around my shoulders and guided me to sit on his desk. He opened his computer and pulled something tiny from his pocket before sticking it into the back of the monitor.
After a few minutes of clicking different files, a large picture appeared on the monitor.
“I want you to keep pressing this b*tton right here, and it will give you the next picture. Keep scrolling through them until you find the guy, ok?” said beta Joseph.
I nodded in understanding and started clicking the b*tton and scrolling through the pictures.
Joseph went to stand next to the alpha, and they started talking quietly. I tried to clear my mind and focus on the important task.
After about ten minutes of continuous scrolling, the picture got stuck. I kept clicking the b*tton but nothing was happening, the picture wasn’t changing.
“Umm … Joseph? I think your monitor is frozen. It’s not giving me the next picture” I said uncertainly.
He came to my side and looked at the monitor. Alpha Klaus approached the desk and was standing in front of it.
“It’s not frozen Ella. This is the last picture in this file. You’ve scrolled through all of them,” said Joseph.
I looked at him in confusion “His picture is not here. I didn’t see it”
“That’s not possible. He should be there, maybe you missed it. Look through the file again” said alpha Klaus curtly.
I tilted my head and raised my eyebrows at him. How on earth could I miss the face that was haunting my dreams for the past two days! I kept my mouth shut. I will not lose my control in front of him again. I can’t afford to make that mistake twice. The fact that he didn’t punish me for disrespect was still shocking me, I didn’t want to give him a second chance.
“Ella, can you look through the pictures again? Just to be absolutely sure” said Joseph kindly.
I pursed my lips and nodded. I was sure he wasn’t there, but they didn’t seem to be convinced.
I started scrolling through the pictures again, while both of them stood in front of the desk watching me.
“I told you. He is not here” I said after scrolling through the last picture.
Alpha Klaus looked like he was on the verge of exploding. “That doesn’t make any sense. He should be there” he said while looking at me accusingly.
I glared at him “So what are you saying exactly? That I am trying to protect the person who attacked me and almost K*lled me?” I said in disbelief.
“I never said that. Don’t just a*s*sume things on your own” he scolded me.
“You’re the one looking at me all judgy and suspicious!” I exclaimed.
“Judgy! You’re the one…”
“Stop it! Both of you! God it’s like dealing with ten-year-olds,” chastised Joseph strictly.
We glared at each other. He just kept getting on my nerves, breaking through my promise to myself to keep my mouth shut in front of him.
“What if the data is missing a few pictures by mistake?” asked Joseph while looking at the alpha.
Alpha Klaus shook his head and said, “That’s not possible Joseph. I had Marcel send all the data related to men between the ages of 30 and 70. There is no way he wasn’t included in that parameter. Ella already said he was in his forties.”
Joseph looked at me about to say something when I cut him off “There is no way he is under thirty. I am absolutely sure of that.”
“Then the only explanation I have is that he was never inserted into the system. Ella said he was a spy for beta Sam. What if he never entered him into the system to keep his ident*ity hidden? Especially considering the important secrets he was entrusted with,” said Joseph in concentration.
No one spoke for a few minutes.
“If what you’re saying is true, we’re basically screwed. There is no way of knowing who he is now” said alpha Klaus in dismay.
“I have an idea” I said in a small voice.
Alpha Klaus looked at me in surprise “You have an idea?”
“You don’t have to act so shocked. Just because I’m 17 doesn’t mean I can’t come up with a decent idea” I said in irritation.
“There you go again a*s*suming things on your own” he said coldly.
“What’s your idea, Ella?” asked Joseph while giving alpha Klaus a hard look.
“I will go back to the old pack, and lure him out. He still needs to finish what he star…”
“Out of the question,” said alpha Klaus in determination.
“You didn’t let me finish,” I said coldly.
“You don’t have to. I know what your idea is. You want to be bait, as I said that’s not going to happen,” he said stubbornly.
“Why the hell not? Do you have a better idea? I am the only one who can identify him, therefore I am the only bait you have if you ever wish to uncover the truth. Besides, why do you care if I’m offering myself as bait? you don’t get to say no and…”
“The hell I do, I just did. You are not going to be bait. End of discussion”
I stood up from the chair and was about to give him a piece of my mind before Joseph cut me off.
“Ella, what Klaus is trying to say is that it’s too dangerous for you. Even if we were following behind, many things could go wrong. It’s too risky”
“If I’m willing to take the risk, why won’t you? Joseph, he needs to be captured, I need to know that he is locked up somewhere he can never hurt me again. I’m terrified every time I walk into my room and open the lights, that I will see him standing in front of me. I can’t keep living like this, it’s driving me crazy. And don’t tell me that I’m safe here. He can be anywhere especially when no one knows who he is, he could have many allies to help him travel between packs” I pleaded with him.
He looked at alpha Klaus, who was staring at me almost sadly. I averted my gaze quickly, I didn’t say these things to earn sympathy from him. My only aim was to convince them to let me do this.
“I’m sorry, but I will not let you endanger your life recklessly. You are a part of my pack, and I will always put your protection above everything else even if I don’t end up capturing him and figuring out his secrets. I am willing to let that go if it means keeping you safe. I’m not giving up on this, yet. I will try to figure out another way to capture him. In the meantime, Joseph will a*s*sign two guards to protect you in shifts. One of them will always be standing on your door or going with you when you leave” he said gently.
I shook my head “No, I don’t want anyone with me. That’s out of the question”
“I don’t need your permission for this, I’m afraid” he said stubbornly.
I stare at him miserably and say “Fine. But they have to be females otherwise…”
“Done” he cut me off before I finished and said in a triumphant tone.
God, if he cuts me off one more time…!
“Ok Ella, the meeting is over. You should go to training room four and wait for your instructor there. Let me know if you need anything, ok?” Joseph said
“Ok” I said as I headed for the door, without looking in alpha Klaus’s direction.
I couldn’t help but feel relieved when I left that office. There was something about being near each other that made me always on edge. I just hope I don’t run into him any time soon. He still scares the crap out of me and now I’m more scared because he seems to have that affect on me where I just blurt out everything I am feeling without weighing the consequences, and that will get me in trouble one day, so much trouble.