Michelle felt relieved to hear that Rodriguez hadn't caught anyone, but they had found traces of someone being there. She then saw blue smoke in the west of the pack, a signal that Alfa needed to meet.
With everything going on, will meeting him be safe? Even if it was, how the hell would she leave the pack?
In her peripheral vision, Michelle noticed Arya staring at her, then turned her head toward the west.
"Wow. What's that?" She said to distract Arya.
She had a feeling that Arya still didn't believe her. After all, she herself was an actress, and she knew when someone was acting.
All this while, Michelle had noticed that Arya looked at her face whenever she said anything about finding someone who would be reporting to Alfa, just to see her reaction.
She may have helped her out, but Arya definitely had ulterior motives. She just needed to be careful how she reacts in front of her, and whatever she does, she can not trust her!
"That's what I was thinking!" Arya said.
"What?" Rodriguez said, looking towards where the ladies were staring. "What is that?"
"Alpha," came a voice. Rodriguez looked towards the voice and saw a man bowing down.
"Yes?"
"Alpha, we found footprints leading away from the area near the tree," the man said.
"Tell Roland to meet me at the gate, with a few tracking wolves. We have to go for a hunt!" Rodriguez said, smiling.
"Yes, my Alpha." He bowed and was about to leave when Rodriguez stopped him.
"Malcolm, and send some of your men to check out what that blue smoke means. But be careful; it could be humans throwing a baby shower, or it could be an ambush."
"Yes, my Alpha. I'll do that right away."
Malcolm left, and Michelle held her mates' hand. "Do you have to go out of your territory to hunt?" She asked.
"That's the fun of being a rogue. You can hunt in or out of your territory, and no one dares to approach you!" Rodriguez replied, smiling. "Don't worry, I'll be fine." he kissed Michelle on the forehead and went toward the exit.
Arya noticed that the green-eyed girl was scared, not because her mate was going hunting, but because of what would happen to her if he found out the truth. Her only plan to meet Alfa had also vanished because Rodriguez had sent his men to find out what that blue smoke was all about. If Alfa gets caught, everything goes downhill.
Michelle ran after Rodriguez, planning on persuading him to take her as well. If anything, she could at least try to warn Alfa before Rodriguez or his men find him.
"Wait! Let me come with you," She called out.
She could not let them catch Alfa, or he would think that she had set him up, and he might even cause problems for her. He would think she betrayed him for her mate, which is not true at all.
What if Alfa told Rodriguez that he himself had planted her here to get information out on Arya? He would never forgive her, and he might even kill her for this betrayal, considering that Arya is not some ordinary person. She is his only sister, his only family!
"You know I can't do that. It could be dangerous, and because you're my mate, I can't risk you exposed to the outside world, as other alphas could take advantage of this. You are my only weakness, Michelle. I can not lose you."
The love she saw in his eyes made her heart ache. Michelle also loved him just as much, and hiding the truth was becoming unbearable.
She was drowning in a quicksand of emotions, and she couldn't even ask for anyone's help. This double life was absolutely killing her, and she had no one to share the burden.
Arya was there, but she had seen in her eyes that she would chew anyone who dared betray her brother.
"Hey, it's alright," Rodriguez said, holding his mate's face in the palm of his hands. "This isn't the first time I've gone out hunting. I'll be totally fine." He planted another kiss on her forehead and went away, leaving Michelle standing there barely holding herself.
A hand on her shoulder made Michelle turn, and she found Arya standing there. Her eyes looked genuinely worried.
"I understand what you're going through. Alfa and I were the same. We barely knew each other, but if he had to go somewhere, I'd be devastated. Bella would start pacing in my head till we sense his presence," she said.
"So... Do you still miss him?"
The question hit Arya like a rock. She stayed silent for a minute, thinking. "I think I miss the life I had planned with him. The future I wanted with him. The pups I wanted with him.... I miss everything I could never have with him!" She replied.
"Please don't mind me saying this, but don't you think if you return back, you might actually have all that?"
"Some betrayal hit way too deep to recover. What I felt when I found out that Bella, my wolf was gone... Alfa has really cut me deeply. Even if I do get Bella back, I might never be able to forgive him!"
The tears that poured out of Arya's blue orbs told Michelle that Arya indeed missed him and that given enough space to heal, she might be able to live with him again. The problem was that given how fast Arya was becoming a witch, she would never get that time.
There was comfortable silence between them, and for the first time, Michelle truly understood the pain Arya was going through. She was hurt and confused, and the only comfort she got was from her witch, so she took it.
But there were more questions in Michelle's mind, and she thought of asking since they were finally talking. "There's something else I was wondering about, can I ask you?" She turned to look at Arya, and Arya nodded.
"Did you ask Alfa, your mate, to bring back Bella?"
"Multiple times. I still remember the time we had argued, the first blackout I had, I wanted Bella back, and he refused, saying she was tainted. That's the first time my witch emerged," Arya said.
"Wow," Michelle whispered. "So he never listened."
"Yes. That's why I don't want to return back. I'd rather die than go to a man who doesn't even trust me!"
The green-eyed girl stayed silent. For the first time since coming here, she understood Arya's side. Arya was not just some runaway who took off because she felt like it. She was struggling because the one person in the world who should have trusted her and stood with her betrayed her. He broke her trust, and that broke something irreparable in her.
Arya was genuinely upset at her mate. Hence, staying here where she felt safe was her only option.