Chapter nine

       Alee was acting unusual as I arranged and cleaned the house. She sat on the floor glaring at me and following me wherever I went with her eyes. She would drag herself on the floor from room to room if I go to a different room and won't move over whenever I want to vacuum an area. She would make a fuss, making grunt-like sounds like a pig and growling whenever I lifted her from her position. 

What's gotten into her, I thought.

       After I had cleared out every dust and dirt in the house, I turned towards her and said,

“How about a game of chess? I will beat you, Alee.” I said.

        She growled at me like I had offended her. She rarely says anything and she doesn't contribute to any discussion and sometimes, shows no sign that she's listening. But, she's growling? Is she growing?

       It has crossed my mind several times that I find myself considering the possibility. She's never this cranky and usually, she would ignore me or nod her head whenever I suggest a game of chess. Her growl is starting to annoy the hell out of me. If she does that one more time, there are windows around the house, I thought as I retrieved the chessboard with the chess pieces inside it.

       Today is a school day but I didn't go to school. Thinking about Mason and the other strange new kid is bugging me. And I have to figure out how to kill the werewolf prince who happens to be my mate. Today is my turn which I bumped out on purpose to escape people like Mason and his gang of thugs. I took the chessboard with me as I went down to the basement after reciting some spells that will carry Alee down the stairs. I had tried to go near her but she growled at me. 

       I set the pieces in their rightful places and gave Alee the go ahead. She stared down at me and I stared back at her in confusion. I felt sweaty. Her scrutiny gave me goosebumps like she's trying to look through me, looking to find my hidden secrets. She frowned, then growled again. 

Why is she so cranky this morning?

       I grabbed a marker and a small whiteboard, then I wrote on it.

What is wrong with you?

       I gave it to her and after she read it, she released her growl at the board and wrote furiously. She gave it to me and I read it.

I hate your smell. It smells horrible. Go take a shower.

       I raised my head and stared at her. I raised my arm and smelt my armpit. It smelt like soap. I had taken my bath earlier this morning and it would probably be the heat from cleaning the house. But that sounds incorrect. If I can remember correctly, she'd been this close to not eating me.

Is she hungry?

       But she had just eaten her breakfast. I shook my head and said,

“Alee, if you want to beat me, you can. I won't stop you.”

       She raised an eyebrow and moved a pawn two steps like the rules of the game suggest. I moved my pawn as well and she moved her hook. 

Very daring, I thought.

        I moved one of my pawns and she moved her left bishop. Thai is the first time she's taken a risk in this game. All other times, she would seem like she's playing the game unattached. She never moved the important chess pieces at the beginning of a game. Maybe that's why she always failed the game and I always win. I would have commended her strategy and her ability to break through her normal streak but my pawns were actually trapping her bishop and hook that she had released earlier. She seems to be playing on gut talk without thinking. I released a sign and took care of her bishop. She took care of one of my pawns but I ate her hook.

        The game got intense as she gave me a furious look. I took it that she's playing with me or maybe testing my reaction. She ate my knight which I hadn't anticipated. I stared at how strategic her chess pieces looked at the battlefield. If I moved my queen, she would eat her but one of my pawns had almost reached the end of the line. I moved my queen and Alee took the bait. She moved her knight and ate my queen, which gave me an ample opportunity to replace my pawn with my queen. 

“Checkmate!” I said.

    She stared at the board and I said to her,

“Wow, Alee. This is the first real game I have ever played with you.” 

      She looked up at me and all I could see within her eyes was anger. 

Why was she angry? 

       With an angry growl, Alee upturned the chessboard throwing off every chess piece. I stared at her in disbelieve. She heaved while she tried to get up from the floor but she couldn't walk. I didn't try to help her. She's getting on my last nerve. She looked at me like I would actually help her. I stared back at her with anger.

      We were staring at each other when I heard a faint doorbell. She turned her face and stared at the stairs leading to the kitchen. She must have heard the doorbell too, which is weird because after our parents death, she couldn't hear things that I can. It seemed like she suddenly stopped growing.

“Stay here...” I grumped, “...you wouldn't want anyone questioning you about anything.”

       She didn't say anything and when I turned back to look at her. She has lay on the floor like the good little girl she is. She lay on the floor like someone suffering from child abuse which rubbed me the wrong way. But before I could call her in it, I heard the doorbell and decided to get it instead.

        In the sitting room, I checked my reflection on the blurry wineglass at the bar. I took a moment to steady myself and rehearse what I would say if they were to ask me for an adult figure. If they insist that they have to see one, I have the magic spell for that as well. 

       I opened the door and stared at who stood behind the closed door a moment ago. My boss stared at me with a smile.

“I have been waiting for thirty minutes and this is when you could open the door. Were you busy?” he asked.

“Yes, sir. Honing my skills, I believe. The prince is hard to track and without the take off room, I believe I come up short in regards to equipment.” I said, speaking like a robot.

        He stared at me and said,

“That's why am here actually. Can I come in?”

“Yes, sir. Make yourself at home.” I said.

       He came in and looked around. I felt paranoid looking at him. The place is bare of any sentimental things but I still felt like he's looking through all my stuff. All sentimental things are in the basement where Alee and I spend most of our time. The entire house is bare and only the usual furniture can be found around the house. He sat on one of the cushions and said,

“Why are there no personal items in here?”

“I don't have any.” I said, “Can I get you anything?”

“Not really. I want us to get right to business, Lea” he replied.

       I nodded and took my place opposite him with my head bowed a little low to avoid staring at his eyes. His alpha wolf is sensitive to things like that and will not hesitate to kill someone who so much as stares at him right in the eye. I've always known that he knew my home but never really gave it much thought because he never visited. It made me feel unprepared, which gave me goosebumps and made me feel open like every private matter related to me is open for everybody.

“The cat is out of the scene but people still want her in action, Lea.” he said.

“I'm sorry.” I said.

       That was all I had to say. I couldn't kill the prince and now, he's made my work harder for me.

“No need. Your work is increasing by the hour, I can guarantee that. What is taking you so long? Technically, he's not your prince. I serve under him. I should be the one feeling sentimental and trying to drag out his death. What is wrong with you, Lea?” he asked.

“He's always eluding me like he knows that I'll be there. Are you sure that wasn't his command we are carrying out?” I asked

“Don't test me, Azalea. I don't have time for this drag you've been taking for a while now. What's your problem? Have you reached a crossroad? Do you think dragging this would let me help you quit your job or are you getting old?” he asked.

“Neither, sir. I will terminate him, sir. I can assure you.” I said.

“Make sure that you do. You should suit up at the hideout. People should take note that the cat is back. I won't cut back your work because of this. You deserve to work overtime.” he said.

       He got up and stretched his long limbs. He turned towards the door but hesitated. I looked up at him and found him smelling the area around him. It was faint but I could hear growling coming from the basement. Fear gripped me and I turned back to speak to him but he was already staring at me.

“Do you live alone?” he asked.

“Yes, sir. It's such a pleasure that you could stop by. Let me escort you to the door.”

“How about you coming in this night?” he asked.

“About that, can it be tomorrow? I want to hone my skills to perfection. I haven't been in the line of duty for a while.” I said.

       He stared at her for a while and said,

“No problem. But Lea...” he bent down to her level and whispered to her ear, “... If you don't kill him, I will and you know what that means.”

       I hesitated before saying,

“Boss, the request said that he can only be killed by fire. I know that am out of line but last time I checked, werewolves don't have fire within them.” 

“Oh, I know. But...” he opened his left palm and a small yellowish red flame appeared. 

       It floated above his arm and I could feel the flame gravitating towards me like a beacon. Dragons know each other by the fire that they emit. My dragon fire had not met any dragon in years and while this flame made it very happy, it made me very scared.

       Since when had Elias been a dragon. Scratch that, since when had he been hiding his dragon? Was he ever planning on telling anyone? Knowing this information changes everything. For the very first day in my life apart from my parents, I felt the pain of losing someone. It felt like am being stung repeatedly by bees. Their stinging seems like nails dragging all over my heart. 

Why now, I asked myself.

“...if you don't want to do it, Alee, I will deal with him.”

       

       He extinguished his flame and said, with the hint of a smile,

“Of course, it won't get to that point. Lea, I trust that you will keep this a secret from the others.”

“Of course. Have a good day, boss.” I said.

       As he left the house, I could hear Alee's very noticeable growl and I know that he wouldn't have missed her. She kept on continuously growling at no one as I thought about what he said.

       For the first time, I acknowledge the prince as my mate and I don't want him to die. He didn't do anything wrong. I can't let him die when I can save him. I had a thought within myself. I should warn him. He should know what is going on.