Chapter 182

[Liam’s POV]

Two steps forward and several steps back.

That was exactly how life was moving in my mind.

Although the weekend had started off rocky, I was glad that we were all able to come to terms with the double bond. I had grown used to Arthur being around and even being closer to Ella. Maybe it was my own wolf that had become more accepting than me, regardless I wasn’t mad.

And then when Olivia had come to us this morning about having overheard the two people responsible for that bizarre media account—I seriously thought that things were turning out well in our favor.

But then hearing the terrifying news about Cecilia telling Arthur to bond with Ella sent us all back several yards from resolving this ongoing mess.

Not only did she somehow figure out that Ella was a part of the Moon Wolf Pack but now she was planning on using Ella to her family’s advantage. The fact that this woman told Arthur to bond with her was a searing red flag.

A true bonding was a serious matter that was never to be taken lightly. Not only was it permanent but it was essentially a binding of two bloodlines.

Much to our displeasure, Arthur and I watched Ella leave the room to meet up with Ben. Fucking Ben!!

Aside from Cecilia, Ella had managed to uncover the identity of one of the stalkers behind the media account. It made my skin crawl to think how close he’d tried to get to Ella. And now she was planning on meeting up with the creep. Alone.

I know why Ella insisted on going alone. But it didn’t mean that either of us were okay with the idea.

“Arthur, what are you planning on doing about Cecilia?” I dared to ask.

My half-brother let out a defeated sigh. “I have no idea. I expressed my answer rather fiercely—which was no.”

“I take it that she doesn’t even know about the fact that you and Ella are mates?”

Arthur shook his head slowly. “And I have no intention of letting her find out.”

As much as I admired his determination, I had no idea how he was going to make that possible. Cecilia was proving to be even more threatening than Aaron was.

With a dangerous, psychotic plan like that bouncing around her head, who knows what she would do in order to see it through?

“If I ever bond with Ella, it’s going to be on our terms. No one else’s,” Arthur said sternly.

My chest filled with admiration—a feeling I never would have expected to have towards him. I was proud of him for not only taking a stand against the person who raised him but for choosing to have a mind of his own.

“Agreed.”

...

[Ella’s POV]

Arthur and Liam looked at me as though I’d completely lost my mind...Maybe I had.

Maybe I was taking a big risk, wanting to speak with Ben alone. Now that I knew the truth about him, there was no guarantee as to how he would react once I’d put him on the spot.

However, if I had either Liam or Arthur present, I had an even less likely chance that Ben would be forthcoming with information. And I needed answers.

Thankfully, Ben had no problem responding to my message to meet up. Honestly, part of me felt a little bad for using our friendship we had slowly built to draw him out like this.

But I didn’t have a choice. At least I was able to convince Liam and Arthur to stay back. All I needed was a name.

Hopefully, Ben was going to give it to me.

I quickly spotted him walking through the main doors of the library and waved him down. The corner of his mouth turned upward into a sheepish smile.

“You know, since the project ended, I didn’t think you’d want to see me much.”

I felt my stomach swarm with guilt. I didn't want to think I was using him. And technically, Ben wasn’t innocent in this situation.

“There’s actually something I wanted to talk to you about.” Ben sat down and nodded his head.

“Ben, I need you to be honest with me...”

He sat back in his chair and gave me a pensive look. “...Okay?”

I could tell he was holding his breath. Something about the nervous look in his eyes gave a clear sign that I already knew the answer to the question that was dangling on the tip of my tongue.

But I need him to say it.

“Are you the one who’s been taking pictures of me?”

I watched him go pale. He opened his mouth several times but nothing came out. I tried to approach the matter delicately, not wanting him to run off.

“You know, under any other less troubling circumstances, I have to say, you have a real talent with a camera,” I said.

Ben flushed and scratched the back of his neck.

“T-Thank you...How did you know? How long have you known?”

“I sort of figured it out this morning when we handed in the project. I picked up your scent. It was the same as the stalker’s.”

He glanced down at his clothes and shook his head. “I haven’t had time to properly wash my clothes for a few days.”

“My question is, why? Why have you been taking all these pictures of me?”

“It’s what I was told to do.”

“By the person who actually made the account, correct?”

He nodded sheepishly.

“Ben, please. I need to know who’s really been behind all of this. I’m starting to think that you’ve just been used as the photographer in all this. I need their name.”

“...Her name is Amy.”

My brows drew together. I didn’t know anyone by the name of Amy. “Would you happen to have a picture of this girl?”

Ben easily nodded and pulled up a picture on his phone. A moment later, he handed it over to me. “Here.”

I spent the next five minutes studying the photo with heavy intent. There was something disturbingly familiar about the face of this girl.

I don’t know what it is...But something is telling me that I know this girl.

The thing was, I didn’t recognize her identity off-hand. However, the longer I looked at the picture the more I was able to uncover.

For instance, I could tell that from looking at this girl’s roots, her hair was dyed a different color. Her eyes appeared to have an uncanny brightness to them that suggested she may have been wearing contacts...

“Ben, has Amy been going to school here for a long time?” I asked him.

“No,” he answered. “Now that I’m thinking about it, she’s actually a bit of a new transfer as well.”

“Really?”

“She moved here a little before you and Liam did.”

My brows pulled together. “Did she ever mention why?”

He shrugged. “Apparently, she got kicked out of her old school for trying to plagiarize someone else’s work.”

I felt my heart stop beating for a split second. “Holy fuck,” I whispered.

Ben sat up straight and nearly reached across the table to check on me.

“Ella? Are you alright?”

“I know exactly who this is,” I said coldly.

It all started to click together in my mind. I knew who this was. It was the never-ending thorn in my side and the conniving shadow that always stirred up trouble for me.

Ava.