Chapter 22

Shirley

I’m certain Ralph has seen the paper by now, and there’s no way he missed our story - it’s on the front page for Goddess’ sake. However, I have yet to hear from him and I know I can’t risk the chance of reaching out myself. So I have to take another route.

It’s lunchtime and I’ve “coincidentally” decided to catch a meal at the Root - Ralph’s tried and true lunch spot. Seeing as he hasn’t come to me, I’m taking it upon myself to ensure that we “bump” into one another so he has no choice but to face me. I’m assuming the only reason he hasn’t rushed to my side is because he’s trying not to seem too eager with the information at his fingertips. Either that, or he’s still trying to process everything.

After all, suddenly discovering that the girl you’ve been seeing is secretly the Alpha King’s niece isn’t an easy pill to swallow.

Making my way down the street, I can see the restaurant in the distance, watching as people come and go out the front door. I don’t spot Ralph among the faces, but I know that I will eventually. Finally, I grow closer, but decide to stop short of the actual door as I pull out my phone. I open my text thread with Jean, rereading her last message. She’s said that Ralph normally got to the Root around noon and it’s fifteen minutes after.

Guess he’s caught up with something, I tell myself - repeating them a few times. I know he’s going to be here, he has to be. And if for some reason he’s not, then I’ll go to other measures to track him down.

Blowing more time, I make my presence seem casual as I scroll through my phone, looking at a few emails from my work. There are a few inquiries, but nothing demanding. My boss, Alana, is doing a wonderful job at covering in my absence and hasn’t said a peep about my lengthy vacation - likely because she knows I deserve it.

Still, I feel like I should reach out to her and give an update on my status. Doing just that, I open up a new email and begin to type a greeting. However, my actions are quickly stopped.

A hand wraps around my forearm, causing me to jump before I’m suddenly being pulled. The person’s grasp is firm and urgent on me, but it’s not tight enough to hurt. I know I can’t break away, though - especially as I glance to my side as I stumble along.

“Keith,” I breathe, staring at the Alpha’s tight features as he continues to drag me down the sidewalk. I’m just about to tug back against him, to demand he tell me what the hell he’s doing when he stops and tears his hand away from me.

And then he’s facing me, towering down on me as he barely stands a foot away.

What is he doing here?

And why does he look so pissed? As he stands before me, I swear I can feel utter wrath and fury beaming off of him. It warms my front as I blink up at him.

“Was that really necessary?” I finally dare to ask, for some reason allowing my sharp tongue to get the best of me. “What on earth is going on?”

“I had a very interesting conversation this morning,” he states when I’ve barely finished talking. His words are so cold and bitter that they feel like a knife straight in my chest.

All at once, I feel my mouth and heart drop. Ralph showed him the article - he had to. And now Keith was likely angry that I’d lied to him when he let me know time and time again how much he values honesty.

Staring at him, I almost storm the floodgates with explanations and maybe even apologies. But then I catch myself. I don’t know for sure that he knows about the article or my “secret,” so there’s no need to get ahead of myself.

“Oh,” I finally say calmly. “And what is that?”

In return, Keith huffs, as if unconvinced that I don’t know what he’s implying. And maybe I do, but I need to know for sure.

“Yesterday, I sent some of my subordinates out on a job in order to gather some information,” he tells me, his words hard and clipped.

“Okay…” I breathe out, moving him along.

“More specifically,” he cuts in harshly, as if not wanting to hear my voice. “I sent them to Kirkland University.”

Kirkland University….?

Oh my Goddess.

I feel my throat become tight and my eyes widen slightly as I gaze at him. And although my reaction is small, Keith has seen enough. He practically bares his teeth at me, his annoyance only growing.

“There’s no record of any Anya ever attending the university. In fact, there hasn’t been an Anya in years,” he informs me. Something tells me to walk away from him, but I find that I can’t.

“You lied to me,” he bites out. “Everything you’ve told is a complete lie, utter bullshit. So tell me, ‘Anya’ - who are you, really?”

As his questions hit me, I can feel the way my lungs slowly expand and contract, how my heart beats painfully within my chest. I want to say that I can’t believe Keith sent his team to snoop on me, but I’m not at all surprised. Maybe slightly annoyed, but - then again - I can understand his actions. Even if they’re an absolute 180 from his actions yesterday at the cafe.

But all of that doesn’t matter - not right now. Instead, I need to cover my tracks, think of a way to bend this whole situation in order to keep Keith at bay a little longer. And quickly, I realize I have the perfect lie waiting to carry me home.

“Okay,” I say again, glad to find my voice is steady. “You caught me - I did lie.”

“Why?” Keith grinds out immediately, his golden eyes burning into my face.

“Because I had to,” I tell him with perfect ease. “I’ve had to lie to everyone in order to keep myself hidden. My real identity is too valuable to just hand out to anyone.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Keith asks, his eyes flickering between mine.

“If people know who I really am then it complicates things,” I insist. “I could be put in danger or be used.”

“Damnit, Anya!” he growls out, but then begins to shake his head. “Or whatever the fuck your name is. You’re not making any sense. You have five seconds to tell me what’s actually going on.”

My breathing becomes heavy again as I look up at him, noticing how he’s taken a step closer. I feel his warmth again, but as always - it doesn’t make me want to step back. I’m stuck, ignoring all the other people around us as I just stare into gold.

And then I feel a brush. It’s so unexpected, so sudden that it nearly makes me gasp. I swear I can feel Keith pet Cicy, causing me to nearly shudder despite his heat. I have no idea what he’s doing - he can’t be soothing me considering how vexed he appears. It has to be something else…like he’s tempting me to give him information.

It’s working too, but not how he likely thinks or I had planned. Because for one moment I think to tell him the truth - not that I’m the Alpha King’s niece, but that I’m Shirley. I practically want to let it escape on a breath.

But I swallow it down. I inhale slowly to keep it from escaping, my fingers fidgeting at my sides. Because I don’t care how comforting his touch on Cicy’s fur is or how beautiful his eyes are - I need to save Jean.

“I’m the Alpha King’s niece,” I say softly, straight into his face. But even despite my quiet voice, I see his eyes widen as if I’ve screamed it, and I also hear someone else responding - showing that they’d heard me too.

“It’s true.”

My eyes break away from Keith’s before he looks away from me, and then I’m turning, looking toward the side to find who has stopped beside us.

And there’s Ralph - bumping into us just as I had planned.

“You’re the King’s niece…” Ralph trails out, his eyes glossy and wide. “Is it actually true?”