I stared incredulously at Nana Francessca as she yelled at yet another person for not centering the centre piece the way she wanted it.
It really amazed me how she hadn't lost her voice this entire time.
I hadn't expected to be here for four hours.
I hadn't really even been useful, if anything, I was more of a destructive force than a constructive one.
After Joshua had left, I couldn't do anything but move around like a lost puppy, trying to avoid Nana Francessca who seemed determined to bring out the inner 'boss luna' in me.
All I had succeeded in doing was embarrassing myself. Everyone had their role and were super busy, moving up and down, doing their jobs. I had almost tripped three people, almost dropped two boxes and when I went to try and make conversation with Michael, he accidentally hammered his hand against a wall.
So I just found a corner in the back to kind of hide out in so I wouldn't cause any injuries to myself or others.
I pulled a chair aside and sat down, trying not to draw attention to myself, but of course people still stared at the lazy luna who wasn't helping.
You know what? I didn't care. I had bigger things to worry about.
I took out my phone and considered calling Tristan and taking him up on his offer. I just wanted to sit him down and tell him about Roman so that I could finally get it off my chest and not feel so guilty.
"Hey."
I looked up and saw May walk towards me with a bottled water in her hand. "I brought you this." She spoke.
I took the bottle and smiled at her. "Thanks."
"It's all a bit overwhelming, isn't it?" She asked, gesturing to the organised activity.
"Um, a little." I shrugged.
She gave me a doubtful look.
"A lot." I corrected myself with a sigh.
"I was a new pack member once, too." She told me. "I know how it feels to not fit into an already organised pack."
I know May was originally a Reece pack wolf. One look at her reddish wolf coat told you that much. But she always seemed so organised, so put together, she blended with the Silvercrest wolves so well, it was hard to tell that she wasn't born here.
"May? Can I ask why your family moved here?" I asked, hoping I wasn't breaching a personal topic.
She didn't seem to mind though. "A lot of wolves got to relocate during the war. I was twelve and my family had been stationed here. It was easier to get pack membership for my family because Peter imprinted on me." She smiled when she said the last part.
I couldn't help but smile as well. That's how I was supposed to look when I spoke about Tristan.
"My parents are hardly around though, they're diplomats so they travel around a lot with my little sister."
"Don't you miss them?" I asked.
I don't know if I would ever want to be voluntarily separated from my parents.
May gave me a smile. "I see them at least once every month. And... honestly, I don't think I could ever leave Peter."
I thought about how Roman and I had been planning on moving faraway from Woodfell after I graduated.
I don't think I had been the least bit worried about leaving Tristan. In fact, I had thought it would be the best thing for all of us.
"May, have you ever met Van Cliffe wolves? I mean before the attack."
May looked away from me and I had a feeling I had brought up something I shouldn't.
"Yes." Was all she said in response.
I wanted to ask what they were like and what had happened but I had a feeling I shouldn't.
May got up. "I have to get back to work before Lady Melrose thinks I'm slacking." May spoke, forcing a smile at me.
I nodded. "Okay, sure."
Before May walked away, she turned to face me.
"I know this is all hard on you. But the less you associate yourself with this case, the better."
With that she walked off.
The less I associate myself the better? What was that supposed to mean? This was all probably happening because of me. I was part of this whether I liked it or not.
I sighed and looked down at my phone.
Is this you, Ro? Are you dragging me into another one of your messes?
But why would Roman be associated with Van Cliffes?
Unless... that's who he had been spying for...
No, that was impossible, the Van Cliffes had been defeated.
So was it you, mum?
Are you in trouble?
But why had Roman texted me? Why did he need help? And why did he need it from me?
He had no right to even talk to me again.
I stared at my phone.
I had been waiting so long for an explanation and now I had the chance of getting it and I was going to let it slip by?
Yes!
Yes I was. Because he had lied and he had left me...
I couldn't trust him.
But what if he really did need my help? What if my Roman, the Roman I had known and loved needed me?
I looked at my phone then looked around again at everyone who was busy working.
Maybe I could just ask?
My heart suddenly skipped a beat.
What if I was too late?
I was about to press the power button when I heard a hiss.
Psst, psssst.
I looked around until I saw a face peeking through a back door.
The person opened the door further so that I could see his face.
"Chris?" I stood up.
He placed a hand on his lips and waved me over.
I furrowed my brows.
What was he doing?
"Get over here." He whispered.
I sighed.
I had a lot going on, dealing with a crazy Chris isn't something I was looking forward to.
I decided to humour him and walked out to meet him. The door he had been hiding behind led out to a hallway.
"Chris, what are you -"
"Sshh." He told me before looking around nervously as if someone was watching.
Oh no. Had he been watching the crime channel alone again?
Before I could ask, he grabbed my hand and led me down the hall to a back exit.
Before I knew it, we were outside.
He looked around again then looked back at me.
"Okay, we're good." He spoke in relief.
"Um, okay, James Bond what's going on with you? What are you doing here?" I asked him.
He suddenly narrowed his eyes at me.
"Why haven't you been returning any of my texts or my calls?"
"Oh," I spoke realising I hadn't talked to Chris since the attack.
I rubbed my temple.
"Look, Chris, things have been kind of hectic -"
"I know that." He spoke. "I heard about your attack and I was worried!"
I saw the concern on his face and I couldn't help but feel guilty. If Chris had been the one involved in something like this, I would have been worried sick.
"I'm sorry I didn't call you or reply to your messages. It's just that - "
I looked at my phone.
"Did Roman contact you?" Chris blurted out.
I looked around wildly making sure no one was around before looking back at Chris. "Why would you ask me that?"
My first thought was Kat must have told him because how else would he know?
Chris took out his phone, which had earphones plugged into it.
"I know because of this. Listen to this."
He spoke urgently as he gave me the buds.
I looked at him in fear and confusion as I complied and put them in my ears.
He pressed play and I immediately heard a familiar voice.
Chris, this is Roman. Don't panic, okay? I'm only contacting you because Crystal isn't responding to me. I need you to tell her that she's in trouble, she needs to get out of Woodfell. It's not safe for her.
I jumped back, causing the buds to pop out of my ear.
I looked at Chris. "Holy crap."
"My freaking sentiments exactly."
I looked around, there was still no one here but that didn't stop me from stepping closer to Chris. I clutched his arm.
"Please tell me you didn't reply." I spoke in a low voice.
"Do I look like I want to get arrested?" Chris asked. "So it's true? He contacted you?"
I sighed. I wasn't planning on getting Chris involved in this but he had already been dragged into it.
"Yes, yesterday after the attack. After I found out that he freaking bugged me and has been spying on me this whole time."
Chris eyes widened. "You're kidding."
"I wish. He put this thing called a surveillance patch on my phone case and I think his been listening to me and tracking my location."
Just then something dawned on me. "Roman used to get you birthday presents, right?"
Chris slowly nodded. "Oh no, you don't think -"
"I think we need to be as careful as possible." I thought back to all the little gifts Roman had gotten my family.
What if they had been bugged as well?
Chris rubbed his temple and started pacing.
"This is like a really scary spy movie. What did alpha Tristan say when you told him? I should tell him as well, right?"
"Well I haven't exactly told Tristan yet."
Chris' eyes widened even more.
"Why not?" He yelled.
"I - well..."
"Crystal, he's the alpha, your mate! And Roman is -"
"My boyfriend." I snapped. "Was my boyfriend." I quickly corrected myself.
Chris sighed and looked at me. "You can't seriously be protecting him." He spoke in a softer tone.
I knew that! I knew that all too well and I still didn't understand why I was.
"Why didn't you go straight to the authorities, huh?" I asked Chris.
"Because I felt like I owed it to you to tell you first." Chris said defensively.
"No. You did it because Roman was your friend." I countered.
Chris hesitated.
Roman doing what he did had affected us the most.
We were a band of misfits. We understood each other in a way that others couldn't. We were there for each other.
"Roman always looked out for me." Chris spoke. "Maybe this was me doing the same for him." He admitted quietly.
Oh trust me, I understood.
I looked at Chris' phone and spoke with finality. "Delete it."
Chris looked up at me, stunned. "What? Might I remind you that this is evidence?"
I grabbed the phone from Chris before he could protest.
I stared at the voice note for a short while before deleting it.
I then blocked the number and gave Chris his phone back.
"Crystal! What the heck? That could have helped."
I looked up at Chris. "It's not fair, Chris. He shouldn't be dragging either of us into this. Especially not you."
Chris' expression softened. He put a hand on my arm. "Listen, Cryss, I know Roman hasn't exactly given us a reason to trust him of late but... we knew Roman. He cared about us and he loved you."
I felt tears forming in my eyes. "That Roman wasn't real."
"I know you don't believe that." He spoke softly.
"I have to, Chris, we have to. Actions speak louder than words and we all know what he did. We can't trust him."
Chris looked out into the distance looking like he was in deep thought.
"I know you trusted him. I did too." I told him. "But he showed us who he really is, we need to trust that now. And trust Tristan."
"Why would he warn you, Crystal? I know we shouldn't trust him but why would he warn you if he was the one plotting against the pack?"
I wanted to believe it too. That maybe Roman had turned away from the people he had been spying for. I had fostered the idea that maybe Roman had been trying to come back. To come back to me.
But I couldn't afford to think that way.
I had already told Chris what I knew had to be true. We couldn't trust Roman. No matter how much we wanted to.
"Maybe he isn't the enemy he's warning me about."
Chris looked confused.
I sucked in a deep breath before explaining to him what really happened yesterday with the attack. How it was really Van Cliffe wolves who were after me.
"Damn." Was Chris' response. "Crystal, what in the world would Van Cliffe's want from you?"
"Nothing good, I'm guessing."
"And you think your mum -"
"I suspect. Uncle Victor says I'm reading into this too much but Chris, she left me, her daughter. Took me away from my father and hasn't come back since. Uncle Victor said it himself she wouldn't do that unless she was trying to protect me. And her scent. Why did I pick up her scent?"
"Okay, I'm beginning to get a headache. But one thing's for sure, we're not going to figure it out. And if Van Cliffe's are involved, we sure as hell shouldn't want to."
I nodded. "You're right. I need to talk to Tristan."
I looked at the phone, deciding with finality.
"I need to tell him."
Chris looked at me and nodded. "I support you."
"And you're going to stay out of this." I told Chris.
"Cryss -"
I put my hand on his shoulder. "I am not dragging you into this mess if I can help it. You don't know what it's like. The investigations - they don't just affect you but your family too. And Lord knows the last thing I want is for you or your parents to be looked at as suspects."
I could tell Chris was conflicted. He knew he couldn't afford this to reflect badly on his human mother especially.
"I'll tell Tristan that Roman contacted me and me alone. You need to go home and make sure you weren't bugged as well."
"Are you sure?" He asked.
I nodded. "It's the right thing to do."
"When did our lives get so... cool?"
I looked at him in shock.
"You call all this cool?"
I was feeling anxious and sick and scared and he thought this was cool?
"Uhm, yeah. You're freaking lady luna now. You went from an unknown loser to the second most powerful person in this pack."
I almost forgot that Chris didn't know the terms of Tristan imprinting on me. And I didn't want to tell him. I trusted Chris but I wasn't going to burden him with another of my secrets.
"How the hell did you manage to keep that a secret?"
I felt offended. First Kat, now him?
"I can keep a secret, okay!"
"Whatever you say, luna." He told me. Before I could retort, he spoke.
"Can I ask you something?"
I nodded. "What is it?"
"Did Roman know?"
I shook my head. "No - well I mean I didn't tell him. But since I just found out his been spying on me, who knows? Maybe he knew all along."
Chris was silent for a while before he spoke again.
"If it's any consolation, I don't think he was faking it."
I looked at Chris not knowing what to say.
Honestly, I'd like to believe that too.
"Come on. I'll show you what the surveillance patch looks like so that you own what to look out for."
Chris followed me back into the hall.
I knew something was wrong the minute I saw my bag tilted over. I rushed to it and saw that it was open.
I quickly picked it up to search it but it to was clear immediately.
I looked at Chris.
"It's gone."