21. Mila

Chapter 21

Mila

M aybe if I close my eyes hard enough, I can pretend that I didn't just catch wind of his campfire and marshmallow scent on the other side of the door.

I can even pretend that I'm somewhere else, back in my room at the Academy where I rightfully belong.

Of all four members of Pack Hart, Gryphon is the last one I should be talking to right now. That Alpha was suspicious of me from the very start, and if I let him into my room, I would only give him a reason to hate me further.

He will smell the first hint of betrayal from the moment he steps in.

He knocks. "Um… Mila? It's me… Gryphon…"

Moons and stars. He actually sounds nervous.

Yet I won't be fooled so easily. For all I know, he could just be lulling me into a false sense of security, trying to catch me out. I bet he is suspicious of me.

I bet he can smell Lily on me.

That could explain why he sounds so nervous. That woman terrifies him; I saw it at the Governor's Ball.

He still has the scratch marks that she so kindly gave him.

Still. I cannot let him in. This was a mistake. I should leave at this very moment, but I'm too afraid.

Afraid of what Lily will do to me, the whole pack, if I go against her.

"Mila?"

Guilt claws at my veins, raking its cruel talons down my spine, and I can't take it anymore. If I don't leave now, then I will explode.

I have to go.

But if I leave… things will only get worse for all of us.

Besides, there's a small part of me that still hopes. Maybe one day… we can all be happy together…

In another life, maybe.

Leaving now would be a grave mistake. Even if I told Lily that the deal was off, she would just send someone worse to spy on the pack.

At least this way, I can protect them. And gain my freedom in the process.

So, I am going to open that door and let Gryphon inside. He may sense that something is off, but I can play the game a little longer.

Finally, I rise to my feet, opening the door a crack, and his scent catches me off guard.

I forgot how good he smelled.

Once again, I gaze up at that chiseled face, the square jaw, and the deep, burgundy eyes…

Eyes that don't meet mine.

He's… reserved. A side of Gryphon I thought I would never see.

And his cheeks are pink.

Holy smokes. Gryphon is shy.

He gives a curt nod. "Mila."

I glance down at my boots. "Gryphon."

Silence, but I have no idea what to say.

He inclines his head at the door. "May I come in?"

Shit. He wants to come into my room. Where he can smell my betrayal. I bet it lingers all over my bedsheets since I'd been sweating so much.

But I don't think Gryphon is here to catch me out. He genuinely seems to be reaching out, and making amends. Building bridges, so to speak.

Well, he has a lot of bridges to build.

He didn't make it easy for me when I first got here, but I am prepared to hear him out.

Only because I would be a massive hypocrite. I'm here to spy on him now and his pack. Just like before, but… different.

Because now I am working for the one who he thought he trusted.

Lily does not have his or the pack's best interests at heart.

So, I open the door, and now I sit on the bed while Gryphon leans against the wall, looking at everything but me.

His gaze lands on the framed picture of my father that lays flat on the bed. I had been clutching it during my existential crisis a moment ago, hoping his spirit would give me a message from beyond.

Gryphon points at the picture. "That your dad?"

I nod. "Yes."

Another awkward pause, and for a moment, I think he is about to offer his condolences.

"If you ever want to talk about it…"

That's it. Although he is stiff, his words are reassuring.

But I'm too scared to talk about my dad. If I do, the floodgates may open up, and I may never be able to close them again.

That time in the headmistress's office had been a mistake. I never should have shown them my emotions.

So, it's best to keep it all bottled inside. That way, no one can hurt me if they see how vulnerable I truly am.

I have to be strong for the mission ahead.

Once again, I am an agent for a cruel governor, getting the deets on a pack of interest.

Male Omegas are still so rare. I only knew of five others back at the Academy.

When Oliver was training, he was the sole male. I couldn't imagine how lonely that must have been, and how bored out of his mind he was when he had to learn about curtain patterns instead of learning to fight and fend for himself like a soldier.

"But even if you don't want to talk about it… that's fine too. I know what it's like."

I look up at that.

He jingles his watch without looking at me. "Lost my own dad. This belonged to him. I never go anywhere without it now."

I don't think. I just blurt it out. "When?"

Gryphon tightens his lips, and I guess he doesn't want to talk about it either.

My heart is pounding, and who would have thought…

Me and Gryphon have shared trauma, and if his reluctance is anything to go by, then the loss of his father must have shaken him too.

Gryphon heads for the door. "Feel free to join us when you want. No rush."

And with that, he's gone, leaving me completely dumbfounded.

My head is reeling.

All this time, I was dealing with a grieving son. No wonder he was such an asshole.

Does it condone his behavior though?

I don't know.

But my newfound knowledge that he lost his dad too does make me warm to him. It makes me see him as human.

Well, if Gryphon can find it in himself to at least share some small part of his soul with me…

Then I can be brave enough to join him at the table.

Besides, I'm starving.

So, I take my first step, opening the door.

I can do this. Face the pack. Even if I know that I will have to betray them one day.

But maybe… something will go right for once.

One can hope.