Chapter 163: I Dare You

"Maya would never!"

Winnie believed these words with all her heart, but one glance at Alpha Keenan and she could tell he didn’t. In fact, he looked at her with pity.

"Get some rest, Winnie. You need it."

"Alpha Keenan. You can’t—Where is she?" She asked instead. That was more important.

"By tomorrow, she won’t bring us any trouble again."

"What are you talking about? She didn’t do it. I don’t know what Alaina said or what was in the letter, but Maya would not. She was the one who was betrayed here. How would she do this when she was going to tell you—"

"That’s enough, Winnie. Shouldn’t you be with your mate who almost died because of the woman you are fighting so hard for?"

It was like talking to a stone wall. Winnie felt tears bite at the corners of her eyes. He was closed off. There was nothing she could say about Maya that would reach him.

So close.

Just like she was, and now they were both likely to lose their mates forever. Her eyes glittered in the moonlight as the unshed tears encased them.

"Where is she? She is bleeding. I saw a lot of blood in the main house." She tried again hoping she could appeal to his sympathy.

"I don’t know."

"Please, Alpha. I know you hate her right now, but please, I don’t want this to get any worse."

"It couldn’t," he said a little too calmly as he walked past her. "Alaina should know. It seems only she didn’t get roped in with her act."

She heard his retreating footsteps and the terrifying feeling in her chest worsened. Agnes stepped forward and placed a hand on her.

"Is Maya hurt?" She asked softly.

"Worse," she said and wiped her face. "Alpha Keenan believes she orchestrated this."

"And she didn’t?"

Winnie looked at her with disbelief. "How can you ask that?"

"I know, but with everything that’s going on, I am sure Alpha Keenan has his reasons."

Winnie pushed her hand off her shoulder. "I know her father is a cruel man and he did a lot of evil things, but has she ever hurt you?"

"No!" Agnes said easily. "That’s what makes this very complicated. We have too much hurt on our side to not see her as an enemy."

"She is not," she replied. "She is one of us."

"Perhaps but she would always be her father’s daughter," Agnes replied and walked away.

Winnie let out a sad laugh as she stood dejected in the darkness. Just what did Alaina do? Everything had been wiped clean in one night.

If she hadn’t gotten to know Maya this past week as she had, would she be like Agnes and Alpha Keenan right now, believing that everything Maya had done was all an act?

She had to find her. Alpha Keenan didn’t seem to care—even if she died, she doubted he would. Agnes was on the fence, but she wasn’t going to do anything to help.

She was the only one. She couldn’t dare give up.

Keenan said Alaina should know. Where was she? Her room? The main house? Should she head back?

She lifted her head and looked around. The only place she could think of was the cellar, but she didn’t see any blood in that direction. Nor was there any in the direction she was in now.

Suddenly, her eyes caught something sneaking through the darkness. The gleaming fur of a wolf caught her eye as it slipped behind one of the houses, hiding in the shadow the house cast.

She shifted immediately, rushing toward it. As she got closer, she soon realized it wasn’t one but two wolves, and the other was a wolf she would recognize even with her eyes closed.

"Alaina!" She yelled as she shifted.

"Tch!" Alaina replied, also shifting. "I told you to make sure she didn’t see you before moving to me."

"Where is she?" She yelled and closed the gap between them.

"Stop yelling," she said and pushed Winnie back. "You are going to frighten the already scared town."

"Where is she, and where are you coming from, sneaking around like a little thief!" She closed the gap again.

Alaina scoffed. "In just two months, she has turned you into her lackey, and now you think you can stand up to me." She pressed her face forward until Winnie was forced to take a step back. "Don’t forget that if it weren’t for me, your sister, you wouldn’t have survived this long."

Winnie bit the inside of her lower lip. She was grateful to Alaina, but it was easy to see now that her help was for exploitation.

Besides, it was hard to feel gratitude for the woman who might bring her fated mate to an early grave.

"If you don’t tell me, I will march back to the main house and tell Alpha Keenan Maya is Penn. He might not believe me, but I doubt he would let that information slip through his grasp. Surely, he would want to confirm it, and he would do so tonight. What do you think would happen when—"

Winnie’s neck whipped to the side as a slap rocked her cheek. She staggered backward, spitting blood out of her mouth.

"You dare think you can threaten me after conniving with a traitor. I am starting to believe you are part of them."

Winnie closed her eyes and slowly lifted her head. She took a deep breath, doing her best to keep her emotions in order.

It was easy to be swayed by her sister, it was easy to give in and let her have her way because Alaina was cruel but she was about to lose her mate and her only. She would dare let Alaina take them away from her.

"It’s easy to convince everyone that Maya was a part of this because tension is high and Asher was hurt. Like father, like daughter, maybe. But you know you’d need more than just mere words to dispute my words to Alpha Keenan. Furthermore, I shouldn’t remember Penn aside from her grave. Alpha Keenan wouldn’t let even the slightest clue escape his grasp, and you know this. That’s why you hit me," she smiled, blood coating her teeth.

"You’d have to completely silence me like you did Asher to stop me from telling Alpha Keenan. I am giving you an easier option. Where is she?"

Alaina’s eyes darkened, and a sinister look appeared on her face—one that was obvious even in the shadow of the house.

She raised her hand again, but Winnie didn’t flinch. Rather, she stepped forward.

"Do it!" She yelled into the night. "I dare you. This conversation would be over as soon as you touch me again. You wouldn’t be able to stop me from heading to the house. We both know who is faster."