Chapter 29 :

Even though Ivory's intial coldness towards Camila, had her feeling edgy and catious. She had to admit; she was beginning to soften towards her Beta. Camila wouldn't go as far as to say they were friends...But still, there was a mutual respect and understanding that didn't exsist before. Ivory was still too 'by the books' for Camila's liking, but at least she let her eat inside the office. And hum.

Camila respected the fact that Ivory had a very specific way of operating. And Ivory learnt to appreciate the fact that Camila liked to collaborate to make day to day work more cohesive. The easy rhythm that they sunk into was a temporary bliss. It prevented them from talking about darker topics or veering too far of course. But nevertheless, it worked for them rather brilliantly.

---

She could tell that Ivory missed Taine. Neither had sat in his chair. That was his spot. Even though Camila swore that the plush leather was practically whispering sweet things to her, she resisted. It just didn't feel right. Ivory would look up and glance at it every hour or so. To ask a question or to show him something. But he wasn't there and they both were constantly re-realising it.

The pair had just finished trudging through a literal mountain of money loan requests from the pack. The stack of approved forms was as small as the amount of energy left in her system. Running a pack wasn't all about planning parties and looking pretty. It was damn hard work.

Ivory stood up, "I'll just go send these to the post office."

Camila raised up a hand to stop her, "No, no, don't worry about it. I'll do it when I'm going home. I don't need to cook dinner, I have so many pity parcels in the fridge."

Ivory sat down and smiled. "I must say, Camila, I'm very impressed with the work you've been doing, I know Taine would be too."

A small smile formed on Camila's lips, "I was the director for pack resources in my old pack. So I have a lot of experience with all of this." She gestured to the room.

" It's funny how fate is like that. Your mate isn't only someone who is perfect for you, but their life, their position is too. It just makes so much sense."

Camila looked down at the blank screen of her laptop. Of course Ivory didn't know how much weight that comment held. How difficult it was to believe in evil things like fate.

She tried to change the subject, but to her surprise, Ivory decided to push the topic further.

"Camila...I know he's tough to get through to sometimes. But he does care about you."

She wanted to scoff. Ivory hadn't been there that night when he unknowingly taunted her. Ivory hadn't been there any of the nights. Where the house was cold and lifeless, where her soul ached because of the loneliness, the distance. Yes, she was responsible for it some of the time but it took two to play the games that they played. Even though the more rational part of her brain considered them somewhat 'even' after her latest hospital visit...Caring for her? It was a far stretch.

Camila studied Ivory's eyes but found no signs of deceit in them. Ivory took her silence as an invitation to continue. It was very rare that Camila was lost for words.

"He has his reasons, but trust me, he isn't as cold hearted as he seems."

In Camila's mind, Taine and warmth were two incompatible words that didn't belong in the same thought.

But then again...

She thought of the gentle peaceful face she had seen in the hospital. The way he had caressed her when they kissed. Maybe there was something beneath the surface. Even still, something was holding him back. She could tell from the way he spoke to her to the way he touched her. Camila had been too wrapped up in concealing her own secrets that she didn't even think to recognize his.

Her mates' father killed her parents. Almost killed her. So she hospitalized him and there were still more undiscussed and undiscovered issues on top of that. One being the fact that Taine never refilled the ice trays in the fridge...Or opened the windows at night. The faint female scent on his clothes that she had come to detest....This soulmate thing was definitely not what she had expected it to be. Her life was beginning to be more traumatic than a teen-wolf romance book.

Ivory looked up from her notepad. "So how is he?"

Camila concealed her scepticism. She knew full well that Camila had only set foot inside that hospital once. Why was she asking?

"I think he's fine. I haven't gone in a while, so I wouldn't know."

"Oh." Ivory didn't look surprised. She looked like Camila had just confirmed something.

"Last time I saw him he was so ready to get out there. He wanted me to bring his work to him, but I told him we got it handled."

Camila tried to be nonchalant as she signed her name at the bottom of a letter. "And what did he say?"

Ivory smiled, "He looked like he was about to start praying."

Ivory flickered her eyes to his chair. "But we've done well by ourselves Camila."

"Ivory, you can call me Mila you know." She said jokingly. She knew that the change wasn't likely to reach fruition but at least it was in the air now.

"Okay."

Another twenty minutes passed before the silence was broken again.

"I'm assuming he told you how he ended up in the hospital."

Ivory shook her head and looked down. "No, he didn't. He just told me that to tell everyone it was a one-man rogue attack near the border. And I believed him."

She saw the slight movement of Ivory's finger. It nervously twisted her pen around and around. Camila could tell that she was lying. Her loyalty and naivety couldn't possibly extend that far.

Camila sighed. A burning question sat on the tip of her tongue. She really couldn't say with certainty if Ivory would tell her or not.

Not being able to take it anymore she blurted.

"Who is Melissa?"

She tried to decipher the puzzle that was Ivory's face. Camila hoped an indication of ...something. But Ivory was too loyal, not even willing to divulge during their office, 'girl talk.' All Camila got was a blank expression and a quickly stated, " He'll tell you about her eventually."

Eventually. Eventually.

From the distressed expression on Camila's face, Ivory tried to give her some twisted form of consolation. "You'll meet her one day."

Camila's face was a mix of shock and horror. "Meet her? I don't want to meet the wolf that my mate has been cheating on me with!"

Ivory's face paled. "Camila, it's not like that...Oh no, I think I've said too much." Ivory began to nervously straighten the stationary on the desk.

"You just need to ask Taine about it."

Camila would have pushed more and whipped out her preprepared repertoire of why Ivory should tell her every single thing she knew about Taine, but Ivory looked like she was one more interrogation question away from peeing herself. So Camila retracted her claws.

Fortunately for Ivory, Vanessa with her perky voice and urgent message for the pair, saved Ivory's ass.

---

On her way home that night she decided to take the scenic route to the post office. She walked past the stores, the playground and briefly joined Sara and her friends for a jungle adventure, where she pretended to be the gorilla monster that didn't want to share his bananas. Judging solely off the fact that her mate was in the hospital and that she could make excellent monkey noises, she played the part well.

She looked at the laughing faces of the children. They were so beautiful and innocent. Free from responsibility and burden. Unacquainted with the many kinds of adult emotions that muted happiness.

She could barely keep the destructive thoughts at bay when she entered the house. Still warmed by the setting sun she walked to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water.

"Hello, Mila."

She screamed and turned around to see Taine on the other side of the counter, with a glass in front of him. She could smell the alcohol in the distance between them.

Taine was finally home.

"Shit."