I walked out of the woods and moved a hand through my hair with a tired sigh, grateful that Salem decided to leave the way that they knew I would be coming from to make it seem like we were the same person and not two different people that looked the same.

"Alexandra!" Levi exclaimed, and I looked that way to see that he was walking quickly towards me with a phone near his ear. Worry filled his eyes, and I could tell that he was worried about me and whatever the person on the phone said. "Where the hell were you going? Why did you leave your house when it is not permitted to be out and about at this late hour?"

I pursed my lips in annoyance and dipped my head closer to my chest, silently wondering if it was the Puppetmaster and Bryant on the phone with him. "I needed a run," I replied coldly. "I fucking hate being cooped up in a house at all hours of the day, which you should already know, Leviathan."

Levi pressed his lips into a thin line and narrowed his eyes because he did not appreciate my tone with him. "Were you going to train?" he asked, and I had a feeling that he was asking that question because of the people on the other side of the line.

"I can't, remember?" I asked and raised an eyebrow, and Levi scowled and narrowed his eyes further. "I don't want to get kicked out of the fucking pack because I am going against the rules. I just wanted to run before I started to get some school work done."

He pressed his lips into a thin line again while he studied me before he cleared his throat and cocked his head. "Why was Bea at your place?" he asked, changing the subject, and I shrugged and grimaced because I didn't know.

"Grams wanted to talk to her about something," I replied coldly and shrugged again. "I've stopped trying to ask my grandmother questions because she won't answer them. All she does is give me that stupid smile, pat my arm, and just stay silent or shake her head, indicating that it wasn't important."

He sighed and shook his head before he cleared his throat and stared at me with eyes filled with pain and sadness. "Just be careful, Alexandra," he said softly, and I pursed my lips in annoyance and rolled my eyes, hiding back a scoff.

"Gee, it's not like I haven't done stupid shit before," I said sarcastically before I cleared my throat and grew serious while I folded my arms across my chest. "Remember, Alpha, I am an Alronan. I didn't get there by playing by the rules."

Levi moved a hand across his face before he shook his head and sighed, looking slightly defeated. "Are you the Viper?" he asked, changing the subject again, and I raised an eyebrow in question.

"Are you going to keep asking me that?" I asked, not answering his question while I cocked my head and studied him. "Or are you going to keep asking her if she is me?"

He narrowed his eyes and scowled but didn't say a word.

"I am not the Viper, Alpha," I said and shook my head. "If you don't believe me, then that's fine. It amuses me that people think I am her, but I don't think my adopted father would like it."

"Hmph." He narrowed his eyes and scowled while he studied me, and I had a feeling that he wanted to try and believe me, but for whatever reason, I knew that he didn't, no matter how hard he tried.

Levi grabbed the phone tighter. He set his jaw and narrowed his eyes, and a look of pain flashed his eyes as if whoever was on the phone with him said something that caused him harm.

"Are you ok?" I asked and furrowed my brows while I cocked my head. Concern filled my body because I knew that the Puppetmaster was controlling him and causing him to feel some sort of pain because he didn't do what was asked.

"I am," he confirmed and nodded before he cleared his throat before he took a deep, shuddering breath and released it with a small whoosh. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I am very sorry, Alexandra."

I cocked my head and raised an eyebrow while I studied him. "For?" I asked while I folded my arms across my chest and jutted out a hip, scowling. "What are you sorry for?"

Levi hesitated before he shook his head. He didn't say a word and cleared his throat while he grabbed the phone tighter, listening to whatever the other person warned him not to do.

"Who are you on the phone with anyway?" I asked and raised an eyebrow while I glanced at the phone before I looked at him, changing the subject. "Who is so important that you have to keep listening to them while you are talking to me?"

"No one," he said immediately while he shook his head and cleared his throat, and I scowled and narrowed my eyes. He sighed and shook his head again. "I'm not on the phone with anyone important."

A look of pain flashed across his face as soon as he said that, and I raised an eyebrow, knowing full well that the Puppetmaster did not like him saying that he wasn't important.

"Are you ok?" I asked and cocked my head while I studied him, and he sighed before he nodded, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and scowl because I knew that he wasn't ok. "Are you going to tell me who you are talking to?"

"Unfortunately I can't say," he said, his voice barely above a whisper while he shook his head and cleared his throat.

"And you can't hang up?" I asked and raised my eyebrow higher, and he grimaced before he shook his head further. "Hmph." I pressed my lips into a thin line and stayed silent.

"Are you going to leave again tonight?" he asked, changing the subject, and I shook my head no. "Why not?" He furrowed his brows and pressed his lips into a thin line while he studied me.

"Because my grandmother wants me to get some fucking sleep," I said and pursed my lips in annoyance, "so I am sure that she wants me to drink some of her stupid, "magical" tea that will help me fall asleep or will lock me in my room until I do so."

"And have the Elitist and us watch over everything and make sure that you stay in your room," Corey chirped. "You can analyze the data on blood later."

I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose, annoyed at Corey, before I shook my head and pursed my lips in annoyance while Levi stayed silent and stared at me with something in his eyes that I couldn't explain.

"Mindy will be coming back here shortly," he said randomly while he changed the subject, and I stopped rubbing the bridge of my nose and stared at him from the corner of my eye.

"And where is she?" I asked while I raised an eyebrow. "Also why are you out here? I thought you were on a tight leash because of your... buddies." I gestured to his phone, and he gripped his phone tighter while he set his jaw.

"I can't say," he said and shook his head. He gritted his teeth together and closed his eyes. "Please." His voice was barely above a whisper, and I bit back a small sigh and closed my eyes slightly. "I can't say."

"Fine," I said and shook my head, silently dismissing the question before I cleared my throat and pursed my lips in annoyance. "Now, can I go home?" I asked and raised an eyebrow. "Or are you not done questioning me?"

Levi listened to whatever was on the phone before he slowly nodded and cleared his throat. "Fine," he said before he cleared his throat again and shifted on his feet. "You may go home." He paused and cleared his throat again. "Are you sure that you aren't going to be leaving your house again tonight?" He raised an eyebrow in question, and I rolled my eyes and scowled.

"No," I said and shook my head while I pursed my lips in annoyance. "Like I said before, I am going to get some tea and then fall asleep. I don't need to be out this late and have people think that I am someone that I am not."

Levi pressed his lips into a thin and nodded. "Ok," he said, his voice barely above a whisper before he cleared his throat and pressed his lips into a thin line. "Can I walk you to your house?" he asked and raised an eyebrow.

"No," I said and shook my head, and he scowled and narrowed his eyes. "I don't want you to be on the phone if you walk me home. It's disrespectful and rude, and I don't want whoever you are talking to know what I have to say."

He scowled and narrowed his eyes but didn't say a word while he studied me.

I slowly blinked and dipped my head closer to my chest. "Hmph," I said before I slowly turned away from him and started to walk away while I pursed my lips in annoyance.

"I'll call you back," Levi said, biting back an annoyed sigh when the Puppetmaster said something. He cleared his throat and pressed his lips into a thin line while he narrowed his eyes and dipped his head closer to his chest. "I promise, Sir. I will make sure that everything I know and find out will be told to you. You have my word."

I rolled my eyes and scowled, but I didn't say a word while I stuck my hands into my pockets. My whole body was tense, and I pressed my lips into a thin line while I waited for him to hang up the phone and catch up with me.

"Alexandra, wait," Levi said while he stuffed his phone into his pocket, but I didn't pay attention to him. He silently cursed before he ran forward until he caught up to my side. "Why didn't you stop and wait for me?"

"Because I don't need to," I replied and shrugged while I pursed my lips in annoyance. "Now, how can I help you?"

He rolled his eyes and scowled before he pressed his lips into a thin line. "Are you going to tell me what you have been up to?" he asked, and I shook my head no. "Why not? I am not on the phone."

"Because you don't need to know," I replied with another shrug and pressed my lips into a thin line. "And who says that I am up to anything?" I asked and raised an eyebrow while I looked at him from the corner of my eye.

Levi rolled his eyes and scowled while he pressed his lips into a thin line. "Because I know you, Alexandra," he said coldly, and I bit back a snort while I rolled my eyes and scowled. "I know that you are hiding something and are going to do something as well."

I bit back a scoff and rolled my eyes while I scowled. "I am always hiding something, Alpha," I said coldly, and he growled and narrowed his eyes while he scowled. "And if I do something or not is none of your concern."

He pressed his lips into a thin line before he sighed and shook his head. "It does too," he said softly. "Do you want to get kicked out?" He raised an eyebrow in question, and I scoffed and rolled my eyes while I scowled.

"Oh, please," I said with a small sneer. "I don't think that I will be kicked out. You and your little group need me for some reason." I gave him a pointed look, and he pressed his lips into a thin line and didn't say a word. "Mmhmm," I said and looked away from him. "That's what I thought."

Levi sighed and moved a hand through his hair. He shook his head and cleared his throat while he pursed his lips in annoyance. "Are you worried about the pack members getting sacked?" he asked, and I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.

"And what do you mean by that?" I asked, my tone turning slightly darker.

"Uh oh," Corey teased. "Someone is in trouble."

I held back an eye roll and bit back a small scowl. 'And it will be you if you don't keep your mouth shut,' I replied darkly, and Corey snickered.

I raised an eyebrow in question while I looked at him. "Well?" I asked while I dipped my head closer to my chest and studied him, and he flinched and looked nervous. "What do you mean by that?"

Levi cleared his throat and shifted on his feet. He hesitated and looked anywhere but me. "N-Nothing," he stuttered before he cleared his throat again and shifted away from me. "I didn't mean anything by it."

I narrowed my eyes and scowled, not believing him one bit. "And why will my pack get sacked?" I asked. "They are following orders. No one is training or talking to other packs. Our borders are not protected as they should be, so why are my pack members going to get sacked?"

Levi pressed his lips into a thin line and cleared his throat. He looked away from me and then looked at me again. His whole body was tense, and there was a look of pain on his face as if he wanted to tell me the real reason why members would start "disappearing" but didn't know how to explain it without getting hurt.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes before I pressed my lips into a thin line. "You do realize that if you start doing that, then His Majesty will send people to this pack."

"Why?" he asked and raised an eyebrow. "Why does he care?"

"Because I am his adopted daughter?" I asked while I raised an eyebrow, mimicking him. "I hope your group knows that and knows that he is very protective of me."

'Even though he lets you take care of yourself,' Corey said, and I held back an eye roll but pressed my lips into a thin line, even though I knew what she said was true.

My adopted father was very protective of me, but he did allow me to protect myself and the members of my pack without any help unless I needed it and asked.

Levi sighed and moved a hand across his face. He shook his head and pressed his lips into a thin line before he cleared his throat. "Be careful," he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper, and I paused and looked at him with a raised eyebrow, not knowing where that was coming from.

"What?" I asked. "Why?"

Again, Levi shook his head and cleared his throat. "Be careful."

And with that, he left, and I watched him with my mouth agape, trying but failing to come up with an idea as to why he left so suddenly when I thought he was going to walk me home like he wanted to without his group's "permission."

What the fuck was all of that about?