Chapter 174

“I still don’t understand why?”

“Because we need them to think you are alone.” Rowan continued to rub my feet. It felt amazing, but I needed to focus, so I pulled my feet back and leaned closer to him.

I grabbed his face with my hands, and squeezed. “I need you to stop being so mysterious and explain it to me. Why do I have to pretend my father is dead?”

I swore Rowan stopped breathing as I leaned in. “Because we want them to think that you are alone other than your mother. Your mother has spent these last years convincing Vince and Morgan that she is weak, which plays well into our plan.”

“Are you going to tell me the plan?” I was getting frustrated.

“Are you going to hold my face the entire time I tell you?” His voice was soft and his eyes were flicking between my eyes and my nose. I pulled my hands back as if they were on fire and sat back.

“Sorry.” I felt my face flush, and he chuckled.

“I don’t mind, but I would prefer having a mint if you’re going to be that close.” He winked, and I felt another pulse between my legs and the reality hit me like a sledgehammer.

I was attracted, really attracted to Rowan. I wanted him, and there was nothing I could do about it.

I felt the reality hit me like a punch to the gut. Eventually, he would mate or marry another wolf, and it would not be me.

Nix and Megan rushed to calm me down, to comfort me with my hidden sadness.

It will be okay. Megan brushed down the wall in my mind.

We still have Erubus. Nix’s voice was bright, and I chuckled.

“What?” Rowan tilted his head and I felt my cheeks burn again.

“My wolf said something funny.” I redirected him. “The plan?”

“Right.” Rowan pushed up and adjusted his shirt. “First thing first, we need you to move to the apartment building.”

“Why?”

“We want you to be isolated, and I need you to have a safe space that someone can’t get into.” Rowan looked at me as he pulled the key and jingled it. “I’m not the only one that has the universal key. So does Vince.”

“What?”

“It was a safety feature, but with everything that is going on, knowing Vince and Brandon have access to you and your stuff has your father and me on edge.”

“I have a lockbox for everything.”

“I don’t trust those to keep everything you need safe.” Rowan’s nose flared. “Plus, I scented another wolf in here when I slipped in. Someone has already been here, but it was too long ago to be sure.”

I felt Nix push close. “Someone was in here?” Rowan nodded.

“It doesn’t matter; you are moving to the apartments. Tonight.”

“I don’t really have everything I need for a one-bedroom apartment.”

Rowan scratched his head. “Actually, knowing that someone was already here, to make my wolf feel better, you are moving into the other penthouse, so that when I’m in the area, we can be close.”

I felt my eyes widen as I jumped up to my knees. “What? You said it was going to stay empty.”

“And it was, but now my wolf won’t let me put you anywhere else.” He shrugged. “I listen to him more than anyone else.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I think that is the same for most of us.”

“So you will be safe in the penthouse, but in school, in class, I need you to be isolated, withdrawn. We need it to get out that Silvermoon is gone and that you are vulnerable.”

“Why?”

“Because men like Vince think women need men to survive, and ones that have no men in their life are weak.” He looked at me. “Once he thinks you are weak, it will give you an opening to strike.”

My dad was doing what he had to, to give me the space to get closer so I could find out the truth.

“Okay,”

“Play it smart.” Rowan turned his body towards me. “You can’t let them in too close too quickly. And these next few years they will be lonely. You will be targeted.”

“By?” I felt Nix and Megan stand straighter in my mind. They could handle it.

“The council, the women they will be ‘selecting.’ No matter what I say, they think we are close, and that puts a target on your back.” Rowan wiped his face. “And the rogues; they have been making their way closer to the school, but I am having guard patrols in the forest, so running should still be safe.”

“So I’m a target because we are friends…”

“Something like that.” Rowan pulled a second key out and dropped it into my hands. “This is the key to the penthouse on the right. Start packing and move over tonight. You hear?” Then he got up, started to say something, then shook his head and left.

Chapter 175