The Transfer

I woke with a headache. My chest and stomach were burning and my neck burned too. I hissed out as I sat up and left my bedroom. It was early, earlier than I usually got up. I would wait a little and then go for my run.

My body continued to burn as I figured that Veronica was all over Liam. I wondered if they had slept in the same bed, or if they had done anything with each other. Were they making out? Is that why my skin was burning?

I made myself a coffee and then leaned against the bench and followed the trace of my burning skin. Veronica was all over Liam. It felt like her hands were on his abs, feeling his abdomen. I could feel them getting lower and lower, reaching the pelvis, reaching where Liam's pants would be.

I winced and blinked back tears. I felt my hand burn and I hoped that it was because Liam had grabbed her hand and pulled it away. The burning stopped and I sighed out.

"Liam..." I mumbled to him. I felt him buzzing in my mind and I wished he was with me. Usually, he'd either be in my bed barely waking up, trapping me from leaving my bed, or in the kitchen with me kissing my neck.

I missed him already. It hurt to know what was happening. But we needed to lay low and let Henry win. He had to be happy.

"Did it wake you?" Liam asked me. He was referring to Veronica's touching and the burning. I sighed out and sipped on my coffee.

"No, but it's keeping me from going back to sleep... Are you in bed together?" I fixed my eyes on nothing in particular as I waited for Liam's reply. I dreaded what he was going to say.

"She demanded that I stayed the night. I made sure I slept in the far corner of the bed. We didn't touch the entire night,” Liam told me. I sucked in a deep breath as I felt burning on my stomach again.

"It really hurts Liam," I said softly. The burning suddenly stopped.

"I'm leaving her place now. Told her I had paperwork to do but I can't imagine she'll leave me alone... Do I have to kiss her again?" Liam sounded dreadful and terribly upset. I knew he didn't want Veronica. He wanted me.

I wanted him too.

"If it comes to it. Just keep Henry happy for now, Liam. It's important that you don't get in any more trouble because of me," I told him. I heard Liam's beast whine and I slumped as I put my mug on the counter and headed back to my room.

I changed into my workout gear and sighed. It was going to be a long day. I wasn't sure how long Veronica and Liam would last but I hoped it wasn't long.

"I just want to be with you, okay? This is bullshit. How dare he keep me from my mate!" Liam angrily hissed out. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and sighed as I walked down the hallway to leave the cabin.

"Calm down, Liam. You can't do anything. You just need to make sure he's happy,” I told him. Liam felt confused.

"Why are you so okay with this? Why aren't you angry? Why aren't you telling me to tear Henry's throat out?" Liam asked me. I sighed as I left the cabin

"I'm pissed off about it Liam. But Henry is clearly having a crisis of some sort. He's taking his hatred for me out on you with all this work he's making you do. It's stressing you out and making me tired and grumpy. Keep him happy and you won't have to do any of that,” I explained to him. I couldn't tell Liam about the suspicions yet. I still had no hard proof.

"I'd rather be swamped with work all the time if it meant I got to come home to you,” Liam told me softly. I smiled weakly as I began to jog.

"It'll be worth it soon, my love. Just hang in there,” I told him. Liam and I both sighed into the link before we closed it.

I sprinted my entire run and when I returned back to the base, it was buzzing with people and activity. It was a busy day.

"Ali, my goodness, I'm so sorry," Lila said as she jumped out in front of me and hugged me. I raised my eyebrows at her for a moment before I hugged her tightly and sighed.

"Don't be mad, but Veronica is telling everyone about it," Lila added softly. I nodded at her. I expected Veronica to tell everyone. It wasn't a surprise to me.

She had finally gotten what she wanted and she was going to show it off. My Liam

"How are you holding up? Liam is a hot mess," Lila asked me in a gentle voice. She put her hand on my shoulder and comforted me.

I sighed at her and shook my head. "I just want him back. I miss him and I hate her."

Lila sighed out and nodded at me. I bit my bottom lip as we approached my training group. Veronica stood there with all her friends, a giant grin on her face.

"He cried to me last night about it," I told Lila as we walked. She looked over at me, genuinely concerned about what I had said.

Liam was not the type of guy to express his feelings and emotions. Almost everyone knew that. It was kind of funny to watch people react to me telling them about thoughtful and emotional things that Liam did.

Lila was always so happy when I told her what Liam was doing. She said that it was making him more human. She said that I was making him less of an “emotionless loser".

"He cried?” She asked me. I nodded and bit my lip again. I wanted to disappear. I was causing so much pain all around me.

But Liam wouldn't understand yet. I needed more proof. I had to find something else to link Henry towards being a traitor. But what?

"Yeah, we both cried, a lot. He was so upset... —I'm so mad at myself for doing this to him. It's my fault,” I sighed out. Lila put her arm around my shoulders and pulled me close for a hug. I felt her beast nip at the edge of my mind, trying to cheer me up.

"It's not your fault. You're doing it to keep him safe. Henry is taking his hatred for you out on Liam. It's better that Liam goes through all this pain to see what Henry truly is,” Lila whispered to me. I nodded slowly, but I still was convinced it was my fault. I hated what was happening.

"Liam told me that he told you he loved you,” Lila told me to change the subject a little. I smiled weakly as my whole body got warm. I could still hear Liam's voice telling me that he loved me.

It was pure bliss. I had never loved hearing a sentence so much in my entire life.

I hadn't loved anyone more.

"He was pissed that he had to leave you. He said, and I quote, “Usually when you tell the girl of your dreams that you love her, you make love right after. Did I pull the damn short straw or something?" Lila told me, a small giggle escaping her lips. I smiled weakly.

"Good morning, everyone. Today is a wonderful day to get in a nice and long training session. As some of you are aware, there are a number of people in this group that are nearing the end of their training. Lucas, Bethany, Alison, Colson, Paul..." Quo announced loudly. He got the whole group's attention quickly. I watched as Veronica snickered at my name.

"This will be one of their last trainings, so we all have to work hard to make sure they're good ones. Right? Let's go. Alfie will be accompanying our group again today," Quo said. We turned and we began walking, where Lucas appeared next to me and stood tall and tense.

Him and I were close. He had some sort of protective bond over me. He was always by my side whenever Liam wasn't and he was always defending me when he wasn't trying to piss me off. I loved him. He was a brother to me, as was Leon, and as was Lila as my sister.

"Are you sure you want to be out here today, Ali? I mean... Veronica..." Lucas mumbled to me. He could barely get out his words as he scowled at the female walking at the front of the group. She was swaying her hips and flaunting every part of herself to everyone.

She was over the moon. She'd finally gotten Liam.

"I'm fine, Lucas. Let's just hope that Quo lets me have a go at her," I said confidently despite the fact that I was close to tears. I wanted to cry until Liam came back.

"That's why Alfie is supervising again. He thinks you'll try and kill Veronica. He told me that he hoped you did," Lila giggled softly from beside me. I couldn't help but smile a little as I rolled my eyes.

"Ali, I want you to work with me today," I heard from behind me. I turned around and saw Alfie himself. I smiled at him and nodded as Lila walked away.

Lucas stayed by my side. He liked Alfie, but he was still cautious. He had every right to be too. "Lucas, she'll be fine with me. Go to your training," Alfie assures the male. Lucas sighed and nodded. He looked to me and then smiled before he bounded away.

I looked to Alfie and smiled as he began to help me with my techniques and skills. But he was distracted. He had something on his mind.

"Henry is a traitor. I just know it. We've got to find something to prove it," Alfie told me. He adjusted my arm and then motioned for me to punch, and I did.

"I know, Alf. But what can I do? We have no leads," I shrugged at him slightly. He sighed out loud and helped me punch again.

"I was thinking that we could break into his office. But I don't know how we'd mask the scent. He would find out,” Alfie told me. I sighed out loud also and rubbed my forehead.

"There's almost nothing we can do at the moment. We just have to wait it out. He'll slip up eventually,” I told Alfie. He growled lowly and shook his head.

"Wait? We have to wait for another death? How many more people how to get hurt or killed for Henry to slip up so we can catch him? We have to do something. I won't sit here and watch my girl get tortured,” Alfie said lowly. He referred to me as his girl and it made me happy. I thought of him as a father figure, and he clearly felt like I was some sort of daughter to him.

"We need a good plan first, Alfie. Everyone is thinking, and we just have to wait to come up with something good. Okay?" I told him. He grunted and I took that as my response.

Alfie watched me spar with another female, in which I won. It made sense that I was ending my training. I was stronger than most of the other females in the pack. I was sure they knew I was strong too.

Then, after training, I had to watch Veronica passionately kiss Liam in front of everyone as I headed back to my cabin. Not a single person questioned it.