Chapter 98

I stared openly at the governor. I had the distinct feeling that he’d be speaking from personal experience. What a story that would make. And woe to the poor girl he’d made go away, assuming she’d lived through that ordeal.

Now, Governor Kruck scared me even more than he had before. He may not have been born with an alpha’s power. But he clearly had no conscience when wielding the power he did have.Someone above him must really like him. Because if anyone I knew had said even half of what the governor said, both insulting the alpha king and talking about disappearing people, I’d have had investigators up in every orifice before I could blink. Yet Governor Kruck sat comfortably in his office.

I chewed on the inside of my cheek. How frustrating. If we were staying in Lupinton, I would have redoubled my efforts to try to find information on the governor and expose him. He was clearly dirty, and he was clearly being sheltered by somebody above him. If I could expose his dirty dealings, I would make the life of everyone who was afraid of him that much easier. And I would make our nation of Orlune that much better.

This time, it was Charles who reached over and gave my leg a gentle squeeze. I must have looked like my temper was near the surface. So I drew a deep breath and held it in before I spoke next, counting to ten like they always told us to do at the orphanage.

“Where will we be living?” I asked.

Governor Kruck roughly shoved the stack of papers in my direction. “Everything you need to know is in here. And if it isn’t, then it’s your job to ask somebody when you get to Packhaven. Like I said. You’re not my problem anymore. You have one hour to pack up your belongings at the apartment here in Lupinton, and to make any necessary arrangements based on the information in that packet for things that you might need from Lustrum.”

He waited for us to argue for a moment, then continued, “In an hour, the agents will escort you two the airport and hand you off to your new security detail. If I haven’t said this enough, I can’t help it. Because such good news just needs repeating. You’re not my problem anymore. Which means my security is coming back to me, and you’ll have whatever guards those who are receiving you in Packhaven think you require.”

The governor gave the papers another shove in our direction and stood, making a show of brushing his hands off, first on each other and then on his pants, as if completely cleaning himself of anything to do with us.

“That’s it. My job is done,” he said. “You have your instructions. The agents will drive you back to the apartment and then see you to the airport. Bon voyage. Sayonara. Auf Wiedersehen. And I truly hope we never meet again.”

With that, he turned and scurried from the room. I swear, on his way through the door, he did one of those little jumps, clicking his heels together like they do when they’re excited in the movies.

Charles and I stared at each other, mouths slightly open, and I could tell his head was spinning as fast as mine was. Our world had been turned upside down for the second time in two weeks. Now we were moving again, and this time, we were being shipped all the way across the nation.

With nothing left to do and no one to argue with, the two of us stood and let our guards march us out of the room, still leading us around in a fashion that made me feel like a naughty child being punished.

My heart sank. Since when did telling the truth lead to all of this? Weren’t people who brought good into the world, who did good things, supposed to get good back? And yet, every time I turned, we were sinking deeper and deeper into punishment.

We didn’t have all that much to pack at the apartment since we’d only been in Lupinton for two weeks. We hadn’t sent for much from Lustrum because we didn’t think we’d be staying long.

I missed my apartment, and my job, and the sense of accomplishment that having all of that gave me. I missed the security of feeling at home. However, that had been somewhat shattered by the events surrounding Culpepper. Still, leaving one city that I barely knew for another that I didn’t know at all on the opposite side of the country, no less, left knots in the pit of my stomach.

Not to mention, I’d never been on a plane before, just the ride in Charles’ helicopter. It was probably nothing for him to get on an airplane and fly hours away from home.

As usual, he packed beside me, looking completely unruffled. Whatever he felt was either very deep within, or he really was calm. Either way, I envied him.

“Well,” Charles said, zipping up his suitcase at last. “I can’t say that I’ll be sorry to see this place go.”

I smiled, forcing it out to return his smile at me. At least, I could honestly answer.

“I won’t miss it at all, either.”

He gave a nod and dragged a suitcase on its wheels out the door, not minding that it thumped into the security guards on his way past. Charles left it at the front door before coming back to join me.

“ Are you almost ready?”

“Yes, I am,” I replied.

I zipped my suitcase shut, as well, then eyed my case, contemplating. “You know, I’ve never been to Packaven. What if we’re stuck there into the fall or, worse, into the winter? Will I need heavier clothes? Is it cold there?

Charles shook his head. “The climate is a lot like here. It’s near the water, so that keeps it from getting too frigid—most of the time. It’s not that it can’t get cold. But I don’t think we’ll be there long enough for that to be an issue.”

“You don’t?” I whispered.

He gave me a look. But this time, I could see that he actually was wearing uncertainty. That comment had been a brave face for me.

I nodded and let the subject drop. If he was being brave for me, then I would be brave for him. Whenever awaited us in Packhaven, we would face it together. And I wouldn’t drag him down in the process.

I know we got the VIP treatment at the airport, but I doubted it was because they thought we were special. I’m sure it had more to do with trying to keep me short leash on us.

The general public stood in long lines, waiting to go through security, where they were patted down, their backs were checked, and they presented their tickets to stern-faced security officers.

We were still being guided along by the four agents who’d been with us the whole time in Lupinton. They took us through a short line where they spoke directly to the security officers themselves.

They flashed their badges, muttered stuff, and pointed to our luggage, then to us. Then we were through the other side, except this time, one of the airport security officers peeled away from his post and walked along with us.

Our guards followed him down a corridor that had no other passengers walking along it, and opened up a door into an office. Though the office was sparsely furnished, it was clear it was there for the use of the airport personnel.

A plastic table with uncomfortable-looking chairs around it sat in the center of the room. A cooler and a coffee pot, which bubbled and let out the smell of cheap coffee, sat on the other side. And posters with motivational sayings or things to remember were posted on the walls.

Two additional security officers sat at the table. They stood when we entered.

“Oh, good,” one of them said. “This must be Mr. Rafe and his secretary.”

I scowled at the man. He’d put emphasis on that as if it were some sort of demeaning label, but clearly, he wanted to make me subordinate to Charles.