Interconnected

"Wait, Mrs. The food must be checked first."

I was startled, the familiar voice made me turn my head and sure enough now Afrow was standing beside me.

"Oh? Afrow. You're here, I was looking for you and didn't find you, where have you been?" I asked happily.

"I was on business, so I was a little late. I'm sorry I made you wait for me and look for me."

I frowned and began to think that Afrow's arrival had something to do with the annoying woman who had disturbed me this morning. Yes, Xezedha was probably the culprit or the trouble maker who got Afrow into trouble or possibly punished hence why she was late to meet me this morning. Didn't she herself say that she had been assigned only to look after me? There's no way that one's self is doing other duties while I was told to wander around the castle alone.

It sounds embarrassing because I'm like a woman pining for her lover, but I'm just pining for my friend, because I consider Afrow as my close friend because he's the only one who makes me feel comfortable in this castle. So the problem that happened to him is also a problem that happened to me too in my opinion.

"Are you being punished by James? Or did James scold you?" I asked to find out.

Afrow paused and his expression turned clumsy, in a split second he looked confused as to what to answer and also hesitated. I could guess now that he was looking for the right words to answer my question, it was already too late since a split second ago I saw his expression.

"There's no need to search for a suitable answer. I guessed it already," I said before Afrow answered my question. "It must all be because of Xezedha."

"Ah, sorry Mrs. I don't understand what you're saying," Afrow said, trying to calm my emotions.

I shook my head no. "Your words sound very unconvincing to me. You're trying to change the subject and also make me doubt what you're thinking right now. But what you're doing is only adding to my belief that you've been in trouble. Just so you know, that bully woman came back to see me this morning and threw a tantrum in front of me."

"So, Mrs Xezedha saw you this morning? What did Mrs Xezedha do to you? Did she hurt you again?" asked Afrow.

I nodded slowly. "More precisely, Xezedha verbally abused me. Xezedha even seemed to threaten the babies inside my foetus. I felt very uncomfortable with the words that came out of Xezedha's mouth. It was as if she was planning to do something bad in the future to me and these babies."

Afrow was still listening to me intently. I continued my words to resolve his curiosity.

"And he also mentioned about James' anger towards me. Just so you know, this morning James and I had an argument because he questioned me about the two of us going to the library together last night. And wasn't he outside the castle last night? And it just so happened that after I was scolded by James, Xezedha came and immediately mentioned the two of us."

Afrow tilted his head. "Wait, so you're saying that you actually think that the person who most likely told Lord Alpha King about that was Mrs Xezedha?"

I nodded in agreement with Afrow's words. He was able to guess right away even though I had just started to give Afrow a clue.

"If that's the case, it means that we are both under Mrs Xezedha's surveillance. I'm actually also wondering why Mrs Xezedha has been so keen to put pressure on Mrs Aluna's position lately. Even though it has been clearly stated by Mr Alpha King that the only person who will be made Luna by him is Mrs Xezedha alone. But she still keeps trying to pressure you, I feel sorry for you," Afrow said.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Ambition has blinded Xezedha's eyes and made her heartless. Maybe she's still sick with fear that James will suddenly change his mind and make me take her place as James' partner. In fact, that's not possible and I don't want that to happen either."

"Well, in the future I will keep a closer eye on Mrs Xezedha's movements," Afrow said.

I gasped. "Ah? Is that okay?"

"What do you mean?" asked Afrow in surprise.

"Aren't you fellow werewolves and you are fellow people who are related to each other in this castle? I mean is it not against the code of conduct as a fellow werewolf to suspect each other like that? I'm sorry if I sounded naive but I just don't feel right that I'm causing dissension amongst you werewolves," I said reluctantly.

Afrow blinked her eyes a few times in thought. "In fact, suspecting each other is what we werewolves do most often. Because if we trust each other too much then it will endanger ourselves. Especially for someone who has the status of King Alpha's right-hand man like me. My daily life is supposed to be to keep an eye on the movements of other werewolves so that there is no cheating that attacks Lord Alpha King and his descendants."

"But is it okay if you keep an eye on Xezedha's movements? Xezedha is someone who is quite close to James, and also from what I've seen she's one of the people with power here," I reminded Afrow.

"I'll do it carefully. Didn't Mrs Xezedha herself cross the line of comfort between the Voghmoon families by pressuring you, who is pregnant with Lord King Alpha's child? So it doesn't matter to me, there will be a defence later if I get caught. Besides, the werewolf world is not as simple as you think," Afrow said. "Sorry! I didn't mean to."

I chuckled softly and waved one hand. "No need to apologise, I see your point. I should learn to better understand the mindset and habits of werewolves. And I'm asking for your help in directing me to be more careful here."

"Don't worry, Mrs. I will do my best for you and your babies. Well, allow me to check whether or not this food is safe for you," Afrow asked me for permission.

"All right, go ahead," I told Afrow.

Afrow checked my food one by one, and the good news was that none of the food had any indications of harmful substances for me. He didn't taste the food, but he checked it with an object and substance. After he finished checking all the food, he then pulled away from me.

"You can eat your dishes now. I have checked everything and it is not harmful to you," Afrow said.

"Thank you," I said with a smile.