Chapter 5 Chapitre 5

The city's sounds were distant behind the thick walls of FL's house, but in its mind, the echoes of a much greater revelation resounded with an overwhelming intensity. The former partner of ML, the one who had once rejected him and left her on the edge of the betrayal road, had just acted in a way that she would never have imagined. She had disappeared, taking with her information that could change the destiny of the pack. These were not only crucial for the survival of the pack, but they also had secrets that were likely to destroy the fragile balance that ML had established.

The news had spread like powder trail, sowing dismay within the pack. The woman who had been ML's soul mate and who had betrayed him by moving away from him, had, in a last act of disloyalty, seized with secret information, undoubtedly to resell or use them for her own ends. A chain betrayal, a manipulation that only added layers to the pain that ML had endured. But that was only a reflection of the past, and this past, in all its cruelty, continued to haunt the present.

In the darkness of his office, FL scrutinized his thoughts, trying to put order in the sensations that have been shaking her since the announcement of the news. She had done everything to forget these events, to turn the page of that time which she had once shared with ML. But the shadows of the past were tenacious and, inevitably, they surfaced. The silhouette of ML, its strength, its pain, its gestures sometimes imprisoned of guilt, returned as spectra that it could not hunt. It was not so much the betrayal that had struck her, but the complexity of the story that was played. She had never imagined that one day, she would be confronted with him again in this way. But now she knew it was inevitable to face this reality.

The triplets played in the other room, carefree of the heaviness of the air, but FL could not get rid of the anxiety that grabbed it. She thought of everything she had to go through, the pain of loss, separation, but also the strength she had developed to raise her children far from all this. She had not tried to understand the reasons for her departure from ML, and she had not looked for the apology. But now, she was confronted with a past that called her to recognize her, to understand, to act in a way she had sworn not to do anymore.

It was in this disturbed state of mind that she saw ML's silhouette looming at the entrance to the room. He was not a stranger, nor a stranger, but he brought in him injuries that had never healed. Her eyes, formerly full of certainties, of this intrepid light that she had loved, seemed today veiled, marked by the test. However, in him was still emerging this animal force, this essential presence which made him so impressive.

He walked slowly, his steps measured, his gaze fixed on her. She knew him well, perhaps too well. Her words, her way of standing, while he had become an enigma for her, an enigma that she had learned to ignore but which kept re -emerging.

- How are you ? He asked, the serious voice, but tinged with an incomprehensible hesitation.

FL replied, without diverting his gaze, his calm but closed voice.

- As I always go, ml. I live.

Her words looked cold, but they were responsible for everything she didn't mean, all that she couldn't say. Their looks met, and in this fraction of a second, a world of contradictory emotions seemed to be deployed between them. But none of them made a gesture towards the other. Their distance was palpable, an invisible line drawn up by time and the decisions they had made.

- The news arrived at the ears of the pack, started ML, breaking the silence that had settled. The old partner ... She has taken crucial information. You know what it means, right? What this implies for us.

FL hocha slowly hosted, the awareness of the weight of the situation becoming more and more heavy. She knew what it meant. But a part of her refused to recognize him fully. She had her own reasons to stay away from it all.

- Yes, I know, she replied, without apparent emotion. But this is not my problem. This is no longer my problem.

The words struck ML as a punch, although his expression betrays any surprises. He understood much more than she thought. He knew that, despite appearances, FL had never really come out of his mind, and that he had never stopped looking for her in the hidden hidden.

- You can't tell me that doesn't touch you, fl. You are not a stranger to this pack. There are things that only you can understand. Things you know better than me, better than anyone.

She turned her head, avoiding looking at him, as if to flee this pressure he put on her.

- I don't have to get involved. I have my own life, my own priorities. I'm not the one you think, ml. I am no longer the one you have known. What is happening with you, with your pack, does not concern me.

A brief silence settled together, heavy with unsaid. The memories of their past resurfaced, memories that had not been erased by the years, but which, on the contrary, seemed to be strengthened as they are exchanged. Ml felt a familiar pain inserted in him, a pain he had never completely forgotten. But he retained himself. The situation was too complex for it to hope for a simple response from FL.

- How did you live all this time? He finally asked, his voice softer, but still marked by tension. After all that happened, how could you turn the page?

Fl tightened his fists on her lap, a deep agitation crossing her. His eyes then got up towards him, this time with a challenge of challenge, as if to fight the temptation to be invaded by nostalgia.

- I had no choice. I had to move forward. And you, ml? What did you do for all this time? Have you managed to turn the page too, or does the betrayal of your past haunt you still?

Words struck silence as a hard, but indisputable truth. She was waiting for an answer, but this time there wasn't. He simply turned his heels, his gaze one last time focused on her. The pain was there, palpable, but he knew he had to let her fend for herself with her demons.

FL stayed alone in the room, her heart heavy with thoughts that she dared not face.

The evening had fallen, bringing with him an apparent tranquility. FL was sitting in the large room, surrounded by its triplets, eyes fixed on their colored drawings spread on the table. The noise of their childish, soft and innocent voices filled the room, but inside, FL felt increasing tension. Her thoughts were invaded by recent events, the threat of the former part of ML and the secrets she wore. However, she was not prepared for what was going to follow.

One of the triplets, a bright -eye boy, suddenly asked the question that broke the tranquility of the room:

- Mom, why have we never seen our dad?

The words, simple but heavy with meaning, floated in the air as an unbearable weight. FL instinctively tightens his fists under the table, feeling his heart tighten. How to answer such a question, a question that has pierced the walls it had built around them for years?

She looked away, avoiding crossing her gaze, her thoughts getting confused at lightning speed. Silence stretched out as the child was waiting for an answer. Pir tried to keep his calm, but the fear that they discover the truth, the link she had always hidden, tied her throat. She knew that the moment was inevitable, that the questions will eventually arrive, but she was not ready to face them. The consequences of this revelation could be irreversible.

- He ... he is far away, she finally replied, her slightly trembling voice, but she forced herself to smile. He has important things to do.

The answer, although vague, managed to soothe the curiosity of the child. However, FL knew that this question, like a seed planted in the mind of his son, was going to germinate and grow, no matter how much she would try to suffocate him.

She rushed, pretending to have to take care of an urgent detail, but her mind was elsewhere. The fear of seeing his secret discovered, of seeing his world collapse, had become a constant.

While the evening advanced, a deaf rumble, almost imperceptible, shook the tranquility of the house. FL did not have time to focus on the feeling that came from outside, as the phone of the house suddenly vibra. She rushed to take the call, but her face closed instantly when he heard ML's voice, serious and fast.

- FL, we have a problem. You have to come immediately. Someone is tracking down the pack.

ML's tone left no room for negotiations. A danger had just arisen, a threat which forced them to cooperate, despite the tension between them, despite everything that separated them. There was no longer any question of buried secrets, past or personal conflicts. Their families, their loved ones were in danger.

- What's going on? Fl asked, the tight voice.

- It looks like someone discovered our location, someone from the outside. We have to work together to protect children and the pack. There is no time to waste.

Fl felt an icy chill run along his spine. This external threat, as invisible as it is an impact, would force them to unite, and this time, there was no place for indifference. They had lives to protect, an inheritance to defend. In this moment of crisis, she had no choice but to face reality, to put aside her fears and her resentments.

- I come, she replied in a firm voice, the decision made in a flash.

She hung up, feeling her heart beat louder in her chest. There was no more room for hesitations. She turned to her triplets, trying to hide her agitation, and kissed them quickly.

- Stay at home, and do not go out under any pretext, she said, her voice full of authority. I'm going to be away for a while.

But at that moment, she knew that the danger that weighed on them went far beyond the simple physical threat. The truth, this secret that she had been protecting for so long, was likely to be revealed in the worst circumstances. And ML ... this ML that she had learned to hate, but that she could not completely erase from her soul, would become her ally again in this desperate struggle.