Surrogate for My Brother-in-law - Chapter 39: Chapter 39

I needed to warn Leo. His own brother was working with the Rogues. He was in immediate danger, and he had no idea.
The problem was, I had absolutely no proof. Zane hadn't even directly told me it was the Rogues he was allied with. If I told Leo, Zane would just deny it.
And who would Leo believe? A maid he already thought was untrustworthy, or his own younger brother? There would be no contest.
Sure, Leo was a lot nicer to me lately and he didn't seem to look at my every action for some underhanded motivation. But that wasn't trust. It was, at most, the benefit of the doubt.
If I did try and talk to Leo, it would surely get back to Eva. She would turn on me in a second, and my mother was as good as dead.
Was Eva involved with the Rogues? Did she know what Zane was up to? Surely not.
Just because she was cruel to me didn't mean Eva was a traitor to the pack and her husband. She was the Alpha Daughter, and a Luna. She wouldn't give up all of that for a bunch of murderous Rogue wolves.
Should I try to warn her about Zane? If she believed me, she could take the warning to Leo. He would listen to her.
But if she did know, and I admitted I knew, she'd kill me. I could not risk it.
If she was involved, she might order me to help Zane with whatever he planned for Leo. She knew I couldn't refuse her, not so long as she still had my mother. Even if she wasn't involved, she might try to do something to silence me in order to protect her lover.
I paced my room, unable to sleep. I had to do something. I didn't know what to do. I was terrified.
If I pretended like that walk in the garden never happened, I'd be safe from Eva and Zane. At least until the week was up and Zane wanted another talk. I wouldn't be able to put him off twice.
If I refused to help him at all, he might well kill me, or give me to the Rogues for them to do it. I knew too much. Even though no one would believe me, I doubted he'd take that risk.
There had to be something I could do. I couldn't just stand by and let Zane and the Rogues do whatever they wanted. I had to stop them.
Leo didn't trust me enough to turn on his brother. But he was a good alpha, and he was intelligent. He would second guess his secretive maid. He would not, however, ignore an anonymous warning.
He wouldn't immediately trust it, no, but if I left him a note, with a believable warning, he would look into it. I just needed to make sure that he caught Zane in the act.
And that would be easy, because Zane wanted to talk to me about working for the Rogues. If Leo heard the words form his brother's own mouth he would have to believe it.
So how to arrange for Leo to hear it?
I spent the night planning, and limped through my duties the next day. I knew what I needed to do, however. I spoke briefly to Leo, asking for an early night off, pleading exhaustion. My sleepless night helped him believe that I needed it.
Then I left a message in the library for Zane, simply saying that I'd reconsidered my position, and asked him to meet me in the garden that night.
Finally, I typed out a letter on my phone, and sent it to the printer in Leo's office. He'd be sure to notice it; the printer was old and loud and rattled half the office when it worked.
The letter was short and simple. It stated, “There is a traitor in your pack. They will be meeting in the garden tonight as the moon rises.”
I hoped Leo would have the sense to hide and see for himself what was going on. If he rushed the garden with guards, it wouldn't end well for me. I probably should have said something like “the maid isn't the traitor” but I wasn't sure he'd believe it. When he heard Zane talk, he'd know the truth.
After that, all I could do was wait for the night to fall. I spent my “day off” mostly hidden in my room. I had the book of healer's first hand experiences and read through it again. I had my own notebook, a nice leather bound one that Ethan had given me. Reading the healer's notes, I had decided to use it to record my own experiences. I was only a beginner, true, but I was as far as I knew the only living half-blood healer. Someone in the future might well be able to gain useful knowledge from my notes.
Then, darkness fell and it was time to go. I tucked my notebook and the healers' journal underneath my mattress. I tucked my phone into the pocket of my apron. I had set it to record our conversation. If Leo decided not to come, I'd still have the evidence to give him later.
Zane met me beside a tiny fish pond. I felt a moment of nostalgia for the spot. My mother used to bring me here and tell me stories. I resisted the urge to look around and try to spot Leo. I couldn't risk giving him away if he was there.
“So have you thought about our conversation?” Zane asked.
“Yes,” I said. “I'm just not sure I'm the right person.”
“Sure you are,” Zane said. “You're perfect.”
“Why?” I asked. “What is it you want me to do?”
I needed him to spell it out. I could guess, but I needed Leo to hear it. I needed to record proof.
“Well, first I need you to come talk to my friends,” Zane said.
“I'm not sure,” I hesitated. I did not want to leave the manor. Who knew what the Rogues would do to me?
“I get it, you're nervous. It's okay,” Zane said. “You'll be safe with me.”
Somehow I doubted that.
“I just don't want to do anything to hurt the pack,” I said. “All I want is a better position. A chance to prove I'm more than just a half-blood.”
“Hey, I understand,” Zane said, resting a hand on my shoulder. “You're in a tough spot. But it's okay. We're not going to ask you to do anything terrible. I promise.”
Nothing more terrible than betray my pack and the father of my pup, anyway.
“Mostly,” Zane continued, “we'd need you to help us keep tabs on Leo. Where he goes, who he meets with. Anything you overhear while he's got you cleaning his office. Things like that.”
They wanted me for a spy. That was about what I'd guessed, but it was still unsettling to hear. That would be a dangerous position to be in. Did Zane think I was an idiot?
“But who are your friends, really?” I asked. “Can they protect me, if I get caught?”
“Oh, they'll take good care of you, I promise,” Zane said. “Now come on, I've got a car waiting.”
I backed away. I was not getting in a car with him. But how was I supposed to get away?
“Hey, where are you going?” Zane asked.
“That's what I'd like to know, little brother,” Leo growled from the shadows nearby.
He stepped out onto the path.
“Leo- I-” Zane stammered. “It's not what you think.”
“I've heard everything,” Leo said, voice soft. “Tessa, go to your room. I'll speak with you later.”
“Yes, Alpha,” I bowed and ran. I was not staying out in the moonlight with an enraged alpha.