Chapter 3

Elorai.

We run through the forest for what seems like hours, their speed incredibly fast.

I cling to them for dear life, my heart in my throat even as thrill rushes through me.

For a moment, I take time to marvel at it.

How do they keep going without getting tired? And still in their human form as well.

After what seems like forever, they finally roll to a stop at a gated mansion, still nestled in the forest.

I stare at the large building in front of me, my heart beating out of my chest. In the cover of the night, it’s as terrifying as it is breathtaking.

Knox lets go of me, and I slide down from him, finally landing on my feet.

They walk toward the door, and it opens on its own accord, letting us into the huge estate.

Walking in their midst, I look around me, my heart racing in my chest as I take in the well-manicured gardens and the water fountain sitting in the center of the field.

Straight out of the pictures, that one.

Beautiful, yet so incredibly eerie.

My fingertips grow cold with nervousness, and I have to swallow to wet my dry throat.

The trio keep leading me into the house, knocking on the grand oak doors at the entrance.

The doors soon open, and a lean, aged man steps out in his immaculate suit.

“Welcome back, Alphas…” he greets with a low bow, widening the door as he gestures for us to enter. They acknowledge him with a nod, stepping into the large hall downstairs. The door slams shut after them.

I flinch.

“How was your mission?” he asks, still not noticing me.

“It went fine…” Ronan answers, his voice devoid of the usual hostility.

That’s when his gaze drops to me. I tense, not used to being around such huge, mean-looking figures.

His eyes widen, his nose flaring as he draws in a scent. In an instant, he’s reaching for me, a growl ripping from his throat.

Knox pushes him back before his fingers can graze my skin, letting out a growl of his own. That snaps the newcomer from the trance he must have slipped into.

“What was that?” Knox snarls, his gaze heated.

The latter flushes, embarrassment coating his features. “I apologize. Her scent called to me, that’s all. It’s… alluring,” he murmurs, his gaze fixed on me.

My heart skips a beat. All three look at each other, puzzled.

Lucas presses his nose against my neck to sniff me. His confusion deepens. “Sure, she smells good, but that’s not enough to trigger that reaction.”

“Doesn’t matter…” Ronan cuts in, clearly peeved. He stands between me and the newcomer. “She’s off-limits, Andre. Get that through your skull.”

“Yes, Alpha… I apologize,” he adds, his voice tinged with remorse.

Knox lets him go, still giving him a wary glare.

“Prepare her a room,” he orders, his gaze still narrowed. The latter instantly runs up the stairs, disappearing out of sight.

I look around, rattled by the incident.

“Come with us…” Lucas says, walking forward. I fall into step behind him, the two following behind me.

We arrive at a long hallway, filled with several doors on either side. Ronan walks into one and opens the door, letting me in.

It's a bedroom.

That shouldn't be surprising. I have had beds before. But somehow, this one is.

It's a four-poster bed, sitting in a large room, with a soft rug on the floor, large windows overlooking the landscape, and multiple doors around that lead to God-knows-where. It's beautiful, to say the least.

"Where are we?" I ask as I walk into the room, my gaze darting around to admire the interior decoration.

"Our abode," Lucas answers, leaning against the doorframe. "And this is your room."

"It's big..." I mutter, glancing back at them. "I'll be staying here now?" I ask, wrapping my hands around myself to ward off the cold that seems to have settled into my bones.

He walks forward instead, opening the doors in the space. "Here leads to the bathroom. That's the closet. There are clothes for you. Hardly your size, since you're thin as hell."

I bristle. His words sting.

He turns to me. "Get comfortable. And join us when you're ready."

"No funny tricks..." Ronan growls, his voice coated with steel. "You try to escape and we'll catch you, and I promise you won't like the consequences," he adds.

With a menacing glare, he turns around and leaves with his companions, shutting the door behind him.

I tense, the silence deafening.

I look around me for a moment, then out the window, surveying my surroundings.

The compound is huge, and after those towering walls is an unending forest.

Can I escape from this place? We'll have to find out.

I proceed to explore my room, checking the bathroom, marveling at the marble tiling and clean lines. It's sophisticated, giving that old yet modern feel. Next is the closet, and like Lucas has said, it is filled with clothes.

I've never had this much selection before. I usually wear the same overalls in the facility.

I pick a pale pink dress out. It's rather short, but I'm curious to try it.

I lay it on the bed and move to the bathroom to have a bath. I'm still reeking of blood.

Figuring out the faucets is a battle on its own, but soon hot water starts flowing, before slowly transitioning to warm.

I step under the shower, use a ridiculous amount of bathing soap, and wash my skin till it prunes.

I step out of the shower then, hair soaking wet, and wrap a towel around my body.

Walking back to the bedroom, I dry my body and do my best with my hair before slipping into the dress. Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I'm a bit stunned.

I've never seen myself look this way before. This... normal.

The blue overalls given to me by the facility always washed me out and made me feel like a sore thumb.

Why didn't they ever get me a dress?

Too late to think about that now. It's been burnt to the ground.

With a sigh, I glance at the door. A part of me wants to stay in this room and never get out, but I don't want to give anyone the satisfaction of feeling that I'm afraid of them.

So, I walk out the door.

The hallway is empty. That's expected, but I still move anyway, taking the route we followed when they took me to my room.

I soon hear voices and follow them.

I arrive at the dining area, all the alphas discussing amongst themselves.

They see me and stiffen, eyes and noses flaring slightly. The temperature in the room drops several degrees and I shiver.

I linger at the entrance, torn between walking in and going back into my room.

Lucas is the first to react. "You're in time. We are just about to have dinner. Have a seat."

Knox is too busy leering at me, dark interest in his eyes, jaw clenched.

I swallow the lump in my throat, taking slow steps into the room and sitting across from them.

"You're integrating well," Ronan murmurs, his gaze still narrowed at me.

I glare at him.

"What would you like to eat?" Lucas asks, breaking the tense silence in the room.

"Crackers and peanut butter," I answer without missing a beat.

"Crackers?" Knox repeats.

"You'll have steak," Lucas deadpans, and turns towards another door. Andre walks out of it, much more composed.

"Serve her steak," he orders. The latter bows and disappears into the kitchen.

It's at the tip of my tongue to refuse, but I've never tried steak before, so I keep mute.

Within moments, my food is brought before me and the smell wafts up my nose. My mouth instantly waters, my stomach growling louder than I've ever heard it.

I grab a fork, dig into the chunk of meat before me, and shove it into my mouth.

My taste buds explode.

It tastes delicious.

Eyes widening, I barely chew before I swallow the chunk in my mouth, taking a bigger bite.

The men just keep watching me as I scarf down what’s in front of me, till the plate is empty.

They both stare at me, intrigue written on their faces.

“Would you like some more?” Lucas asks, and I nod, doing my best to keep my eagerness down. He waves Andre over, and the latter presents me with another plate of mouthwatering steak.

I immediately start eating.

Ronan is about to speak when a sound cuts through the silence. I tense, unfamiliar with it, but Lucas frowns.

“We’re not expecting anyone,” he growls under his breath, alarm woven into their features.

“I’ll go check who it is…” Andre offers, hurrying out of the dining area. They all watch him go, but I return my attention back to my food, quietly enjoying it.

Footsteps approach, and Andre shows up with a beautiful lady by his side. She sees the men and beams.

“Good morning, Alphas. I see you’re back from the mission,” she says with an easy smile on her face.

“We weren’t expecting you to see us so quickly, Adaline,” Lucas mutters, subtly relaxing in his seat.

“Let’s just say, I missed you all,” she replies, still giving them that easy smile.

Ronan’s expression doesn’t change. If anything, it seems to have grown darker.

Adaline looks across the room, her gaze dropping on me. The smile disappears instantly.

“Who’s this?”