Chapter 5

Elorai.

It's a brand new day in captivity, and I'm gazing at the ceiling of my beautiful big room, my mind racing with a million thoughts.

I was woken up by a nightmare at the crack of dawn and have been unable to sleep since then, but I also don't want to go out and meet the men, yet I can't stay in all day.

Letting out a sigh, I step out of bed and proceed to have another shower, clearing my head under the stream of warm water.

I stay there till my skin reddens, then amble out of the bedroom, dry my body, and change into another dress. This time, it's a light blue sundress.

I dry my hair and weave it into a full braid.

I glare at the door, letting out a deep breath.

A knock jolts me out of the trance I seem to have slipped into, and before I can answer, the door swings open, Andre standing at the entrance.

"Good morning, miss," he greets, his voice polite, even as his nostrils flare, his breath quickening.

"Good morning..." I mutter, immediately wary. "Why are you here?" I ask, my shoulders tense.

"I came to ask if you would like to come down for breakfast," he says, his gaze fixed on me.

A muscle ticks in my jaw. "Will the Alphas be in attendance?" I ask, and he shakes his head.

"Then, I'm not coming."

"Should I bring your food to your room instead?" he suggests, and I mull over it for a bit.

"That would be better. Thanks, Andre," I say, a corner of my lips quirking up but not quite forming a smile.

He delivers a small bow and walks out, closing the door behind him.

I sit on the bed, wiggling my toes as I wait for my food. Already, my stomach is grumbling.

The food arrives on a tray after a while, and Andre places it on the table by the bedside.

"Here's your meal..." he announces, his voice gruff.

"Thank you..." I chirp, the delicious scents coming from the dishes he has prepared wafting into my nose.

"You're welcome."

I reach for the tray, plucking a grape from the bunch and popping it into my mouth. The juice spills as I bite into it, filling me with pleasant surprise.

Andre doesn't leave as quickly as I would like him to.

I glance at him to find him flexing his fingers, his jaw clenching and unclenching. His nose has flared even wider now, and there's a wild look in his eyes.

Dread pools in my gut. "Andre... is something wrong?" I ask, being careful.

He doesn't answer. Instead, his fingers reach for my cheeks, trailing down to my chin and eventually my neck.

"You smell so good..." he growls in a guttural voice that sends shivers down my spine. I instantly back away from him, my heart pounding in my chest.

"I think you should leave..." I say, glancing at the door in case I need to bolt out.

He follows me like a hound on my heels. "Don't move away from me..." he snarls, eyes flashing. "Not when your scent is calling for me like this..."

What the hell is he talking about?!

He closes the distance between us once more, his hand going to the back of my neck as he tugs me closer.

"Hey... let me go!" I shout, pushing him away with all the force I can muster. He stumbles backward but quickly regains his footing. The haze in his eyes clears, and he looks around him, his eyes widening as color stains his cheeks.

"I'm... I'm sorry..." he stutters, rushing out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

I glare at the door, my skin crawling.

What the hell is wrong with him?!

.

.

.

I shakily return to my food, convinced I’ll only take a few bites from it due to the recent incident, but end up surprising myself and finishing everything.

Andre doesn’t return, however, probably too embarrassed to show his face after what he just did. I don’t even want to see him either.

But I need to return all these dirty dishes. So I summon all the courage I didn’t know I possessed, pick up the tray filled with all the empty plates, and slowly head out of my room, quietly making my way to the kitchen.

The closer I get, the more voices I hear, and they grow louder and clearer. It’s Andre, and he’s complaining to perhaps the Alphas.

“You don’t understand, Alpha. It’s hard to resist her once you get close. She smells too good,” he groans, his voice filled with frustration.

I freeze, perking my ears so I can hear more.

“That good?” a voice I recognize to be Knox asks.

“That good,” he confirms. “It’s almost like coming upon a female omega when she’s in heat. It’s completely bothersome, and it’s driving me into a rut.”

Quietly, in a more defeated tone, he adds, “I’m not sure I can resist. And I’m still wired from scenting her this morning.”

My heart skips a beat at that. Is my scent that potent?

“That’s… precarious,” Lucas answers, his voice low. “You’re dismissed for today, Andre. Go find a woman to lose yourself in. We’ll keep an eye on her for now.”

“Yes, Alphas,” I hear him say, and then footsteps. He must be walking away.

“You, come out of hiding,” a voice barks out, and I flinch, almost dropping the tray I’m holding.

I come into view and find all three of them in the dining area, Adaline included. She frowns and scoffs the moment she sees me. I raise the tray even higher.

“Good morning…” I mutter, unsure of what to say.

“You were eavesdropping, weren’t you?” Lucas asks and I shrug.

“You guys weren’t exactly talking in whispers.”

Knox scoffs at that, his eyes filled with intrigue.

Adaline stands to her feet, stalking toward me, and presses her nose against my neck, taking in harsh breaths.

“She just smells like a regular omega to me. I’m a hundred percent sure she doesn’t even have a wolf. So why would she have such an effect on Andre?”

Adaline asks, glancing back at the men.

Lucas rises from his seat and walks toward us. I cling to the tray closer to myself, resisting the urge to take several steps back.

Reaching my side, he leans in and presses his nose against my neck, sending a jolt through me.

He grips my hand, holding me still, and starts breathing me in, taking deep lungfuls, while my heart races, threatening to burst out of it's cage.

The rest watch on intently, and Adaline is already scowling.

“She’s leaking pheromones,” Lucas announces as he steps back, rubbing his nose. “It’s similar to the ones an omega releases when in heat, except this is just part of her regular scent.”

Ronan’s and Knox’s eyes widen, understanding flashing through them.

I just look on, confused.

He glances down at me. “Do you know how to block it?”

“Of course not. I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

Pheromones? Heat? What alternate dimension have I landed in?

“Of course,” I hear him mumble under his breath.

“Why isn’t it affecting us?” Knox asks.

“Oh, it is. The effects are just so little we aren’t paying attention to them. I believe that’s the intention. They start out low before they get worse, and we grow unable to resist.”

“All the more reason we should get rid of her,” Adaline speaks up, her voice assertive. “She was created to cause chaos, to disrupt the Alpha senses.”

All three men glance at each other, contemplating her words. I stiffen, unable to keep the terror from rising in my throat. Are they truly going to listen to her and kill me?

"That's a valid point you've raised, Adaline…" Lucas says, walking away from me. "But we still need to study her for a moment longer. We will eventually get rid of her, but not right now." He says, walking back to his seat.

What?

Adaline huffs, rolling her eyes, but goes back to sit down.

My heart still pounding in my chest, I dump the empty tray into the kitchen and hurry back to my room, collapsing onto the bed.

An exasperated breath leaves, cold dread crashing over me like a wave.

Pheromones. Heat. My survival, even now, is not guaranteed because my captors still want to kill me. What kind of twisted life am I living?

I spend the rest of the day locked indoors, and thankfully, no one comes to see me.

The day passes slowly around me, but I just get lost deeper in my spiraling thoughts.

What's going to happen to me now?

That's until the door swings open and Adaline bursts in, looking more agitated than I've ever seen her.

"You shouldn't be in my room…" I say, standing to my feet, my expression guarded.

"You are in a dangerous place, young lady," she begins, narrowing her eyes at me.

Her words hit a nerve, but she's not done.

"Those men out there? They are not protecting you. Hell, they are not even keeping you. They want to ruin you. And they'll do it slowly. You'll push them to the point where they'll be unable to resist and finally snap."

With a snarl, she adds, "This arrangement is a ticking time bomb."

As much as I'd love to refute her words, there's truth in them. I can't be truly safe with these men. They are only biding their time. The signs are beginning to stare me in the face.

She takes a step toward me, and another, till I'm backing away from her.

"My advice? Run away. Run very far away. Or else… I'll kill you myself." She threatens, turning around and leaving without a backward glance, the door slamming shut behind her.

My entire body is trembling.

Gods, what do I do?