Delaney POV
I was left standing against the wall, the click of the door after they walked out barely registering. The throb in my temples was growing, spreading to the frontal part of my head, threatening to explode. No one had ever defied the alpha kings and lived to tell the tale, but how could I just leave? A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts, prompting me to step away from the wall.
"Come in," I murmured, my eyes glued to the door. I wasn't expecting to see my other best friend, Carter, accompanied by a pale and shaken Nyra.
"Nyra wasn't joking when she said you were being forced to leave," Carter stated, pulling me into a tight hug. I closed my eyes, relaxing in his arms as he rubbed my back. Something about his embrace felt different, though. It did not make me feel safe like it used to or arouse feelings like before; it simply didn't feel like Alpha Kai's. We had kissed a couple of times, but each time I stopped it before it escalated to sex.
"I don't want to," I whispered, pulling from the hug.
"I ca-n't." My voice broke, my eyes burning as I looked at my best friends. The very friends who had kept me going since my mother disappeared without a trace when I was 8 years old.
"But you can't defy the alpha kings' orders, I still haven't recovered from the power they were oozing in this very room," Nyra spoke in a hushed tone.
"Yes, I can, Nye," I responded firmly. "How can I just abandon you? college? My dad? I have been the only constant thing in his life since my mom's disappearance. I have seen him struggle to stay strong for me, burying the pain inside every single day to raise me. What will happen if I leave him alone?" I lamented, a lump growing in my throat.
I turned, facing the door that led to my balcony. My eyes were burning with unshed tears, but every time I felt the liquid bubbling to the surface, I blinked rapidly to push it back. Then an idea crossed my mind, making my trembling lips stretch into a smile.
"I have an idea," I suddenly said, walking across the room in short, fast steps to my closet. There, I yanked four bed sheets, my heart beating beginning to accelerate.
"What are those for?" Nyra asked, her forehead creasing as she followed me to the balcony, Carter trailing behind.
"I am going to tie these to the rails and climb down, and then I am going to make a run for it," I explained, knotting the first two bed sheets together with my hands trembling.
"Are you nuts?" Nyra whisper-yelled, looking at me like I had two heads.
"Let me help you," Carter chimed in, earning a side glare from Nyra.
"Do you know what the alpha kings will do to us when they find out, or your dad? He'll kill us!" Nyra hyperventilated, tugging at Carter's sleeve, trying to stop him from tying the remaining sheets.
"I have to do this, Nye, please," I pleaded, my voice barely above a whisper.
"What is your plan once you get down? Where will you go?" Carter asked, fastening the end against one of the metal rails of my balcony.
"I, I don't—"
"Run to my parent's cabins in the woods and wait for us there. I am assuming that once your dad and the alpha kings realise you are gone, they will begin a search. Nyra and I will blend in and come to you in the pretence of searching for you, okay?" Carter's plan sounded good and solid.
"Why can't you just jump? We are werewolves, remember? If you want to escape so much, then jumping will save time," Nyra chimed in, swallowing hard. She had no idea that I had no wolf and that jumping would be attempted suicide.
Before I could answer, there was a knock at my door, followed by my father's voice calling me. All of us panicked, our eyes widening, about to get caught up in the act.
"Go, go distract him, lie that she is in the bathroom." Carter nudged Nyra while I swung my leg over the balcony. I could feel my heart beating as blood rushed to my ears.
"Is she done?" I could hear my father asking Nyra, but I didn't wait to hear her reply. I clutched on to the fabric and began lowering myself inch by inch, ignoring the burn the sheets left on my palms. A few inches down, the knot creaked, sending my heart leaping to my throat. A silent scream passed between my lips as I looked at Carter, then down at the ground. One minute I was dangling in the air, and the next I felt the sound of the sheets tearing.
"Carter!" I screamed his name as my foot slipped, only for the scream to be cut short as I came into contact with the ground. I could have sworn I saw his lips stretch into a sinister smirk. Pain radiated from my ankle, spreading upwards as I rolled on the ground. With my vision blurring, I caught a glimpse of Carter easily jumping down, landing beside me with his feet and one hand on the ground.
"Ssh," he hushed, placing his hand on my mouth.
"Call my d-ad," I breathed, gasping when pain radiated across my chest.
"No need, Del; I am going to take good care of you," he whispered, rubbing his hand on top of my head gently. I was struggling to keep my eyes open, but a blurry glimpse at his, and all I could see was something in them. A feeling that crossed quickly, almost as if I had assumed it.
"D-ad," I voiced out again, my head feeling so full. I attempted to keep my eyes open, but every struggle proved futile, and soon my eyes involuntarily closed.
Before I could slip into nothingness completely, a familiar voice, though sounding so distant, filled my throbbing ears.
Delaney POV
My head throbbed as I made out a faint hum of what sounded like an engine. I could feel my head lying on something warm, hard, definitely not my bed. I could also feel a hand on my hip. Then I opened my eyes, blinking rapidly as the back of an SUV leather seat came into focus, then the side of an unknown driver. Reflexively, I shot up immediately, realising that I had been lying on one of the alpha kings' laps. I just didn't know which one, with my mind all jumbled up.
"Easy there," came Ronan's voice, and only when he talked did I realise he had been the one I had been lying on. He stretched lazily, amusement dancing in his eyes, as if I hadn't used him as a mattress for what goddess knew how long.
"We wouldn't want you to hurt yourself. You nearly cracked your skull during the stunt you pulled earlier," he reminded, making me scoot further near the door. No wonder my ankle hurt, though not as much as I expected it to.
"We couldn't exactly wait until you woke up. Time is of the essence to us, so we carried you," Kai joined from the passenger seat, not even looking once at me.
"Where is my father?" I asked, my voice thick and heavy, still processing.
"Oh my god, Nyra, Carter," I whispered, eyes directed at Ronan for answers.
"Where are we?" I added, looking through the rear window. My heart skipped a bit when the scenery caught my eyes. Thick woods, gnarled and overgrown, stretched endlessly on either side of the road. Nothing looked familiar about the place, not even the sky.
"Where else, little mouse? In the outskirts of the kingdom's capital, heading to our estate, of course," Ronan answered casually.
"What the hell! Are you out of your fucking minds?" My voice arose as the driver gasped, probably because I had spoken that way to the alpha kings.
"I told you to tame that mouth," Kai warned, looking over his seat at me.
"You are not my father," I hissed at Kai.
"Stop the car," I spat, fumbling with the door handle.
"We had already made it clear that you were coming with us, so quit whining and act like an alpha's daughter." My jaw dropped at Kai's words and the nonchalance in his tone.
"You drugged me...stole me, and," I hyperventilated, turning to glare at Ronan, then continued, "used me as a pillow by putting your hand on me!"
"Ronan grinned. "You are the one who drooled on me, sweetheart."
"I did not."
"A little," Kai murmured, his lips twitching as if he was fighting off a smile.
"And we didn't drug you; you passed out when you fell. Have you forgotten so soon?" Ronan added, raising a brow at me.
"How could you carry me while I was out of it? Have you no heart?" I questioned, looking alternately at the both of them.
"You are a werewolf, Delaney; we knew you'd be healed in no time." I bit my lip at Ronan's words, swallowing hard.
"Like I said, we are too busy to waste time waiting on you," Kai clarified yet again, sending a slight stabbing pain across my chest.
I let out a sound between a scream and a growl, running my hand through my hair. Where the hell was I going to start, with my friends left behind? And my father, how could he have me shipped away without even a goodbye?
"Take me back, right now." I crossed my arms, tapping my unhurt foot on the floor of the SUV.
"Not happening," Ronan replied, his tone turning suddenly serious.
"You are our problem now," Kai added.
"I am not your anything," I defiantly said, but that did not stop the SUV from rolling deeper into the woods.
The rest of the drive was filled with tension, and every tree that zoomed by reminded me that my life back at home had been ripped away. I stared through the window, wishing that the forest would just disappear and take the two smug alpha kings with it. Soon the trees began to thin, and iron gates came into view, behind them stone walls looming high.
"Finally." Ronan stretched as the gates opened, revealing two lines of guards on either side, bowing. The road was obsidian, winding up between well-kept gardens, well-trimmed hedges and silver lamps. I couldn't blink as a fountain in front of a castle came into view, two wolves carved from white stone at the centre, water coming from their mouths.
"Welcome to the Alpha Kings' Estate and your new home," Kai said, then stepped out first after a guard opened the door, not bothering to look back.
"Try not to escape; you won't make it far," Ronan warned, stepping outside. I took a deep breath, then raised my head high and stepped out, ignoring his outstretched hand.
I barely had time to walk around the SUV when a beautiful young woman practically threw herself at Ronan. I watched as he caught her by her ass, with her hands wrapped around his neck.
"I missed you so much, babe," she whispered against his neck, her sickly sweet voice making me roll my eyes.
"Chloe," Ronan said, lowering her on the ground, but not before she kissed him. I pressed my teeth together, my jaw clenching at the sight. I couldn't explain why their intimacy suddenly made my blood boil.
"I couldn't wait to see you," she purred, tracing her finger along his chest. "You didn't tell me you'd be coming back with a guest." Her eyes flicked over to me, sizing me up and down as if I was nothing before her. Oh, how I wanted to gouge her eyes out and cut her fingers for touching Ronan.
"Mark, escort Chloe away; we have more important things to handle," Kai ordered, one guard stepping forward. She walked away without a word, obviously fearful of Kai.
"I want a room far away from you two," I stated, walking between the two men as they headed to the stairs that led to the castle front door.
"Why, afraid we will bite?" Ronan leaned in, Chloe's perfume wafting into my nose, making me almost gag.
"If I knew any better, I would say you wanted to kick Chloe's ass," he added, wrapping his arm around my waist to pull me close to him.
"Get away from me," I hissed, lifting my hand to push him away from me when Kai held my hand, stopping me.
He then pulled me closer to him, holding my gaze. His blank, without any readable emotion as he spoke, his voice filled with almost palpable power, "this is not your usual pack, Delaney. Disrespect here is not allowed; you'd best remember that."
I yanked my hand free from his hold and, with my chin high, stormed up the steps, ignoring the pain that was shooting up my ankle. I couldn't limp, not when it would raise questions about why I had not healed yet. I didn't make it out to the door before Kai spoke again.
"There is a mandatory run in our wolf form tomorrow; make sure you are ready 20 minutes before. I'll personally come for you in your room."
Delaney POV
"A mandatory run? You've got to be kidding me!" I facepalmed, gathering my confidence after seconds of opening and closing my mouth without a word. I followed Kai behind, swallowing every pain that shot up my leg with every hurried step I took.
"I just fell over from my balcony, for goodness sake, got kidnapped by you and your brother, and now you expect me to attend a run the first day of this forced stay?" I threw my hands in the air, my voice rising an octave. Kai remained silent, his broad shoulders visibly tense beneath his black shirt.
"And whose fault was that? It's been almost 3 hours now, Delaney; surely you have healed by now," Ronan chimed in, following behind. Our footsteps echoed on the polished marble floor, lower than our voices as we spoke.
"And tomorrow will be your second day in our home, not your first," he added smoothly. "How did you even get into college if you can't count from one to two?" His words stirred a boiling feeling inside, one that was crawling up my body first. I whirled around to glare at him, something I had done a lot since meeting him.
"Soon I won't be able to say the numbers at all, because you and your brother ripped me away from home, from college," I replied in a low voice, my teeth pressed together as I attempted to control a boiling feeling in my stomach. Then I spun back, attempting to keep up with Kai, who was winding up the wide bifurcated staircase that separated at the landing.
I used the handrails made of polished brown wood to support myself as I climbed up, admiring the railings made of intricate wrought iron that brought an ancient feel. At the top, Kai took the right flight of stairs that veered to what I assumed was the right wing.
"Hey Alpha Kai," I called, my patience thinning. "If you haven't been listening for the last few minutes, I said that I am not going to go for that run tomorrow," I repeated, pronouncing each word slowly and loud enough for him to understand. Down the hall was a young man dressed in blue-washed jeans and a black t-shirt approaching, smiling at obviously the two twins.
"Alpha Ronan, Alpha Kai," he bowed slightly when we met halfway, right outside an intricate wooden double door.
"You must be Delaney," he sidestepped Kai, stretching his hand towards me, his eyes lingering on me a little too long for my comfort. I looked at both twins, wondering how a man I was meeting for the first time knew me.
"This is Elias, our cousin and the head of every staff member in this estate. He will show you to your room. You should be settled by dinnertime; I expect you to get down to the dining room before 6." Ronan explained while Kai pushed the door open and disappeared inside.
"What's the time? Did you even carry my phone?" I asked, realising that I had been so caught up in their forced stay that I totally forgot about my phone.
"Should be in your bag. I am sure your stuff has been safely put in your room as we speak. See you at dinner." With that, Ronan followed Kai, leaving me with a total stranger and a million questions, complaints and obscene words.
"Right this way," Elias directed, giving me a smile that I wanted to slap off his face. What was good to smile about?
"Alpha Kai never changes his mind when he decides something," he spoke after some time as I quietly followed him in the dimly lit hallway.
"Huh?" I asked, glaring at the back of his head.
"I heard you telling him that you were not going for tomorrow's run," he clarified, leading me to another set of stairs at the end of the hallway that led to the second floor.
"And how is that your business?" I snapped, narrowing my eyes when he chuckled in return.
"Is something funny?" I asked.
"It's just that Ronan warned me that you were a handful when he called to have your room prepared," he answered as we got to the second floor. The hallway here was much wider, and the air smelt of lavender.
"Is that so?" I pressed.
"This wing belongs to the alpha kings entirely. No one is allowed up here except me, the housekeeper, and occasionally Alpha Ronan's fu-friend." The moment he mentioned that, my mind took me back to the woman who practically threw herself at Ronan.
"And Alpha Kai's?" I pressed, even though I wasn't sure about whether I needed an answer.
"He hasn't brought a woman here since their ma..." Elias trailed off, standing in front of a dark oak double door that had intricate patterns and gold accents that looked quite old.
"Here you are," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.
"You were saying something about Kai," I pressed, curiosity rising.
"Don't let him find you digging up stuff about him." He opened the door, revealing a stunning room that had a high ceiling, a king-size bed with blue and white bedding, and large windows that were framed by white sheers. My duffel bag was placed on the floor by the foot of the bed.
"This leads to the walk-in closet and that," he pointed at a door at the furthest corner, then added, "leads to the bathroom."
"And that?" I pointed at another door, raising my eyebrows when he looked aside.
"It leads to the balcony, but I was instructed to screw it in," he muttered.
"Then open it."
"I can't; I was told you have history with balconies," he explained, fighting off an amusing smile. There was a short silence between us, as I tried to fight insults that were bubbling at the tip of my tongue.
"You'll find essentials in the closet," he said after a while, moving to open it.
"There are mostly clothes, selected specifically for you by the housekeeper, and..." He paused, eyeing my clothes with a smirk on his face. "A little more tailored to the Alphas' taste than yours."
I narrowed my eyes, peering into the closet. Heels, silk, lace, leather—great, so I basically had nothing comfortable to wear. "This is their taste?" Elias nodded.
"Are they expecting me to walk in lingerie and heels?" I shook my head, stepping away from the closet door.
"I wouldn't put it past them," Elias said, his tone firm, expression serious.
"Fantastic," I huffed and spun back toward the door again. "And whose room is to my left?"
"Kai's," he answered, then gestured to the door across the hall. "And that's Ronan's, so you are basically in between them." So it was their plan all along to situate me between them.
"Hey, can I ask you a question?" I peeped at the hallway to check whether the coast was clear, lowering my voice.
"Sure."
"There was a girl who threw herself at Ronan when we arrived..." I trailed off, not entirely sure why I had this strong urge to dig up info about her.
"Uh, yes, Chloe. Listen." He stepped closer, looking straight into my eyes.
"If you want a nice and smooth stay in the capital, stay away from Chloe and her minions. She is not someone you want to be friends with or against. I'll come pick you up in a few hours for dinner." He left after that, leaving me to my thoughts.
