8. Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight
Nyx
It takes us a while to walk back through the trees to the house, and when we reach the clearing, I'm startled to find the man from the meeting table waiting in front of the door. The only consolation is the bundle of clothes in his hands to shield his alpha's naked body, and Marie lurking in the shadows behind him.
The witch and I lock eyes, her face appearing even more disgruntled than usual. Then again, if I was woken up in the middle of the night to say the prisoner had escaped and negotiated a deal which required her participation, I'd probably be furious too.
I don't climb the steps to the porch, instead hanging back to give me space in case I need to run. Cade takes the clothes from the man with a "thanks" , pulling them on in front of everyone. Clearly, he has no shame, and I scoff to myself, shaking my head as I stare away at the trees.
"Have you been properly introduced yet?" he asks, grabbing my attention back.
I raise an eyebrow, baffled by his words. He gives me a grin, gesturing with his hand to the other man. "This is Sawyer, my Beta."
I ignore the small sense of pride at my detective skills because in all honesty, it was clearly obvious this asshole was the alpha. But I'm equally perplexed by the pleasantries, glaring at Sawyer with confusion.
"We met briefly," he confirms, a small smile on his lips. "She made quite the impression on the others—especially James."
My face scrunches up. "You mean the pair that manhandled me? Yes, they made quite the impressions themselves. Not a good one, if I'm being honest."
Cade waves his hand dismissively. "And Marie?"
The witch's gaze snaps to him at the sound of her name. "I was there too," she says with a grunt.
"Great," he answers, unfazed. "Release her wolf."
It's apparent that he hadn't briefed the two of them prior to our return. Sawyer looks puzzled, glancing between us with uncertainty, while Marie rolls her eyes at the order.
"Are you sure?" Sawyer asks quietly. "Can we trust her yet?"
"Are you questioning my decision?" Cade shoots back coolly.
Sawyer shakes his head, his blonde hair somewhat disheveled at this time of night. "Not at all. I'm just surprised."
"She's not going to run. Are you, Nyx?" he directs the last part to me with a smile.
I throw him a snarky smirk, folding my arms. "Yet to be seen."
While Cade looks unbothered by my reply, I can sense Sawyer's hesitation. But he doesn't say anything further, not willing to defy his leader.
Cade points toward me as he looks at Marie. "Marie, please."
Her posture stiffens as she turns toward me, eyes narrowing as she silently mouths some words. Suddenly, I feel Mira's presence in my mind, my body relaxing slightly.
"Mira. Are you okay?"
"I suppose so," she answers. "Are you?"
I sigh out loud, even though it's a private conversation. Let them see my reaction. "Not in the slightest. Just make sure to control yourself. Remember—we already have two mates."
Cade gives me an amused look as Mira and I converse silently, his sweatpants hanging on his hips dangerously low. I notice that he's still shirtless, wearing an unzipped hoodie that flashes his torso, but at least his balls have been put away.
"Step inside, Nyx. I held up my end of the bargain."
On cue, Sawyer reaches for the door handle, pushing open the large wooden door.
Immediately, Marie turns around, stalking back inside now that her job is done. I hesitate for a moment, apprehensive of going back to the cells, but under their heated glances, I need to honor my side of things too.
There's no honor among thieves though.
I slowly climb the stairs, shooting a deadly glare at Cade, silently daring him to pull any sneaky moves. The two men follow me inside, and I'm surprised when they gesture for me to head through the open door to my right instead of the cell door on the side of the staircase.
As we walk through, I recognize the dining room from earlier, except the table is empty this time. Though, I'm not sure what I was expecting at this time of night. Cade takes a seat at the head of the table, casually leaning back as he motions for me to sit.
I wait for Sawyer to pull out a seat, mentally calculating which spot is the furthest from them, before I finally sit down. Cade laughs at my choice, sharing a look with his right-hand man.
"You were right. She is feisty."
"You're just working that out, now?" I goad.
Cade shakes his head with silent laughter. "Just an observation. Calm down."
"Calm down," I repeat, feeling somewhat more confident at the table. "I think we're beyond that."
Sawyer shoots Cade a knowing look. "Perhaps it would be best if this discussion took place tomorrow."
"No, I think we should talk now," I interject. "What is it that you want from me exactly?"
Cade tips his chair back, casually glancing over at me. "We just wanted to see if we were correct."
I sigh loudly in frustration. "About what?"
"Whether you were my mate or not."
It's so quiet that you can hear the night animals outside, chirping and howling in the woods. I'm surprised I didn't notice it earlier, but then again, I was running for my life. Probably like I should be doing right now.
"Why would you even assume that?" I ask heatedly. "You obviously know that I have already mated with—" The words get caught in my throat, my teeth biting down into the soft flesh on the inside of my lip.
"Two other alphas, yes," Cade confirms, finishing my sentence. "We know. That's why we were curious."
I can't help the frown that appears, temporarily forgetting that I'm supposed to be hostile and afraid. "I don't understand. Why would you assume I was your mate if I already had two?"
"For that exact reason," Sawyer answers, as if it's the most obvious thing in the entire world.
I shake my head. "I don't follow. Let me get this straight. You stalked me, kidnapped me—by smashing my head, I might add—just to see if I was your mate?"
Cade actually has the nerve to frown. "You seem really upset about that. It keeps coming up in conversation. Sawyer, let Ezra know I need to speak with him in the morning."
"Of course I'm upset," I gape at him. "You would be too."
"Understandable, but like I already explained, it was a spur of the moment decision. But if you're that unhappy about it, I'll speak to him."
There's too much shock and disbelief surging through my system, that I can't seem to find the strength to close my mouth. I continue to stare at him in disbelief, confused more than ever.
"You're really going to speak to him about it?"
"Well, you seem to be quite upset about it. What kind of alpha would I be if I didn't try to correct our mistakes?"
Finally, I manage to close my mouth—only for a second though as I start laughing hysterically. The two men wait for me to finish, bewildered expressions on their faces as they watch me.
"Correct your mistakes? If we're going to go down that path, then I would suggest starting with the most obvious fact—you are hunting women and kidnapping them," I snap.
Cade raises an eyebrow. "Only a few," he confirms, pausing when he spots my eyes widening. "For good reason."
"Oh, of course," I mutter sarcastically. "To see if I was your mate. Well, excuse me for not agreeing with your reasoning."
Ignoring me, he turns to Sawyer. "I can see that we're not going to make much headway tonight. Escort her to a room and we'll resume in the morning. But, let the others know that we are expecting company. I believe we may have some wolves from her other packs arriving at some stage tomorrow."
It feels like a rubber band, snapping back into place as I'm jolted back to reality. "Don't hurt them," I beg. "I mean it, Cade. If you hurt any of them, then this fucked up bargain we have can kiss my ass."
Cade pushes his chair back, positioning his hands on the edge of the table. "I have no reason to hurt them. But if they touch any of my pack, then I'll deal with them as I see fit."
I follow his movements, shoving my own chair back. The force sends it toppling over behind me. "I'll rip your throat out."
"I'd really love to see you try," he teases playfully, giving me a wink. "Sawyer will take you to your room. Don't try to escape. We'll be watching."
Not waiting for my reply, he turns and heads out the door toward the stairs. I open my mouth to yell out to him, but Sawyer cuts me off.
"Follow me, please," he orders, holding his hand out toward the entrance.
Begrudgingly, I shut my mouth, trailing behind him as he leads me upstairs.
I glance around as we ascend, noticing the excessive amount of white, even on the second level. There's a long hallway once we reach the landing, lined with closed white doors and one lone black door at the end. I just catch it closing, a soft thud confirming that it's the Alpha's room.
Sawyer grabs the top of my arm, giving me a tug as he pulls me along the corridor toward it. About halfway along, he pauses, gesturing to a closed door.
"You can stay here. There's a bathroom inside as well."
When I don't move, he sighs to himself, turning the knob and pushing it open.
Glancing inside, I spot a bed pressed up against the left wall, a chair by the closed window, and another door to the right, leading to what I assume is the bathroom he speaks of.
We stare at each other for a few seconds, before I mumble some curse words under my breath, stepping inside. I hear the door click behind me and when I turn, I'm surprised and relieved to find I'm alone. But then the sound of a lock turning into place reaches my ears, and I step forward, jiggling the knob. It doesn't budge and on the other side, I hear Sawyer say something that sounds like, "Just go to sleep already", before footsteps walk away.
I contemplate smashing through the door. If I shifted, Mira would have no issue decimating the wood, but I doubt I'd get very far. They'd hear, pouncing on me instantly before I even reach the stairs.
As little as it means, at least if I'm locked in here, it means they are locked out. I had noticed the keyhole on the door, and I assume—and hope—that the only key is with Sawyer. No one else should be able to get in, and it seems like my plan is working. They are irritated by me—at least I think so—and probably have no desire to deal with me for the rest of the night. At least if I try to get some rest, though I don't expect to actually sleep, I'll have a clearer head to deal with them tomorrow.
I try not to focus on the minor appreciation I feel at being in an actual room instead of a cell, but if anything, they didn't seem surprised that I managed to break out.
I'm surprised though.
I wish I could feel better about the whole thing, but not knowing what is happening to me is terrifying. It's not the first time this has happened. The other alphas told me I had glowed after we were attacked on the way back from Lydiana's house. I have to wonder if this was the same thing. But if it is, why was I suddenly able to break the chains? And how did I activate the glow?
Walking over to the window, I look over, spotting the moon high over the trees. My fingers trace the window frame, and when I try to unlock it, I realize it's been locked with a key—of course it has.
Sighing, I resign myself to the fact that I'm here for the night. But Cade seemed pretty confident that Lex, Maverick, and Alpha Daxton would arrive tomorrow. That must mean we aren't too far from Shadow Creek. He also knows I contacted them—but surprisingly, didn't rip me to shreds. Though, he wasn't happy about it. Almost as if he wanted more time with me before they arrived…
I hate to admit it… but I have mixed feelings about him. I'm trying to hate him, to stay on my guard. But he keeps surprising me, being overly polite and looking at me warmly.
Heading to the bathroom, I'm pleased when there's a mirror so I can see exactly what I look like. I let out a gasp of horror at my state. I knew I was filthy, but seeing it with my own two eyes, dirty doesn't quite cover it.
There's a shower in here, but I'm not willing to get naked and vulnerable, even if I'm desperate to feel clean. I turn on the tap, cup the water in my hands, and wipe some of the muck off my skin. When I've done as much as I can without a shower, I sit cross-legged on the end of the bed, talking to Mira as we try to figure out what is going on.
And before long, the moon is disappearing behind the trees as the sun starts to rise on the horizon.
I survived the night.