Chapter IV
A doctor was immediately sent for and I was led to another part of the sprawling house.
Arien continued to carry me despite my demonstrations until I numbly shut down.
His arms only reminded me of the prison I was trapped in.
I blankly let the doctor look over me with both S?ren and Arien present. I truly couldn't make sense of S?ren's continued presence. I was coming to understand that Arien had some confounded fascination with me but S?ren's clear hatred towards me, meant his presence confused me.
Zoning out for the entirety of the examination, the doctor soon gave up asking me whether anything hurt. Everything did, just not in the way he meant.
I only caught snippets of the conversation, as if I was floating just beyond this reality.
Broken ankle...
...inflammation of the lungs...
...bruised throat and ribs- how had that one happened? Oh yeah, probably when I viciously fought against the electrocution restraints around my chest.
Potential brain damage. I nearly laughed at that one, which is probably not a good sign when discussing brain damage.
I also thought I heard something break across the room halfway through the doctors diagnosis but my gaze remained firmly focused on the tile floor in front of me.
With my ankle in a cast and all other injuries treated as best they could be, Arien spoke again.
"I'll escort you to your room unless you need anything else from Dr Thule?"
Rising to my feet, I shook my head.
I wasn't stupid enough to even hope the doctor could be of help to me, he was clearly under their instruction and could do nothing. I was used to men in power paying people off and getting away with it.
Arien quickly moved to take me in his arms once more but the look I pinned him with put an abrupt stop to his actions. In no reality did I want to be carried anywhere by my new captor even if he was trying to confuse me with the nice guy act.
He looked conflicted for a moment before sighing and backing off.
S?ren subtly disappeared which only served to put me more on guard as Arien led me to my new room, or if we were being honest with ourselves- my new prison.
"Here we are."
Stepping into the room, I immediately shut the door in Arien's face, I had hoped to find a lock but was disappointed to find none.
Next my eyes raced to find a possible exit – more wishful thinking.
The quick look around the room and adjoined bathroom had my hopes promptly dashed as all windows contained metal trellis blocking any possible escape plan.
I ended up slumping on a couch, giving my throbbing leg a rest and allowing my similarly throbbing head to contemplate my recent change in situation and new confinement.
That's when the defeat and hopelessness rained down.
They weren't going to let me leave.
The reality of my imprisonment slowly set in as I stared out the window and finally let each one of the emotions I'd kept at bay creep up on me and consume me.
I don't know when the first tear leaked out but soon there were more.
And then racking sobs, and then I had to clench my chest to keep from hurting too bad as I uneasily drifted off to a restless sleep from sheer exhaustion.
I awoke to darkness.
Disorientated and confused, where I was slowly set in. A knock sounded at the door. That must have been what woke me. I arose in the inky room and tried to find my way to the door using the moonlight.
Arien stood on the other side. He cleared his throat while I simply stared back at him.
"I came to invite you to dinner."
He scratched his neck looking a bit unsure. He also moved to flick the light switch on, I took a step back at the motion, causing a frown to appear on his face.
Didn't he read the captors guidelines which clearly stated you don't politely invite captives to dinner? I moved to shut the door.
"Wait, I'll offer to answer any questions you might have."
I froze at the offer.
I had so many questions.
Considering the possibility of a trap, I relented once my mind turned up blank. They could hurt me whether I went to dinner or not. It was stupid to pretend that I was safe in this room.
I should have probably showered before heading back out, I stunk from sweat and grime.
But then again, I was definitely not about to be considerate towards them.
Even in their fancy mansion and perfectly dressed selves.
My dirt and stink could remind them how I shouldn't be here, how I didn't care to be here.
I stepped out and followed him down as we made our way slowly towards the dining room I assumed.
I had to stop myself from gaping upon entry, I couldn't help but notice just how opulent everything was.
It felt so disconnected from all I'd underwent in this place.
So much apparent beauty to cover the absolute filth, I inwardly scoffed.
Arien motioned me to a seat and pulled out a seat.
Good manners didn't suit kidnappers, I had to remember to bite my tongue.
Especially since S?ren sat at the opposite end of the table. Dangerously.
The food promptly arrived and I nearly couldn't stop myself from salivating all over my plate.
I'd forgotten how terribly hungry I was or when last I ate a proper meal.
But as quickly as my hunger had appeared, so did my nausea at the meal, my appetite instantly vanishing.
The very people who'd starved me were now trying to feed me.
I couldn't help but snort at the thought.
Arien sharply looked up, "Eat."
The command simply made me want to hurl something at his head but I simply clenched my fists tighter.
"So tell me why I'm here."
"After you eat."
I tried to keep my frustration at bay. A mere few hours ago I would've given almost anything for some proper food but now I wanted nothing more than to throw this food in their faces.
How did they manage to make it that even when I was given something that should be good, something that wouldn't harm me – they still managed to make me feel so sick and angry and powerless?
Saving my rebellion, and gaining strength for said rebellion, for more worthwhile matters, I picked up the fork and started on the food before me.
It very nearly brought me to tears, just how good it tasted.
I made quick work of the rest of my meal before looking back up at Arien, who was already staring back at me, perhaps had been this entire time.
Table manners be damned, I'd basically shoveled the entire plate into my mouth in record time, probably making myself sick soon. But I didn't care, it just tasted sooo good.
He took a breath before starting, "We can't let you leave because you're our mate."
I stared back blankly.
"I said you're our mate Soleil?"
Wait, he knew my name?
Ignoring that, I shook my head, "I don't know what you mean."
Arien looked even more incredulous, "Every wolf knows, or should know, what this means, I don't see how-"
"I'm n-" I nearly spat before catching myself.
I'm not one of you monsters.
Wait, they thought I was a werewolf?
Had they thought this the entire time?
I couldn't figure out whether the truth would harm or help me in this situation. And I couldn't show my hand before figuring out which it was. I held so little information, so little power to get me out so each and every morsel I had at my disposal needed to be treated cautiously.
But this new information was puzzling. I had come to be able to pretty reliably figure out who was a werewolf or not since I'd become aware of their existence.
There was something that simmered in their eyes, a type of feral nature that I had slowly begun to pick up on, and I just figured that there was a reverse type of sense on their end.
Thought they probably could smell the weakness on us humans or something like that. How could they not know?
S?ren's sharp gaze now bore into me. Shit. Things like my little slip up didn't just pass him by.He noticed too much.
I quickly rallied to rectify my answer, "I'm not sure what that is, I didn't grow up around here. I'm just a nobody, came to make some money in Gideon but not to stay for long."
Hopefully that was good enough for now.
"You're lying. Why would you randomly be working for Zodiac then?" Speaking for the first time since I'd arrived, S?ren all but spat.
I shifted in my seat but tried to give a clear answer, "I'm not but I don't have the energy nor the means to prove it to you.
I'm for the moment in a sense indebted to Zodiac.
Anyways I just got messed with the wrong people, it wasn't really my choice.
..I didn't really have a choice to work for him. "
The two of them just stared back, one confused, the other impenetrable.
Then, Arien was up in a flash, pushing S?ren against the wall.
"She was simply doing a job for some low level thug S?ren. "
Each word landed like a painful blow.
"You jumped to a conclusion for no reason and sanctioned Demeter to do something unimaginable because of your own obstinacy," Arien was positively shaking at this point.
And as I looked down, so were my hands at the sudden display of violence and rising tempers. My shoulders instinctively bent inwards as if to protect myself or make make myself appear smaller and shield myself from whatever was coming.
My thoughts must have wandered because the next moment in which I refocused was at the slamming of the door as S?ren left after his final statement, "We know nothing yet."
Arien sighed and ran a hand through his chestnut hair.
"May I return to my room now?" I quietly squeezed out.
Arien looked back conflicted but eventually answered, "Of course."
After being led back to my room, I immediately fell onto the bed and curled into a tight ball. Nothing in this situation made sense. I struggled to sort through the events and my thoughts.
First they kidnapped me for accidentally on purpose drugging Arien. Then I was kept and hurt for my supposed crime and information which they thought I had but didn't. Finally they decided to let me go but promptly changed their mind and now mistakenly thought that I'm their mate?
The mate situation had me the most stumped because from what I understood from the little I'd gleaned during my time in this town, that was what they called their wife or husband. Or maybe just their significant other. But whatever it was – it was definitely not me.
I filed away these questions for later. Maybe Arien could answer them since he promised to do so before the whole incident happened...not that I could believe his word to mean anything.
I absently rubbed my temples with the rising headache. I needed to figure all this out so I could find away to get out of here. But in the meantime, some proper sleep would probably help my aching body.
If only sleep was easy to find.
I knew I should clean up first, it had been days since I'd last showered but I could almost feel my fatigue all the way down in my bones.
I was just so deeply tired, in a way I'd never felt before.
I feared I'd pass out in the shower and crack my head open or drown myself in a bath.
I imagined dying in such a manner after what's I'd already endured and almost laughed. ..just not quite.
Unable to find a comfortable position, I spent what felt like an hour fidgeting and re-adjusting my position.
Defeated at my state of consciousness, I finally threw some bedding and pillows to the ground, creating a comfortable spot.
The hardened surface which my body had become accustomed to, beckoned in sleep quicker than I could have guessed and soon I was drifting off.
The final thought that flitted through my mind as sleep claimed me was that I now knew my tormentor's name.
Demeter.
And S?ren too. He had, after all, been the one to sanction everything.
Another monster to watch out for.