Chapter V
I awoke the next morning to a knock on the door.
Wiping sleep from my eyes and hobbling to the door, I opened it to find one of the people who had helped almost escape yesterday. She held a tray of food and spoke a soft "Good morning."
I bid her inside, "Good morning, thank you for bringing me breakfast."
I was truly grateful, swearing to never take another meal for-granted.
"You're welcome, let me know if there's anything else you need."
And then she turned to leave.
"Wait." I stopped her, "Um thank you for yesterday. Helping me I mean."
Again, my thanks were sincere, truly grateful for the only help I'd ever received in this terrible place. She met my eyes for a moment and gravely nodded.
"I'mSoleilby the way..." Trailing off as I waited for her to tell me hers.
"Constance."
We finally bid goodbye with small smiles.
And I abruptly felt the urge to cry.
No one had even bothered to ask my name in this whole ordeal. I was simply a nameless prisoner to them.
Turning my attention to the food, I kept my emotions at bay. I'd never felt so emotional and unstable. It wasn't me and I hated it.
Soon I'd polished off the tray, feeling almost sick I decided to take another shower, or bath since it would be easier to keep the cast from getting wet.
I just needed to make a list of things to get done and focus on that.
1. Take a bath.
2. Dress
3. Make a better list
This usually helped keep the overwhelming emotions at bay but I didn't know what to do this time.
After finishing dressing up, and I don't know how they managed to get clothes that managed to fit me so quickly, I felt slightly better.
As better as one could be in this situation.
Thinking about what to do next, I settled on getting answers from Arien and then hopefully convincing him of my innocence – well, partial innocence. And then surely I could convince him to let me go, or bargain somehow for my release.
I didn't trust Arien but he was my safest bet at the moment. As long as he kept this nice guy charade up, I figured he wouldn't physically hurt me. And hopefully I'd have escaped before he got tired of the act.
With renewed fortification and a better game plan, I ventured out of the room even though I wasn't sure about where to head to. Ultimately I opted for the dining room as it was the only place I actually knew how to get to.
Luckily Arien was seated at the table with some papers and a half eaten breakfast. He immediately looked up.
"Good morning mate." A smile touched his lips.
"Don't call me that," my vitriol tinged words slipped out before I could catch myself.
I bit the inside of my cheek. I didn't really want him to know my name, let alone use it but I hated having him call me that – like I belonged to him or something equally twisted.
"You preferSoleilthen? It's a slightly un-"
I remembered my thoight from yesterday, "How do you know my name?"
Now I was frowning, they'd yet to ask and I hadn't offered it.
"I got you your file from S?ren."
He observed me intently.
Bastards, of course they had a file on me.
And yet they still didn't know the truth that I wasn't a wolf like them – so much for having the upper hand, pretending to be superior.
Couldn't even do a proper little recon. Useless.
Perhaps this was a bit of bluster on my part but any false sense of having some leverage was welcome at this point.
I continued frowning and ignored the train of conversation that this delusional male had.
"I'm just here to clear up some things."
He sighed and stood up, "Okay, I suppose some explanations are in order. Let's head to the study and talk."
I paused for a moment unsurely, I didn't want to go anywhere else that was unknown territory. This dining hall had a sense of familiarity already, I think I was just clinging onto anything at this point, but I felt safer to a degree here.
Arien must have sensed my wariness because next he was reassuring me, "There won't be anyone else there."
Reasonably, I also knew that refusing would be futile. I was still a prisoner here. What say did I have in anything? Steeling myself, I simply followed his lead.
We walked down the hall until reaching large oak doors, Arien shoved them open and I followed him blindly inside.
Good to know my survival skills had been irreparably damaged.
The study was lined wall to wall with bookshelves and almost darkened with no natural light, and right at the centre, a desk loomed. I startled at S?ren in the seat at the desk.
No one else my ass.
I pinned Arien with a glare. He simply looked confused in return.
I looked away, it was my own fault for trusting a word out of his mouth.
Yet again - foolish, damaged survival skills.
As the door automatically shut, I shoved down the momentary urge to run.
S?ren's quick glance my way almost dared me to. How did one of these two monsters seem to have the power of noticing everything while the other had the distinct ability to overlook everything?
Arien motioned me to an armchair as I resolutely ignored S?ren's gaze, and then gently probed, "We're here to clear up everything and answer all your questions. But perhaps you can explain your side first?"
Oh great, you now want to hear what I have to say?
Only after ignoring nearly every word out of my mouth for over a week. But since I planned to stay alive so I kept my mouth firmly shut, especially with S?ren in the room.
I tried to calmly explain, "I needed to do a job for Zodiac, well he has me doing all sorts of jobs for him until the end of the year-"
"Why?" a sharp question from S?ren, Arien frowned his way.
Didn't you supposedly do stupid recon on me and yet you know nothing?!
I mashed my lips together.
"I used to work for the city council, as a PA. A councilman stupidly took a favour from Zodiac and somehow I ended up being the one to pay it off."
I paused in anticipation for S?ren's accusations, when none came, I continued, "Anyways, this particular job was simply to steal some documents from you, Arien, I mean, which is what I planned to do at the restaurant before you got back to your car.
But it all went skew and you came back before I could grab them so I was forced to. ..improvise." I trailed off.
Thus leading to my life becoming more of a mess than I even thought possible.
An improvisation I now deeply regret. Would probably always regret.
"And no one else was part of this plan?" Arien seemed confused.
"Well, no, not that I know of. But that means nothing really." S?ren's impatient glare had me quickening my explanation.
"I'm not exactly upper management, I don't get told shit. Just the job details and then I carry it out." Like a good little supernatural criminal underworld soldier.
Now Arien turned to S?ren in question, "It doesn't make any sense, Zodiac is a low level nobody – he wouldn't mess with us? And definitely not attempt to actually kill me."
A short laugh escaped from me before I mashed my lips together again. I really think the Doc might've been on to something with that brain damage diagnosis. I also couldn't help the sudden tightness in chest that became present at the sharp look of disdain from S?ren.
I molded my features back to normal and quickly explained to quell some of S?ren's potential anger. His anger wasn't safe.
"I mean, Zodiac is an idiot with an ego, if someone paid him enough – there's almost no limit to petty, quick crime he'd commit to.
Especially since he had us little underlings to get dirty on his behalf.
But he doesn't do murder contracts, and especially not on people higher up on the food chain. Too yellow."
"I thought you weren't high enough management to be privy to such information?
" S?ren retorted with a raised brow. I met his eye in challenge for a moment.
He had to know what I said was true, like I mentioned, S?ren noticed things.
Figured them out. And yet he was hellbent on refusing any truth I offered.
My patience was running thin, "I'm NOT. I simply watch and listen and make sense of things to survive.
Also, I was definitely not instructed to interact with Arien in any way, come on, even Zodiac wouldn't be dumb enough to think I could handle such a job on my own?
" I bit out, they had to know how stupid it was for them to even have considered this eventuality.
His eyes unflinchingly bit into mine as I held his gaze, mine finally dropping, offering defeat once that sick feeling returns to my stomach.
"Damn, that's true S?ren." Arien quietly stated. As if only now realising the improbability of the entire scenario.
We were silent for a moment before I couldn't help speaking up again, although solely keeping my gaze on Arien, "Now that you know the truth, why won't you let me go? I'll leave far far away and never speak of this to anyone. You must know that I wouldn't risk anything to come back here."
My final word made it clear what I was referring to, my prison. Arien flinched before starting to speak.
I cut him off bravely, "And before you say 'mates' again, I still don't know what that is so it's not a valid reason."
This time Arien was cut off before again, this time by S?ren. Who disinterestedly seemed to be presenting the facts, "Explaining it now to her won't make a difference. Might actually make things worse."
Arien in return looked positively dejected and looked down, sighing.
"Now you see why I let her go instead?"
How was one brother so tossed between emotions, displaying them like a picture book – while the other had all his tightly locked away?
Finally, he responded almost dejectedly, but at the same time resolute, "You know we can't do that, we have to make it right. You know what she means to us."
Now I was stepping back towards the door. "No. You have to let me go, THAT'S how you make things right."
I was shaking my head and trying, truly trying to think of a way to convince Arien to let me go. He was the only one in my way now. It was crueler, the hint of freedom that I could almost touch but not cross over to...all because of some misguided notion of his.
Arien gently spoke once more, "I wish I could give you what you want but you don't understand. We only get one mate and they are meant to remain with us until our final breaths."
I frantically continued to shake my head, panic rising, even daring to glance back at S?ren. Who only stared back with unfeeling black eyes.
Arien's voice continued to be soft, "No one will ever hurt you again, I promise. What happened," his voice hitched before he continued, "was a terrible terrible mistake that we'd do anything to take back."
His voice held absolute sincerity and a hint of fragility. I didn't trust it for one second.
I'd finally reached boiling point and started to overflow, as I nearly shouted, "You guys sicken me – first that and now you keep me here as some sick sex slave for the two of you or whatever?!" The vitriol drenched my words and spewed from my mouth.
I didn't even care about the death warrant I was drawing up with each word.
Arien instantly looked appalled, "No no- that's not- that's not at all what I meant. No one will touch you, not even us – we just need time and –"
"I'd rather die."
Not caring that my next action was blatantly reckless, I wrenched the door open and ran back to my room.