Rivers
It had been several minutes since I woke up in this unfamiliar room, his scent still wrapped around me like something possessive, something I couldn't escape. I didn't need anyone to tell me whose room this was, it was obvious. But then my throat burned, dry and rough like stone scraping against itself.
I glanced around slowly, taking in every corner of the room, but there was no fridge, no dining table, nothing that suggested water was anywhere within reach. My throat ached painfully, each swallow harsher than the last, and I needed water, desperately. I had been starved of food and water many times before, but this… this felt different. Worse. Like my body was breaking from the inside.
I don't know if it was safe to leave the room, but I stood up from the bed, feeling my body drained from exhaustion and my body slightly weak but still responsive.
No… not the weakness that could have come with being wiped several strokes, just as in previous encounters. At least I could stand without collapsing or feeling like my bones would give out beneath me.
I moved slowly toward a more secluded section of the room. It opened into a wider space, with a thin mattress lying carelessly at the corner, almost like an afterthought. The area resembled where I had woken up earlier, though smaller, less furnished. At the far end, a staircase stretched upward, disappearing into the upper level.
Was he upstairs? Had he left me here to rest?
I couldn't tell. And honestly, I didn't care right now.
All I needed… was water.
So I turned away towards a large dark steel door I spotted not far from where I stood. Slowly, I moved my legs towards the door, hoping I could get just any spot or something like a stand I could get water from. Even just a drop would do.
****
Alpha Nathan
The entire process was far more tedious than I had anticipated. This year's Alpha summit wasn't just ceremonial, it was decisive. It would determine who qualified to stand in the Supreme Alpha King summit next year.
I didn't crave the title, not truly. But bringing it back to the Darkshades… that would mean everything. It would mean fulfilling my Dad's long-held dream. And that alone carried weight I couldn't ignore.
Standing among the other Alphas as we prepared for the first hunting round, my focus should have been sharp, unwavering. But instead, my thoughts kept slipping, dragged back to the lady I had left behind in my manor.
How is she now?
Is she awake?
The questions came uninvited, persistent.
I shouldn't be thinking about her like this.
And yet… I was.
I couldn't even explain it properly. The pull I felt, it was stronger than logic, stronger than control. Stronger than I was willing to admit.
Before leaving, I had ordered for food and water and informed Lawrence, giving him the keys to my manor. He was to make sure everything she could possibly need would be within reach.
That way in case she wakes up and needs anything. I believe Lawrence would have done just that already.
At least, that's what I told myself.
Still, something about his behavior earlier hadn't sat right with me. I felt something was off with his attitude after that first encounter with him. I pushed the thought aside at the time, dismissing it as nothing.
But constantly, my mind would drift towards her. And for some obvious reasons, I haven't seen Alpha King Benjamin ever since I arrived at this hunting ground.
That alone was suspicious.
For someone so obsessed with power, with claiming the title of Supreme Alpha King, his absence during the first hunt round didn't make sense.
"I have a bad feeling he's up to something," Maxwell muttered within me, his voice low and tense.
I didn't argue.
Because I felt it too.
"I feel something isn't right with our mate. You might want to go check on her," Maxwell said in my head.
I could feel the rising unease spreading and curling up around me, but the hunt was just a few minutes to start, and I wouldn't want to miss this first round.
*****
Rivers
I had just made it to the door and surprisingly found it locked. I huffed defeatedly, feeling each breath I took hotter than the former. Normally, I don't usually feel this starved of water, and I don't really know why this was so unnatural.
Like something was wrong.
I turned, intending to head back, when something near the edge of the door caught my attention. Two buttons.
One glowed green, emitting a soft, steady beep. The other flickered red beneath it.
I stared at them for a moment, uncertain, my mind sluggish from dehydration. Either one could open the door, or trigger something worse.
But instinct pushed me.
My hand lifted, pressing the green button.
A sharp beep followed.
Then another.
And suddenly, the door slid open.
It led into a large hallway that stretched out endlessly in the same blue and golden lighting. I don't know where this led to, but hopefully, I get to find just anything to quench my thirst and even food, as my stomach had started grumbling already.
I hesitated.
But my body made the choice for me.
I stepped forward.
My gown was split from the back, but not too much exposed so as to show off a large part of my back. But hopefully, I wasn't stepping out too far away as I prayed silently I met someone to help me out pretty soon.
My heart began to feel hot from the sharp soreness in my throat, and sooner than later, I knew I wouldn't be able to contain it any longer.
As I crumbled my way through this really large passageway, my feet thumped into the floor, and my eyes moved ahead as it opened up to another large room that had a podium at the center, just the way the other waiting room the guard had instructed I wait for them.
Only this was different and had the same blue golden glow. I was thankful I could spot someone by the counter, a dark-haired man, tall, with broad shoulders, in a white T-shirt and his jaw slightly defined.
He lifted his eyes with a small smile that didn't seem warm. "How do I help you, miss?" he asked calmly.
"I need water. And maybe a small portion of food," I said through hot breaths, hoping he could provide a solution.
He just looked down at something behind the counter and didn't respond immediately, but when he did, lifting up his head only briefly, he gestured towards the large dark door ahead. "You take that door out and move towards your right. You should see a cafeteria at the far end," he said and turned back towards what he was doing.
I swallowed painfully.
"I don't have money," I admitted quietly. "I can't afford anything there. I was hoping… maybe there's a way to get water. Or food. Even just a little… without paying."
The words felt heavy coming out.
Because I already knew how this usually ended.
Ignored. Dismissed.
I turned away slowly when no response came, ready to leave.
But this guy seemed to remember something as he looked away from the counter.
"Pardon my manners," he huffed. "And as for the cafeteria, everything is free of charge. You don't have to worry about paying."
"Are you sure? That I get to drink and eat without paying for it?" I asked, and he nodded approvingly, giving me a quick nod.
Stepping out, the evening air hit me instantly, cold, sharp, sending a shiver down my spine.
In that moment, I felt really uneasy as the shocking awareness that I might bump right into Alpha Anthony, Fiona, or even Alpha King Benjamin crept through my chest.
I could go back and ask the guy at the reception if there isn't any other way to get those things without having to go over there.
"Why didn't I think of this earlier?" I muttered, my body trembling as the dryness in my throat worsened.
I had just turned back towards the reception room when I felt it so hard, and I froze.
Something shifted instantly. Like a presence, heavy and suffisticating. Like eyes watching, tracking, waiting, willing me to move. Like claws waiting to devour me whole.
My heartbeat spiked.
Every instinct screamed danger.
I forced my feet to move faster, dread rising sharply within me. But I didn't get far, when strong arms suddenly tightened around my wrist, and I lost the moment of time as that intoxicating scent flooded me instantly.
Overpowering. Inescapable.