Chapter 10

He started walking away then and she had no choice but to follow, his hand was still firm around her wrist. He turned back abruptly making her almost walk into him.

"You know, you should always clean up after your meal, Laura. You still act like such a child."

Zezi turned quickly. She saw it then, blood just around Laura's lips. How had she missed it?

She tried hard to maintain her breathing. Every moment here reminded her about how much of a monster they were.

Laura's tongue slithered out to lick it away and she smiled blatantly at him. Like whatever made her terrified of him moments ago had disappeared into thin air.

"Well, I do that because you always look out for me. Don't you, brother?"

B-brother?! They were siblings!

Zezi sighed in defeat. How was she going to easily escape if there were no jealous lover(s).to aid and abet her plans?

They soon resumed what was starting to seem like a journey to her room. They finally came to a door at the end of the hallway. In haste to get away from him, she quickly pushed forward and pressed down the handle.

But alas, it was locked!

He reached from behind her with the key in his hand and she froze up.

This was exactly what she didn't want. She didn't want them been close... at all.

It felt hot all of a sudden. The minute seemed to dragged on, every moment a torture. When the door finally swung opened. She rushed into the room, her eyes adjusting quickly to the darkness.

It wasn't all that dark yet though. They had gotten there in the evening. She could see light seeping in through the curtains. Something about being here with him in the dark made her so uncomfortable and vulnerable. She reached for the curtains but before she could throw them open, the lights came on.

Beautiful sharp lights that flashed straight into her eyes. It took her a moment and a few blinking to adjust.

He was there by the light switch, something unreadable in his eyes.

She stopped then, her heart racing. He took a step closer and she took two steps back. He stopped, folded his arms behind him and suddenly anger glinted in his eyes. Only for a while before it was gone yet again.

He looked at her for a few seconds, the way she backed away from him in full determination, the way her chest rose and fell, the way her eyes held so much fear. He took note of it all and without another word, he was gone.

It had happened so fast. One moment he was there and the next he wasn't. Zezi breathed out in relief. She immediately went to shut the door.

Funny enough, he had left the keys behind.

She had no time to process or try to figure out if it had been a mistake. Something told her it wasn't though but she really didn't care. As long as she was far away from him and those compelling feelings, she was satisfied.

She locked the doors and dashed to the bed. She stayed there for a while before doing that one thing that had crossed her mind the whole day.

The pack link.

If she could just reopen it and channel her energy to communicate with George alone then that would be great. She had never tried it before and she didn't know how far it could go but she was willing to give it a shot.

She closed her eyes and tried to lift the block she had placed there. Sweat broke across her skin as she did.

Why was it proving to be so difficult?

She tried harder and harder. Then finally it worked.

She waited to feel the connection but instead felt a certain void and emptiness like there was nothing at the other side.

The pack link... it was gone!

Her eyes flew wide open when her mind proceed what this meant.

There was magic here.

The next time she opened her eyes was when she heard a knock. She remembered crying herself to sleep and now she was really hungry.

"Milady?"

Milady? What was this? The ancient times?

She turned the key in the lock and opened the door. A petite, chubby woman with a large smile wheeled a trolley in. She looked... sort of alive and that made Zezi feel a little at peace.

She must be human. She didn't smell like one though but that must have been because she had been here for far too long.

The trolley was filled with quite the variety of food that it could contain. Her eyes roamed hungrily on it and her stomach grumbled.

"Someone is hungry," the woman flashed her a smile. She quickly pulled the trolley to a small table at one corner of the room.

Zezi hadn't even noticed that was there.

"It's news about you all over the castle, Lady...?"

Castle? Zezi had thought it was a Castle the first time she had seen it but to hear someone tell her, it sounded a little strange.

"Zezi." She reached to the trolley too, setting out the plates.

"You are not as cold as I had thought," she noted. "I'm Gwen and I most definitely will be telling my kids about the King's mate tonight. Oh, they are going to love it."

Zezi didn't know how to handle this sort of happiness. Not after she had just had to leave her own family. The urge to see her family again rushed over her and she pressed her fork a little too hard against the chicken.

"I heard of the circumstances surrounding your presence," Gwen's voice drew her out of her thoughts. Zezi looked up at her then, observing the pity in Gwen's eyes.

"I know how painful it must be. Sorry."

It was hard to battle with her tears. She nodded, not saying a word simply because she couldn't.

Gwen finished setting up the table and Zezi resumed to her food. The only comfort she got from all these was that her sacrifice ensured that her family was alive, she hadn't dragged people down to their death for her.

Well except for that one werewolf.

Her mind snapped at her. He had deserved it though. It was a game of Life and death and too bad that he had been the loser.

When Zezi ate the little her appetite could allow, she asked for a tour so she could find her way around the castle. Gwen was more than glad to help her. Although, Zezi couldn't help but note something strange about her. She couldn't put her finger on it but it was just there.

It had been a while now that Gwen had taken her touring the castle. She had come across the kitchen, library, dinning room and some other rooms that weren't that important. With each room they came across, disappointment set in. What she wanted was for Gwen to show her a place and tell her it was restricted. Now those rooms were the ones of importance to her right now.

It could even be a chamber or a certain hallway. Those were the ones that mostly held the answers to an escape plan but so far, everything looked completely normal. Which baffled and annoyed her at the same time.

"...Oh, there she is. Beautiful and gentle Lady Delice. Milady!" Gwen's voice snapped Zezi out of her thoughts.

Then she saw the woman that Gwen was greeting with so much excitement. She was the same woman back in her pack. The one who had brought in her daughter and offered her a smile.

She was at one side of the hallway, a book in her hands while she spoke to a couple of maids with a gentle smile on her face. Just like Zezi had noted before, she had a certain calmness around her.

"Gwen!" Delice called back in  excitement. She walked towards them, smiling momentarily at Zezi to acknowledge her, but once again, Zezi didn't return the smile.

She was no fool. She knew that beneath that smile, was what they all truly were.

Monsters.

"Thank you so much for your help last time, my kids really loved the books. My mate and I had such a peaceful time with them occupied."

"Gwen!" Delice's eyes flew wide dramatically and Gwen chuckled. Gwen's eyes filled with pity suddenly.

"Sorry about..."

Delice immediately shook her head.

"Please, don't. Things happen."

Zezi took note of that. She found curiosity seeping into her slowly.

Sorry about what? What had happened?

Delice looked behind Gwen where Zezi stood and smiled once again.

"Welcome to Lavida, I hope you like it here," she started walking away then she stopped. "Sorry about... your family."

Zezi shrugged. She wasn't going to be taking pity from these monsters. She knew what they were capable of, she had seen it all first-hand.

"Things happen."

"They sure do," Delice left then.

Gwen had sensed the tension but decided that it would be wise not to make a comment on it.

"Next, the Ballroom!"

The ballroom looked entirely busy. There were people working everywhere. She couldn't really tell if they were pulling down the decorations or just giving it a finishing touch.

"Preparing for a Ball?

"Oh no, not a Ball, a wedding."

Did she just say wedding?

"A wedding?"

"Yes. The King's wedding."