Chapter 5: Piper

Chapter 5

I woke up dazed and confused and wondering where the hell I was.

Like a flash, the memories of all the events that had happened yesterday came back hitting me hard.

I swallowed hard as I brought my shaky knees to my chest, hugging myself tightly as I let the terror of last night run through me once more. I thought of how close I hd been to almost meeting my end.

Alpha Thane could have killed me.

He had the perfect opportunity. My mind went back to how he had effortlessly caught me and overpowered me like it had been nothing. How he had tossed me over his shoulder like a rag doll, making me realise all the more how foolish my attempt to escape had been.

But I hadn’t been able to help it. Mary had given me a golden opportunity when she had come into my room last night to give me my breakfast and a fresh change of clothes.

Maybe it was because she was elderly and forgetful and that’s why she had left the room key unattended on the desk. She hadn’t even noticed when I had slipped it into my pocket.

I had to admit, I had felt a twinge of guilt about betraying her like this, she had been nothing but nice to me since my kidnapping. But I had to remind myself, it wasn’t personal. It was about my survival. And quite frankly, everyone else’s.

I had waited until nightfall to make my move.

But of course that plan had been a bust.

What had I been thinking? Of course Alpha Thane was going to catch me. His reputation didn’t precede him for nothing. The ruthless war hunter and killer.

I thought about how his strong and muscular body had hovered over mine. I was at his mercy in more ways than one and yet he hadn’t hurt me.

I gulped moving my hand to clutch my chest as I thought about all the things that could have happened. And I hated the part of me that had been okay with being at his mercy.

Pathetic hormone crazed mating bond. Falling prey and getting weak in the knees for someone who would delight in my demise.

I looked around the room that had already been torn apart before Alpha Thane had even brought me in here. Scratch marks on the wooden bedside table, torn apart pillows.

I hated to imagine what could have been going on before he had thrown me onto this bed. I had a brother and I knew how crazed wolves could get when they…

I winced in disgust as I dragged myself off the mattress. My feet hitting the floor.

It was silent and I wondered if Alpha Thane was really gone. Would he really risk leaving me alone in this house after my little escape attempt? Or did he trust that my fear would keep me in here.

I didn’t know the answer to that but I knew I had to try and get out of here again.

I rushed towards the door and tried to open it. It didn’t budge. Locked. Of course.

I looked around the room trying not to think too much about how I was in the lair of our sworn enemy. Cameron would be foaming at the mouth at this opportunity to take a look into Alpha Thane’s most private space.

But all I wanted to do was escape this hell hole and I couldn’t help but wonder why my stupid older brother wasn’t already here trying to bust me out already. He had an entire army at his disposal yet I was still a prisoner here.

My eyes swept the room, taking in the sparse decor of the large room.

I assumed Alpha Thane either didn't consider me a threat by leaving me in here alone or he must not have been worried about me finding anything. Either way, I decided to snoop hoping for something I could use to escape.

I walked over to the dresser in the centre of the room and started scouring the drawers. I came across a bunch of surprisingly neatly folded boxers and quickly closed that one before moving to the next.

The next drawer yielded some shirts, but as I pushed them aside, my hand brushed against something hard. A small wooden box. I pulled it out, intrigued, and sat on the floor to open it. Inside, I found a collection of photographs and a stunning gold necklace with a large green emerald. My fingers instinctively reached for the necklace, wrapping around the gemstone and stroking it gently.

This must have been something precious to him if he kept it locked up like this. I wondered just how precious. Could I use it to my advantage?

‘You can use anything to your advantage.’ Cameron’s voice echoed in my mind. Without thinking I pocketed the pendant and moved on to the photos.

The first was a young boy with dark hair and green eyes, eerily similar to Alpha Thane. But for some reason I immediately knew it wasn’t him.

The next photo confirmed my suspicion. It showed a younger Alpha Thane, around eight or nine years old, standing between two adults. A chill ran down my spine as I recognized the older man standing beside him, the legendary Alpha Ray, Alpha Thane's father, the one responsible for my parent’s demise. Next to him was a pretty dark haired woman with Alpha Thane’s eyes. She had a swollen belly and I furrowed my brows. A boy taller than Alpha Thane with the same features stood next to the pregnant woman looking calm and confident.

I immediately recognised him. The main reason the Tempest pack hated us so much. Jaimie Rolland. Almost as feared and decorated as Thane. Twice as deadly though.

That is when he had still been alive…

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. I swiftly returned the box to the drawer and stepped away, trying to act like I hadn’t been anywhere close to the dresser.

The door swung open and I jumped back fear gripping me.

I clenched my fists tight and hard knowing it must have been Thane back from where ever to do heaven knows what to me.

I felt my heart drumming in my chest as the doorknob slowly turned.