CHAPTER 6: LEAVE

“She will live here from now on. Bill will handle the remaining loose ends. This is my pack; I provide them with benefits, and they give me power. A fair game.” – Alpha Leo.

=== JANET’S POV ===

I needed to choose a tone of voice to scream at my Alpha Leader. What should it be?

Calm Janet. Clever Janet. Queen Janet. Panicked Janet. Terrifying Janet...

I reviewed the actions a female lead in a movie would take. Then, I decided to play the role of "I knew you’d do this!"

Yes, I would be Wise Janet.

I sat up naturally, just as I did every morning. I stretched and let out a yawn.

I looked down at the light grey, luxurious silk pajamas I was wearing. "I like these. But I’d prefer a Hello Kitty print on the butt. That would be sexy—very unique."

"Childish taste." Leo was sitting comfortably in an armchair opposite the bed. In his hand was a glass of thick red wine. His eyes shimmered with a spark of amusement.

“Have you handcuffed our lives together yet?” I asked.

"A mate bond is based on mutual consent. The law has been passed."

I unbuttoned the top of the shirt, stepped off the bed, and looked into the mirror. My neck remained a smooth patch of skin with flawless, seductive collarbones.

"Don't trust me?" Leo asked. He set his wine glass on the table and stepped up behind me.

I shook my head. "No one trusts their attacker. Did you rape me?"

A growl rumbled deep in Leo's throat. "Janet, I am demanding you stop insulting me!"

“Then give me a reason why you knocked me out, brought me to your room, put me in your bed, and dressed me in the pajamas of... whichever mistress you have?” I turned to face him.

The thought of Leo having slept with someone else made me want to tear her throat out. Irrational as it was, I hated the idea of my man being in bed with another woman.

"Those are the pajamas I had Eva prepare for you." Leo leaned in close to my face.

I could feel his hot breath fanning against my skin.

Omega Eva was a cook in his house, a woman in her fifties. The interesting thing I always thought the Petroffs intended was that Eva’s husband was Omega Adam. A symbol that they were the masters and had the right to control everything under their rule.

It wasn't exactly untrue.

“You haven't answered my question.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

"You aren't going anywhere except Petroff Manor. You will stay here until you agree to become my Luna. I’m tired of your unpredictability. So, this is an order. Not a deal."

He was insane!

"And if I don't stay?"

"That decision is no longer yours." Leo opened the door and walked out, slamming it shut behind him. He had definitely locked it from the outside.

Dammit. Leo losing control wasn't part of my plan.

I looked at the clock on the wall and realized it was two in the morning. Alpha Leo was still wearing his clothes from the party. He hadn't slept since then just to wait for me to wake up?

What about the others? Did they just let Leo do this to me?

I sat dazed on the bed for a while before standing up to look for my phone. Great, he had taken my only means of communication too.

What else could I do? I decided to go into his bathroom. I swapped the contents of the shampoo bottle with toothpaste. The toothpaste was replaced with shaving cream, and the shampoo was now tucked neatly inside the shaving cream bottle.

Locking me in his room was going to be his mistake. Not mine.

I spent an hour playing games with my "obsessive, controlling, and handsome mate." It wasn't until three o'clock that I finally lay back down and fell into a deep sleep.

Being "locked up" by my mate meant I wasn't going to work. And not going to work meant I could sleep as much as I wanted. I was going to take advantage of this free time to sleep before I gained my freedom.

I was certain of it.

I don’t know how much time passed, but I woke up with a start when I felt something cold splashing against my face.

Water.

I bolted upright, growling at whoever dared to do that to me. Standing before me was the Alpha Leader of the Mystic Vale pack, holding a spray bottle usually used for watering plants. The nozzle was pointed at my face like a gun.

He was shirtless, his lower half wrapped only in a soaking wet, tattered towel full of holes. I giggled. He sprayed me in the face again.

"Hey!" I pushed the spray bottle away.

“You are a goddamn brat!” Alpha Leo growled.

"I was just sleeping." I blinked, tilting my head to look at him.

“You caused all of this?”

I pretended to study my palms. "Oh right, I was feeling a bit frustrated being imprisoned in this room by my unofficial mate. I lost control for a moment."

I looked at the pile of clothes on the floor. Last night, I had torn a sleeve off every shirt, a leg off every pair of pants, and hidden one sock from every pair in the closet. I giggled again. "I believe everything should be independent; no need to go around in pairs."

"Very clever, Beta Janet. We aren't finished yet. Eva, Adam!" Leo called out.

From outside, the elderly woman and a silver-haired man walked in. Leo glared at me. “Watch this woman while I go out. She is not to leave this room.”

Was he joking with me?

“I could knock both of them down easily,” I said, crossing my arms.

“Then do it. Hit them, kill them. If I return and you aren't here, I’ll do the same to them.” Leo shrugged and walked out of the room.

Eva smiled. “I’ll bring you some breakfast.”

The room fell silent once again. So, Leo had another walk-in closet. Although I didn't think he was the type to be flashy, who knew? I hadn't toured Petroff Manor enough.

At noon, while I was... sleeping, a voice rang out. “You really spend all your time here sleeping.”

Actually, I spent it eating and using the toilet too. But I was trying to be defiant, so I didn't answer.

I silently sat up. I looked up at Leo, who was now fully and formally dressed, letting the silence put pressure on him.

“Come out; I’m taking you for a walk.”

“Do I need to bark?” Was he treating me like a pet?

“Why? Ah... I see.” Leo pressed his lips together. “I know I could let you leave, but I have no idea what you’d do to oppose me the moment I'm not there. I want to make things easy for both of us.”

I looked elsewhere, decided to stand up, and walked out of the room. Leo grabbed my hand, and I stopped, looking straight into his eyes. “Do you need a leash to wrap around my neck?”

“We’re going to the garden,” Leo said, leading the way.

During the entire walk, I remained completely silent. I had a dozen questions, but I didn't want to be the one to start the conversation. After all, he was the one abusing his power, not me.

“Is there someone else?” Leo asked as we stood before a garden full of red roses. A few butterflies were fluttering over the buds.

“Why do you ask?”

“Is that the reason you won’t agree to our bond?”