CHAPTER III

I painfully open my eyes adjusting to the brightness in the room. The light evading my eyes causes me to wince in pain. Why didn't I bother closing my curtains damn it? My head pounds so hard that it might explode. Might have been the cheap booze at the party. With Julian at the party parading her new catch, I wouldn't mind.

Wait a minute, I don't remember taking anything at the party. The thought makes my eyelids flutter open clearly.

White walls, grey linen curtains, white marble floor stare back at me as I scrutinize my surroundings. This is not my room.

Immediately, I step out of the covers the headache gone in an instant. My heart throbs in panic. I know my mom and I are well off thanks to my dad's money he left before he died but  this room screams excess luxury.

I hope this turns out to be a really bad dream. Gazing up at the white ceiling, memories of last night flood my brain piece by piece without leaving any details out. Party. Julian. Blood.

Blood!

Then I remember the steel gray eyes that peered down at me as the last of my memory.

Mr Harry.

I whisper lowly terror setting inside my head and heart. Curious, I step away from the bed just before the door opens.

"Mom."

I called in a daze. Perhaps this isn't a dream like I thought.

"Lyka, baby." She rushes to hug me and apart of me is relieved she is safe.

"Mom. What are you doing here? What is this place?" I fire at her. A sad smile appears at the corners of her lips before she hugs me again tightly.

"Slow down dear. There is nothing to worry about." she coaxes. I wish I could believe her.

"Last night at the party, Julian..blood.."

"Shush child. Everything is alright." she coos staring at me.

I grimace at her reaction. It is not alright. Those men attacked us and killed Julian. Like she can read my mind, she takes her hand in mine snapping me out of my thoughts.

The door clicks open again before the last person I expected to see walks in.

"Mr Harry?" I shriek.

He walked nonchalantly into the room letting his presence be known by his easy but strong steps. His eyes briefly meet mine before they drop to my mom and then to were our fingers intertwine.

I frown when he doesn't acknowledge me.

"Gabriel." my mom calls.

Gabriel?

Isn't this Mr Harry? Why is this my mom addressing him Gabriel.

"Olivia." Mr. Harry addresses familiarly. I can swear I am having a nightmare.

What is happening? My mom and Mr Harry are on first name business now. Am I missing something here? Too any questions swirl into my mind giving me a whiplash. The headache is back but in form of a migraine.

"I can see you are awake Lyka."

That is the first time he acknowledges me since he entered the room. Should I be flattered he knows my name?

"Mr Harry." I narrow my gaze at him.

"I am glad to see you have regained conscience." he says softly almost amiably. I stare dumbfounded. Am I the only one unaware of anything going on? Have i been passed out for long?

"No. You have been out for a few hours." Mr. Harry answers calmy like he didn't just read my mind. Did I hit my head so bad that I ended on an alternate universe were all people I love have super powers.

"Stop overthinking Lyka. Are you hungry? I ordered a soup for you." he says.

That's it. I have surely lost it. I turn to mom who is staring at Mr. Harry too.

"Olivia, let's go. Your soup will be upstairs in a few minutes."

That is the last I hear from Mr. Harry before he disappears with mom out of the door before I even protest.

Before I comprehend fully what just happened, a young woman enters with a tray of food. She disappears out of the door just before I ask anything. I peer at the food and the glass of water and advil.

Famished, I devour the food without question. I am scared but the back of my mind I believe my mom when she said I was fine. Filled to the brim, I place the tray down before I walk to the what I assume is the bathroom.

It is huge and so modern. I take a long hot bath clearing up some of the thoughts and memories in my head. I tie a towel round my body after the shower matching to the huge closet.

I am surprised to find new clothes which are coincidentally my size. The person who occupied this room must have been my age and size. I borrow some of their clothes which is a pair of jeans and a plain back shirt. I will apologize later for this.

Putting on a pair of socks, I reach for the door knob. I don't know what I expect to meet outside but I hope I don't regret my decision.

The first thought is that maybe there are cops outside wanting to speak to me about the murder. Or I might be arrested for all I know. Both thoughts make my blood chill. I don't want to go to jail.

When I muster courage and turn the knob, I find a long hallway waiting for me. I walk down stealthily on the floor despite having only socks on. At this rate, one can never be sure.

At the end of the hallway, I find stairs. I haven't met anyone since I walked out and I am surprised. Who even owns such a huge place. What is mom and Mr. Harry doing here?

"Hello."

I stop in my tracks. My bubble is already busted and it hasn't been a few minutes. I won't make a really good fugitive that I know. I raise my gaze to the intruder only to find a chaste smirk playing on his lips.

Brown hair, beautiful face and he doesn't look even older than me. I frown when he refers to me by a steady gaze.

"I am looking for..uhm.."

I stop when I realise the amusement on his face at my lack of proper sentence formation.

"Sebastian."

He smiles. I frown.

"That is my name. You must be Lyja. Good to meet you in the flesh." he smiles.

I raise a brow at him. I am really confused right now.

"Do we know each other?" I ask curiously. I know the campus is huge and everything but with his face, I could have met him at one time.

"I don't think so love." he nods his head. I take the stairs until I meet him where he stands unbothered.

"What is this place?" I ask curiously.

"Much as I would love to continue this chat with you, I have an errand. Though if you need some answers, you might need to go to the living room." Sebastian directs me with his finger.

He walks away quickly before I asks anything else. Is everyone today just ignoring me? I walk to the room he just showed me stopping outside the door. I sigh hard contemplating what I want to do.

Who is waiting behind the door? I hate that I might not like the answers I am seeking for. Sighing one last time, I turn the knob coming to a halt when eight pairs of eyes rise to stare at me.

There are no men in blue. Instead on the burgundy couches sits Mr Harry, mom and two other people I don't recognize. With their stares and tension emanating off of them, I might as well crawl inside my skin.

"Great to join us Lyka." Mr. Harry addresses breaking the stares.

"We are all here Gabriel. Get on with it already." The light brown haired man who looks to be in his forties demands impatiently.

Gabriel. First it was mom and now this man. I stare at Mr. Harry with disregard. What kind of game is this?

"Patience Marco." Mr. Harry replies in an authoritative firm voice.

"Time is what we don't have if you didn't realise." Marco scowls. The blonde woman on his sides touches his thigh.

"Can we get this started?" The woman says gazing at me. Mr Harry nods before he clears his throat. I look at mom to find her gaze fixed on anything and me.

"Sit down Lyka, please." Mr. Harry asks. I walk slowly until I settle on the couch at the other end of the room.

"The alpha is dead."

He announces when I settle down. No one flinches at the announcement. Isn't death supposed to scare people or something? Everyone looks so calm like it is the most normal thing around here.

Why am I even here in the first place?

Julian died not the Alpha. Are we on the same page about things here?

With all the stares I get from the people in the room, I want to crawl and hide under my skin.

"Great you get to join us Lyka." Mr Harry addresses.

I walk further into the room taking a seat besides my mom ignoring the stares.

"We are yet to find out who did this tragic thing. News are out about her successor. Lyka's life is in jeopardy as we speak of now."

"Are you kidding me?" I yelp. All eyes in the room turn to me. I mean what do they expect when he talks about me like that? I am a minute from freaking out if one of them doesn't announce soon that this is a bluff.

"These people are waging a war. They know the alpha is dead and they would do anything to destroy us. We have to put in mind, the lunar eclipse is near now." Mr Harry continues.

"Don't you think it's Lloyd's or Marcel's work?" The blonde woman I don't know yet asks.

"I don't think so Ethel. Lloyd and Marcel have been loyal servants and they couldn't do something like that." Mr. Harry replies.

I must admit they lost me on the way. No one is paying me attention. I don't understand a part of this meeting and I don't know if I want to.

"And what has this whole thing got to do with me?"

My question gains all their attention. Finally.