Chapter 3 ~Dead~

Adriana fought against the hand clamping heavily on her mouth but Ton was stronger and he succeeded in forcibly dragging her away.

Adriana's hands came up to the hand on her mouth and tried to remove it but it came down only an inch and she bit down hard.

Ton snatched his hand away mumbling curses and Adriana to face him and she saw his face.

“Ton.”

Ton examined his finger where she had bitten him before looking at her, an evil glint in his eyes.

Adriana took a step back. “Did Xavier send you?”

But Ton didn't respond instead he walked quickly to her and grabbed her hand.

“Let me go!”

He didn't let her go, his other hand came up and landed a sharp blow to her neck.

Adriana felt the walls in her lungs tightening painfully and she gasped for breath but she couldn't breathe.

She held her throat gasping for air and her knees buckled not being able to hold her body which was growing weak in seconds.

Adriana slumped to the ground still struggling to breathe.

She saw Ton crouch low and he carried her in his arms throwing her over his shoulder.

She couldn't struggle against him, she couldn't move. Whatever he had done to her was making her weak.

She tried to shout for help but the words were not coming out, it was like her lungs were gone.

Mia. She called out to her wolf but only silence greeted her.

Mia! No response, just an emptiness Adriana dreaded.

Fear crept into her and the hallway Ton was walking through told her they were headed to the back door leading outside.

This was bad. Wherever Ton was taking her was not going to be good.

She was sure Xavier had sent him after all he was his head guard.

Was he trying to stop her from exposing what he had done?

Mia! She sent a desperate plea to her wolf but Mia didn't respond.

“Have you seen Lady Adriana?” A voice came out from the side opposite them and Ton halted, his body tensing.

Someone was looking for her.

Adriana tried to move against his shoulder but it was fruitless. The whack he had landed on her neck was still in full effect.

Her body felt numb and she couldn't move a limb and her lungs were still compressed together resisting words from slipping out.

Ton turned and took another corner.

He walked so confidently through like he knew every nook and corner of their mansion.

He got to the door and pushed it open and walked through.

A blast of air graced Adriana's face. They were outside.

Her eyes darted about trying to figure out where they were.

She saw the luscious buds and the flower blooms around them and she knew they were in the garden.

Ton moved quickly, her body bumping on his shoulder and he got to the fence of the garden and he threw her over it.

Her body landed with a hard thud on the ground and her elbows scraped on the hard ground.

Ton was at her side the next second, carrying her again and flinging her over his shoulder.

They were now outside the mansion away from her father, from Rita, from everyone.

Her lungs were already repositioning back to their right place but just enough for her to draw shallow breaths.

Adriana struggled to speak and when she did it came out like a broken whisper.

“Let me go….”

Ton didn't hear or pretended not to because he kept walking and then he stopped.

“Ton.”

She heard someone call his name and he took a few steps and stopped again.

“Andrew.” Ton greeted and Adriana could make out a pair of shoes on the ground.

“What's that over your shoulder?” Andrew asked.

“Something the Alpha wants us to take care of.”

His words brought a jolt of fear into Adriana.

Something to take care of.

Could they… could they mean they want her dead?

********

Rita limped to Adriana's room and tapped gently on the door but no reply came.

She tapped again but still no answer.

She tapped again this time using her stick to rap on the door and it swung open revealing Adriana's maid; Kara.

Kara’s eyes were red and puffy and she stared at Rita, nervousness written all over her face.

“Kara, what is taking my lady so long? The wedding ceremony is about to start.”

“My… my lady… my lady….” Kara stuttered and Rita frowned at her.

“What's wrong?”

“My lady isn't in her room,” Kara said finally and Rita raised a brow at her.

“What do you mean? Where is she?”

Kara's hands fumbled with one another nervously. “I don't know.” She replied and bowed her head immediately.

“You don't know?!” Rita snarled and Kara's head bowed lower.

“I… I was going through my lady's wedding dress when I suddenly felt drowsy and I didn't know when I fell asleep.”

Rita stared at the maid whose head was bowed and scoffed.

“You slept off and left my lady unguarded and unattended. Now you say you don't know where she is.”

Kara kept her head bowed not daring to look up.

“If you know what is good for you, you'd better start looking for my lady. The Alpha must not find out about this unless you want both of our heads snapped from our necks.” Rita's stick tapped the ground hard.

“Now get going!”

Kara scurried away and Rita also limped away to find Adriana before anyone got a wind of what was happening.

Kara asked the Butler if he had seen Adriana but received a negative response.

She had basically asked every maid and servant but no one had seen Lady Adriana.

Her heart thumped faster in fear and dread.

Where could her lady be?

How could she have fallen asleep and left her unguarded?

The Alpha won't forgive her.

Kara heard the chiming of the bell coming from the wedding hall and fastened her steps.

The wedding ceremony was to begin soon and Lady Adriana was still not in sight.

She was about to stop a maid when she heard the thunderous voice of the Alpha coming from somewhere in the hall.

Fear gripped her as she wondered if he had found out about Lady Adriana's absence.

She walked in the direction and saw Alpha Raymond of Blackwood, Rita, and Lady Adriana's soon-to-be-wed husband; Alpha Thornaxe standing in the middle of the hall.

People were also gathered and the look on everyone's face made unease wash over her.

What was going on?

Had he found out?

Her questions were answered by Alpha Raymond's voice which came out like a snarl.

“What do you mean Adriana is dead?!”