Nowhere to Run

"You did what?!" Top hisses.

Wincing, I retreat a step back, looking to Sera for help and Sera does not fail me.

"Cedric, you gave your word that you would let Kyra do this on her own terms." Sera reminds her fuming mate.

"She had a chance and she didn't take it! How many women can get close enough to Supreme to get such a chance?!" Top exclaims.

It is now I realise I perhaps should not have complied with Alaric's instructions to tell Top that I turned down his advances.

But I know Top will find out one way or the other and at least I stand a better chance at living if I say the truth first.

"You had your chance and you didn't take it! What were you thinking?!" Top says again, now directed at me.

"You told me sharing his bed was not as important as building a bond." I murmur quietly.

"I'm beginning to think you made that bargain to get out of that one little detail." Top sucks in a sharp breath and he was about to say something more but a loud alert blared through the tower.

It is not the first time I hear this alert blaring, it has happened once before and just like the other time, whoever is in my company at the time immediately hurries away.

Top and Sera exchange a look before they hurry out of the boardroom, leaving me to myself.

I am not certain what this alert means to the Lycans, but I know it does not mean a threat to the silver tower at least and that much is good enough.

Sighing to myself, I take a seat in the boardroom and find something to keep myself busy in the meantime.

I have just settled on a channel to watch on the large screen when the doors to the boardroom come open and the last person I expect to see strides in.

Clad in a finely tailored black suit, his hair pulled into a short bun, Alaric stands by the door, buttoning the cuff of his sleeve.

My breath catches in my throat, all our encounters before this time have been in the night hours, within the space of his private room and though I know Alaric is perfectly normal during the day and goes out to work, this is the first time I actually see him for myself.

"Where is Top?" Alaric asks, his tone blank.

"I... well... I..." I stammer.

Alaric breathes a sigh. "You'd do well to finally complete that statement one of these days. But this is not about you, where is Cedric?"

"The...red alert thing happened. And they all left." I relay, clearing my throat slightly, embarrassed at my own stuttering.

"And why are you still here?" Alaric asks again.

"Top said...to avoid crossing paths with pack members as they do not take kindly to strangers. I'm only allowed here, my room... and the holding cells." I say in response.

"My room too, apparently." Alaric adds in a monotone.

"You do realise this is a boardroom? For important gatherings? And that screen is linked to my office, Top's office, the IT room and a few other places." 

"You have half the tower watching an animation and that is your definition of staying out of my Pack's way?" Alaric asks.

My eyes grow wide and I scramble for the remote to turn off the screen, but I only end up knocking it to the ground in my haste.

Alaric watches me, his expression blank and his brows furrowed. "You cannot do anything right, can you?"

I wince visibly at that, picking up the remote just as Alaric speaks.

"Silver Tech, turn off screen." Alaric says and the screen goes off by itself.

"The tower boasts of the most advanced technologies, and Milo's toys. You should be more observant or stay out of sight." Alaric finished.

He turns to leave but stops and turns to me. "You cannot be allowed to remain without supervision. Stick with me till your sitters are back home."

I frown at Alaric's words, but comply and follow after him. He leads the elevator and the moment the doors go shut, he turns to me.

"You told Top you turned me down?" Alaric asks, his brows quirked.

"I...well, you told me to." I reply.

Alaric tilts his head to the side, "If I had taken you, you would tell him everything too? Every last detail of how I fuck you?"

"I...no, no..." I stammer.

"Good, Top is too nosy for his own good and...you couldn't reject me if I truly wanted it." Alaric murmurs.

I blink in astonishment, this Alaric was drastically different from the Alaric I had met the past few nights.

He was still as terrifying and cold, but there was just a hint of eccentricity to this Alaric.

I cannot tell if he is being serious but Alaric falls silent after that, sinking back to the Alaric I am more familiar with and no other words are exchanged between us. 

Quietly, I trail behind him through the ground floor and then out of the Tower where a car is already waiting.

A guard standing beside the door opened the car and Alaric gestures for me to get in.

"Where are we going?" I ask as I get into the car.

"My office." Alaric replies simply.

"But why? Do you usually allow your prisoners to go with you to the office?" I ask in confusion.

"You are Cedric's prisoner, not mine. And I will not have his prisoner messing up the silver tower while he leaves her unsupervised." Alaric says.

"Besides, you have nowhere to run to, do you?" Alaric adds as an afterthought.

Alaric's words hit me like a punch in the gut and my heart sinks to the pit of my stomach.

The car ride is silent and I wonder in horror if Alaric already knows who I truly am, what I am running from and what exactly I have done wrong.