chapter 4

NANCY'S  POV

“She’s not a damn pet, Jayden,” the quiet one cut in again, sounding annoyed. “You can’t just keep her. We don’t even know where she came from.”

Jayden looked at me again, tilting his head, his hazel eyes bright, like he was trying to figure me out. With the way everyone kept staring at me, I might as well have had an extra eye.

“Well… maybe she can be,” he said, half-joking, but I knew he meant every word. Neven’s face, on the other hand, said everything; he was done with this whole scene.

The quiet one asked, “Where are you from?”

My eyes widened, and for some reason, I knew it was going to go badly if I told them the truth. So I hesitated, searching for a good enough lie.

“A rogue pack.” I forced the words past my dry throat, dropping my gaze again.

"Then why do you look like that?"

My eyes narrowed in confusion, and just as I was about to ask what he meant, Jayden spoke. His fingers touched my chin, lifting it so I’d look at him. “Doesn’t matter,” he said. “You’re with us now.”

I wanted to argue. Wanted to tell him he had no right to say that. But with the way he looked at me, I could tell he never took no for an answer. In fact, I doubt it was in his vocabulary.

So with another tired sigh, I swallowed my opinion. He glanced at the guards, and before I could blink, they had me by the arms, pulling me away again.

Same story. Different prisons.  

But instead of a cell or chains, they took me to a room. And not just any room, this one was huge. Way bigger and even more beautiful than the one I had back when my parents were alive.

The walls were all white, bright from the sunlight pouring in.  It had gold accents here and there, making the room warm. A thick, white rug stretched across the floor and the bed. The bed looked like it could fit six people, maybe more.

“Oh… wow,” I whispered, more to myself than anyone. A girl about my age or older stood near another door, dressed neatly, smiling politely.

“Good day. If the room isn't to your liking, we can change it." Her words felt like a joke, but her face told me she was a hundred percent serious.

Not trusting myself to speak, I just gave a small nod. One of the guards shot me a quick glare before walking off.

“Come on,” the lady said gently. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

I followed without a word, too excited at the idea of a mud-free body.  Was this heaven? Had I died? Were those three guys some kind of twisted gods? The questions just kept spinning around in my head.

She led me to another large door and opened it. Inside was a bathroom, it was nearly the size of an average bedroom and had enough equipment to run as a spa.

The maid introduced herself as Cassie. She helped me take off the oversized jacket and the ruined clothes that still clung to me. She guided me into the warm bath.

At first she tried to help, but after a few minutes she picked up the sign that I wasn't comfortable and left. I stayed for over an hour scrubbing away.

Memories of David's hands on me flooded, and I only increased my pace. Tears slid down my face, and I kept scrubbing until I was red, but that changed nothing.

I stepped out of the tub, my legs shaky as I moved towards the mirror.

The glass was fogged, but I wiped a section with my hand. Just a small part, but that was enough to leave me frozen.

What… the hell?

Panic built in my chest as I quickly cleared more of the steam, wiping the whole thing until I could fully see my reflection.

My breath caught.

The girl staring back at me wasn’t me. My brown hair was now snow white, and my brown eyes were golden. Not haHazelNot blue.

Gold.

I looked like something out of a fiction book. LiAs’d walked straight out of some ancient story people only whispered about.

No wonder everyone kept staring at me.

Still rattled, I stepped out of the bathroom, towel wrapped tight around me. Cassie stood there, smiling like nothing was off.

“You look wonderful,” she said warmly. “Here, wear this. The kings have requested your presence for lunch.”

She held up a sleek black gown, clearly expecting me to just… go with it.

I stared at her, blinking.

Was she serious?  

Even though every part of me screamed not to, I put the dress on anyway. I’d read enough books to know better than to act clueless. If they wanted me to play along, I’d play. At least for now.

The dress fit just perfectly, flowing out into a flared skirt that stopped just above my knees. It clung like a second skin, and I didn’t know whether to be flattered or freaked out.

Cassie worked fast on my hair, putting it in an updo. She tabbed at my face, trying to make me look presentable.

She finished gushing about how pretty I looked, but I couldn't stomach the sight of myself. I hated it. I hated that I looked like… like someone else. whoever isn't me.

The door creaked open, and we both turned. A guard stepped in, clearly there for me.

I followed him in silence, my steps slow. I paid attention to everything: the halls, the turns, every exit we passed. Just in case.

We came down a wide staircase, and outside, I saw the brothers.

They were already seated at a long table, food laid out like something out of a royal banquet.

Jayden's lips stretched into a smile the moment his eyes landed on me. Even Neven appeared a bit stunned.

But the quiet one? The one I still didn’t know the name of? He just cut into his steak like nothing had changed.

“You look even more beautiful now,” Jayden said, voice low and full of something I didn’t trust.

I nodded stiffly, feeling his eyes all over me. I didn’t feel beautiful; if anything, I felt like prey.  

One of the maids ran in, placing a plate in front of me. I whispered a thank you, but I made no move to touch it. No matter how much my tummy begged for it, I wasn't going to be eating anything they gave.

What if they ended up poisoning me as David did? Not to mention the probability that this could all be some form of mental torture.

“So,” a deep voice cut in, and I looked up to find the quiet one staring straight at me.

“How’d you end up with that… strange look?” he asked, putting weight on the word like it meant more than it should’ve.

“Arian,” Jayden said, turning toward him, warning clear in his tone.

So that was his name.

Arian.

And the second I heard it, I expected some relief, but instead, all I felt was crippling fear.