Chapter 6

Maliyla's POV

Holy shit, I thought, repeating his words in my head.

Of all the packs I could have landed in, I had ended up in the one ruled by an Alpha nobody knew anything about.

As I stared at him, I wondered what he was thinking, yet I couldn't help admiring his devilishly handsome looks. I found something intriguing about him, from the scars on his arms to his blue eyes. His expression was unreadable, but something about him drew me in, and I couldn't look away. I felt my heart racing and my palms sweating as he stared back at me.

A smirk spread across his face as he approached the bed. He sat just inches away from me when Jeanie, the housemaid I'd seen earlier, appeared.

I watched as Jeanie handed Hector a tray.

"Are you hungry?" Hector asked.

Nodding in response, I watched as Hector placed the tray between us and lifted the silver cover to reveal a selection of exotic fruits, cheeses, eggs, bacon, and a steaming cup of coffee.

"Eat," Hector muttered, offering me some fruit.

With a smile, I graciously accepted, and we both enjoyed a moment of awkward yet peaceful tranquility.

As I ate, Hector sat sipping his coffee. Our awkward silence was finally broken when he spoke.

"Tell me, Maliyla, what exactly were you doing out in the woods alone?" he asked, curiosity evident in his eyes.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, unsure how to answer. Since I wasn't ready to confess, all I could do was shrug and reply, "Exploring."

Hector laughed and raised an eyebrow at me.

"Exploring? At night? I find your lie rather interesting," he said.

"You don't believe me?" I asked, my voice faltering slightly as I braced myself for his answer.

Taking a moment to study me, he replied, "No, I don't believe you. You're running away from something, and I'd like to know what it is."

His words took me aback, and I didn't know what to say. I could feel my heart racing as I tried to come up with a response.

Finally, I mumbled, "I'm not running away from anything."

"No? Then why carry a backpack filled with books and a duffel bag with a few changes of clothes?" Hector challenged.

I gasped in surprise at his words.

"You looked through my stuff?" I exclaimed, my voice shaking.

A flush of anger spread across my face when Hector nodded.

"You can't just go around looking through people's belongings without permission!" I yelled. "Have you ever heard of an invasion of privacy?"

Hector rose from the bed and laughed. I crossed my arms as I watched him gather the breakfast tray and place it on the dresser.

He stared at me for a moment before speaking.

"An invasion of privacy is something you do to help someone. In your case, since you'd been unconscious for two days, I had to find out whom to call to come and get you."

I watched Hector walk to the closet and retrieve the bag I knew was mine.

"However, nothing here tells me anything other than that you have a very odd choice in reading material," he concluded as he placed my backpack in front of me.

As Hector met my gaze, I could feel the tension in the air.

"So, are you going to explain to me why you were out there?" he asked, emphasizing the last word.

Unable to explain myself, I looked away. There was no excuse he would understand, and lying seemed better than telling the truth. All I could do was shrug and mutter an apology, but everything inside me told me he deserved better than that.

Walking toward the door, he responded, "Very well. Until I know who you really are or you tell me the truth, I'm holding you captive. Consider the Crystal Blood Pack your new home."

With that, Hector left the room, leaving me sitting there in shock, my mouth hanging open.

I could feel my heart racing as I tried to process what had happened. My eyes widened in disbelief, and I was unable to move or speak.

I was still trying to figure out what to do. If I told Hector the truth, he could throw me out, and I was in no shape to fend for myself.

Thinking about it, I was in a new pack. I could turn it into a new home, just as he had said. However, the last thing I wanted was to be held captive by an Alpha who clearly had no respect for other people's privacy.

Because of my wounds, I was unable to go anywhere, so I read instead, trying to keep my mind off the conversation Hector and I had shared.

I was grateful that none of my books had been damaged, as they were my only escape from reality. Many times, while reading, I found myself fantasizing about the ruthless Lycan King I had fallen in love with.

A smirk spread across my face as I closed my eyes and thought about him.

"Alec," I whispered.

He never failed to bring a smile to my face, and I wondered if I would ever find someone like him someday.

Compared to my beloved book husband, Erick was nothing.

A wave of sadness and anger washed over me when I thought of Erick. Even now, I still wondered why he had rejected me and why my parents blamed me for everything.

Even after being kicked out of the pack and renouncing it, I felt as though my world was crumbling around me, and I was powerless to stop it.

I had to learn to regain control of my life and find the strength to move forward, but first, I needed to escape my current situation.

Lying back in bed, I grabbed another book and began reading until my eyes grew heavy. Closing them for a moment, I drifted off into a deep sleep.

Suddenly, I awoke with the feeling that someone was watching me.

Looking around the dark room, I saw a pair of blue eyes.

As the light brightened around him, I recognized him. He was as handsome as ever, and everything inside me wanted him.

With a smirk, he moved closer to me. He gently caressed my face before wrapping his fingers around my throat.

I gasped as he pushed me against the wall.

"You feel so fuckin' good, kitten," he said.

My eyes flew open as I heard my wolf howl in pain. Tears streamed down my face as I dropped to my knees and screamed in agony.

I felt someone shaking me and heard my name.

"Maliyla, wake up!"

"Shhh... It's okay," Hector cooed as he knelt beside me, his hands resting on either side of my face.

As he held my face, I felt a tingling sensation run through me.

The only thought racing through my mind as I stared into his eyes was whether this could be what I believed it to be—or if this, too, was just a dream.