Chapter 5

Maliyla's POV

'Holy shit,' I thought, repeating his words in my head. Of all the packs I could have landed in, I landed in the pack with the Alpha, that nobody knew anything about. As I stared at him, I wondered what he was thinking, yet I couldn't help but admire 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 pulled 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 on the bed just inches from me when Jeanie, the housemaid I'd seen earlier, appeared. I watched as Jeanie handed Hector a tray, and he asked, "Are you hungry?"

Nodding in response, Hector placed the tray between us and lifted the silver top 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 with curiosity 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."

Laughing, Hector cocked his brow at me. "Exploring? At night? I find your lie rather interesting," he told me.

"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."

It 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 duffle bag with a few clothing changes?" Hector challenged.

I gasped in surprise at his words. "You looked through my stuff?" I exclaimed, my voice shaking.

A flush of anger began to 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 privacy invasions?"

As Hector rose from his bed, he 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 he spoke, "Invasion of privacy is something you do to help someone. As for your case, since you had been unconscious for two days, I had to find out whom to call to come get you." I watched Hector go to the closet and grab 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 that he would understand, and lying seemed better than telling the truth. All I could do was shrug and mutter an apology, but everything in me said he deserved better than that.

Walking toward the door, he responded, "Very well; until I know who you really are, or until you tell me the truth, I am holding you captive. Consider the Crystal Blood Pack your new home," Hector advised as he left the room, leaving me in shock with my mouth open.

I could feel my heart racing as I tried to process what had happened. My eyes were wide in disbelief, unable to move or speak. As a result, 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, like he said. However, the last thing I wanted was to be held captive by an Alpha who clearly had no respect for others' privacy.

As a result 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.

I was grateful for the fact that none of my books were damaged, as they were my only escape from reality. Many times in a book, I found I fantasized 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."

He never failed to bring a smile to my face, and I wondered if I would 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 today, I still wonder why he rejected me and why my parents blamed me for everything.

Even after being kicked out of the pack and renouncing it, it felt like 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 I had to get out of my current situation. Laying back in bed, I grabbed another book and began reading until I felt my eyes heavy; closing my eyes for a moment, I drifted off into a deep sleep.

Suddenly, I awoke to the feeling of someone watching me. Looking around the dark room, I saw a pair of blue eyes. The light brightened around him; he was as handsome as ever; everything in me wanted him. With a smirk, he came closer to me. He gently caressed my face as his fingers wrapped around my throat, and I gasped as he pushed me against the wall.

"You feel so fucken good, kitten," he said. My eyes flew open as I heard my wolf howl in pain. Tears fell from my eyes as I dropped to my feet and screamed out in agony.

I felt someone shake me and say my name: "Maliyla, wake up!" "Shhh... it's OK," Hector cooed as he knelt beside me, his hands on both sides of my face.

As he held my face, I felt a tingling sensation run through me. The only thing running through my mind as I stared into his eyes was, could it be what I believed it to be, or was this also a dream?