Chapter 20: The Narrow Escape Anna POV

My sole warning was the slight creak of the door handle. I looked around the room for somewhere to hide, and my heart skipped a beat. Panic tugged at my throat, demanding that I think and move more quickly. With its heavy black drapes swinging gently in the breeze from the open window, the towering bed towered above me. I immediately fell to the ground and slithered under it, squeezing myself up against the farthest edge as the door opened.

In the tight hush, the sound of boots scraping against the wooden floor was deafening.

My chest heaved from the effort of maintaining silence, so I clamped a palm over my mouth to keep my breathing quiet. I could see the polished tips of the boots from where I was under the bed, and I knew they were Oliver's. Even though we couldn't see him completely, his powerful presence filled the room.

"Where is it?" His voice cut through the silence, low and harsh.

Lighter but deliberate, a second pair of footsteps stepped into the room. Lucas.

"Alpha, by the desk," Lucas said calmly.

With each step, the floor beneath me vibrated a little as the boots approached. Oliver's feet came to a stop right in front of me, and I gasped. I flattened myself more into the chilly floor, hoping he wouldn't notice the little rise in the bed's drape, and his boots were inches from my face.

Oliver muttered, "Hmm," in a tone that was almost reflective.

With my heart thumping so loudly that I was certain it would reveal my identity, I bit my lip to avoid making a sound. His boots turned slightly, as though he were about to squat. My whole body froze.

"What's this about you showing interest in Anna that I heard?" Oliver asked abruptly, his tone brimming with mistrust.

Lucas paused. "I don't think it's an interest."

"What would you call it then?" Oliver's voice become piercing and demanding.

After a pause, Lucas answered in a steady voice. “Curiosity. That’s all.”

Oliver said, "Curiosity," once more, changing his boots as he started to pace. My muscles tensed with terror, I followed his motions from beneath the bed. “Curiosity about an omega. I'll agree it's a very odd omega, but an omega nevertheless. Don’t you think that’s a waste of your time?”

Lucas's boots were still securely positioned close to the desk. “I don’t see harm in observing.”

“Observing?” Oliver suddenly stopped pacing. His boots swiveled in Lucas' direction. “Curiosity can be dangerous, Lucas. Especially in a pack where every action is scrutinized.”

Between them, there was a dense quiet that was laced with tension that was not expressed.

“She’s just an omega,” Lucas said finally, his tone measured. “A servant beneath all of us. There’s nothing more to it.”

Oliver gave a gloomy laugh. “You’re not as subtle as you think, Lucas. I advise you to stop playing whatever game you are playing right now. You’re here to serve me, not to indulge in idle distractions.”

“I haven’t strayed from my duties, Alpha.” Although Lucas's reaction was composed, there was a slight edge to it.

"Make sure you don't." Oliver's boots halted just inches from where I was hiding, and as he moved closer to the bed, my breath seized in my throat. Additionally, avoid Anna. for both her benefit and yours.

The weight of his warning hung in the air, and I remained motionless. Tension made every muscle in my body hurt, but I couldn't risk moving just yet. Oliver's boots eventually turned after a few more seconds, and he started to move in the direction of the door.

As the door behind Oliver and Lucas clicked shut, the room became quiet. I remained motionless under the bed for a time, waiting for any last footfall. I shakily exhaled and slipped out of my hiding place after I was certain they were gone.

I made myself concentrate even though my body hurt from holding my tension for so long. I had to discover the sign before I could go. Leo would never have told me lies. He had seen it here, and I might never know what it meant if I couldn't find it.

Oliver's lingering presence permeated the unnaturally calm chamber. As I cautiously made my way around the room, looking at the walls, the furniture, and even the ceiling, every creak of the wooden floor beneath my boots sounded magnified.

The most sensible place to begin was at the desk. It had elaborate carvings along its borders and was elegant and weighty. I ran my fingertips over the wood, looking for markings or secret compartments, but I couldn't find anything. The polished brass handles of the drawers were chilly to the touch, and they were locked.

I turned to the bookcases on the far wall, frustrated. Old leather-bound books with worn and damaged spines were jammed into them. I scanned the titles with my fingers, looking for anything that didn't seem right.

However, nothing was present. No indication. I have no idea.

A feeling of futility surfaced, but I dismissed it. I couldn't let uncertainty prevail. I kept thinking about what Leo had said: "Anna, it's in his room. I seen it firsthand.

Next I opened the hefty doors of the wardrobe as silently as possible to check it out. Inside, the distinct smell of cedar and cologne filled the air as rows of immaculate white shirts and dark suits were carefully hung. I rapidly went over them, but I couldn't find any secret messages or markings.

Time seemed to be slipping away, and every second that went by made me more and more frustrated. Was there something I was overlooking? Or had the sign been taken down by Oliver following Leo's execution?

I sighed as I moved back into the middle of the room and took one more look around. The stifling silence caused my heart to race, and the shadows appeared to close in around me.

I had to go.

I grabbed the doorknob and twisted it as softly as I could as I crossed to the door. My clammy hand felt strange on the chilly metal. The door creaked open a little, and my heart thumped in my chest.

I froze after that.

Lucas was standing in the doorway, staring at me with his piercing blue eyes.

We remained motionless for a heartbeat.

"Anna," he muttered in a low, unintelligible voice.

My breath caught in my throat, and all I could do was stare back at him while my hand remained on the door and my entire body ached to go.