CHAPTER 6
That night, when I finally managed to fall asleep, I only got a couple of hours. It was difficult to
rest in this new house and unfamiliar surroundings, likely due to my constant anxiety, which
was affecting my sleep habits.
I got up and changed to go for a jog around the area again. The jog was uneventful, and when I
returned home, I took a shower. Afterward, I walked to the wardrobe to put on my usual jeans
and a long–sleeve shirt.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. I turned just in time to see Mara open it and step
inside.
“Breakfast is ready,” she announced.
“I’m not hungry,” I replied.
“Everyone is in the dining room and they’re expecting you,” she said. I looked at her and
managed a small smile.
“I’m sure no one down there will miss me,” I said..
“Well, Alpha Landon told me to come and get you for breakfast. I can’t disobey my Alpha.
You’re going to the dining hall,” she insisted.
I slowly grabbed my jacket and walked to the door. Mara led me downstairs to the dining
room, where people were seated at long tables around the room. Most of them were warriors,
with a few women from the pack present as well. Thankfully, there didn’t appear to be anyone from the brothel, which relieved me.
Mara led me to the table at the front of the room, where Landon was sitting with his Beta,
Hayden, and a few other people I hadn’t met yet. A plate of food was already waiting for me,
so I sat quietly while they discussed pack business. I picked at my food, not really feeling
hungry.
“You really should eat something,” the guy beside me said. I turned to look at him.
“Who are you?” I asked, feeling a bit confused.
“I’m lan, Landon’s Gamma,” he replied.
“Oh,” I said, feeling slightly more at ease.
“And that’s Kai, Landon’s head warrior,” lan continued, gesturing towards him. I looked over at
< CHAPTER 6
Kai, who nodded in acknowledgment.
+8 Points>
I recognized their faces; I just didn’t know their names. All of these guys had come into the
house late last night with Landon while he was with that woman in the kitchen.
“So, how old are you?” lan asked.
“Eighteen,” I answered. He looked at Landon in surprise. I glanced at Landon as well, who
appeared equally surprised.
“When’s your birthday?” lan pressed.
“Two weeks ago,” I replied.
I heard a low growl coming from Landon, so I turned to look at him again. He seemed really
upset about something. I didn’t understand why this bothered him so much. It was a contract
marriage, so why did he care how old I was?
“Why would Vincent agree to this?” lan asked.
“I don’t know. I thought it was his idea. It wouldn’t surprise me,” I said, shifting my gaze back
to my plate of food. I really didn’t want them all staring at me or focusing their attention on
- me. But they kept asking questions, and I didn’t have any answers.
I was just doing what I was told. I was informed that I had to marry Landon, so here I am. I felt
a sense of relief when they redirected the conversation back to pack business, taking the
focus off me.
“Kai, did you find out anything more about the savior?” Hayden asked.
“No, I called that Alpha and spoke to the woman who was attacked. They couldn’t provide any
details. She didn’t get a good look at him. She mentioned that she was pretty scared at that
moment, and as soon as she realized they weren’t attacking her anymore, he was gone–just like in all the other reports,” Kai replied.
“Well, we need to find out who this guy is. If anyone can help us right now, it’s him,” Hayden
said.
“That is, if another Alpha doesn’t snatch him up first,” Kai added.
“It doesn’t seem like this guy has a pack. He just travels around saving people in trouble,” lan
remarked.
“He must belong somewhere; otherwise, he’d turn feral and become a rogue,” Landon pointed
out.
< CHAPTER 6
+8 Points >
Once breakfast was finally over, I decided not to return to my room. Instead, I walked out the
front door of the packhouse and noticed that people were wandering around the pack, though
not many were outside.
P
I made my way to the hill next to the packhouse, where I found a set of stairs leading down to
the beach. I descended the two dozen steps until I reached the sand and took off my boots.
As I walked along the shoreline, I let the waves lap over my feet. Soon, I noticed a jetty ahead
of me. It was just outside the packhouse, so I assumed it belonged to Landon. There was a
boat tied up there–the same one I had noticed before and that Harper had mentioned.
As I approached the jetty, an unsettling feeling crept over me, as if I were being watched. I
turned to look behind me, but I couldn’t see anyone. Still, I couldn’t shake that feeling.
When I reached the end of the jetty, I stood there, gazing out at the water. For the first time
since my arrival, I finally felt a sense of ease. That feeling didn’t last long, though, as I heard
Mara singing to me from beside the packhouse.
I turned around and walked back up the stairs, where I found her waiting at the top with a
familiar look of disdain on her face.
“I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong. I just went for a walk,” I said.
“You’re not supposed to go out without the Alpha’s approval,” she replied.
“Why not?” I asked, feeling confused.
“Just get back to your room,” she said, her frustration evident in her voice.
I made my way to the back of the packhouse and was about to head up to my room when I
heard Landon and Hayden arguing in a room down the hallway. While I couldn’t tell which
room they were in, I definitely recognized their voices.
“What the hell is your problem, Hayden? Why are you so pissed?” Landon asked.
“Because you really don’t see what kind of an asshole you’re being, do you?” Hayden shot
back.
“I never asked for this marriage,” Landon said.
Hayden yelled, “You agreed to it! Why on earth would you agree to marry a child and then treat
her like this?”
“First of all, I didn’t know how young she was. Vincent conveniently left that part out,” Landon insisted. “Secondly, we both know that it’s only a wedding on paper. Nothing else.”
3/4
< CHAPTER 6
+8 Points >
“That doesn’t matter. You’ve put her in that wing of the house all alone. No one else lives
there. You don’t even allow heating in that part of the house. She has to get her own firewood. She has to take care of everything by herself and has no one to lean on around here,” Hayden
argued.
“And maybe that’s what she deserves if she’s a spy,” Landon replied.
“I really don’t believe that she is,” Hayden countered.
“How could you possibly know? You’ve only known her for two days!” Landon challenged.
1
“She looks like a scared little girl to me. Why don’t you reach out to people in Vincent’s pack?
We know how ruthless he can be. Maybe she agreed to this to get away from him,” Hayden
suggested.
“Why don’t you mind your own business? You’re my Beta, and you will help me run this pack. You’re not going to tell me how to handle my marriage,” Landon growled.
“I’ve also been your best friend since birth. Remember, Hayden said.
“Wait a minute. Do you have a thing for Arabella?” Landon asked.
“Don’t be a d**k. Of course not. But she’s still a young kid who obviously doesn’t know what’s going on around here,” Hayden replied.
“Enough. We’re not having this conversation again,” Landon yelled. I carefully turned around and climbed the stairs to my bedroom. My mind was racing. Why the hell would Hayden be sticking up for me when he barely knows me? Landon’s right; he doesn’t know that I’m not a
spy, yet he’s defending me. It doesn’t make any sense.
After entering the wardrobe to change, I picked up my shirt when I suddenly heard a gasp behind me. I turned to see Mara standing there, her eyes wide and her hand covering her
mouth.
In that moment, I realized she had seen the marks on my back and both my arms–some old, some new. Panicking, I rushed over and slammed the wardrobe door shut in her face.
“What the hell is wrong with you? Don’t you know how to knock?” I shouted.
