Chapter 42: Chapter 42

Climbing off his lap, he points toward his bathroom. I nod, about to go shower, when I pause. “Can I go grab some clothes from my room first?” Regan nods once, turning his gaze to the fireplace, his demeanor changing, and I’m tempted to glance at his aura, wondering if it would give any inkling of why the rapid change in his mood.

Walking to the door, I hesitate, wondering if Zeke is lingering outside the door when I hear Gnash whine loudly. Something tells me he is watching and waiting for his next opportunity to get rid of me.

Glancing over my shoulder, I spot Gnash sitting on the edge of the bed looking expectantly at King Regan, who has turned his gaze to the raging fire burning the thick logs in the fireplace. An unreadable expression is now on his face, as if he is deep in thought. Swallowing down my lingering fear of Zeke, I grip the door handle when Gnash barks, making me stop.

“Then go with her!” Regan snaps, and Gnash immediately jumps off the bed. Gnash rushes over to me.

Meanwhile Regan doesn’t even look in our direction. However, having Gnash with me, I feel a little more confident stepping into the long corridor. The moment I do, I notice my nagging intuition is spot on and that my hesitation wasn’t unwarranted because Zeke is standing in the doorway to his room like he was waiting for this exact moment. It’s almost as if he also knew I would have to go back to my room soon, judging by my clothes it isn’t a big assumption, had I noticed and wasn’t being chased down by a psychopath, I never would have left the room in them. Stepping out, he smirks and pushes off the wall.

“I was wondering when he would get rid of you. Regan never was one for keeping company!” Zekes sneers. “Alive at least,” he adds with a laugh. He takes a step toward me when Gnash steps out from behind me and growls. Zeke’s steps halt immediately as he eyes the massive wolf.

“You can’t protect her all the time, Gnash. It’s only a matter of time before I end her miserable, insignificant life.” Zeke tells him. He then swiftly turns on his heel and walks into his bedroom. I glance down at Gnash, my fingers brushing through his fur gently. He lifts his head and licks my fingertips when he looks behind us. Turning, I see Regan come to stand by the door.

“Well, hurry. I won’t stand here all day and I can’t babysit you every second of it,” King Regan says, his tone colder than when I was sitting in his lap, almost as if he was a completely different person. It makes me wonder how many sides there are to this man, how many personas he uses and hides behind, though it is clear to me now, my unexpected prior visit this morning caught him off guard because he seems quite aloof again.

“Human, hurry up! Always so fucking slow.” Nodding, I move toward my room, step inside with Gnash and close the door, moving toward the mirrored dresser, I grab the chair and prop it under what is left of the door handle, I doubt it will hold but hearing it fall over will give me some indicator I have someone in the room with me.

“Is he always so confusing?” I ask Gnash, who whines at me. I shake my head and sigh before deciding to quickly shower in my room. Suddenly Regan’s offer to use his bathroom doesn’t seem so welcoming.

Grabbing some clothes, I pick a long-sleeved black dress, the fabric clingy and I know it will amplify my curves. I pull on the sides of the stretchy thick fabric and groan, knowing I will swelter in it when the sun rises to its highest point. Hearing a whimper, I glance down at Gnash, who is watching me.

“Come on,” I tell him, wandering into the bathroom. Gnash lies on the bathroom mat while I strip my clothes off. I have a cold shower, unwilling to fiddle with the taps more than needed. By the time I get out, my teeth are chattering, my entire body is covered with goosebumps and my lips are blue. But I am clean.

I dry myself and pull the dress on before using the towel to dry my hair. Once I’m dressed, I double-

check to make sure no part of the outfit is see-through. Convinced I’m fully covered in every aspect, I open the door and relief floods me when I notice the bedroom is still empty and the chair is still propped under the handle. Gnash, however, instantly moves to the door and scratches at the wood, wanting to go out.

Chuckling at his eagerness, I pull the chair away and open the door, following him back to Regan’s room. However, the door is now closed and he must have gotten sick of waiting, or babysitting as he calls it. Walking out, I notice both Zeke’s and Lyon’s doors are wide open and they are nowhere to be seen. Stopping at Regan’s door, I peer down at Gnash. Should I knock? He should be expecting me, but it feels wrong to just barge into his room like I intended to do before. My life isn’t in danger, so would it be considered rude now?

Gnash, though, decides for me and starts scratching at the door and whining loudly when it is suddenly ripped open by Lyon. He smiles, yet it isn’t a pleasant smile, more predatory. Not expecting him, I take a step back when he opens it wider, revealing Zeke is also inside the room. My fingertips instantly seek Gnash at my side. He licks my fingers and I glance down at him, but he sniffs the air, then grabs the hem of my dress in his mouth, leading me into the room.

Zeke is lounging on the armchair, his legs chucked over the arm of it, and Hunter laying beside him on the floor when my eyes go to the collar around his neck and the leash in Zeke’s hands.

Zeke yanks on the leash and growls. “Get up and I will put you in your cage!” Zeke warns his wolf, who went to stand. He immediately sits down and rests his head on his front paws.

“Don’t worry Human, Regan said we can’t kill you, not on his watch. He’s scared of losing his precious throne!” Zeke taunts, and I glance up at Lyon beside me. He smirks, wandering off and falling onto Regan’s bed and making himself at home.

“Where is Regan?” I ask when his voice behind me makes me jump. He steps out of the adjoining office that sits behind what, at first glance, you’d think was a bookshelf. I peer past him and he shuts the door just enough so I can’t see in.

“I’m right here. Let’s just get this over with!” He snarls.

“Get what over with?” I ask, confused.

“The date, of course. What else? Or have you already forgotten the rules set forth by our father?” Lyon laughs.

“No, but you shouldn’t be here?” I ask, looking at Regan, who blatantly ignores me, leaving his brothers to speak for him.

“The rules state we had to take you on a date, never said we all couldn’t be present, and seeing as Regan doesn’t have the proper social skills we’d thought we’d supervise,” Regan growls at Zeke’s words but doesn’t confirm or deny what Zeke stated.

“I’m sure we’d manage on our own?” I look at Regan, hoping he will ask them to leave.

“You caught me off guard and I am still a man, Human. Now sit down, and be quiet. I have to work.” He then walks off toward the fireplace, which is now out, and by the look of the wood, someone doused it in water.

He grabs some device from the coffee table and aims it at the wall, which then opens up to a screen.

He turns it on and I see it is a TV; I have heard of them, seen pictures of them, and even have one in my room which Shelley briefly showed me how to use, but I prefer my imagination, prefer books or even the old radio Granny rarely let me listen to. She was always paranoid that leaving it on would get us caught, and that someone would pick up the frequency. It was old and had some handheld device that could speak to other people.

Granny whipped my butt really good that day. She caught me playing with it and I was talking to some lady who wanted to know where I lived so she could bring her daughter to play with me. I’d been so excited to play and have someone to play with that I had told her I lived in the cave with the rainbow on the side. Granny and I had painted it using crushed flower petals and rock when I was ten years old.

That day forever haunts me. I even have a scar on my left ass cheek where a piece of the willow branch broke the skin after she broke it over my backside. I never touched it again without her permission after that day out of fear of that damn branch.

“There, watch the movie!” Regan snarls, pulling me from my thoughts, and Lyon snickers.

“Such a romantic brother.” Lyon laughs.

“Rule is, I have to plan a date. Nothing says I have to stay and endure it.”

“I think you are missing the concept of what dating is?” Lyon chuckles.

Regan shakes his head. “Just watch her for me. I have work to do.” Regan snaps and wanders off back to the concealed office, yet he leaves the door slightly ajar, just enough that he can see out.