Chapter 20
âCan I go back to the room upstairs, or maybe the couch?â she asks, looking unsure. She is so different from before, meek andâ¦. Broken. It takes me a few moments to recognize it. She is conditioned by whatever life she has been living. However, that doesnât surprise me.
Ethan was kind of institutionalized, too, when he came home, but not like this. No, Ethan would stand at a door waiting for the drill to sound to say he could leave the cell. Or sneaking cutlery to his room. I was forever finding cutlery in his room, or on him, for months. Itâs like he would forget the gun at his hip.
But Rose, I canât explain it. She is kind of the same, but different.
âDo you think she was a prostitute?â I ask Ethan. He shrugs, uncaring if she was. He hates her, and so do I after years of feeling her f ucking everyone, so it makes sense she would have been. It also explains her behavior. Maybe Drake was her pimp?
âWhy would you say that?â Max growls, angrily tossing his napkin down and stalking off.
âWhat, I wasnât-â I trail off, f uck what was I thinking asking such a question. Ethan squeezes my shoulder as he passes and leaves, too. Shaking my head, I gather everyoneâs plates and head to the kitchen to leave them for the maid.
Afterward, I find Ethan and Max in the study, their expressions somber and thoughtful. âWhatâs the plan with her?â I ask, my voice betraying a hint of my frustration. âYou do realize she could turn us against each other, right?â
Ethan looks up, his eyes reflecting a turmoil I rarely see in him. âI didnât expect to find her, Colt, besides you said to bring her home. I could have quite easily shot her and been done with her,â he admits, running a hand through his hair.
âWell, we thought she wasâ¦gone, maybe even dead. We need to learn more about her and what sheâs been through.â Max says, and I raise an eyebrow at him.
âHeâs right. We donât know where she has come from, or if anyone is looking for her, I wouldnât be surprised. Itâs not like she kept good company,â Ethan tells me, and I nod, understanding but not entirely convinced.
0.00%
12:46
Chapter 20
1288 Nouchers
âIâll look into it,â I offer, already formulating a plan to delve into Roseâs past to understand her connection with Drake and what threat, if any, she poses to us. I already lost my mate before, I wonât lose him again. I donât care if she is our mate; she clearly has no intention of being with us, and she hasnât even acknowledged. the mate bond.
âGood, I am going to have a shower; I have a meeting in town later today,â Ethan reminds me.
âMaybe cancel it. You havenât slept since bringing her back here,â I tell him, concerned. His beast can truly be a monster when tired, angry, well, anytime, really. Being in prison, he came out fine, but learning we never found Rose turned his beast cold. So I know he must be giving Ethan a hard time wanting to claim her.
-Rose-
I spend most of the day in my room, hiding away from Ethan, Colt, and Max. After everything, I donât want to face them. They donât understand that being around them hurts. Theyâre alphas and they hate me. Itâs all I feel when they look at me and I canât help that I want to do everything I can to make it better.
I canât blame them for hating me, but it doesnât make it
any easier.
Falling asleep in my room is easier than being around them, so thatâs what I do. I nap throughout the day, hoping that if I do, it will help my body heal. And dinner time is awkward and quiet, only to be sent back to my room, which doesnât bother me much because the withdrawals from the suppressants have given me a fever.
The following morning, I wake to the heavy, gray duvet sticking to my leg. I must have moved in my sleep, the stitches having reopened. The pain is jarring, but I try my best to ignore it, not wanting to wake just yet. Shifting to find a less painful position, I wince as the stitches in my leg pull tight.
Tossing the blanket back, I hear the rustle of paper making my brows furrow as I pull myself into a sitting position, wincing with each move I make. Leaning against the headboard, I find a piece of paper has been placed on the end of the bed.
I s natch it up, wondering which one of them left it there. It doesnât take me long to realize itâs Ethanâs handwriting. He always had beautiful handwriting. Itâs neat yet looping. I recognize it instantly. At least some things havenât changed, I guess.
Reading it over, I groan, realizing itâs a list of chores. Nothing major, most dusting, and cleaning bathrooms and doing laundry, yet I dread the idea of having to move
37.47%
12:46
Chapter 20
about this mansion. The stairs will be dreadful, especially with this leg.
288 Vouchers
Hesitantly, I pull the duvet back, and tears spring to my eyes at the burning sensation that licks up my leg. It feels like Iâm peeling the skin off. And just as I thought I had pulled the stitches, theyâve cut through my skin like cheese wire.
After around a good hour trying to will myself to get up, I finally force myself out of bed. The mansion is cold this morning and quiet, eerie almost as I stick
my head out the doors. Ethanâs door is wide open, and so is Maxâs door. I let out a breath, hoping that theyâre not home.
Shaking my head, I move to the clothes that were left for me, black slacks and a white blouse, when I notice something. My bra is missing. I hold up the thin silk blouse, knowing it is sheer enough I wonât be able to cover my chest. Some part of me hopes my bra is in the bathroom still, where I took it off after my shower and before bed. Only that seems to be wishful thinking because I find the bathroom attached empty.