Page 35 of Alpha Queen
He looked at her, and his eyebrows drew together. "Really?"
"I told Titan no. Rejected him on the spot four years ago when he found me. You do know Titan bit me without permission, right? That members of his pack, your pack, attacked and shot me to kidnap me. That Titan shot my mates and tried to murder them, and then kidnapped me and is now holding me hostage here?"
Austin's eyes widened, and he licked his lips. "I didn't know he bit you without permission. He told us you are his mate and that Apollo and Ares had tricked you, and he brought you here to learn the truth."
She snorted. "That's about as truthful as what the Alpha said you did. So, what were you saying about me being sold off to the highest bidder under Ares and Apollo's rule? I would rather have taken my chances with any Alpha of the shifters than what Titan did to me. In the end, it wouldn't have mattered anyway, though, would it? I was not the fated mate of a shifter Alpha. I'm the fated mate of Ares and Apollo. My wolf rejected Titan the first time she saw him."
For a moment, Austin looked conflicted.
"You could help me. Do the right thing. Help me escape. I promise you, Austin, when I return home, I will ensure they are aware of what is happening to shifters and put a stop to it. That no one else is kicked out. That the Alphas are held accountable for what they've done."
The sound of loud footsteps descended the stairs. River rushed to Austin, clutching his arm.
"Please, Austin," she begged.
Kane walked into view, and River dropped her hand as Austin turned.
"You should be dressed by now," said Kane. "Titan is waiting."
"I was just taking her back to her room," said Austin.
"I'll do it."
Austin inclined his head and left before River could say another word.
Dammit. River backed away from Kane as he moved further into the room.
She bumped the table, and several of the brushes rolled to the floor.
"Come on. You need to get dressed."
River squatted down and picked up the brushes. She looked at them momentarily and then set them down slowly on the table, being sure to cover them with her frame. She snatched up the acrylic brush and shoved it up her sleeve before folding her arms and turning back to Kane.
She kept her breathing and heartbeat even as she followed Kane silently back to her cell. Had she gotten through to Austin at all? Or had she made things worse by revealing that Titan had lied to his followers?
Kane opened the door to her room and gestured for her to enter. "You have five minutes to get ready, then I'll escort you to dinner."
River nodded, not trusting herself to speak. As soon as the door slammed behind her, she let out a shaky breath and ran to the bed. She watched the door for a moment and then slid the paintbrush from her sweatshirt sleeve. She glanced around for a place to hide it and walked to the fridge. She opened it, but there was no place to conceal it. She opened the freezer and then the ice maker. She shoved the brush inside the compartment and shut it again.
She couldn't think of another place Titan may not search at some point. Cliché but effective.
She pulled her hair from the scrunchie.
Her conversation with Austin gave her a lot to think about. She'd known many of the rogues following Titan had legitimate grievances against the current Lycan power structure. However, hearing Austin's story firsthand drove home the complexity of the situation.
Still, that didn't justify Titan's actions. Or make her captivity any more acceptable.
River shuffled to the closet, surveying the clothes Titan had provided. Most were casual, wearing jeans, T-shirts, and sweaters. But there were a few dresses as well.
As she undressed, River caught sight of herself in the mirror. The slight swell of her belly seemed more noticeable than ever. She ran a hand over the bump. Soon, she wouldn't be able to hide it. She had to escape before she reached that point.
She pulled on a simple navy-blue sweater and a pair of wide-leg cotton pants, grateful for their flowing designs. As she knotted her hair into a simple braid, the bag of makeup sitting on her bathroom counter caught her eye. No way in hell was she going to make herself look any better than she had to. Hell, if he'd gifted her makeup to make her look worse, she would have put it all over her face. Though she doubted it would have helped. Titan had the crazy idea in his mind that she was his mate, and she doubted even goth clown makeup would deter him.
She threw the makeup bag in the trash can. She needed to find something to turn him off. Maybe she could eat like a pig. Slop food all over herself.
She glanced at the fake window in the corner, suddenly missing the real windows in the art room that let her feel real sunlight. A fake garden played on the video screen with the grass swaying in an unnatural breeze. If she hadn't known it was fake, she would have believed it was a real window. Titan had spared not even a penny when putting together her prison. She closed her eyes and imagined the real grounds of the Wolvenguard house stretched out before her, lush and green. The feel of grass between her toes. The smell of the trees, soil, and water from the pool. The smell of wood shards and motor oil in the barn.
Her wolf whined, and River swallowed down her own whine.
