Page 3 of Beneath His Alpha's Wings
But as the minutes ticked by, I started to wonder if maybe Knash being gone wouldn't be the worst thing either. Maybe without him I’d finally be free to leave the house and try my luck somewhere else. Surely there were other shifters nearby that weren't bad. Some who would help me navigate this strange new life without keeping me locked in their house. Assuming they wouldn’t kill me on sight like he said the wardens would.
I heard the sound of a door slamming open and a lump of terror formed in my throat. Then again, maybe Knashwastelling the truth abouteverything,and I wouldn't have to worry anymore because the wardens were here to kill me.
Footsteps. More than one pair. Maybe it was KnashandTeddy.
My newly enhanced ears picked up mutters of unfamiliar voices and I soon realized that the footsteps weren't coming straight for the basement like Knash would be. They seemed to be exploring. The basement door creaked open and I flattened myself against the boxes, hands wrapped around my stomach.
I never considered myself much of a crier, so I could only blame the pregnancy hormones as I realized tears were streaming down my face. I clamped a hand over my mouth to keep myself from crying out. Then, illuminated by the light coming in from upstairs, a huge, hulking shadow fell over me. For one brief moment, I thought maybe it was Knash and I looked up, only to see a massive, beast of a man who could only be another shifter. And it wasnotKnash.
~~~***~~~
The urge to pee woke me, but I stayed in bed for a minute, feeling a little groggy. My body felt tired and heavy. As I lay there, the vivid memory of weird dream I was having came back to me. In the dream I was eating dinner with Knash and Teddy, when the wardens came. And I found myself hiding from them in the basement. I remembered the huge man towering over me. He wordlessly pointed a gun at me and then... It was such a vivid dream I must have woken up in the middle of it, before he shot me.
“Thanks for that,” I muttered, patting my stomach.
As if saying you're welcome, the baby kicked me. Right in the bladder, of course. It wasn't the first weird dream I had since getting pregnant. I wondered if they were going to become more common as I drew closer to my due date. I hoped not. That one was awful
I raised myself into a sitting position and stood slowly, one hand cradled under my stomach for support. I stayed there for a moment, trying to fight the foggy feeling from waking up in the middle of a dream. All at once, I realized this wasn’t my bedroom.
Where the hell was I?!
I jerked my head back and forth, looking around in alarm. The room was small and simple. For a moment I wondered if I had been captured by the horrible wardens, or maybe some sort of human scientist, but the room didn't seem like what I would have kept a prisoner in. It was sparsely furnished, yes, but pleasantly. More like a hotel room than a jail cell. There were some nice paintings on the wall. The bed was comfortable. There was a large window, letting in plenty of light. A nice plush carpet under my feet. And a door that looked like a fairly normal door.
I spotted another door, this one open to a bathroom. For a moment I was tempted to just try and leave the room. But since I didn't know what waiting for me on the other side, I decided to risk using the bathroom, just take the pressure off of my bladder.
I was wary as I went across the room, but aside from the fact I had no idea where I was, everything seemed pretty ordinary. I took a moment to look out the window. Damn, I was on the second floor of wherever I was. I couldn't see much, just some trees across a small yard. Nothing to indicate whether I was in a house or a hospital or a prison or anywhere else. But I was pretty sure I could smell coffee somewhere. That had to be a good sign, right?
The bathroom was as simple as the bedroom, but had a nice shower, a toilet, and a sink. Some plush looking towels. It seemed like nice enough amenities. I used it quickly, washed my hands, and then splashed a bit of water on my face, hoping to drive away some of the lingering fogginess. I sometimes felt a little muddled in the mornings, but today was rough.
Then, I caught sight of myself in the mirror and realized that I was wearing the exact same clothes I was wearing at dinner the night before. The clothes I was wearing at dinnerin my dream.I stopped for a minute, heart pounding, and tried to think about my actual dinner, not my dream dinner, myrealdinner, and going to bed after.
I couldn't.
I frantically dug through my memories of the previous day, but no matter where I started everything led up through the same chain of events to the dinner. The dinner interrupted by the wardens.
No. It couldn't have been real!
I looked around the bathroom and stepped out into the bedroom again, half expecting the huge man to be standing there. Surely, the people who had so mercilessly slaughtered Knash's family wouldn't have stuck me in a cozy little bedroom. Right?
I tentatively reached forward and very carefully twisted the doorknob. I was sure it would be locked. But to my surprise, it opened easily. Heart pounding, I stepped out into a hallway. I expected to find myself in some sort of a house, but the hallway was a little more industrial. There were a few other doors along it, including an open one. I tiptoed carefully over and glanced inside to see a room, much like the one I had just been in. There was an unmade bed and, to my surprise, Teddy’s scent! I stepped in and took a few whiffs. Yes. Teddyhadbeen in this room. What the hell was going on?
The scent of coffee was stronger now, and I realized I could hear muffled voices. I carefully walked down the hallway and paused outside another door, this one cracked open a few inches. I could smell food, as well as coffee. And yes, Teddy again.
“Ah, I think someone else is about to join us,” said a woman's voice. She raised it slightly. “Lucas, is it? Please come have some breakfast.”
I froze. My heart leapt into my throat.
“It's okay,” Teddy called. “They're friendly. They want to help us.”
Well, they obviously knew I was there. So, I rounded the corner into what looked like the teachers’ lounge at the high school where I taught.
There was a coffee maker, several bags and trays of pastries, and a couple of tables with chairs and couches. Sitting at one of the tables were four people. One was Teddy. Another was a dark-skinned woman, who must have been the one who spoke. The man next to her had a face too similar to have not been related somehow. And the fourth was a young man, smaller than the other two.
“Good morning,” the woman said, standing. “I'm sorry if you're feeling a little bit groggy. Have some coffee, it’ll help.”
“Here.” The fourth man jumped up. “I'll get it for you. Why don't you have a seat?”
“Oh… I uh…” I stammered, caught off guard by the offer.
