Page 26 of Marked By the Alphas

And so, I had hoped that some distance would ease the simmering tension that crackled in the air whenever they were near, but it didn’t exactly seem to be working. Although I wasn’t physically in their presence, I could still feel when they were near in my mind. There was a constant thrum from within me whenever I caught a whiff of their scent or presence and hiding from them was starting to get exhausting. Still, I was determined to keep it up.

“I’m not avoiding them,” I said dismissively, moving out of the bed and to the small closet in the corner to pick out some clothes. To my annoyance, Rose followed me.

“You’re not? Then why have you been hiding by yourself in this room? Having your meals by yourself? Pretending to be asleep whenever any of them come to talk to you? Only stepping out of the room after you confirm that they are all out of the house?” she pushed, and I sighed, turning to face her.

“You don’t understand, Rose. I can’t ever look them in the eye again. Never again,” I said, and the older girl sighed, moving forward to take my hands into hers.

When I realized that Rose had known about the Alphas taking care of my heat, my embarrassment had tripled, but it was impossible to avoid the maid as easily as the Alphas because she was very stubborn and had a way of getting into my space before I could push her out. Plus, she made sure never to mention the incident. It made her my biggest accomplice in trying to avoid the Alphas so that was an added advantage.

“There might be a lot of things that I don’t understand, Elara, like the whispers about the prophecy and how it connects back to you, but one thing that I understand for sure is how much you’vecome to mean to the Alphas in such a short time. This past week, I’ve had to watch the disappointment in each of their eyes every time they’ve asked after you, and I’ve had to say you were sleeping or tell some kind of lie. I think it’ll be best if you just stop avoiding them,” Rose offered, and her words began a storm in my mind again. I simply gave her a smile before nodding my head and moving toward the bathroom.

As I brushed my teeth by the sink, my eyes fell on the marks on my neck from the past week. The sight of them never fails to send a shudder through me and this time is not an exception.

Somehow, the Alphas had managed to mark me in a way that all three marks seemed to be connecting. I brushed my fingers against the largest one. It was Rhys’ and a jolt of pleasure ran through me as my fingers brushed against it, making me shake my head slowly to clear it before forcing myself to focus on the task at hand.

Something had also shifted within me. It was not just physical; it felt deeper than that. It felt as though a newfound sensitivity hummed beneath my skin and there was a constant simmering presence roaming around my mind. It also seemed to open up my senses, as if I could hear much better. My sense of smell also seemed to be sharper than what I remembered. It scared me, but I had no idea what it meant.

After I finished brushing my teeth, I took a quick bath. I dressed in comfortable clothes before heading out of my room in the direction of the kitchen. It was way past breakfast time, and I knew that the Alphas would all be out of the house, so I was free to wander around until it was time for them to return home. It was almost comical how the past week had forced me to be attuned to their routines. I was always in my room in themorning before they went out and later in the evening when they returned.

“Good morning,” I called when I walked into the kitchen and a round of good mornings went up from the other maids. Some of them had become quite friendly with me, and their gentle smiles and soft voices made me relaxed enough to walk further into the kitchen.

“I was just about to come get you. It’s almost time for lunch, but you haven’t had breakfast yet. Would you like some pancakes?” Rose asked, and I nodded, moving to settle on one of the seats that surrounded the island.

“You’re dressed up. Are you going somewhere?” I asked Rose, noting that she was dressed up more than usual.

“I’m just wearing some jeans and a shirt,” Rose said, laughing softly. I joined her.

“I know. That’s why I say you’re dressed up. You never wear jeans in the house,” I responded. She raised her hand in surrender, making me laugh.

“Fine, you caught me. I’m just going to the packs’ local market. I need to stock the house with some fresh food,” Rose said as she mixed the pancake batter. I immediately perked up.

“Can I come with you? Please?” I quickly added, moving off the seat so suddenly that I hit a cup that had been left to dry on the island and it tumbled off the edge I surprisingly caught it before it could come in contact with the floor. The speed at which I moved shocked me, and when I turned, Rose had a similar look of shock in her eyes but she didn’t say anything about it.

“I wish you could. But the Alphas will have my head if they find out I took you out of the house,” she responded, moving to the stove to heat a pan.

I frowned at her words, why would they be upset that I left the house? I wasn’t a prisoner here. Or was I?

“I’m not a prisoner here, right?” I asked, and Rose lifted her eyes to look at me for a second before returning her attention back to the pan to flip the batter she had poured. For that second, I had seen the surprise in her eyes at my question.

“Of course not. You’re a guest here. Why would you think you’re a prisoner?”

“Then why can’t I leave the house?”

“Well, you can b-but…” she trailed off, stuttering like she was trying to find the right words.

“But what?” I pressed, and Rose sighed, switching off the stove before turning in my direction to speak.

“Elara, the circumstances surrounding your situation are rather difficult. I’m not sure you understand how potent your scent is and how dangerous that can be for you around the males. Since you came here, the Alphas have had to dismiss the guards that stay inside and around the house just to protect you and them. That goes to show how sensitive this situation is,” Rose said, and I nodded, sighing in defeat at her words.

She was right, of course. I didn’t want to put the maid in a difficult position.

“You’re not a prisoner here and you can most definitely wander around as you want. As much as I'd love to be your guideand show you all the fun places within the pack, I don’t think I can give you the protection that you’ll need. Right now, the pack members haven’t had a proper introduction to you. All they know are the rumors that reach their ears, and I can’t predict what their reactions will be if they run into you. I can’t risk finding out,” Rose explained, and my shoulders slumped in defeat.

“So does that mean I won’t ever be able to leave the house because of my scent?” I asked, and she smiled, moving in closer to me and bringing her tone down as if to whisper a secret.

“Well, maybe you can ask someone else,” she said, looking behind me in the direction of the door. That was when his scent filled my nose.

Rowan.

---