Page 2 of Marked By the Alphas

“We’re Silas’ Sirens. The majority of the world would murder us on sight if they found out who we truly are. You might think that staying here and committing all these murders for Silas is a terrible thing, and it is, a hundred percent, but trust me when I say there are a worse fate out there. In the wrong hands, we can be extremely dangerous, even to ourselves.” She paused, looking into the mirror in front of her with a faraway look in her eyes.

“In here, we’re fed, trained, and clothed. It doesn’t make Silas a better man, but at least we know him and his ways. Do right and get rewarded, do wrong and be punished. We’re used to all of it. Outside, it’s completely different,” Naya said, tears brimming in her eyes as she spoke and it made me feel terrible for causing her so much distress.

“I understand. I’m sorry I brought it up, it’ll never happen again,” I reassured her.

“You’re my best friend. I don’t want to be separated from you and I don’t want you to die, but I just have a feeling that you’re going to try to do something stupid. So you have to promise meElara. Promise me you won’t try to escape,” she said, her eyes piercing me so intensely that I had to look away.

I couldn’t promise that because then I would have to break it, but I knew it was the only way to make her settle.

“I pr—”

A heavy knock on the door shattered our fragile conversation and with a last warning look thrown my way, Naya pulled away, straightening herself and returning back to her makeup like the last five minutes hadn’t happened at all.

“Come in,” I called, and a young maid entered, her face pale and eyes darting around nervously. In her hands, she carried two identical, beautifully wrapped boxes and I felt dread settle at the base of my spine.

“From Master Silas,” she mumbled, placing them on the dresser before scurrying out of the space.

Naya reached for a box at the same time that I did the other and we both began unwrapping it. A gasp escaped my lips as a beam of light glinted off the pearlescent white opal nestled within. Delicate silver chains held the pendants. A matching note lay beneath the necklace. I pulled it out and written in Silas’ messy scrawl were the words, “With Love, Silas.”

Love.

I fought the urge to scoff at the words. As if Silas could ever be capable of such an emotion.

The gift looked beautiful. At least to the eyes, it was. But I knew better. They weren’t gifts; they were shackles. Each pearl stone held a sliver of Silas’ magic, and it bound us to his will. The morebeautiful an item was, the more potent the magic he had placed in it. With the necklace around my throat, I wouldn’t be Elara. I would have no identity of my own. I would simply be Silas’ Siren. I would be a puppet and my every thought and move would be dictated by the whims of that sadistic madman.

“Those guests won’t survive the night. Silas is planning something…something terrible,” I whispered.

Naya was about to respond when a sharp and sudden scream pierced through the suffocating quiet.

That was another Siren.

It was followed by another and then a flurry of panicked yells. My eyes widened with panic at the thought of what could be happening.

Naya and I both sprung out of our seats and ran toward the source of the noise. Not surprisingly, everyone who lived in our quarters had gathered at the source. I struggled to make sense of everything that was happening.

“She only just put the necklace on and then it burned her for some reason.”

“Maybe she did something and this is her punishment?”

“Do you think we should call Silas?”

These were the words that flew around me. I tried to put the pieces together. That was when it caught my eye. The door to our quarters had been left open and the guards were currently inside the Siren’s room investigating. Naya’s words rang in my ears.

Where will you go if you run?

This is the only home we’ve ever known.

If he finds you, he’ll kill you.

I looked over to see my best friend, who was now involved in a conversation with another girl. Everybody seemed occupied with something. For years and years, I’d prayed to the Moon Goddess for an opportunity like this one. Just one chance is all I’ve ever asked. Maybe this was it.

The sound of Silas’ cruel laughter if he were to catch me running away rang through my mind. The thought that I might never see Naya again was enough to make me pause for a second. This really was the only home I had ever known. I had no friends and I knew no one outside of Silas’ wall. But this might be my only chance.

Even if it wasn’t, I was willing to try.

I slowly inched away from the gathering of girls, keeping my movements subtle and my eyes on the door. Once I got close enough to slip out, I looked down the hallway and found that it was empty and completely still. I gathered my dress in my hands and moved out of the quarters and into the hallway.

Reaching the grand staircase, I glanced back to see that Naya wasn’t following. I felt a surge of guilt wash over me. A part of me wanted to turn back and convince her to come with me. But I knew it would be useless. She would never agree and if I went back, I would never get this kind of opportunity again.

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