Page 11 of Alpha's Bullied Mate
“I’m not here to drug you.” With that, he disappeared to the right of the doorway and I heard a fridge open and close, water hitting a glass, and then he returned and took a sip. “See?” He offered me the glass, stepping closer.
“I can’t exactly use my hands,” I said flatly.
“Sorry! Sorry, yeah. Well—um, do you need me to…”
His blustering made something in me soften. I’d been as awkward as him back in high school, rushing to apologize, to do the best job at something, to be kind and gentle and necessary. To besmall, to begood.
He pressed the glass to my lips, and I drank some water before pulling away. It was disgustingly uncomfortable to be provided like that, but what other choice did I have without revealing that I’d undone one wrist tie?
“For what it’s worth, I voted to send you back to your home pack. It must suck being away from them.”
I didn’t want to think too hard about that, but when the boy crouched before me before sitting down, it seemed like he was waiting for an answer. “I’m Ryan. I joined Aidan’s pack about six months ago. I was… Uh, disowned by my former one.”
That explained a lot, actually.
“How come?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I kept falling behind. Weakest link stuff, I guess. But Aidan gives people like me a second chance. I’m determined to prove myself to him.”
I was instantly suspicious. He sounded a lot like me in Fenrys’s pack. Bottom of the hierarchy, wanting to prove myself… Had Aidan sent him to get me to open up?
“Yeah, well, I hate to break it to you, but I don’t think Aidan will be a more preferable option,” I told him bitterly.
“Nah, he’s great. Hard at times with us but that’s what makes him a good alpha. We listen to him that way. We know our places, and I like that.”
I bit back a scoff. “All I’m saying is that if you're waiting for him to be kind, then you’ll be waiting a long time. He’s not known for it.”
“You know him?”
“Somewhat.”
That was all I said, even though his eyes pooled with questions. I felt myself being snappish when I’d always prided myself on being softer, but I felt threatened, and I didn’t know Ryan’s own agenda, or if he was working for Aidan's goals, trying to crack me.
“My sister was kidnapped once,” Ryan confessed. “When she was a teenager. We got her back, but she was never the same. She was used as leverage, but she got hurt in the process. I want you to know that you won’t come to harm here.”
“I’m still kidnapped,” I snapped. “I’m still without a bathroom I can use whenever I need, still without the use of hands togive myself water, still away from my home and pack.”
“But we won’thurtyou, we won’t raise a hand to you,” he insisted, as if that made everything better. It made him sound simple and childish. I ignored him. “If you need the bathroom, I’ll help.” He gestured at the rope around my ankles andwrists. But how could I explain that I’d now untied both wrist restraints?
“Won’t the rest of the pack be upset if you help me?” I asked, realizing I could take advantage of him being the weakest link. It made me feel wretched, but I needed to get out of this situation. I needed to get food in me so I could shift because, at this rate I didn’t have enough energy to. I needed to warn Fenrys. I needed to get away from Aidan before he came back.
“They’re working. It’s just me and two others that are upstairs.”
I laughed, thinking of Aidan sneering at Fenrys’s work ethic for his pack, but it sounded like he wasn’t much different. Then again, Aidan didn’t have rich parents, I remembered that. I originally thought that had been why he stole my backpack in high school because he couldn’t afford a new one like I could, until I realized he’d just done it to torment me.
“Then some help would be great, please.”
Ryan jumped up and came nearer slowly, as if worried he would spook me. I didn’t feel threatened by this boy in particular. I was only aware of speaking too loudly lest we be overheard by the other two. When his hands reached for the rope, he frowned.
“Aidan untied you earlier, right? I guess he can’t doeverythingbetter than others.” He tutted, as if displeased at the loose rope, as if it was Aidan’s fault. The binds fell away easily. I twisted my aching wrists as he worked on my ankles and hissed when he got too close with his knife to cut them away. He was so incredibly foolish to let me go free, even if he thought it was just a moment.
He walked me over to the bathroom. “I’ll be here. Shout if you need anything.” His eyes darted around me, as if he wasdoubtful of his decisions now that he’d acted them out. I hated taking advantage of his kindness like this, but had no other option. Ihadto escape.
I shut the door, locking the door from the inside, covering the noise with a loud cough. It was a fallible method, but it was all I had to work with. I turned on the faucet and made my way over to the slim window above the bathtub. A large counter was between the toilet and window, and I climbed on it on shaking legs. Damn, I was so weak.
Desperation had me overriding that as I worked the window open. A smart pack would have barred the windows or got a lock or something. Aidan had been clever, making me talk to him earlier. Ryan didn’t do that, so he didn’t know when I sounded faint or winded from moving so fast and climbing. I poked my head out of the window, worried about the rest of my body fitting through. But desperation was a motivator, and I wriggled until I put my chest through, then my hips, and hoped that the wolves upstairs were at the opposite end of the house and wouldn’t see me bolt.
I heard Ryan call out to me, and I panicked, throwing a quick, “I’m fine!” over my shoulder before I finally pushed the rest of my body out. I twisted to cling onto the edge and dropped down, falling into a roll. I muffled a groan, knowing I’d have bruises from the small window opening.
