Page 38 of Taming the Alpha's Daughter

“And when I do….” Andrei steps closer to me. “You better do something about it,” he snarls, walking inside.

“I don’t like this,” Zyan tells me, and I have to agree because right now, I want to do nothing more than run back over there and kidnap my daughter.

“Is Casey safe?” I ask him before I step in the door.

“He isn’t that stupid. Casey can’t heal to hide it,” Andrei says, and I stop inside the door.

“Andrei!”

He stops at the kitchen door and looks back at me. “Dinner is done,” I growl as he disappears through the door. I growl but follow him.

ChapterTwenty-Five

Temperance

I wake up with a start, my heart racing as I try to make sense of my surroundings. For a second, I think I am back in the basement, back in my living nightmare, until I notice the place doesn't have the same damp, pungent smell, and I am not pressed against the bars of a cage that grew far too small over the years. No room has ever smelled this clean. And is that a soft bed beneath me? Blinking, it takes a second for my eyes to adjust to the darkness.

The room I find myself in is pristine but haunting, with dark wood paneling and tall, narrow windows draped in heavy velvet curtains. The furniture is antique and ornate, creating an eerie atmosphere that sends a shiver down my spine. Warmth seeps into my back, and I look over my shoulder to find Eziah lying beside me, still asleep, and I can't help but feel a mixture of relief and confusion at this mysterious man’s presence.

My heart races as I reach out, feeling for my wolves, but they feel numb, as if they're being suppressed or don't exist within me at all. I can't reach them, and it leaves me feeling vulnerable and frightened. My gaze moves to the window beside the bed, and I know I have to leave this place. I feel it in my bones.

Shadow's last words echo in my head: “I won't go back in the dark; I won't go back to the shadows.” Her words confuse me, but the memory of the dark and the voices I heard while trapped in my head remain vivid.

Dominic's voice echoes through my mind, but how can he be here and in my head at the same time? How could he be connected to my brother? It is the only thing that makes sense; I never left the basement, so how do I know the man? How do I know his name? I know he didn't give it to me.

Hesitantly, I climb over Eziah, careful not to wake him. I glance around the room, trying to make sense of how I got in this room, the floorboards are cold beneath my feet, and I fight back a shiver. As I climb out of bed, I realize my clothes have been changed. I'm now wearing purple plaid pajamas, and I can't help but wonder who dressed me. My eyes flick to Eziah, but I shake off the thought.

I walk across the room to the window, feeling the coldness in the air and making goosebumps rise on my arms. “Nova?” I call out, but there's nothing but eerie silence.

The window doesn't budge, so I turn my attention to the door, which seems impossibly far away in the chilling room. I creep towards it, cringing as the floorboards creak beneath my feet. I glance over my shoulder to make sure Eziah is still asleep before quietly opening the door and stepping into the foggy hall, my heart racing in my chest.

The hallway is dimly lit, and I squint through the fog, trying to find my way. Shadowy figures seem to dance at the corners of my vision, and I turn my head, attempting to catch a glimpse of them. My fear grows with each passing second, and a cold draft brushes against my back as I reach the stairs. I jump and spin around, coming face-to-face with a translucent woman.

I gasp, taking a step back and stumbling on the stairs. I feel myself falling. My arms flail, and a scream lodges in my throat.

Just as I'm about to hit the ground, strong hands grip my arm, pulling me back to my feet. I look up to see a man in long silk pajama pants, yet his chest is bare, his face calm but curious. I gasp and take a step back, scanning the hall for an escape. Something chills me to the bone about this man. He screams danger, more so than Eziah. “You're alright,” he reassures me, his voice thick and husky. “I won't hurt you.” He stares at me with dark, ominous eyes.

“But you should get back to bed. Eziah will worry if you're walking around the house without him.”

I glance back to the hall the way I came when he speaks again. “You shouldn't wander; you may get lost.”

The man reminds me of Dominic, and I can't explain how I know his name. His eyes are pitch black, and when a strange hooded figure appears behind him, his face obscured. I gasp and step away from them both. The man watches me carefully, his head tilting to the side.

“You can see them?” he asks, and I nod, unable to speak. “How is that possible? You aren't of Octavian blood.” He seems confused, but how can I not when the figure is right there? Does it not bother him?

“Because she was in the Shadow Realm,” a deep voice answers, and I turn to see Dominic walking slowly toward me from the stairs that lead toward a third floor. I blink, trying to process his words. My heart races as he moves closer and holds up a hand. “Don't run, Temperance, I won't harm you. Despite what your wolf has told you about me.”

“My wolf?”

“Shadow, I sensed her earlier.”

“She never said anything about you, but I feel like I know you,” I admit, confused about that statement the moment it leaves my lips.

“You know me from the shadow realm. Well, your wolf does, but I recognize you,” he tells me. My brows furrow in confusion.

“But I was never in the shadow realm,” I insist, my voice shaking. “I've never met you before. I lived trapped in a basement.”

Dominic and the man exchange glances, and he moves toward me. Slowly, I back down a step.

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