They nod to me and pass me, heading into the bedroom. I follow, and discover that behind the far wall, there’s a huge bathroom that might as well have come out of a palace. The stone walled shower could fit three people, and it’s fitted with a thin waterfall as well as several showerheads placed at different intervals. There’s a lighted vanity with a cushioned bench, a long counter with two sinks, a toilet and bidet, and a sunken jetted tub that looks like four people could swim in it.
Under literally any other circumstances, I’d be giddy at the thought of this being my new home. But as it is, all these splendors bring me is more aching in the pit of my stomach.
The servant girls immediately get to work starting my bath and getting thick, fluffy, full body-sized towels ready for me. As the water fills the tub, they come to me and begin to undress me.
“Oh!” I stop them, backing off. “I can undress myself. Thanks.”
My cheeks turn red, and the ladies bow to me. They wait, and I know they aren’t going to leave me, so I undress and force myself to think of things like multiplication tables and all the different ways I’ve learned to say hello in foreign languages thanks to tourists in Florida. I have to do something to ignore the embarrassment I feel at having them watch me disrobe myself.
I guess succubi don’t go through that, but they choose their physical forms, so it makes sense.
They take my clothes and I head for the billowing steam and bubbles in the tub, as one of the girls turns on the jets. I’m just sinking in when I feel something rough on my shoulder. I turn swiftly to find two of them with loofas in their hands. I pause for a moment.
They’re going to wash me.
I hadn’t expected this, but I know that I need to get them to trust me; I have to have some allies in this place, especially if I’m ever going to find out anything about Isla. It brings back a memory of the last time I was taken somewhere against my will, but this time … the memory brings tears springing to my eyes.
What I’d give now to be locked away in that old hideout in Tampa. To have Teague and Elon bathing me instead.
“Thank you,” I tell them, glancing up to see their eyes not meet mine. I lean closer to the edge of the tub, so they can reach my back.
They begin to work on me, and I take the opportunity to try to pry some information out of them,
“I’ve never been in a place where succubi and incubi serve shifters. This is all so strange to me. The pack I come from doesn’t see succubi and incubi as servants. We see them as equals.”
Or, were just starting to … but they don’t need to know that.
“We were about to sign a peace treaty with them in our area,” I say, much to these succubi’s surprise.
All three of the girls stop short in their work and stare at me. I turn and face them in my mound of bubbles. I realize that I might have gone a bit too far, too fast.
“I’m sorry … I didn’t mean to offend you.”
Mara shakes her head. “No, my lady, it isn’t that. We aren’t offended.”
Kera smiles a little. “We … we heard rumors, but we were certain that they couldn’t be true.”
“Rumors that there was a woman … a new shifter, made from a human, who had somehow done a miracle and convinced both our races to live together in peace. We didn’t dare to hope that it could really be so.”
Elise is in utter disbelief. “And here you are. You’re real!”
They really do sound like a creature from another world, another life. It’s surreal … much like the rest of this place.
I exhale, relieved that things are all right between us. “I’m real.” I laugh nervously, but try to speak warmly to them. They don’t need to know the depth of how on-edge I am. “We did try, and we were all going to the signing when Rylan …” I stop short. He’s their master. I don’t know how much I can say without crossing a line.
They pick up on it.
“When Rylan stopped it.” Kera’s smile disappears instantly.
“He … he killed nearly all of them who’d gone in good faith.” Mara’s eyes darken.
“I know he did,” I tell them earnestly. “We were all going in good faith, and it would have happened, had he not interfered. I’m so sorry that it turned horrible. So very sorry.”
Elise’s voice drops to a whisper. “We’ve heard … we’ve heard that you agreed to marry him only to save the lives of everyone there … everyone in that whole region.”
I nod.
The three of them look at me like I’m an angel lit and shining on top of a Christmas tree.
“We admire you so much! We want to do everything that we can to make your life here as good as it can be.” Mara folds her hands together as if in prayer.
“What about your life here?” I press them gently. “How are you treated? What is it like being a servant in this compound?”
They all share a look and I can sense that they are deciding if they can trust me with the truth.
“I’ve seen a little of it firsthand,” I encourage them. “That poor girl, out in the courtyard today. I could have killed Rylan myself for hurting her that way; punishing her because of my actions.”
“He’s like that with all of us. We are nothing to him. Less than nothing. He treats us as if we do not exist for anything more than convenience to him. It’s horrible. You can’t imagine.”
“I’m sure I can’t, but I am beginning to see.”
“Existing in this place is a living nightmare.” Elise murmurs miserably, but then she brightens, just a little. “We’re so glad that you’ve come. You are already a tremendous reprieve from what we’ve been doing.”
“I’m glad that you’re to be with me, too. I’ll make sure that you’re well treated in every way that I can.”
“I wish our two races had found the peace that you wanted to create.” Kera sighs as she dips the loofa back into the steaming water and draws it down my arm.
“I wish the same,” I tell her, and they all know that I mean it. I can feel the bond that has already begun to form between us. It’s strong, and I am grateful to have at least these three on my side, and maybe even Sergei, if I’m lucky. There’s only one other person in this place that I’m concerned with at the moment.
“When I was brought here, another woman was brought with me. A sister of mine. Do you know where she is? How she’s doing?” I implore quietly. “Rylan separated us, and I worry for her. She’s pregnant. I don’t want anything to happen to her, or to the babies.”
The three of them exchange another swift look, and nod.
“We don’t know where she’s being kept, but we do know the servant who’s taking food and water to her. She can’t tell anyone where the woman is, or she’ll lose her life. We could pass notes to her, though, if that would help.”
My heart nearly leaps from my chest. “YES! Yes, please!” I exclaim so excitedly and suddenly that the girls jump a little. “I just need some paper. Thank you so much!”
Elise runs to fetch paper and a pen, while Mara and Kera wash my hair, rinse me, and wrap me in a robe. I sit on the thick, comfortable bed, and write swiftly.
Let me know if you’re safe and being taken care of. I’m fine. I’m determined to get you out soon. I will do anything to protect you. Keep the faith. Love, S.
Mara tucks the note into the hem of her beige sleeve. “She is under constant guard. Hunter guards. The hunters have been instructed to kill Isla immediately if anyone comes to her for any reason.”
My heart skips a few beats. Clearly, I won’t be able to go to her. “Is there any chance that she might be able to escape?”
“No, my lady.” Kera shakes her head. “She’s in heavy chains secured to the floor, locked in a cell. She has basic comforts; a bed and a toilet, but nothing else. There’s a guard at her door every moment. There’s no way for her to get out.”
My shoulders sink, but my resolve only strengthens. I will get her out safely no matter what it takes. I vow it silently to myself, and to he
r.
“Thank you for telling me. Please, get that message to her and be sure that no one sees it who shouldn’t. Can we trust her servant?”
“Implicitly,” Elsie assures me. “She’s my cousin.”
“This means everything to me. Thank you.”
They leave me, and though my mind is a vortex of worry and questions, it’s no match for my exhaustion. I slide beneath the luxurious comforter, into cool sheets, and slip into darkness.
Chapter Seven
The girls are there, waiting quietly for me when I wake up. I can’t believe how hard I slept, my wolf senses didn’t detect them going into the sitting room while I was out. I push myself up from my pillows, and they hurry into the room.
Kera beams at me brightly. “Do you take coffee? How do you drink it?”
“By the gallon.” I groan a little, stretching. She vanishes into the little kitchen as Mara goes into a large walk-in closet that I didn’t see last night. I wonder how tired I really was—and what else I missed because of it.
“Do you just keep extra clothes on hand? Where did these come from?” I ask, looking at the beautiful sundress and array of accessories she emerges with. There are even new underclothes for me.
A sick feeling settles in my stomach. How long has Rylan been planning this?
“No, when we took your clothes last night, we had your sizes, so we got new clothes for you. Your closet is full. Also, new shoes, hats, some jewelry, scarves, and nightgowns. If you tell us what else you’d like, we’ll get it.”
That sick feeling subsides a little.
“You really don’t have to do that.” I tell them adamantly.
Kera giggles with a naughty smile. “Rylan is paying for it all. Besides, it gives us a reason to leave the compound. Granted, we’re under guard the whole time we’re out, but we’re out.”
A smile spreads over my face. “I’ll make a long list then.”
All three girls laugh, and I’m presented with a coffee tray loaded with creams and sugars.
I savor the coffee with my eyes closed. “It’s so good. I could stay here forever if I’m allowed. Are there rules about breakfast?”
“Rylan told us he wants to see you at meals every evening, but he doesn’t eat breakfast, and he’s often busy during the day, so you’re free to have morning and midday meals on your own.”
“Thank goodness I got two out of three.” I roll my eyes and the girls laugh.
I get out of bed and convince them to let me dress myself, but I give in when they insist on styling my hair and doing my makeup. When they’re done, I’m amazed. I’ve never looked better in my life, but then again, I’ve never had three of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen getting me ready. Succubi and Incubi must know a lot about beauty regimens; it’s part of their job description, so to speak.
I give the girls the morning off—not that I expect them to take it, I have a feeling they have a lifetime of endless work to do—and go out to wander the compound. I’m curious about where I’ll be living. I’m not five feet out of my main door onto the balcony when I see Sergei heading toward me.
He nods to me as soon as we lock eyes. “Good morning, my lady. How are you doing?”
“I’m fine. I thought I’d check out the compound. Go exploring.” Hoping to accidentally find out where Isla is without getting her—or myself—killed, of course. But I don’t say that.
The big guard gives me a thoughtful look. “I’m on my way to Rylan’s quarters. He’s having a meeting. Perhaps you should attend. You may go in with me, if you like.”
I feel a prickling curiosity about what Rylan gets up to here. It would be good to know.
“Okay, I’ll come. Thank you.”
Sergei smiles and leads the way. We leave my side of the pentagon and go a short way past Rylan’s main entrance to some double doors on the left. We enter, and everyone in the room turns to stare at me. They are all talking until they see me, and when they do, the room falls silent.
They are shifters, all of them. I don’t know if they’re all from his pack, or possibly from packs of neighboring regions. Some of them look and smell like alphas—or at the very least, something close to it. Rylan, standing at the head of the table talking to two men, turns and glares at me.
“What are you doing in here?” he demands, almost viciously.
My heart skips a beat and then begins to pound. “I thought it might be good to see what it is you do here,” I tell him in a voice that quavers just a little. I hate that it happens. I wish I could sound strong and defiant, but he’s caught me off guard.
“What I do is none of your business!” Rylan growls at me.
“My king, it’s my fault. She is to be your queen, I thought that she should be brought in. I invited her.” Sergei steps in front of me, blocking me from Rylan’s view.
“I will decide where she goes and when. Get her out of here immediately!” Rylan’s fury reaches around Sergei’s enormous form and feels as if it could singe me.
Sergei nods and we turn, heading straight back out of the door we just came through. He walks with me back to my quarters and sighs.
“I’m so sorry. That was all my fault. I should have known better than to be presumptive with him. I never imagined it would go that way. I apologize for embarrassing you.”
“Don’t worry about it. I thought it would be okay too. I’m the one who said I’d go in. Thank you for believing that I should be in there. I agree with you. I should be in there, but I guess we’re both learning my new place here.”
Sergei exhales heavily. “I … I feel that I can be honest with you. By all rights, you are to be Rylan’s equal, and you should be in on all the meetings.”
“I feel the same. We’ll figure it out,” I reassure him. I can feel the sorrow and gratitude coming off of him. It’s too soon to hope, but maybe I’ve found an ally in him.
A useful ally.
“I know this has been very stressful for you,” he begins quietly. “I think if you go and explore the compound, you might well find some places that may help with that. Are you familiar with the goddess?”
“I am,” I say, brightening considerably even as I eye him out of the corner of my vision. “What about her?”
“I saw you looking at the fountain yesterday.” He speaks lower and almost conspiratorially to me. “If you’d like to find some peace, particularly in her presence, there’s a hidden temple in a grotto in one of the gardens here. Seek comfort there, and I have no doubt that you will find it.”
It’s all I can do to stop myself from halting here, in the middle of the hallway, to ask him what his true intentions are. It seems too good to be true that I might find a friend—or even a sympathetic ear—in the head of Rylan’s guard.
But it would be useful.
“Thank you, I’ll go look for it.” I give him a smile as he leaves me to return to the meeting.
Putting the morning’s trouble behind me, I set out to see if I can find two things—Isla’s prison, and the old garden. After more than an hour of exploring, I still have no idea where Isla is, and I’ve seen several small gardens, but they are all kept up very well.
It isn’t until I step behind one of the large buildings, following an old, almost overgrown path, that I find what I am sure is the right place. There’s a crumbling stone wall of knee-high height, forming a semi-circle against the back wall of the building. Within the garden is a giant weeping willow. Its branches bow down to the earth in long tendrils that sway in the gentle breeze. The tree is so large that the canopy of its willows nearly engulfs the garden.
The path leads along a short sort of labyrinth walk, meant to be a meditation process for the person walking it. I pass bushes and flowers, and overgrowth to the point that I think it must have been years since anyone came back here and tended to it.
Then, at the end of the path, I discover a stone grotto. At the back of it is an altar. It’s time worn, as if it could have been there for centuries, and for a moment
I wonder if this enormous compound was built around it only to surpass it by so much that it was altogether forgotten.
Standing on the altar is a four-foot statue of the goddess; the woman’s body, the wolf’s head. It always strikes me that she has an almost Egyptian look about her. My heart races, and the blood in my veins begins to rush. How I need her, and I didn’t even realize it. Just the sight of her is indeed a comfort to me.
I step closer, and two brass bowls at the sides of her feet suddenly burst into flame. I drop to my knees and bow my head before her.
“Please … goddess. I need your help. I beg of you … help me find Isla and get her out of here safely. Help me to find a way to overcome the situation I am in. Feel what it is that I need … give me help. I beg of you.”
I wait, breathlessly. Moments pass. My heart pounds even harder. The flames beside me begin to fade and then go out. There’s no vibration, no tremor in me at all. I open my eyes and look up at her, wondering if I’ve done something incorrectly. I reach a hand out and tentatively touch my fingers to the stone she’s made of.
Yet again, there’s nothing. No sign of what there was every other time I’ve touched her statues or even been around them. There is only silence.
I didn’t expect it to feel so heartbreaking.
My heart feels like it may very well break in my chest. I stand up, almost dizzy with grief for a moment. I didn’t realize just how much hope I had built up on my way to find her until there was no answer when I did find her. Now, when I need her most. When Isla needs her.
I cannot understand it.
I retrace my steps out of the garden, and back to my quarters, working hard to keep my tears from my eyes and my emotions in check so that none of the shifter strangers I pass will sense my desperation.
Once I’m in the safety of my room, I let the tears flow, and they come in a torrent. I haven’t let myself feel anything since I left my boys; my family, and now I can’t hold it back any longer. I have never felt so truly alone and completely abandoned.
Alpha Returned: A Rejected Mates Reverse Harem Shifter Series (Feral Mates Book 3) Page 6