Three Alpha Princes for an Unwanted Omega

AYLA

”Remember what?”

”Do not play with me, Ayla.”

”Lucius, you are scaring me. I do not know what you are talking about.”

For a moment, Lucius simply stared at me. His hand was still pressed against the door beside my head, his body close enough that I could feel the heat coming off him.

I forced myself not to move or to look frightened. The last thing I wanted was for him to see the panic clawing its way up my throat because I remembered enough now.

Not everything.

But enough to know that I was with Lucius against my will and that whatever story he had fed me about how I came to be with him was a lie.

And if he knew that I knew, I had no idea what he would do to me.

His eyes searched mine.

”You remember something.”

”I told you I need air.”

”That isn’t what I asked.”

I swallowed.

”Lucius, I...”

My voice trembled and I allowed it to. I let my eyes become wet and made myself look vulnerable.

”I don’t know what is happening to me.”

His expression remained unreadable.

”You flinched,” he said. ”When I kissed you.”

”Did I?” I made my brow crease, made my voice go small and puzzled. ”I did not notice. I...” I pressed a hand to my stomach, and the gesture was not entirely an act; the nausea had been real since morning. ”I told you, I have felt unwell since I woke. Perhaps it is the food, or the water. My stomach turned and you mistook it for something else.”

”I don’t think I did, Ayla.” he said softly. ”For a moment, you were not in this room.”

”I was right here.” I held his gaze and did not blink. I kept my face open and trusting, the face of a girl with nothing to hide. ”I am sorry if I made you think otherwise. You saved me. You are my mate. Why would I flinch from you?”

Something moved behind his eyes. I know he did not fully believe me but I could see the doubt had crept in.

”Perhaps I imagined it,” he said at last.

”I know this is difficult for you.”

I nodded. ”It is.”

He lifted a hand and touched the side of my face. I immediately forced myself to relax

”I’m sorry.” I stepped closer instead. ”I am just frightened.”

His hand slowly lowered.

”You have nothing to be frightened of. You are safe with me.”

I nodded. ”I know. It is just this place is doing something to me. My mind and body understands how bad I was treated even though I remember nothing of the moment.”

”I will not let anything happen to you, Ayla. Believe me.”

”I believe you.” I said with a small smile on my face.

He studied me again and I could almost hear the question in his head.

Is she pretending?

The hand came away from the door.

”Go rest, Ayla. We will speak later tonight, when you are feeling more yourself.”

”Yes,” I said. ”I would like that.”

He opened the door and I walked past him.

Two guards stood in the corridor. They had not been there when Amara walked me in. They stood at attention, one on either side of the door, their faces blank as stone.

I did not look at them for too long. I simply smiled faintly and began walking. My palms were sweating and I could hear my heart beating rapidly.

Keep walking... don’t move too fast.

If Lucius still believed I remembered nothing, I needed to preserve that belief for as long as possible.

I reached the end of the corridor and then looked back to see Lucius was standing in the door way, watching me.

Our eyes met and in that split second, my face gave me away.

His expression changed as his gaze shifted to the guards.

”Get her.” he said to them.

I turned and ran.

I didn’t know where I was going, I only knew I had to get away. My dress caught around my legs as I sprinted down another corridor and I nearly stumbled. I grabbed the wall to steady myself and kept going.

My lungs burned and so bad that I could barely breathe.

A door stood open on my left and I dove through it.

The passage twisted further and further until I burst out the far end into a corridor flooded with white light.

I caught sight of the gardens and made a beeline for it. There was a figure standing right there and i felt relief flooded my veins.

It was my father, Alpha Kieran.

He stood with his back half to me, his hands clasped behind him and his head bowed as if in thought.

If I could reach him, if I could make him see me, he would save me. He would tear this palace apart stone by stone. I knew it with a certainty that blazed through my chest.

I opened my mouth to scream just as hands clamped over my face.

An arm banded around my waist and wrenched me backward, off my feet, into the shadows. I struggled, kicking, dragging my heels.

”Shh,” Lucius breathed against my ear.

I bit down hard but his hand did not move. I fought and bucked, my nails raking the arm across my chest but he took it all without making a sound, holding me like one holds a struggling cat.

I saw my father raise his head and look in my direction and hope surged in me.

He had heard something, I could tell.

He was peering into the dark now, a frown on his face.

My eyes widened.

Please.I stared at him. Please look at me.

Tears streamed down my face...I needed him to see me.

”Father?” Another voice came.

Kieran stopped as Damon stepped into view from the opposite side of the garden. He was speaking, his expression serious.

Kieran turned toward him and just like that, his attention shifted from me

”No...”

The sound came out muffled against the hand covering my mouth.

Lucius dragged me away, back into the corridor I had come out of.

”I know. I know. So close.” he whispered. ”You almost made it. You almost made me look a fool, Ayla but that will not happen again.”