Hidden

“No,” was all Alaya blurted out, causing Fen’s eyebrow to raise and the playful glint in his eye to return momentarily.

“No?” Fen replied, taking a slow step towards her and away from the door. She held his gaze and refused to back away from him like an Omega should, like an Omega would. Maybe that’s why her father wanted her read again? She did not act like an Omega should at all.

And that’s because she wasn’t one...

“I need to talk to my father Fen and I’m not dragging Noah and Neve all the way over to the ceremony hall to watch me be told once more what I am. Please don’t make me relive the worst moment of my life in front of my mate and his family. I’m begging you,” Alaya pleaded, hoping Fen still cared enough to want to spare her that pain atleast. And she could see in his eyes that he wanted too. But she could also see that he wouldn’t disobey the instructions of his Alpha.

Fen bridged the gap between them swiftly and took her in his embrace, clearly knowing words would be of no use in that moment. Alaya welcomed the feeling of safety that she always got when she was around him instead of stepping out of his hold. The deep grumble to her left told her that her mate was not impressed at this decision.

“Ok, so group road trip. Awesome,” Lenara’s chipper voice cut through the tension instantly and Alaya stepped away from Fen and back into Lenara’s grip, arms locking loosely, as if they were simply two best friends about to skip off into the sunset together. Alaya’s eyes flickered over to Noah who was busy staring intently at Fen and fought the urge to nudge him out of his angry trance.

“Where is the other one?” Fen asked as he looked around the hallway. “No one was meant to leave the house Alaya, you promised,” he continued and Alaya rolled her eyes before pointing to the ceiling.

“Last I checked the bedrooms were still in the house Fen. And seeing as I wasn’t aware this was going to be a group trip, I suggested Neve take a lie down as she wasn’t feeling well. Do you really need me to wake her?” Alaya replied, desperately trying to stall whilst her mind found a way out of this mess. Even if her father believed she had been read again as an Omega, he had no reason to spare Neve or Noah.

“Your father requested their presence so yes Alaya. You must wake her,” Fen continued, his tone becoming a little darker just at the slight suggestion he could disobey her father. She took a deep breath and broke out of Lenara’s hold before turning to go up the stairs.

This was not going to end well.

Neve was not going to like this new development one bit.

Alaya’s steps felt incredibly loud as she slowly walked up the stairs despite the fact she was resisting the urge to stamp like a toddler. It’s not like that would work on Fen anyway. She knew he would make sure they all left this house one way or another.

She fought the pull to turn around and look at Noah, knowing it would most likely signal him to follow her and this information wasn’t something Neve would appreciate coming from her brother at this moment in time. Alaya didn’t increase her speed even when she reached the landing, seeing her bedroom door slightly ajar. If anything it slowed, still frantically trying to concoct a new half baked plan that probably had zero chance of working.

As she pushed the door open and saw Neve scrunched up in the corner of her bed, rose duvet ruffled beneath her, she wanted to freeze time. Tell Neve to take Noah and run, run as fast as any wolf could. Neve looked small and a little broken lying there and like the fight had left her. But in that moment, Alaya needed the warrior that might find a way out of this for them. Or be prepared to fight their way out.

“I’m not ready to talk to him yet,” Neve muttered, wiping a stray tear that had broken free from her cheek. Alaya crept slowly towards the bed and sat right on the edge, a silent gesture that she wasn’t going to leave that easy. Mainly because she couldn’t.

“He is sorry. And we both know he didn’t mean it,” Alaya reassured and a slight fire seemed to spark behind Neve’s gaze.

“See that’s the problem. You don’t know him. You met him last night and yet magically you act like you have known him for as long as I have. Like you can speak for him. But you can’t,” Neve snapped and Alaya recoiled a little at the anger behind her words. She hadn’t even considered till this moment how hard it must be for Neve, being on an adventure that was never hers and trying to protect her brother whilst struggling with a change in dynamic.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to act that way. This is all new to me too and I didn’t mean to step on your toes. He is your brother, your family. Nothing trumps family,” Alaya continued, talking to both Neve and herself. If they all managed to survive the day then Alaya would have to choose between hers and Noah, that much was evident. She shoved the thought down, not having the energy to deal with that right now.

“You are family now,” Neve breathed and Alaya turned to her with a soft smile on her face. She reached over and gave her hand a slight squeeze, worried that if she tried to talk she might cry and that was definitely not going to be helpful.

The pair sat there in a shared silence for a while neither needing anything else just each others company. Alaya felt a sense of peace within herself, Adolpha seeming to hum through every part of her sharing in the bond they felt with Neve.

PACK.

Alaya felt Fen’s presence before she saw him and also his impatience. She released Neve’s hand and turned to her whispering,

“Try not to worry ok.”

“Worry about what?” Neve replied before glancing over to the doorway where Fen now stood.

“It will be fine I promise,” Alaya continued before plastering a fake smile on her face as she looked once more at Fen.

“Ready?” Fen asked, arms crossed as he leant on the door frame. Alaya nodded in reply before standing, resisting the urge to turn back again to Neve, knowing full well her face would be full of fear and bewilderment. Alaya didn’t have time to placate her, not when she needed to concentrate on finding a way out of this mess.

She heard Neve’s footsteps echo her own as the three of them made their way down the stairs. Each step felt heavier and louder, the air feeling thicker the closer she got to the front door. She really didn’t want to have to do this, didn’t want to make Neve and Noah do this. She just prayed that her father could be reasoned with once she reached him, although that much seemed doubtful.

As she took in the sight in front of her, of Lenara and Noah stood waiting for them, she felt like she was drowning. So many relied on her ability to get out of this and she had absolutely no idea how she was going to do that. But instead of crumbling, Alaya kept the smile in place whilst focusing on the feel of Adolpha softly in her mind. Reminding her atleast, that she wasn’t completely alone with this burden.

“Ok, who is ready for this little show? Embarrassment and shame will be handed out for free. Oh, Fen that should be on a flyer advertising the next Ascendants Ceremony,” Alaya said sarcastically as she reached the bottom of the stairs. She watched Lenara smile at the joke but Noah just looked annoyed at Fen’s close proximity still.

“Enough Alaya. Your father wouldn’t put you through this again if he didn’t think there would be a different result this time,” Fen answered in an attempt to soothe but instead, it just made Alaya more anxious. Yes, it could well yield a different result but that’s what she was afraid of.

“Fen, you know by now my father does as he pleases. No one ever, and I mean ever, has been mistakenly read. You know this. I know this. This whole charade is because my father can’t accept me for who I am. A fact I knew but had avoided till now,” Alaya replied as she walked through them all and out into the cool autumn breeze.

“Try to keep up,” Alaya shouted over her shoulder as she took off at a dead run, leaving the others to follow after her. She still wasn’t ready to shift and also running gave her time to think. She let herself relish the feel of the wind in her hair and the sun on her skin as she ran, her paranoid mind worring that she might not feel either for a while. Dark thoughts continued to plague her so she pushed herself faster, determined to physically outrun them atleast.

“You know even at this speed I’m faster than you right?” Lenara shouted as she caught up with her, a silly smile on her face as she slowed a little to stay at her side.

“You’re...just...freakishly...fast...I’m not... slow at all. This...isn’t even my...limit... This is like...a jog...to me,” Alaya retorted through heavy breaths, giving away the small lie she was telling. Lenara cackled in response but didn’t slow down.

“Oh yeah. You look super graceful right now. Like this is no effort at all.”

Alaya’s laughter escaped into the air and for a moment it was as if the two best friends were simply out for a jog together.

“You have a plan right?” Lenara asked, looking behind briefly making sure they were out of earshot.

“I have already told you the plan. You read me. Say I’m an Omega.”

“Oh god, that’s really the plan? It was bad enough before your lover boy and his delightful sister were included. What if our Alpha wants them all read? I can’t lie to him Alaya, not even if I wanted to, you know this,” Lenara whispered, words becoming a slightly higher pitch as she went on, a sure sign she was anxious. And Alaya couldn’t blame her, her plan was flawed. In all honesty, her plan sucked and most likely could fail at numerous points. But it was still the only plan they had. So if their only hope was as safe as a grenade, she just hoped she kept a steady hand.

“It will be fine. It won’t come to that. I’ll make sure of it,” Alaya reassured.

Both girls ran in silence the rest of the way, silently hoping it would be. The slight clearing as the gap between the houses grew signalled that they had reached their destination, a little too fast for Alaya’s liking. The dark wooden panels seemed larger today, more foreboding and Alaya realised she hadn’t come back here since her ordeal.

She braced herself before heading through yet another doorway that would most likely change everything.

Again.