Hidden

The three of them ran in unison right to the edge of the compound to the house Alaya, and clearly Noah and Neve, knew held the cells. Not that it was ever really used. Until now it seemed. Alaya stopped as they reached the doorway knowing full well if her father was at the clinic, Fen would most likely be watching over Lenara.

“Is Fen going to care when you walk through those doors with me?” she asked and by the look on both their faces, the answer was yes.

“Fine, you have to wait here while I get her. He will be relieved to see that I am ok more than anything so hopefully I can convince him to just let her go,” she reasoned and Neve shook her head.

“I’m pretty sure your Alpha hit her as he chased after us. I heard a commotion and her cry out as we ran. But we couldn’t go back to help. We had no choice but to run.”

Alaya looked at Neve in disbelief, knowing her father was a violent man when necessary, for the protection of the pack, but not without warrant. Lenara was her best friend, had grown up together. He had never laid a hand on her or any of their family before?

“He hurt her?”

“I’m just saying she might not be able to just get up and walk out of there. And we don’t have much time.”

“Well then let’s stop wasting it,” Alaya replied curtly as she turned and left them outside the front of the house.

She walked through the doors not caring about the noise she made as she tried to be as fast as she could. Upon opening the last door Alaya was met with her best friend curled up on the cell bed and Fen standing watch in the corner. The moment hers and Fen’s eyes met he was in front of her, relief in his eyes as he took her into an embrace. Alaya stood there surprised as Fen dipped his face into her neck, breathing her in.

“I’m so happy to see you’re alright,” he whispered. Alaya returned Fen’s hug, knowing this might be the last time she saw him. She felt Adolpha’s unease at embracing someone other than their mate but thankfully that was all. Alaya tried hard to not start crying, biting her lip to distract herself as she stayed in his hold longer than she should of.

“Where’s your father? Why are you out here and in the hospital bed?” Fen asked as he pulled back a little so he could look into her eyes. Alaya hesitated for a moment before preparing to tell the lie on her tongue.

“He is waiting at the clinic. He asked me to bring Lenara there to be checked considering the force he threw her,” Alaya replied, trying hard to keep her voice steady. Alaya fought the unease that filled her at the realisation that her father had actually hurt Lenara.

“He sent you? Even though less than an hour ago he was worried sick at your bedside? You need to learn to lie better,” Fen replied, clearly knowing his Alpha better than Alaya had hoped. Alaya squeezed his arm as she kept his gaze, hoping he would listen to reason seeing as lying wasn’t getting her anywhere fast.

“I just need to check she is ok. My father shouldn’t be anywhere near her if this is how he treats pack,” she growled the last bit out, anger getting the better of her. Fen’s gorgeous green eyes looked at her with sadness at her tone towards their Alpha. Not knowing he wasn’t really hers anymore.

“She is ok, just resting,” he tried to soothe but Alaya pulled out of his hold, taking a step back towards the door she had come through. She wished she could just rip the cell door off its hinges but even with her added strength, those bars were built to withstand a full-grown wolf so she doubted her attempts would even make a dent.

“Ok? You have her locked in a cell Fen. What part of that is ok? She needs to be checked. Atleast let me do that here. I don’t even need to move her if she truly is as ok as you say,” she reasoned and was thankful when she could see he wavered.

“Fine but just to check on her. He didn’t mean to hurt her you know, she was just in the way. If you need to blame anyone, blame them,” he seethed as he opened the cell door. Alaya shook her head before going in, at the blind loyalty she saw in Fen. But that’s how it was in a pack because the Alpha was like God. And no one wanted to be smited.

She crouched down next to where her friend lay, worry filling all of her. She smoothed back the blonde hair that obscured her face, relief diluting the fear when she saw it had been stuck with tears, not blood.

“Lenara, Lenara,” she tried to coax her from slumber gently, not knowing exactly where she was hurt and not wanting to injure her further. The moment her eyelids fluttered open, revealing the purple irises underneath, Alaya almost squealed with joy. Lenara blinked sleepily before pushing herself upright and wrapping her arms around her best friend. Alaya wrapped her arms around her waist and pulled begin tightly, not missing the wince as she did so.

“Are you ok?” Alaya asked as she softened her hold.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that? You totally exploded earlier and then abandoned me,” Lenara quipped but Alaya could see the worry that her body still held.

“I’m so sorry. About all of this,” Alaya replied, glancing around the cells. When they were free of this place she would make sure she found out exactly what had happened during her inconvenient slumber but right not they had to get out of this cell.

“And about this,” Alaya continued as she twisted her finger into Lenara’s left side, causing her to buckle and call out in pain.

“Fen, I think she has broken a rib. I honestly need to get to the clinic and make sure it’s not going to puncture anything. Wait for my dad if you want but if she collapses and stops breathing I haven’t got anything to reinflate a lung here,” she shouted, urgency filling her words as she left Lenara’s side to where Fen was stood, his body blocking the cell doorway. He looked at her for a moment as if wondering what to do for the best, knowing half of him wanted to do as she asked but also that none of what she had said made much sense.

“Please. She is my best friend,” she begged, allowing her voice to be softer and full of emotion. He nodded as she held his gaze, moving out of the way as Alaya rushed back to Lenara’s side.

“I won’t be long,” she lied as she made her way past him towards the door and their freedom. She tried to keep the smile from her lips as she reached it until a hand on her shoulder stilled her.

“Wait I’ll escort you all over. That way I can talk to your father myself,” Lenara shot Alaya a look of fear, both realising this was quickly spiralling out of control. They weren’t going back to the clinic.

Alaya released Lenara momentarily as she turned back towards Fen. She took his hand and pulled him closer to her, panic and fear fogging her mind and stopping her from thinking clearly. She gazed up at his piercing green eyes, eyes that she knew she could have been happy gazing into for the rest of her life and pulled his mouth down to hers. Her kiss was urgent, hard and she felt Fen’s initial confusion, his body tense against hers. But after the moments passed and she still held him to her, he softened, his lips parting as he deepened the kiss. He was now in control.

Alaya carried on kissing him despite Adolpha’s protests inside her mind. Her disgust at another male’s hands on her body, tongue in her mouth. Alaya felt as she softly pushed against his wall of chest, moving him backwards and hitting the cell door sending it clattering into the bars next to it. That sound told her what she needed to know and she broke from the kiss, her head swimming a little despite herself. Fen smiled at her as he bent down to continue but she put her hand on his chest stilling him.

“Forgive me,” she whispered as she focused inside herself, momentarily drawing on Adolpha and her power. She placed both hands up towards his chest as if she was about to relent and kiss him again but instead she collided both into him, sending him backwards with so much force he tumbled into the back wall.

Alaya spun so fast and slammed the door shut before Fen could even understand what was happening. She jostled the keys noisily from the lock and threw them towards the corner, holding his gaze the entire time.

“What are you doing? Let me out! He bellowed as he stood, confusion quickly replaced by anger.

“I’m sorry,” Alaya said softly as tears had already started to fall from her eyes. Fen paced towards the cage door where she stood and raged at the locked door, leaving no effect on the perfect shiny metal bars.

Alaya turned away from him whilst she still had the strength to and grabbed hold of Lenara. Before they reached the door leading out of this incredibly small room, it swung open and Alaya’s heart froze in her chest, worried it would open to reveal her father. But Noah’s beautiful silver eyes met hers and the fear dissipated like smoke.

“You!” Fen growled from his cage and Alaya saw the pure unbridled rage that shone in his eyes as she turned back towards him. Alaya just wanted to get out before anyone else she cared for arrived, testing her resolve.

“No, Alaya. Don’t go with him, please don’t go with him,” Fen shouted as the three of them left, the door swinging shut and muffling his angry words. They all but ran through the house, greeted by a very anxious impatient Neve as they reached the front porch.