Midnight Bride

Once she’s gone, I feel something shift inside of me. I’m not sure what to think of her or the entire interaction. It seems like she’s a prisoner in this home and scared of what they might do to her.

I stare up the stairs at the attic door she fled to, my mind racing. Her scent lingers in the air, faint yet distinct, stirring something primal within me.

Who is she?

I only know of Jackson having one daughter. Not two.

Why does she act like a captive, always bowing her head in shame as if she wants to disappear?

Barrett came a few weeks ago, inquiring about Gabby as a potential mate for Waylen, but he had seen another girl. We were both confused about what she was doing in their home. But when Barrett asked about her, hoping to find a mate for me, Jackson said she wasn’t available.

Of course, I’m not looking for a mate, unless she is my fated and the one from my past.

While Barrett and Jackson are speaking to one another, I look over at Jackson’s mate and his daughter. They are both talking on the other side of the table, while looking over at Waylen every so often.

Sometimes Gabby looks at me, but I have no interest in her. She is nothing to me and never will be. Waylen may have her if that is what he and his father wish. I am only here to make sure my fated mate isn't here. I have already searched everywhere else, but here.

I’ve known her by many names. But this time, she has been impossible to find, like a shadow slipping through my fingers. Some nights, I’ve even wondered if she exists at all in this lifetime or if fate has stolen her away before I can reach her.

Yet here she is, right up the stairs. I can’t shake the feeling, the certainty, that it’s her.

From across the room, I watch as Millie leans toward Gabby, her lips moving quickly while keeping it to where I can’t hear. Whatever she says makes Gabby stiffen. A moment later, she rises from the table, her movements quick as she brushes past me on her way upstairs.

I shift slightly, angling my body to listen, trying to catch any conversation that may happen when that girl finds the one upstairs.

Her name is Valeria, I believe.

There’s something about her that makes me want to protect her from this family, but I can’t act too rashly.

Then I hear her somewhere upstairs. There is a sharp knock as I assume Gabby is standing at the girl’s door. There is a slight shuffle, as if someone had to move.

“Is there anything I can do for you, miss?” Valeria asks, which makes my heart almost stop in my chest.

Why is she calling Gabby miss? What kind of place is this?

“I’m not sure, Valeria. You see, I noticed that strange interaction between you and Kendric. He is quite handsome, but also way out of your league. Though he is not one of my suitors, I suggest you keep your eyes on the ground where they belong. You will be lucky and fortunate if my father finds a match for you, considering how low you are on the totem pole. Who knows? Maybe I’ll take Kendric as mine since you seem so interested.”

I suppress the urge to growl as Gabby speaks. From what I see, Valeria is a beautiful woman in her mid twenties. There is nothing wrong with her and she’s gorgeous. The only thing wrong is the rags she wears, along with the way they treat her.

I almost turn around, but Waylen catches me by the arm. When I glance back at him, he shakes his head while keeping his gaze focused on Millie. He has already caught on, just as I have, to what they are doing to the poor woman upstairs.

They’re keeping her as a slave.

“Yes, miss,” Valeria says from above us, but there’s a slight hitch in her voice, like the words taste bitter. “I know it is a long stretch for him to find someone for me.”

My heart tears apart. Just what have they done to her? What does she see when she looks in the mirror?

Does she think she’s ugly, and that no one will want her?

I hear footsteps moving in her room. I’m guessing Gabby is moving closer to her and I almost pull away from Waylen to go to her.

“Be glad my family took you in and gave you a home when you didn’t have one. If you didn’t have us, then what would have happened to you when you became an orphan? You should be happy to serve us for the rest of our lives as payment for saving you.”

“Yes, miss.”

And that is all it takes for me to snap. I yank my arm from Waylen and almost let out an audible growl.

But then I hear my name being called by Barrett.

“Kendric?” He looks at me as if he doesn't know what to say or do. I think he heard that conversation too, but he’s trying to make friends with Jackson.

“I’m fine,” I say, faking a smile. “Just fine. I think a fly buzzed right by my head and my wolf doesn’t like those.”

My attention is pulled back upstairs.

“Well, good. If you remember that, then you should do just fine. Don’t forget lunch is in about four hours, so you better have things ready by then,” Gabby says, this time much quieter, which means her father must have caught on.

I turn, only to see Jackson looking straight at me. He knows I’ve heard it.

My gaze narrows in his direction as we lock eyes. I don’t back down, which is a direct challenge, but he’s not speaking up to issue one. He knows that he might lose in a fight and doesn't want to chance it.

The air between us crackles with unspoken tension, but before it can snap, the sound of footsteps creaking down the stairs grabs my focus. Gabby.

By the time she reaches the bottom step, my patience is thin, and my body is wound tight with the urge to rip her apart. She barely glances at me in passing, then looks back at her mother, as if the entire conversation between her and Valeria never happened.

“I believe she is going to the market to grab some things for lunch. We’re in for a treat when she cooks,” Gabby says with a beaming smile.

Something tells me that the poor woman cooks all the time, but I know I can’t say anything. I need to know more before I do anything.

A few minutes pass and I am caught between going up there to see for myself or wringing all their necks and killing them. But then I hear footsteps and Valeria soon appears. She enters the living room before I know it, gathering up a basket from the corner near the door and putting on a velvety navy blue cloak.

Millie stands with a smile plastered on her face. “Oh, there you are, my darling helper. You have worked quite enough today already, but I have one more special task for you today and will pay you handsomely for doing more than you are required.”

Valeria’s eyes widen in surprise as she clutches the neck of her cloak and ties it. “Yes, madam.”

Millie bursts out laughing, waving her hand in the air and then she looks toward Waylen, then me.

Realization dawns on Valeria’s face. It appears to be like I first thought. This isn’t how they normally treat her.

“Oh, you silly girl. You don’t have to call me madam. You know you don’t have to do anything other than calling me Millie and helping around the house.”

Valeria’s face says it all. It seems like every fiber of her being is telling her to run, but she’s frozen to the spot.

Valeria drops her gaze to the floor and refuses to meet her gaze. “Thank you, but I would like to continue to use madam as your name out of respect for you and your family.”

“Oh, such a sweet girl. So, the favor I would like to ask of you is to go with Kendric to the market and show him around. While you are out, would you mind picking up my list? I appreciate everything you do to help our family,” Millie says sweetly.

I watch as Millie hands her a list before shoving two fingers under her chin to force her to meet her gaze.

“Thank you, sweetie. You have such a beautiful face and shouldn’t hide it.”

I walk closer, crossing the room in two big strides. “Shall we go then?”

“Yes, we shall,” she says in a whisper, though she appears curious as to why I’m going with her.

As we walk toward the front door, she trembles like a leaf beside me. I’m betting she thought this is some kind of trick and I’m thinking the same thing.

But then it comes. Millie reaches out and grips Valeria’s shoulder.

“Go outside, Kendric. I forgot to give her something, so she will be right out in a minute.”

I go onto the porch, knowing I’ll be able to hear every single word, so it’s not like they can truly hide anything when I’m this close.

“Listen, I’m having to play nice. Unlike the rest of the alphas, they care, so do as I say and do not breathe a word of anything. Do I make myself clear?” Millie asks, keeping her voice as low as possible.

“Yes, madam,” Valeria whispers back.

“Good girl. Now go on before he suspects anything. If he asks, I added lemons to the list. I’ll see you soon, dear.”

I look back just in time to see Valeria coming outside. She reaches back with one hand and flicks the navy blue hood over her head before coming down the steps.

“Have fun, you two! Don’t keep my girl out too late,” Millie says as we walk away.

Valeria lifts a hand in a small wave before slipping inside, the door shutting behind her with a quiet thud.

I turn back toward the path, my footsteps falling into rhythm with hers as we move through the quiet stretch of road. The air is thick with unspoken thoughts, but I stay quiet, thinking about how everything just went.

“Well, that was interesting. Is she always fake like that?”

Valeria’s breath catches in her throat. “What are you talking about?”

“You know what I’m talking about,” I say as we get further from the house. “You’re a slave in that home, aren’t you?”

“What?” Valeria asks, her head jerking to the side to look up at me. I glance over at her, keeping a straight face. “Sorry.”

She drops her gaze back to the ground.

“Sorry for what?”

“It’s nothing,” she whispers.

I’ve had enough, so I reach out and stop her from going any farther before sliding one finger under her chin. I tilt her head back until she has to look at me. “Why do you drop your head like that? I know some work for others, but this behavior isn’t normal. What do they do to you?”

Her sparkling blue eyes meet mine as her throat bobs. “My confidence isn’t the best.”

Something about the way she holds herself now tells me there’s more under the surface. She just doesn’t trust me with it yet. I’m in a daze before she tries to pull away from me.

“Hey, stop it. There’s something going on, isn’t there? I can tell just by the look on your face. Not to mention, I could hear every conversation in the house.”

“Nothing is going on, okay? Let us move on.”

I won’t let this go, so I block her path. “What happened? You can’t lie to me like this.”

She dodges and keeps moving. We almost make it to the tree line where the market is when I reach for her and grab her shoulder again. With the other hand, I reach out, dragging one finger down her throat where a scar is. “Keep lying to me because if this is what I think it is, I'm going to burn this pack to the ground.”

“It isn’t what you think,” she whispers and I can already smell the lie in the air.

I keep my gaze focused on her. “Oh? Is that your answer?”

“If you want to keep me safe and from further harm, that is how it must be.”

“No, I don’t accept that answer. You don’t understand who I am and what I can do,” I say with a laugh. “Tell me why you live with them.”

A shiver snakes down her spine, and she caves. “My parents both passed away when I was a child. I was passed from house to house until I was twelve when I went to live with the alpha and his family. Sometimes I wish he had never taken me in. He only took me in to make his family look good and now I pay for it. Are you happy?” She snaps, and for once, it’s sharp.

I don't answer because I’m too busy realizing she’s not as broken as they want her to be. Her shoulder slips out of my grasp with ease as I hear her words.

She keeps walking, and I fall into step a few feet behind her.