The outside of the house looked like a 16th century castle but the inside was anything but. It was modern with every amenity you could need. Though it was modern it had a homey feeling to it with nicely framed pictures and flowers and wall decor.
“Our mom decorated it, she didn’t care for the gold plated handles and stone made artwork or the knight armor that stood in every corner.”
“She ruined it,” Mason, Alpha Kade’s brother said.
“No, she turned a house into a home,” they walked us up the first flight of stairs and told us what we’d find here. It was mostly an open space with a couch and a few tables and seating areas as well as a few game consoles.
Other than that it wasn’t much other than an open space for people to socialize in which I found weird considering others couldn’t get in.
I looked back and saw Alpha Kade stepping up behind me, he placed his hand on the low of my back and guided me up another set of stairs. Down one side of the hallway were rooms and down the other was again an open space but it seemed more like a big office. There were round tables with beautiful victorian chairs stacked neatly in pairs of four. Bookshelves adorned the walls and they were filled with different books.
“This way,” he said and guided me down the hallway.
“This is our room,” Alpha Kade opened the door and we walked into his room.
“Our room?” I asked and drew a shaky breath. He looked down on me and nodded his head.
“Yeah, our room,” I turned around and saw Anna being guided up the stairs.
“Wait where is her room?” I ran out into the hallway and Anna and Cara turned around.
“It’s just up the stairs on the third floor, don’t worry,” Cara said.
“Why can’t she be here, on this floor?” I wanted her close.
“This floor is for ranked members only as well as the warrior leaders,” I nodded my head and Anna smiled.
“I’ll just put my bags in and then I’ll come down,” she said.
The sooner the better.
“There are a few things you need to know now that you’re gonna live here,” I was putting my bags down and looking around the room when Alpha Kade spoke.
“And what’s that?” I asked softly and looked at him. It seemed like whatever he was about to say really pressed at him.
“The fifth floor and east tower are strictly forbidden for everyone,” weird but okay.
“What else?” I asked.
“You can under no circumstances tell the guards to open the gates once they’re closed,”
“Yeah I’m been wondering about that. Why have you divided the pack like this?”
“I haven’t, many Alphas before me have and it works. The gates aren’t closed often but when they are, it’s for a reason.”
“They’re closed right now, what’s the reason?”
“You,” he said and tilted his head back.
“What else?” I sighed.
He took a breath and looked me deep in the eyes.
“You’re not allowed to leave the border,” what did he just say?
My eyes widen and I have a hard time comprehending what he said because I hoped I heard wrong.
“You’re not serious,” I breathed but he stood still.
“No, my family! how am I supposed to see them?”
“You’re not,” I choked on my breath and Alpha Kade’s eyes were telling me everything I needed to know. Past the masks I could see the pain he felt over mentioning this but also the suspicions, why was he suspicious?
“You can’t do this,”
“It’s not forever, I promise. Just for the time being,”
“Why?” His lips parted but no answer came out.
“I’ll let you know when I can,”
“Alpha-”
“Please, it’s just Kade,” he said gently. Kade bit down on his lip and his eyes darted back and forth.
“One last thing,” he said.
“You mean one last rule?” My eyes were narrowed to slits.
“Yes, you’re not allowed to shift,” and there was the last straw.
I drew a deep breath, filled my lungs and just as I was about to burst and scream bloody murder on him the door swung open.
“Are you ready to explore?” Anna said giddily and nearly fell into the room as her hand held on to the door.
I bit together, my teeth pressing against each other and I looked at Kade. He was biting down on his lip and looking between me and Anna. He looked a child who was just saved from a scolding.
“Let’s go,” I said and walked with Anna.
“He said that?!” She exclaimed as we walked within the gates around the grounds we had access too.
“Yup, no exploring the top floor, no shifting and no leaving,”
“That’s harsh,”
“How can I not be allowed to shift?”
“Did you ask him?”
“I was about to…or well I was about to lash out and tell him how stupid he was being but then you came and I stopped myself,”
“That’s good, that’s restraint which means progress,” she said and smirked.
“Ha ha,” she hooked her arm in mine and laughed.
“How long do you think the gates will be closed for?”
“Until you’ve acquainted yourselves with the house and the grounds inside the gates and Kade has had the chance to tell his people what the fuss is about,”
Cara came walking up to us and leaned her head back. She looked up the wall and stared at the sharp knife-like blades on the top. The whole wall had been lined with these sharp blades and I couldn’t understand why they were taking such measures to make sure no one could get in.
“I’m guessing Kade talked to you about the…restrictions?” She asked and hunched her brows with a wary expression.
“Yeah he mentioned it but he wouldn’t tell me why I wasn’t allowed to shift,” her brows furrowed and a grimace grew on her face.
“You’re not allowed to shift?” I shook my head. Looking into her confused eyes. I felt it, the confusion but also the fear, why was she afraid? She was uncertain as well, of her brother, he knew something that he hadn’t even told his sister. Something was happening in my body, my heart was clenching, my stomach was twisting and thoughts were beginning to form inside my head.
‘Are you sure about this? I’ve heard about that pack. Their Alpha is pathetic, he has no control over his pack, he’s basically a child’
‘It’s the meeting of Alphas, it doesn’t matter where it is or which Alpha’s hosting, I’m going. i’ll be in and out, a quick meet’
‘Fine, we’ll hold down the fort. Are you alright? You look a little lost in thought’ Cara twisted her head and looked at Kade
‘I’m fine, it just feels like someones gonna be there, that’s all’
‘Who?’ He looked back at her, piercing her eyes.
‘Danielle’ her eyes fell, her lips parted and she looked sad.
‘Danielle’s-’
‘Dead, I know’
“Layla!” I was snapped back. What the hell was that? I was standing in a room with Kade and Cara, they were talking and I saw everything. It looked like his office but I hadn’t ever seen it before now.
“You look pale,” Anna said and cupped my face. I gently grabbed her hands and removed them.
“I’m fine, it’s okay,”
‘Layla, it’s happening’
What is happening? What was that that I saw?
‘You saw a memory’
But I’ve never met these people before
‘The memory wasn’t yours, it was Caras’
