Page 14 of Forsaken By Fate
Lachlan is.
And yet I’m so drawn to them each in my own way. They’re kindred spirits in a way, and yet they’re my captors, too.
Oh, how did my life manage to become so complicated?
Fenris hand delivers the duffle bags from my car, along with my other meager belongings from my apartment on the third day, too. He apologizes for the mess he’d made going through my things, and I'm wary of his sudden change of heart. I feel like he’s still ready to explode beneath this cool new exterior, but he doesn’t.
“Thank you, Fenris,” I tell him slowly, accepting my bags.
He avoids my gaze, my hand accidentally brushing over his. A smidgen of static fuses between us, the same way it does when I touch Zane and Victor. I don’t understand it, but I do like it, wrong as it must be.
“Victor says you can leave the suite today if you want to wander through the estate,” he informs me. “There’s a lot to do if you want to explore. We even have a pool and tennis courts, riding stables. Go check them out.”
Stunned, I blink at his suggestion.
“R-really?” I stutter. “I can go do all those things? Even riding?”
“You’re not going anywhere, are you?” he asks gruffly. “Are you going to run off with one of the horses?”
I shake my head vehemently. “No! I’ll stay on the property. I don’t even really know how to ride.”
His face softens. “I’ll have one of the stable hands show you how to tack up. Or I can come with you later, if you want.”
I’m flabbergasted by his offer, and I nod slowly. “I would like that… if Victor says it’s okay.”
“He doesn’t want you to go crazy sitting around in this room all by yourself.”
I smile warmly at him. “You three have been keeping me company where you can,” I reply, but it’s true.
I’ve been feeling restless. He doesn’t return my smile, and I wonder if he likes me even a little bit. Fenris is the hardest to read of all three of the Apex Alphas.
He hesitates at the door like he wants to say something else, and I tense, sensing bad news. “I called the Oklahoma Apexes.”
Swallowing thickly, I purse my lips together. “You did?” I breathe. “What did they say?”
He stares at me for a long moment. “What did you expect them to say?”
I shrug, temporarily speechless. “Nothing,” I finally manage to sputter.
“Hmm,” he grunts. “It’s interesting, actually. None of the Apex pack has heard of you.”
I exhale in a whoosh of breath, causing Fenris to raise an eyebrow. “You seem surprised by that.”
“I’m not. I’m no one,” I reassure him honestly. Lachlan had not told anyone in his pack about me, just like he’d said. “I’mnot an Apex pack member. I’m an ordinary shifter from a small pack. They have no reason to know me.”
Fenris stares at me a moment longer than necessary. “Why don’t you come join us for lunch?” he suggests.
Again, I’m startled. “Yes!” I agree, nodding. “I’d love that.”
“Main dining room, half an hour.” He closes the door behind him, leaving me to dig through the boxes of gifts for an appropriate dress for the occasion.
I have no idea what I’m supposed to wear to meet Apex Alphas for a meal. Aside from the monthly full moon parties, I’ve never really had an opportunity to spend time with them in Oklahoma. Why would I?
I settle on a simple teal dress that fits my form and covers my upper thighs, showing only a hint of my small swell of cleavage. In a pair of flats, and with my long hair flowing loosely along my shoulders, I let myself out of the suite for the first time since my arrival.
It’s daunting stepping into the hallway. I half-expect to hear the caw of a falcon or feel the fire of a dragon’s fire burn me, despite Fenris’s assurance I am now free to roam. But none of that happens. I truly am allowed to roam, just as Fenris said.
Exhaling, I raise my head and throw my shoulders back.