He was too tall, and in his evasiveness, my aim missed his head, sparing him a nosebleed. "The fuck is wrong with her?" he muttered, clearly irritated. I then bit him, and his assistant immediately called the police. Without a word of explanation or a single warning, they arrived and took me into custody for assault and attempted murder. "You again," one officer grumbled, though it was my first encounter with law enforcement.
At the station, an officer addressed me. "Ms. Ragnar, why did you attack him?" I was still referred to by the Ragnar name, legally bound to their family through adoption.
"Because he deserved to be attacked," I retorted, the anger still fresh.
"Deserved to be what?" the officer scoffed. "I see you still have the audacity to speak up. Let's see how you fare here."
The man I had assaulted, the playboy, stood up and instructed the officer, "Confine her. I want her to sleep in a cell until she's bailed or tried for attempted murder." He then turned to his assistant. "Taurus, handle things here and meet me at the estate. My time is too precious to waste here; I can't risk a scandal or ruining my brand just for her."
"Who will drive you, sir?" Taurus inquired.
"I'll take a cab to the hospital to treat this," he replied, a hint of disdain in his voice. "I don't want to get rabies. Don't bring the car back until she pays for the repairs. Leave it here at the station." With that, he departed.
It was striking how the police officers seemed to cower before him. They accepted his words without question, never even asking his name. It felt as though everything was to be kept confidential, and I was treated like refuse, though I was accustomed to such disdain. Just when I thought the ordeal was over, the officer clicked his computer, and continued.
"Ms. Ragnar, do you have anyone you can call?" he asked.
"Not really," I admitted, "but let me try calling someone. I hope she responds." I dialed my foster mother, who answered. I handed the phone to the officer, who explained my situation and the need for bail.
The first sound my foster mother made was a dismissive hiss. "Let her rot in there. She deserves to be there. And please, don't ever call this number again. I no longer have any business with her." She hung up, leaving me alone in the cell, consumed by regret for my actions.
After twenty-four hours in confinement, a police officer unlocked my cell door. "Ms. Hannah, you can come out," he announced. Shock registered on my face; I hadn't expected to be released so soon. Perhaps he had returned to bail me out, I thought.
I emerged from the cell and followed the officer to the table to complete the necessary paperwork. That's when he said, "Meet Mrs. Eleanor Khian. She bailed you out." I looked over to see a woman with striking silver hair, looking as if she had just stepped out of a soap opera. My initial thought was that she was here to file a complaint for theft or some other transgression. But she? Bailing me out? Why? Could she be his mother, or his girlfriend, or his wife? And the name… it sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place it.
I turned to face her. "Thank you very much for helping me, but why did you help me?" I asked, genuine surprise in my voice.
"Tsk, this child is so disrespectful," the officer interjected. "Instead of being grateful that someone came for you, you're here questioning her." He turned to the woman. "Don't mind her. She has a long mouth."
She was addressed as an elderly person, yet her appearance was remarkably youthful, perhaps in her late forties or early fifties. She nodded and summoned her personal assistant. "This is Laura, my Beta. I assume you must have heard of Betas and Alphas. I'm not that strong, but she will attend to you." She then addressed both Laura and me. "I will be outside the station if you are done with the rest of your procedures here." She rose and exited. I understood what a "Beta" meant, as my adopted father had been a cast-away Beta, second-in-command to an Alpha. Yes, I knew of their existence.
Laura gripped my arm, exchanging a knowing glance with the officer before forcefully dragging me out. I struggled, trying to pull my arm free, but her grip was unyielding; she was far too strong. As pain flared in my arm, something deep within me surfaced, a voice saying, Leave her alone. The moment those words were spoken, she released my arm, and a powerful force pushed me backward.
I twisted my fingers, having instinctively used them to break my fall. "What the f**k! Oh my god!" I screamed, staring in horror at my badly cracked fingers. I glared at Laura. "Did you bail me out for this?" Just then, Mrs. Eleanor walked towards me, extended a hand, and helped me up. The intense pain momentarily eclipsed everything else. "Please, take me to the hospital, or at least allow me to go to the hospital!"
"Keep quiet," Mrs. Eleanor commanded, and instantly, my mouth seemed unable to move. She then took my fingers and twisted them back into place. "Oh lord," I murmured, pausing to examine my fingers, moving my hand. "What the f—wait, it doesn't hurt anymore!" I stared at her, utterly shocked. "Can you explain this? Did you use your Alpha order on me?"
Mrs. Eleanor, in her mind, communicated with her Beta, She's one of us. Our bloodline.
I heard her words. "What bloodline? What the heck is happening? I know you both are like my adopted family, but I need more clarification on what you meant by bloodline!"
"Come, follow me. I can see that you really are one of us," she ordered. Even before she moved, something within me stirred, prompting me to say, Yes, Grand Alpha.
"Grand what?" I looked at her, my eyes wid
e. "Did you hear that?"