The car began to move, and I found myself wishing my father or the security would come out.
I mean, come on. It was exactly what you would expect.
You catch your father sleeping with your best friend. The first thing a reasonable person does is run after her, beg her not to tell, do whatever it takes.
But nothing. Nobody appeared to run after me after I left. Nobody even peeked out the window, just silence as though I wasn't just there.
The car rolled down the driveway, past the Beta's residence, and I stayed hunched in the backseat. My cheek was still numb from the slap. I could not even look up. The part of my face that had taken the hit felt frozen.
Think. Just think. How do you get yourself out of this mess?
I pressed my hands to my knees and stayed quiet, forcing myself to breathe.
"You used to be one of the good ones," the driver said suddenly, blowing smoke from his cigarette as he drove. "You never gave me problems. Never made things difficult."
His eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, meeting mine for a second before going back to the road.
"But look at you now."
He shook his head lightly, almost disappointed. "Now I have to correct you before this turns into something worse."
Then he glanced back at me again, lips curling. "Running away."
A short laugh left him. "Did you really think that was going to work?"
It hit me then.
The man sitting beside me now in the backseat, who had been driving earlier, had never been a random person driving along the road that I just happened to stop to give me a ride.
He had been looking for me.
The realization settled heavy in my chest as everything replayed itself too clearly. How easily he had spotted me on the road. How quickly he had stopped and was ready to help without hesitation.
He didn't even ask for payment.
I had been so desperate to get away from the people I had fled from the forest, that I grabbed at the first hand offered.
And now I was paying for it.
I couldn't believe this was happening to me. I couldn't believe how easily I had been reduced. I was being treated as an omega now, simply because I was in the body of one.
I had always known how omegas were treated. Everyone did. They were used for labor. Sometimes they were sold or sheared, and I had seen it happen and never cared.
I didn't think it was my problem since I was never one of them.
But now that I was, it felt sickening especially with how I was already being handled.
The thought of living like this made my chest tighten.
If the man who carried me had been who I thought he was, I would have left already. With what was in my luggage, I could have started over in a new country.
But he wasn't. And now I didn't even know where they were taking me.
As if reading my thoughts, the driver asked, "What's in that suitcase, anyway?"
His gaze met mine in the rearview mirror.
"And why were you at the Beta's residence?"
Just then, an idea hit me.
I strained my neck to look up at the driver, who was still watching me through the rearview mirror.
"Chelly sent me," I said. My voice shook despite my effort. "She sent me to get her luggage and a list of things she needs for a staycation with her mate at the palace."
The driver huffed and took a drag from his cigarette. When he looked at the mirror again, his eyes didn't meet mine.
"Check the bag, David."
The man to my left, the one I had thought was kind, dragged the suitcase away from my feet and pulled it closer.
Panic hit me fast. With the way they were acting, I knew they would keep whatever they found once they saw the content. And I need those items.
"You know how Chelly gets when people touch her things," I said quickly. "I don't think that's a good idea."
The driver snorted, smoke spilling from his mouth. I didn't know how he could even see the road.
"Bet, that girl's a real bitch."
My eyes narrowed before I could stop myself.
Okay… Rude.
"I'm checking the bag to see if you're lying," he added. "Even she would understand."
Then his tone hardened. "David, it's a fucking suitcase. What's taking so long?"
David finally unzipped it.
Before he could open it fully, I lunged forward and pressed myself over it. "Please. Don't."
The other man behind me, yanked my hair back making me groan in pain. Pain exploded across my face as David's hand connected with my eye.
"Are you fucking stupid?" the driver shouted from the front. "Don't make me pull this car over, Sansa. Don't make me come back there and deal with you myself."
He twisted around slightly. "What's in the luggage?"
"Clothes. Bags. Shoes. Some money."
"Fuck." The driver ran a hand through his hair. "It really is for that bitch."
He exhaled sharply. "Close it. Make sure nothing's missing."
I stayed still after that, not daring to move. Not with the other man's grip still tight in my hair. That alone told me enough. If I moved even an inch, something worse would happen.
So I stayed there.
The car rode on in silence. No one spoke. The driver didn't turn around again. David closed the luggage, but he didn't remove his hand from it.
When the car finally slowed, a hand suddenly clamped around my face. Fingers dug into my jaw, forcing my head up. I sucked in a sharp breath as my eyes met the driver's.
His grip was strong, even with the awkward angle as he leaned back from the front seat.
"I've brought you to the palace," he said. "Don't try anything funny. You'll go inside, drop the luggage yourself, and come right back out."
My stomach jumped.
"And if you try something," he continued, voice lowering, "if you make any strange move—"
He was still talking, when I zoned out. Because nothing sounded more threatening than the place he had just said we were.
The palace.
Where Lucien lived.
He released my face and stepped out of the car.
The man holding my hair yanked me out next. David followed, pulling the suitcase with him.
The palace loomed in front of me, and guards food at every corner. This was not how I thought I would ever make my entrance.
The driver stepped in front of me, wearing the same easy smile he'd had at the restaurant earlier. The one he'd worn when he was apologizing to me, back when I was still in my own body.
A guard stepped forward. "The King didn't call to order in, so how may we help you, Jackson?"
The restaurant owner, whose name turned out to be Jackson, laughed lightly. "No, no. I'm not here for food. My worker wants to return some items. She was told they should be brought here."
He gestured to the suitcase.
"What's inside?" the guard asked.
Jackson's eyes flicked to me, and I quickly realized he wanted me to answer the question.
"Clothes," I said. "Accessories. Things for a palace stay."
"For who?"
"For Chelly Morgan," I answered quickly. "The prince's mate."
They studied me for a moment, then stepped aside.
Jackson's smile didn't fade as he gestured to me. "Go on, then."
My feet felt heavy as I walked in, dragging the suitcase behind me. Two guards followed closely, so even if I wanted to run, I couldn't.
As I entered the palace, I began to hear voices. The farther I went, the louder they became.
Lucien's voice reached me first.
"You don't even have it in you to love," he snapped. "That's why the Moon Goddess never gave you a mate so you can't get married and take over the throne. So stop poking around what's rightfully mine."
I slowed, but I didn't stop.
"I'm going to be the next king," Lucien continued. "So go back to wherever you crawled out from. Disappearing shouldn't be hard for you. You're good at that."
I stepped fully into the room, and at first, my gaze landed only on Lucien.
Then I felt it.
That familiar pressure I'd felt in the woods, and it wasn't coming from Lucien.
My gaze shifted to the second person in the room—the one Lucien had been arguing with, his back still turned to me.
Immediately, my wolf—who had ditched me when I needed her—resurfaced in my head.
And that was when I realized who the other person was, even though he was no longer wearing his red suit.
Koa.
What is he doing here?
"And who said I haven't found my mate, brother?" Koa spoke then.
Brother? Did Koa just refer to Lucien as his brother?
The word barely registered before I noticed Koa's nostrils flare up. Probably catching my scent. He began to turn in my direction.