Chapter 3 You're not human

ALRIA

I sat on the edge of the massive king-sized bed and stared at the gold curtains hanging over the window.

It had been twenty-four full hours since those guards dragged me out of Edward Ashbourne’s office, and I was still trapped inside this guest suite. The room was huge, easily three times the size of my entire apartment back downtown. There was a thick silk rug on the floor, expensive wooden furniture, and a bathroom with a tub big enough to swim in. But none of that mattered to me because the door was locked tight from the outside.

I stood up and started pacing. My skin felt hot to the touch, and there was a strange, itchy feeling deep inside my muscles that would not go away no matter how much I stretched or moved. My hearing was acting up in a weird way, too.

Every time the guard outside made a sound, took a breath, or tapped his boots on the floor, it sounded like he was standing right next to me. I could even hear the thud-thud of his heart, and it was driving me crazy.

I rubbed my temples with both hands and tried to force myself to think clearly. I had missed my morning dose of Moon Salt.

My grandmother had always been very strict about me taking it every single day.

She always said the salt was the only thing that kept my body balanced and healthy, and she made sure I never skipped a dose. I figured this terrible feeling was just some kind of withdrawal, like when Miller down at the courier office didn't get his third cup of black coffee in the morning.

The salt always tasted bitter and gross, but clearly my body had gotten used to having it every day.

I sat back down on the edge of the bed and tried to ignore the heat crawling up my neck, but the whole room just felt hot and stifling.

Suddenly, the lock clicked, and the door handle turned. The door swung open, and Theo stood in the doorway with his arms crossed over his massive chest. He didn't come inside. He just jerked his head toward the hallway and gave me a sharp look.

"The Alpha wants to see you," Theo said.

"His name is Edward," I snapped, pushing myself off the bed and standing straight up. "And I don't care what he wants. I have things to say to him too. Like where is my phone, where is my purse, and when am I getting paid for my overtime? I have rent due, and I’m pretty sure I’ve been fired from both of my jobs by now."

Theo didn't answer me at all. He just turned around and started walking down the hallway.

I bit my tongue, swallowed my anger, and followed him. I felt dizzy for a second when I took my first few steps, but I clamped my jaw shut and pushed right through it. We walked past several locked doors, down a long corridor with framed paintings on the walls, and right back to the doors leading into the office.

Edward Ashbourne was sitting behind his desk, and he looked much better than he had yesterday. His skin wasn't gray or pale anymore, and he was dressed in a fresh white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. I could see a white bandage wrapped tight around his right forearm where the silver blade had cut him.

He looked strong, relaxed, and powerful again, but his dark eyes were cold and sharp as he watched me walk in.

"Sit down, Alria," Edward said, pointing to one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"I’d rather stand," I said, stopping a few feet away from the desk. "You’ve been holding me in that room for a full day. That is illegal, and my boss has probably called the police by now. You can't just keep people locked in rooms because you had a bad day."

Edward leaned back in his chair and looked at me with a unblinking glare.

"Your boss was told you took an emergency leave of absence. I paid him enough money to make sure he didn't ask any questions or file any missing person reports. Now, stop wasting my time and tell me the truth. Who sent you here with that box?"

"I told you yesterday!" I shouted, feeling my temper flare up again. "I work for a small delivery company. My boss gave me a box with an address on it, and I delivered it to this building. I didn't even know what was inside until it broke open on your floor. You should be thanking me for pulling that knife out of your reach, not locking me up like a dangerous criminal."

Edward stood up slowly.

He was very tall, and he walked around the side of his desk with slow steps until he was standing right in front of me.

I refused to back away or show any fear, even though my heart was beating fast. He leaned down close to my face, and for a second I thought he was going to yell at me or grab me. Instead, he tilted his head slightly and took a deep breath, sniffing the air right next to my neck.

I froze on the spot and stared at him. "What are you doing? That is completely weird and creepy."

Edward pulled back slightly, and he looked thoroughly confused. His brow furrowed as he stared at my face. "You don't smell like a human," he muttered, almost like he was speaking to himself. "But you don't smell like a wolf either. What are you?"

I let out a loud, frustrated laugh and threw my hands in the air.

"A wolf? Are you completely crazy? You billionaires really have lost your minds. I am a normal human, Edward. I eat food, I sleep in a bed, and I pay taxes every single year. I don't know what kind of weird roleplay games you and your guards are playing, but I am not a part of it."

"Nobody is just a human," Edward said, his voice dropping into a low growl that made the skin on my arms prickle. "Not when they can stabilize a silver-poisoned heart just by touching it."

He turned his head toward the side door near the back of the office and raised his voice. "Evan! Get in here right now!"

The side door opened immediately, and a small, nervous-looking guy with glasses and messy hair hurried into the room. He was carrying a small black medical kit in one hand, and he kept his eyes glued to the floor, refusing to make eye contact with me. He looked like he was terrified and wanted to be anywhere else in the world except inside this office.

"Take her blood," Edward commanded, pointing a finger at me. "I want a full check for everything."

"Wait, what?" I said, taking two big steps backward and curling my hands into tight fists. "No way. You are not sticking any needles in me. I do not give you permission to touch me or take my blood."

"I don't need your permission," Edward said plainly.

He moved faster than I could react, closing the distance between us in a matter of a second and grabbing my arm.

The moment his fingers clamped tightly on my skin, the entire world seemed to tilt on its side.

That strange, itchy heat inside my body suddenly exploded into a massive surge of pure electricity.

It felt like a direct shock traveling straight from his fingertips into my bloodstream and right into my heart. My legs went completely weak, my lungs locked up, and I gasped for air, but I wasn't the only one who felt it.

Edward’s grip loosened, though he didn't let go of my arm. His eyes softened for a brief second, and that glowing gold color flickered back into his pupils.

His thumb brushed softly over the pulse point on my wrist, and I felt a strange pull toward him that made me want to step closer and lean into his chest.

Then, Edward blinked hard and shoved my arm away. He looked furious and disgusted with himself as he took three fast steps back toward his desk.

“Just do it, Evan," he snapped, his voice sharp and angry. "Do it right now."

I was too shocked and dizzy to fight back this time.

I felt like I was floating somewhere outside of my own body while Evan stepped forward. He quickly wiped the bend of my arm with a cold swab and inserted a small needle to draw a vial of dark red blood.

I barely even felt the sharp sting of the needle because my head was spinning so fast.

"Get her out of here," Edward said coldly, turning his back to me and staring out the floor-to-ceiling glass window. "She stays locked in that suite until I have the lab results on my desk. I want to know exactly what she is before the sun goes down."

Theo stepped up beside me, grabbed my shoulder firmly, and guided me out of the office. I didn't bother fighting or arguing with him this time.

My vision was starting to blur, and the intense heat under my skin was turning into a constant, dull roar in my ears.

As Theo walked me back down the long hallway toward my room, I felt a strange, deep vibration in the back of my mind.

It sounded like a long, mournful howling noise, coming from somewhere deep inside my own chest.

Theo unlocked my door, shoved me gently inside, and pulled the door shut.

I heard the lock click into place, and I stumbled forward, collapsing face-down on the soft bed as darkness took me completely.