AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Because protecting people was what Stone did, and he bloody well would make sure his fated bride was at the top of his list, no matter how she felt about him.
ChapterThree
As Reika slowly woke up, all she could focus on was her pounding head, her dry mouth, and how everything ached as if she'd been hit by a bus.
Opening her eyes was hard enough, but even when she managed it, she was in a dark room lit by a handful of candles.
Maybe the power had gone out. Although even in the dim light, she could tell the room wasn't anything in her parents' house. Had some stranger helped her?
Or worse?
A sense of panic crept over her as she struggled to sit up. Her mom had always told her to be careful, that women were snatched off the street every day, and how she didn't like Reika coming home alone after dark.
She'd always brushed it off since her mother tended to still think of her as a child rather than an adult. Hopefully her mom didn't turn out to be right.
Don't think of that now.No, Reika would figure out where she was, what had happened to her, and go from there.
Because even when waking up in a dark, unfamiliar place she was going to remain positive. She had to. Freaking out wouldn't help her.
Slowly she sat up in the large bed, ignoring the little aches in her body she couldn't quite pinpoint. The candles weren't very bright, but she could still make out a fireplace, some cushy chairs, and solid wooden furniture—the bed, a chest of drawers, and even a small desk and chair.
The wooden details and material wallpaper said it was somewhere fancy.
Refusing to think this was some sort of human trafficking mansion prison—okay, yes, sometimes she was a bit overdramatic in her imagination—she did her best to toss back the blankets and scoot to the edge of the bed, grateful that she still had her clothes on.
Tucking her hair behind her ear, Reika tried to stand up. Immediately her legs gave out and she fell back onto her ass with a soft cry.
Dang it, everything hurt.Not wanting to let her frustration take over, she checked her arms and hands, but didn't see any bruises or scratches. That ruled out being hit by a car.
Had she been drugged? Although her mind wasn't foggy, or felt thick, or anything like that. Weird.
Just as she tried to stand up again, the door opened, and a single light came on overhead.
Reika barely had time to note it was an old-fashioned bulb when a female and male—both with pointed ears like her—walked in.
But the ears were the only real similarity. The female wore a weird white shirt with huge sleeves and a long, dark blue skirt that someone would wear to a fancy dress party. And the guy wore a black three-piece suit, but a way more formal one than she'd seen on all the people rushing to and from work in downtown Vancouver.
The odd fancy clothes added another possibility to the creepy trafficking super mansion theory—maybe it was a cult.
The female spoke first, in English. "Hello, my name's Yesenia, and this is my brother, River."
Reika barely had time to note the female had light brown skin and the male was fair, although they both had dark hair, before Yesenia spoke again. "You're probably wondering where the hell you are, right?" On reflex, Reika nodded, and the other female continued, "Well, that's a long-ass story, and complicated to boot. So before we get into that, my brother here is a doctor and would like to examine you. So if you're injured or in pain, let him know."
The male—River, if she remembered right—held up an old-fashioned, leather medical bag, like Reika had seen in TV shows. He also spoke in English. "Yep, just a fae witch doctor wanting to help you. Do you hurt anywhere?"
Both of their accents were different from Vancouver, probably American, although she couldn't place it.
Taking a deep breath, she gathered her courage. Them being nice to her could be a prelude to something awful, and she wanted to find out what the hell was going on. "Please tell me who you are." She hugged her arms to herself, not wanting to blurt out something about being used for spare parts to sell on the black market. "And where am I?"
Yesenia took a step closer. "You're probably not going to believe me at first."
Her heart rate kicked up, but she did her best not to show it. "Tell me anyway."
River smiled. "You're pretty fucking brave. Awesome. That'll help you in the long run."
Reika frowned but Yesenia's spoke before she did. "Ignore my brother. First tell me if you're hurt and only then will I lay it all out for you and try to answer your questions the best I can."
Maybe she was naïve, or too trusting, but if they were going to kill her, they would've done so already. No sense in being difficult for no reason, especially if it got her answers. "I have a few aches, and I'm dying of thirst, but otherwise I'm fine."
