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“We have to go to the square first and let everyone know we’ve been victorious,” Gabriel gave me a smile, gesturing towards the well.
I followed the curly-haired man to the middle of the square with Esteban close behind me. I stood between them, watching the people of the sleuth gather in front of us. I was a bit apprehensive; after all, I had never been good with crowds.
As a programmer I preferred the company of myself and my laptop, only happy when interacting with my parents and best friend. I was not a social person, and I knew nobody here. That situation would have to change though. A person couldn’t live as a complete recluse amongst so many people.
I looked down at myself. My t-shirt was dirty and so were my jeans. I wasn’t exactly presentable, but… should I really worry about what everyone was thinking of me right now? I was safe and alive. Wasn’t that miracle what truly mattered? Everything else could be fixed as long as I was free.
My gaze locked with those of some of the people gathered in the square. The longer we waited, the more of them came. They looked at me with genuine curiosity, but they also had smiles on their faces. Why were they so welcoming? I was just a stranger to this sleuth. I didn’t even know if Gabriel and Esteban wanted me to join. I didn’t dare to ask yet.
Truth to be told, I was afraid that they would throw me out just as my previous clan had done. These two men had saved me, sure, but that fact didn’t mean they wanted me to become another mouth to feed in their sleuth, but they had cared enough about me to rescue me… Why? I was so puzzled by the whole situation. I was grateful but apprehensive. Until I knew what they wanted from me, I couldn’t be certain of my position among them.
Still, I couldn’t regret following Gabriel and Esteban out of the prison. They didn’t seem like bad guys, unlike Victor and his people. Nothing good had awaited me in his grasp. At least now I could walk away when I didn’t like what was happening to me. The Alphas and their people didn’t seem to be psychopaths who would hold me against my will.
“Our mission was successful. I’d like you all to welcome Daphne into our sleuth,” Gabriel gestured to me, smiling as brightly as the sun.
He really had a beautiful smile. I got lost watching him being so openly happy for a moment.
Esteban was the more stoic of the two. I hadn’t seen him display happiness just yet. My gaze wandered to him, and I was stunned for a moment to see a small smile on his lips. His eyes were filled with warmth when he gazed back at me.
Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. I blushed and looked at the ground. Both Gabriel and Esteban were so hot. The women who would end up their mates would be so lucky. Maybe they were already mated?
I looked around the crowd, but no one ran up to the Alphas to throw themselves into their arms. Such a display would be a normal reaction for a girl when her mate returned from a difficult and possibly deadly mission but no woman here displayed affection for them. So maybe they weren’t mated?
Wait, why was I even thinking about this topic? My very mate had rejected me. I was ugly and a half breed. There was no way handsome Alphas like Gabriel and Esteban would want me as someone to spend the rest of their lives with.
“What do you say, Daphne?” Esteban asked me in a warm, kind voice.
I didn’t know what the question was, I had been so lost in thought. I blushed even harder. I was making a spectacle of myself in front of all those people. “What is it? Could you repeat the question?”
“Do you want to join our sleuth?” Esteban didn’t seem offended that I hadn’t heard him the first time.
They wanted me to become a part of their clan, just like that? They barely knew me!
But… having a place where I could belong was so tempting. Still, I didn’t know if I would feel good in this village. The people seemed welcoming but would that response still be the case when they got to know me better? I didn’t want to become attached to this clan and then be thrown out again for being not enough. It had certainly happened before.
“Could I think about this for a few days?” I decided to play safe.
“Of course, take all the time you need,” Esteban didn’t lose his gentle smile.
I breathed a small sigh. They weren’t going to pressure me to make a decision. Some of the stress of the day evaporated. I had a place to stay for the time being. I was safe.
I wobbled on my feet, and Gabriel grabbed me by the shoulders from behind to keep me upright. He pulled me against his chest. I was surprised by the sudden contact, but the touch wasn’t so bad… I melted into Gabriel, putting more of my weight against him. I heard a pleased growl erupt out of his chest. I loved the sound.
I got lost in our small world for a moment, taking comfort from the presence of another person who wasn’t hostile to me.
“Yoselin, you will be the one assigned to help Daphne adjust to life in Santuario,” Gabriel gestured to a woman with long wavy black hair in a high ponytail. She was gorgeous, medium height, and very curvy. She gave me a bright smile.
“Of course, Alpha. I will take care of her. Where do you want her to stay?” Yoselin’s voice was melodic and pleasant to hear.
I wanted to like her from the get-go. She seemed to be a fun and kind person but I no longer trusted others easily, so I decided not to form my opinion about Yoselin until I got to know her better.
“In house eleven – the fifth bedroom is still free. I’ll have Daphne’s backpack delivered there.” Oh, so they had recovered my things? That kindness was surprisingly thoughtful. Had they really been so sure they could get me out of Victor’s prison? “You two can go now. Daphne seems to be tired. Can you stand?”
Gabriel turned me around in his arms to peer into my face. He looked worried about me.
“I’m just exhausted by all the stress. Nothing a bit of sleep can’t fix,” I reassured him.
I didn’t want him to worry about me so much. I felt flattered to be cared for so immensely, but at the same time I still didn’t know what to think about my saviors, so I wanted to remove myself from their presence until I could sort through my thoughts.
