Chapter 13: A Few Minutes...Tops!
The end of the week was nearing, and not a moment too soon as far as I was concerned. Being cooped up inside was foreign to me. For most of my life, we were lucky to spend more than one night in the same place. The fact that we had been here for nearly a month was such a novel concept. There was an odd comfort and security about it, but being stationary for so long was also making me edgy. Strike that, being cooped up in this room for so long was making me edgy.
Tala was getting more and more excited with her wedding day only two weeks away. In those days, I had managed to work myself back into Tala’s good graces while keeping Kallan on the “do not discuss” list. Anytime she brought his name up in conversation, I would merely smile politely and nod my head, refusing to add my two cents in that part of the conversation until she moved away from any topic that revolved around the man.
With less than forty-eight hours from the deadline of freedom, I had hit my limit. I needed to get out of this room, and there was no reasoning with the impulses that surged through my restless body. However, finding my way around this blasted place was an issue I was not willing to repeat.
“I don’t know, Sedona. I mean, they can smell you even in this room. I mean, Rosa was just saying how the newcomers were-”
I sighed, agitated that she was nearly as bad as Jensen about me remaining in seclusion. “I don’t give a rat’s ass what Rosa says,” I grumped.
“Sedona!” Tala let her brows furrow deep across her brow. “Now, that is no way to talk about someone that is looking out for you,” she chided.
I felt my brow lift as I looked at her, my gaze traveling over those beautiful, innocent features of her. Well, maybe not so innocent, but certainly not as hardened by life as most of us had become. “And do you really believe that Rosa is looking out for my best interest, or is it more that she looks for any kind of fodder to gossip about?”
For a moment, her face flickered between disappointment and amusement. When a smirk finally settle on her delicate features, I chuckled. “I suppose she is a bit of a gossip,” she finally said, laughing softly at the confession. Her laughter was short-lived before she brought the conversation back to our previous discussion. “However, I still don’t think you should be wandering the house. It doesn’t matter that she is a gossip, Rosa was very clear that those visiting seemed a little too interested in you. She told us she watched them as they lifted their noses in the air beneath your very window!”
I could have done without that little tidbit of information. The thought of strange men, or lycans, sniffing the air beneath my window set off a couple of alarms in my head. Sitting still with that information, I understood the risks, yet I could not shake the desire to leave the room. What was the worse that could happen? I was only looking for a few minutes to run to the kitchen and make a snack.
The people that brought my meals were friendly enough, and even gave me choices of the various foods that they brought to me each day. So, it wasn’t that I was eating well, or even that I wasn’t eating my foods of choice. It was being in this room, and I was going stir-crazy. To leave for only a few minutes, long enough to make a quick sandwich, would relieve some of that itch. A few minutes, tops.
“You said yourself that this place was mostly empty.” Glancing out the window, I saw the beautiful, silver moon peering boldly into my window. “No doubt they are out enjoying the full moon. That’s what they do, right?”
“I don’t know, Sedona. What if some of them stayed behind?” Uncertainty weighed down her features.
Without Tala on my side, there would be no way that I would be able to find my way to the kitchen from here. So, I decided to change tactics. “I get it, my little moon. It’s just…imagine how hard this is for me. To be stuck in this place-” I waved my arms around the room, indicating the confines of it. “-not being able to get outside and stand in the sun, to walk around. That was such a big part of our lives, moving from place to place. To be stuck here-” I let the thought hang in the air, watching her face as I attempted to gauge her reaction.
“Sedona-” Her voice was low, a waver in her tone that I latched onto.
“How about if you go ahead of me? You can check the corridors to make sure that no one is around,” I offered. Tala chewed her bottom lip, considering my proposition. “If you find anyone in the corridors, I will march right back up here.” Her resolve was weakening and I smiled at her. “I promise,” I added, placing my hand over my heart.
When her shoulders slumped, I internally rejoiced. “You promise?”
“Yes,” I answered, excitement starting to bubble within. “You won’t regret this,” I smiled at her as I grasped her hands in mine.
She took a huge breath of air and massaged her temple. “I hope not,” she whispered.
After nearly fifteen minutes of wandering painstakingly slow through the building, we finally arrived at the kitchen. It was larger than any kitchen I had ever been in and fully stocked to boot.
Tala gave an audible sigh. “Thank God! Maybe everyone is out enjoying the full moon,” she murmured.
“They are lycans,” I replied. “It would stand to reason they enjoy full moons, right?”
Tala looked uncertain. “I don’t know, Sedona. They are nothing like the tales they used to tell us about them.”
Surprised, I turned my attention to her. “Don’t you think? I mean, maybe not all of it is true, but there has to be some truth to the stories, right?”
Tala crossed her arms over her chest. “Which parts of the stories do you think are true, Sedona?” The tone of her voice was enough to let me know that I had mistakenly fallen into a trap I had set.
Moving across the room to the massive refrigerator, I tried to think of something that would save me from her disappointment. Disappointing my little moon was starting to become a habit I was only too willing to shake.
Opening it up, I marveled at their ability to generate electricity in this remote place. The cool air hit my face, alleviating some of the heat that was welling within me from both frustration and annoyance. How could she be so deadset on defending them?
“Sedona?”
Shrugging, I allowed my eyes to scan the contents of the refrigerator. The shelves were abundantly full of meat, dairy, and vegetables were scattered among the mix. I smirked to myself, thinking of how at least their taste for flesh was a truth.
“Even a liar has to have some truth to their story for it to be believable,” I answered. Taking a plate of meat and another plate of cheese, I stepped aside and nodded in the direction of the open fridge. “At least their penchant for meat is not a myth,” I chuckled.
“Sedona,” she warned.
“Look, all I am saying is that there is no one around, everyone appears to be gone, so maybe it is true that they enjoy being out under a full moon. Even if there are discrepancies in the stories, we are bound to find that there are also things that are true. That is all I mean,” I smiled at my little moon, watching the frown slip away. It was still disturbing that she was so willing to argue on their behalf, but I had to keep reminding myself that they were good to her. Weren’t they?
“There you are!” A young, beautiful blonde bounced her way into the kitchen. Yes, I said bounced. There was not a part of this overly perky female that did not bounce, as far as I could see. Signs of a clearly spoiled and sedentary lifestyle, I scoffed internally. “I have been looking everywhere for you!”
“Dana! Is everything okay?” Tala moved from where she stood towards the young woman.
“Of course, it is, silly.” The young lady beamed, and I felt like I wanted to gag. How could anyone be so damn cheery? When Tala drew near, the young blonde called Dana stuck her arm through hers. “We were wondering what was taking you so long,” she said, nudging her with her shoulder. “Did you forget that we are to meet with the preacher tonight?”
Tala’s eyes went wide. “Oh,” she exclaimed. “I completely forgot that it was tonight.” The excitement in her eyes shone through, her concerns from only moments before completely dispelled. Her eyes moved across the room to hold my gaze. “Sedona, I-”
Forcing a smile I didn’t feel on my lips, I waved her on. “Go ahead! You don’t want to miss that…sounds important!” Tala watched me for a moment, biting her bottom lip. Waving her on once more, I put a little more authority in my voice. “Go on! You don't want to miss him, do you?"
With a slight tug from her friend, Tala made up her mind. "You will be okay, won't you?"
I scoffed at her. "Don't you remember how empty those halls are?"
Dana giggled. "Most of the guests are out enjoying the evening air under the light of the full moon."
Smiling wide, I lifted a brow at my little moon. "See," I remarked. "Everything will be fine."
I didn't bother telling her that I was right about lycans and full moons. After all, what point would it serve? Still, it didn't mean that I didn't feel some internal vindication. And if the look on her face was any indication, she was only too aware of what her friend had said.
"Okay," she relented. "Just don't stay too long."
Dana tugged her out of the room as Tala turned to give me a brief warning before she was out of sight. Smiling, I waved until I could no longer see her, smiling broadly in as much of a reassuring way as possible. When I could no longer see her, I sighed and leaned against the kitchen island.
The time out of the room, as little as it may be, has already done me some good. My head was much clearer and my body felt more relaxed. Though I would love to spend more time outside of that room, I was resigned to making a quick bite and returning to my room. There was no point in making Jensen cranky, was there?
"Well, where is our alpha lord now?"
That voice sent a chill over my flesh. Of all those that could have remained in the house, why him? "Drake,” I mumbled.
From the corner of my eye, I saw the expanse of his mouth widen. “Glad to see you remember me.”
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone