Esmeralda
Gasps flew from all directions as horrified eyes were fixed on Jade.
Ava was dead.
“You mean to tell me that Alpha Kade has two sisters?” A horrified Selene asked, consumed with shock.
Who would have thought he had a family that he cared about?
He was always on solo, masking his feelings. Acting as if he dropped from the moon.
Grief-stricken, Jade nodded her head slightly, allowing her dark kinky hair to bounce on her shoulders.
“And she is dead? What happened to her? How did she die?” I bombarded her with questions, giving her no time to rest.
I was curious. I needed answers!
Jade’s eyes darkened as flashes of horror swept across them.
The events were coming together gradually.
I could feel it. I could taste it.
Muffling impatient groans, my eyes were glued on Jade who seemed lost in her head.
A bad memory it really was.
“Jade…” I called softly, slightly jerking her back to life.
“No,” Her voice shook, threatening to break down in tears, “I can’t tell you,” She whispered, slightly shaking her head with an apologetic look plastered on her face.
“But we already promised not to tell anyone. Trust us on this. Not a word will be heard from us,” I assured, trying to convince her, “Not one word,”
She shook her head vehemently, turning away, “You don’t understand. I am not in the place to tell you things like this. It’s the Alpha’s secret. No one is allowed to talk about it or they could be killed,”
“No one will hear anything from us, I promise,” I tried to cajole her. She couldn’t back out now. Not when I knew he had two sisters.
The suspense was killing me.
“I am sorry, I can’t tell you. I have told you what I can tell you. Ava is dead, and so were his feelings. Help yourself by leaving this room and getting out of that dress before he does something nasty,” She warned. From her tone, I knew she was dead serious and done with the conversation.
Sighing defeatedly as all efforts to make her talk were futile, it was like pouring water on a rock. She wouldn’t spill another secret.
Her mind was made up.
“Is that the reason you look gloomy?” Selene strode to her, “Come here,” She pouted, pulling her in a warm embrace, “It’s okay. You’re okay,” She repeated, patting her back.
Like a mother, Selene consoled Jade, patting her and showering her with soft kisses as Jade sobbed hard.
Ava must have been nice.
“He bought the dress for her. Two dresses on her eighteenth birthday,” Jade said amid tears, still clutching tight to Selene.
That was the reason for his outburst.
It must have hurt so bad seeing his late sister’s dress on someone else.
Someone he didn’t care about.
Me.
Ouch. That hurts.
“The night she found her mate,” She resumed, almost choking on her tears.
That’s it, baby, spill it. All of it.
I was never going to force words from her mouth.
She will say it on her own.
“But then, she was…,” She coughed, sniffing afterwards, “She was murdered alongside her mate in one of those dresses. You are wearing the second one,” She sobbed harder, “I miss her a lot. She was a good person,”
I froze on a spot, recalling all that Jade had said.
It must be really hard to bear, losing a loved one.
After waiting for endless minutes in silence, I was met with no words from Jade.
Had she sobbed hard that she had turned mute?
She couldn’t leave me hanging!
I groaned inwardly, resisting the urge to ask other questions that burned inside me.
I was supposed to be consoling her, not bombarding her with questions. But I couldn’t help it. I wanted more.
What about his parents? I hadn’t seen them since I arrived.
What about Amelia? Kade’s favourite sister. Jade wouldn’t talk about her.
What about the girl in the North wing? Why was she tied to a chair like some sacrificial lamb?
Argh!
So many questions.
“Jade, where is…”
A loud scream with jerks interrupted me, forcing the words down my throat as it filled the air.
I recognized the voice.
The voice of the girl from the North wing.
Alpha Kade’s prisoner.
“What the hell was that?” Selene flinched, pulling away from Jade’s grip, “That was the voice I heard the other night when I found you lying on the floor,”
“It is,” I said, releasing tense air.
She was still screaming because of me, except this time it was louder.
But there was something about her scream. It was different, different from her previous screams that reflected pain. Except this sounded like anger.
She was livid!
But why? Maybe it was because I didn’t help her when she asked for help.
Or maybe it was because I was trespassing on her space. Too many maybes.
I couldn’t place my hand on the right one.
“Who the hell is that and why is she always screaming her lungs out? Doesn’t she know it will result in a headache?” Selene fumed, clenching her ears with her hands. “Will someone fucking attend to her before she damage my eardrums?” Selene hissed, growing impatient as the screams were louder.
“Someone will,” I said, calmly, looking in the direction of her voice.
Someone has to. They couldn’t leave her that way.
Selene’s gaze narrowed at me, watching me suspiciously, “Why do you sound so certain? Do you know her,”
My breath hitched at Selene’s words.
Do I know her?
Maybe I did. Maybe I didn’t.
She was the human I met a few minutes ago in the North wing.
“Do you?” Selene’s impatient voice rang louder, stinging my ears.
“I do,” I admitted, nodding my head affirmatively.
“You don’t know what you are saying,” Jade scoffed in disbelief.
Selene’s gaze hovered on my face, her judgy eyes pinned mine as she observed me closely, “She isn’t lying. I’ve known Esmeralda for years and I know that she isn’t lying,” She confirmed.
Another scream tore. Another scream of agony.
“If you claim you know her, then who is she? ” Jade asked.
“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath before letting out a sigh.
How would I tell her I entered a place I was not supposed to?
Summoning courage, I swallowed the lump in my throat, “She is the girl from the North wing. Alpha Kade’s prisoner,” I affirmed.
Jade’s eyes grew unusually wide as her hand covered her mouth in shock, “How the fuck did you know that?”
I’m so screwed.
“When I was coming from the Alpha’s quarters, I collided with a door. It was unusually big so I opened it. But I got out almost immediately after she told me to help her,”
“She told you to help her? Was she chained?” Jade’s voice rang even louder than the scream. Surprise swept her off her feet.
“Yes”
“You were lucky. Now listen to me and listen well. I don’t know why you went there but this should be the last time you will visit that wing. I remembered telling you how it was off limits, meaning no one could enter it…”
“Who is she? Why is she his prisoner? What did she do?” I cut in, unable to bury the questions.
“It’s none of your business. Don’t go in there and if you go in, make sure nobody catches you, not even Alpha Kade, else you are as good as dead,” She warned with a stern voice.
Something in me told me she was very serious, especially about Alpha Kade.
“But why was she in chains?” I asked, ignoring her warnings.
What did she do to deserve to be treated like an animal?
“Because she is dangerous. During times like this, she is always bound in chains and if she asks you for help, don’t go close to her. She is extremely dangerous. Don’t say I didn’t warn you,”
“Why is she dangerous during times like this and what does that mean?” I found myself asking, unable to control my curiosity.
“Because it is almost that day,” She whispered, her eyes staring into space.
What day?