Chapter 65: Chapter 65: The Sudden Urge to Run
SONIA’S POV
I wanted to run. The urge came like a sudden storm by the time I was done eating. My heart started beating faster, and my legs felt restless under the table. It was an impulsive decision, I knew, but I wanted to run. The food sat heavy in my stomach, but the need to move was stronger than anything else.
Jumping from the bed, I turned to Ivy. "I want to run. Take me away, I want to run," I repeated over and over again in the span of just a few seconds. My voice came out fast and shaky, like I couldn’t hold the words inside anymore. My bare feet pressed against the cool floor, and my hands trembled at my sides.
It felt like I could combust if I didn’t give in to my desires to run. My skin felt too tight, my chest too full, like something inside me was pushing to get out. The walls of the room felt closer than before, and the air seemed thicker, harder to breathe.
Her brow lifted in curiosity, contorting her face. She looked at me like she was trying to read something written on my forehead.
"Please. Take me out. I need to run." My voice cracked a little at the end, and I shifted from one foot to the other, unable to stay still.
"Okay, I will. Can I ask why this sudden desire to run?"
"I can’t explain it myself, Ivy. I just need to." The words tumbled out, honest and desperate. My fingers twisted together, and I could feel my pulse racing in my wrists.
She nodded, and rose to her feet. "Let’s go."
She led me out of the room that belonged to Alpha Liam. I was yet to meet him in a conscious state, but with the little I saw, he was a good alpha. The corridors felt longer than before, the stone floors cool under my bare feet. The air smelled faintly of fresh bread from the kitchens and the distant smoke from the festival fires that still lingered.
As we stepped into the open, the crisp air suddenly changed. It hit my face, cool and fresh, carrying the scent of pine trees and morning dew. For a moment, it felt freeing.
I blinked, and Lorena was before us. She stood blocking the path, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She looked me up and down, with her nose turned all the way up. A frown plastered on her face, and her glare was menacing, sharp enough to cut. Her dress was bright and fitted, making her look put-together while I still felt messy and shaken from the morning.
"Where are you coming from?" She asked, after a loud hiss. Her voice was cold, dripping with suspicion.
"From—"
"The alpha Daisy sent for her. She wants to see her before she leaves," Ivy answered on my behalf. Her tone was steady, almost too calm, like she was daring Lorena to push further.
Her frown grew even larger, turning her face into one big bowl of horror. It made a shudder run through my spine, but I hid it well. My fingers curled into the hem of the long shirt I was wearing, gripping the soft fabric tightly.
"And why would she send for her? It doesn’t answer my question anyway."
"Oh that’s true. You asked where she’s coming from."
"Exactly. And I was talking to her. It would do you good if you learn to mind your business."
I felt Ivy stiffen. It wasn’t in a shocking kind of way. More like anger. Her shoulders squared, and I could see the way her jaw tightened. I never understood how Lorena punished Ivy tirelessly, yet she wasn’t afraid of her. The case was very much different for me. I was afraid of Lorena. It wasn’t just about the things she said. The things she was capable of doing were even worse. Her eyes always carried that sharp edge, like she was waiting for the right moment to strike.
All for what? Power? Access to power? It did my head in because I just couldn’t understand how someone could be that purposely atrocious. Maybe I should have learnt from Freya that not everyone had good in them. Whilst I thought I had a best friend, and sister in her, she saw me as a means to gain financial favour. Lorena’s behaviour made me draw comparisons to Freya. They were just two sides of the same coin.
"I said I was talking to you!" She stepped towards me, and I jerked behind. My back hit the wall lightly, and my heart raced faster. The cool stone pressed against my shoulder blades through the thin shirt.
"From alpha Liam’s room," I quickly responded. My voice came out small, but I forced the words out before Ivy could speak again.
I saw horror pass through her eyes for a few seconds, but was quickly replaced by the disgusting expression she always had on whenever she was around me. Her lips curled, and her nose wrinkled like she smelled something bad.
"What do you mean she was in Alpha Liam’s room? Is he even around?"
She turned to Ivy this time around. The latter did not respond. Ivy just stood there, her chin slightly lifted, refusing to back down.
"Hey, I’m talking to you, bitch!"
"Me?" Ivy pointed to her chest. "I thought you told me not to speak." freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
"Unless spoken to. I’m talking to you now!"
"Oh, alright then. Well since you’re that curious to know, I’ll tell you," the maids behind Lorena gasped.
It drew my attention to them. Somehow, I hadn’t even noticed she had these girls behind her. She took a whole lot of space, not in weight, more in the bitterness her personality exude. They stood quietly, eyes down, but I could see the nervousness in the way they shifted their weight from foot to foot.
"Who are you talking to in that tone?" She cut through whatever Ivy was about to say. Her voice rose higher, sharp and biting.
I was wondering the same thing too. Ivy knew Alpha Ramon would take Lorena’s side if he heard of what was transpiring right now. Yet, she didn’t care. She still spoke to her like they were equals. Her back was straight, her gaze steady, like she had nothing to lose.
"I just wanted to answer your question. Is that also a problem?" Ivy replied with her chin held high, and her gaze unwavering. The morning light caught her face, making her look stronger than I felt.
"I see your wings grow larger by the day," Lorena replied, and I knew it was about to be trouble. Her hands clenched at her sides, and she took another step forward, her shoes scraping against the ground.
Meanwhile, the urge to run returned with a full force. It made my legs begin to shake. I tried to hold it in, but it was proving very difficult to control. My bare feet pressed harder into the cool grass, toes curling as if ready to bolt. The long shirt Ivy had given me brushed against my thighs, the fabric soft but feeling too thin now, like it couldn’t protect me from anything.
"But I won’t do what’s on my mind, until you explain why she was coming from alpha Liam’s room."
"That was what I was going to explain. Anyway, alpha Liam found her at the traitors post and brought her in his arms to her room. Then he requested for maids to clean her up, and feed her."
"What?!" She hissed between her teeth. "Does Alpha Ramon know about this? What does he have to say?"
I was curious too. Last I heard, he was at a meeting with the other alphas. It would be the reason why he had not come to find me yet. When he was done, he would come. He would probably come with other maids who would help him punish me some more. After that, he would find another day to seduce me. The circle would continuously repeat itself.
Because for someone who definitely didn’t like me, hence the reason he kidnapped me from my own family, he seemed to always find a reason to be around me. The thought made my stomach twist in knots.
"Oh he knows," Ivy said, and her words trickled into my ears.
It brought me out of my head, as my heart pummelled against my chest.
"What?!" She screamed even higher than before. Her face twisted with shock and fury, her hands shaking at her sides.
"I think he does. I saw him discussing with alpha Liam. The fact he hasn’t sent for Sonia means he’s aware, and he doesn’t have a problem with that," she continued fearlessly. Her voice stayed steady, even as Lorena’s grew louder.
So Alpha Ramon was done with his meeting and he didn’t storm to Alpha Liam’s room to throw me out, and punish me? That was indeed something strange. My mind spun with the thought, trying to make sense of it.
"I can’t believe this! I have to hear from Ramon himself to believe this bullshit!"
"I think you mean alpha Ramon." Ivy corrected her.
She paused midturn, and with anger in her face, charged towards Ivy.