The Alpha's Little Slave

Chapter 24: Ride

"Ever," Elijah said, then he gave me a teasing look. "Of course, that might change now that you’re here. You should go pick out a room you like later. Who knows? That might just be the Luna’s new room."

"Fat hope," I snorted, "Whatever gave you such a ridiculous idea?"

"I’m just saying, you and Damon looked awfully sweet just now, cuddling like two lovebirds. I almost didn’t know he had it in him."

"Lovebirds," I repeated slowly, as though repetition would allow it to make more sense in my mind. I pictured Damon cooing to me and felt something in my brain rupture at the sheer nonsense. "Now I’ve heard everything. Are you sure you don’t need glasses?"

Or a reality check.

But I wasn’t going to be that rude to Elijah, who had been nothing but kind to me. It wasn’t his fault he was optimistic, while my optimism had been pre-crushed ever since I realized I would never be my father’s favored child. Life, in the form of my father and Aubrey, had dealt me many hard knocks.

Literally. It was a miracle I made it to adulthood.

"Don’t sell yourself short," Elijah said, "I think you have a shot at being this pack’s first-ever luna. I’ve never seen him act this way."

I burst out into incredulous laughter at his words, attracting the attention of werewolves nearby. However, when they saw that Elijah was with me, they quickly turned back to mind their own business.

Huh. Maybe news about Susie’s punishment got around, and now no one wanted to risk messing with me.

"What’s so funny?"

"I bet you say this to all the women he brings in," I shook my head.

Even if Damon was indeed behaving sweetly, that wasn’t his true nature. I was sure it was a dastardly scam so that he could keep women dangling from his fingertips. The chance to become the Luna of such a prestigious pack would have kept most women desperate for the slightest hint of affection.

I reminded myself that I wasn’t going to be fooled, no matter what nonsense Elijah said. My first priority must be my escape, and to do that I needed more information. I redirected Elijah’s attention back to the pack house, where he continued to explain matters to me.

"This is only one of the main packhouses for Fangborne," Elijah said proudly. "We have three pack houses in total on our territory."

He waited for my reaction, and I made sure to sound appropriately awed.

"Three? That’s impressive," I said, then I recalled the large crowd of werewolves present in my mating ceremony. Come to think of it, three packhouses was simply too little. "How is that enough for everyone to stay?"

"We also have pack members that decide to stay in their own homes all over our territory. Usually, they are young families that need the room and extra privacy," Elijah explained. "As long as they join us for training and meal times, Damon isn’t too concerned with where they make their bed."

"Where are the packhouses though? I can’t see them through the windows."

There was only grassland and trees when I peered outside, and Elijah laughed and actually opened the door to guide me outside. I sucked in a breath of fresh air and felt my heart relax.

Even without a wolf, the fresh air was invigorating. Elijah cheerfully handed me a pair of socks and women’s short boots.

"Wear these first and I’ll take you around."

"Who did these belong to?" I asked warily.

"Someone or another," Elijah said and shrugged, seemingly unbothered. "They’ll understand." freewebnovёl.ƈom

I reluctantly put on the shoes, hoping that their owner wouldn’t come and cause more trouble. Aubrey always threw a fit that ended up with my back under her heel when she thought I had touched one of her precious shoes.

"Elijah, you haven’t answered my question. Where are the other two pack houses?"

I had to know so that I could make my escape plan.

Elijah shrugged and pointed to forty-five degrees to his left, into open grassland. "The first one is called Sirius, named after the constellation. It’s there, while the other one is here," now he pointed forty-five degrees to his right.

There was also nothing but open grassland.

"The other two are a distance away so that we can keep better watch over our territories. Blaise stays in one of them most of the time― Regulus. While I stay in the third, called Orion. Our pack houses actually form a triangle in the heartland of our territory, so that we can each reach a border quickly if necessary."

Damn it. It only meant that escaping would be more difficult since I would have to dodge three pack houses worth of werewolves, each helmed by a capable leader.

"Isn’t that inconvenient when Damon summons you?" I prodded for more information. Elijah had appeared nearly immediately when Damon called him.

"Nah, in our wolf form, it’s barely a fifteen-minute run," Elijah smiled, "It’s great exercise and really works up an appetite, you know?"

I stared blankly at him. I had no wolf, so I guessed that was at least an hour’s trek away. Just great.

Also more importantly, that meant that Damon already had plans for Elijah to show me around. Maybe he contacted him while he scrubbed my back.

Huh. Then I should continue sleeping with Damon until I find a chance to escape. I needed more information, and Elijah was the third best source behind Damon and Blaise, both of which would be impossible to sift information out of.

Damon was tight-lipped and Blaise was straight-up sadistic. Even if they were loose with their information — which they weren’t — asking them would come with consequences I could not afford to pay.

"Oh right, you don’t have a wolf," Elijah said sheepishly. "We’ll walk then since the weather is nice."

My face immediately fell at his words.

I knew it. Elijah definitely had a few screws loose in his handsome head. No wonder someone as good-natured as him could stand to work under Damon and Blaise.

After what Damon had done to me in bed — as pleasurable as it was — there was no way I could walk even for fifteen minutes, much less an hour! Elijah might as well just demand for my execution right here and now.

I asked plaintively, "It’ll take me at least an hour to get anywhere." Then, I brightened, a thought coming to me. "Can I ride you instead?"