Alpha Adrian parts 18-19

She washed her free hand and returned to the bed. Instantly, her brain searched for a way out of this mess.

Albert, Adrian, Alpha… no amount of handsomeness or money would convince her to stay by his side. It wasn’t safe. He was a risk for her mental health and freedom.

She was in no shape to run off, though, so all she could do was bid her time and wait for an opening.

Once she was back on her bed, she looked around for her belongings. Her purse was gone, and she had been changed into a hospital gown. All she had in there was medical equipment, and there was not much she could do with that.

“I really don’t think you should go,” someone whispered from outside. Eva recognized Zya’s voice.

“Zya, please. Just because I had a thing for Adrian doesn’t mean I’m going to smolder the girl with a pillow.”

“I don’t know, sis. It’s just…”

“Weird? Yeah. A human for a mate is a once-in-a-century deal.”

They were trying to be discreet, but Eva still heard it all.

Zena had a ‘thing for Adrian’? The beautiful, toned, rich woman? This news rubbed Eva the wrong way. She reached her free hand to her chest and tapped her breast. Her heart was being squeezed with jealousy.

Did Adrian have a history with Zena? And damn it, why did it bother her so much if she was desperate to run away from the guy?

“Alpha,” a man said from outside.

“Hey Henry,” Zena replied.

Alpha? Wasn’t that what Adrian was called?

The doorknob turned, and the door was pulled open. Zya looked normal. There’s not a single scratch on her skin. Zena stands beside her. Her hair is the same length as Eva’s, but the woman looked badass. Eva couldn’t hold a light to her strength and confidence.

She shrunk a little. This was the type of woman Adrian dated, not her.

“Hey girl,” Zya approached her slowly, and Eva realized she looked like a deer in the headlights. She understood what those animals felt now.

“Zya,” Eva whispered. “Can you take me home? Please?”

Zya looked like he was torn in two. “That’s not up to me, hon.”

Then who was it up to? Adrian? That man would never let her go.

“Hi, I’m Zena. I’m sorry we couldn’t meet under other circumstances.” She extended a hand out. Her nails were cropped short, but Eva knew she had claws deep in her. This woman was dangerous.

“Um… hi,” Eva replied to the accomplice to her kidnapping.

“This is weird, I know, but you’re safe. Adrian worships the ground you walk on.”

But why? It didn’t make sense. He barely knew her!

“Alpha, you have a call from Alpha Lukas,” a man called from outside.

Zena rolled her eyes. “That bastard,” she grumbled.

Zya looked her over. “Since when do you talk with Lukas?”

“I don’t. I requested a meeting and he said he doesn’t do business with women. Let me see what he wants now. Excuse me.” Zena gave Eva a final glance-over before walking off.

Zya walked closer and pulled the sheets up Eva’s legs.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” Eva shook her head. “It’s not fair. Can you at least keep him away from me?”

Zya shook her head. “No politician, law, or prison will keep him away from you.”

She shook her head. “That’s not right.”

Zya shrugged a little. “It’s their nature… our nature.”

Eva cringed a little. “You sound crazy, Zya. None of this is normal.”

Zya came closer and tossed an arm around her. “I would’ve fought him to hell if I thought he was bad news. But he’s a good male.”

Eva noticed how she didn’t use ‘man.’ She used ‘male’ instead.

“How do you know him?”

Zya sighed. “My sister works with him. That’s why I was surprised when you mentioned him. A deep part of me knew…”

“Knew what?”

“That he felt something for you. Men like Adrian don’t chase after just anyone.”

They sat in silence after that. Eva held the blankets to her chest single-handedly and stared at the door.

“Can you stay? When he returns?”

Zya raised an eyebrow. “I mean, I can request it, but things don’t work normally here, Eva. Adrian is higher in rank than I am. I don’t have command over him.”

She rubbed her temples. Commands? This was insanity.

“Are you talking about this Alpha thing?”

“Yeah. I’m not an Alpha. Only Zena and Adrian are.”

This was insanity. This wasn’t right.

“And this Alpha thing…?” she played along.

“They lead packs of werewolves… um… maybe Adrian should be the one telling you this stuff.”

Eva wasn’t sure if she wanted explanations from a man that slept naked on the couch.

“Zya,” she gasped. “I woke up, and he was… bare! That can’t be normal, right? Is that one of your cult rituals?”

“Bare?” Zya raised an eyebrow. “You mean nude? That’s not abnormal. They’re often shifting left and right so clothes get in the way.”

The doorknob turned, and the so-called Alpha walked through. He was fully clothed this time, although the clothes were a little tight on his body.

Eva shrunk back into her pillow.

“Everything alright?” he asked, scanning the room habitually, although they were alone.

Eva remained silent, so Zya delivered, “yeah. Just came to check on her.”

“Can she stay?” Eva blurted. She didn’t want to be alone with him again.

Adrian looked at Zya and then back at her. “Yes. If that would make you comfortable.” He walked around to the couch, slowly, as if afraid of scaring her. He sank down and looked enormous in the seat.

Silence ate away at the room.

“Um… Adrian, are you staying over?”

“Yes,” he replied. “For a few days until she recovers. I made calls to arrange everything.”

Days? When was she going home? Eva stared at her lap, knowing she wasn’t going to get an answer.

“Eva,” he called her name.

She peeked under her lashes.

“Do you need anything, sweetheart?” His fingers twitched as if itching for her, but he fisted his hands on his lap.

She shook her head and let the silence do its thing. After half an hour, Zya shuffled her feet.

“I should probably go…”

Eva looked at her with alarm. “Wait…” she protested.

“Don’t worry,” Adrian interjected. “I’ll give you space too.”

Her shoulders dropped with relief, and Adrian didn’t hide how much that hurt him. He left with Zya but returned a minute later. He placed a daisy on her nightstand, and then he was out.

Eva stared at the flower, perplexed. Another hour later, Adrian walked in with a tray of food. It looked a little funny in his hands. Men like him didn’t do maids’ work.

“Do you need me to spoon feed you?”

She avoided eye contact as she shook her head.

He left again, and she dug into the food awkwardly with her left hand. Afterward, she took another nap and woke up to a touch on her shoulder.

“Hey sweetheart,” Adrian greeted. “Take these.”

She shifted away from him and stared warily at the pills he placed on her bedside table. Adrian didn’t linger. He walked out and left her with her medicine and a glass of water.

“Go home,” Adrian whispered outside.

Apparently, these Alphas were not very good at whispering.

“But it’s my job. An honor to watch over a Luna.”

“Go. I’ll watch her tonight.”

He was going to stay beside her over the night? That thought shouldn’t warm her as much as it did.

She turned to her side, droopy from the pain meds, and closed her eyes. She fell into a dreamless sleep and woke up again to a touch on her good arm.

“Hey,” Adrian kneeled beside her. “How did you sleep?”

“Fine,” she cleared her throat and pulled her sheets higher. She felt insecure because she knew her hair looked rowdy and her breath was gross. Discreetly, she pulled at her hair. Damn it, why did she care about what he thought of her?

“You look beautiful,” Adrian said as he brought pills and a cup of water to her good hand.

She pursed her lips and accepted what he brought to her. She tossed everything back and then stared at him warily.

“There was a bad cut on the back of your head. They had to cut your knotted hair to get to it,” he explained. He looked upset. Talking about her accident wasn’t a light topic for him.

Eva raised a hand to touch her cropped hair. Had he compared her to Zena?

”I’ll see you in a bit, alright? Call out if you need help.” He left after that, and she felt nothing but confusing emotions.

Adrian returned with lunch and a chess game. She eyed the board warily. He was making an attempt at getting closer to her, opening the window for some Stockholm Syndrome.

Seeing the way she looked at the board, he placed it aside and only brought her the food. The cycle continued for two more days, when he showed up empty-handed and kneeled beside her bed as usual.

“We’re going to my place now, honey. It’s still in New York.”

Great, she was getting re-located to another place that wasn’t her apartment.

She didn’t react. After all, did she really have a choice?

Soon later, she was swept into a pair of brawny arms. She watched the world around her, loopy from the drugs that ran through her, and hated herself for enjoying his embrace.

She didn’t even notice the looks she was getting as he drove and carried her through his territory. A blanket was tucked around her, and Adrian sped-walked through the crowds. She couldn't focus on much. The numbness of the medication confused her sense of time.

Only the glare of a particular man grabbed her attention. He was holding a broom like a janitor, and he was staring at her like she was the devil.

She wasn’t sure if it was the drugs in her system, but something had her clutching Adrian’s shirt and snuggling deeper against him.

He looked down at her when they entered a house.

“Everything alright?”

She didn’t reply, only closed her eyes and drifted away. She woke up halfway through the night on an unfamiliar bed and with a figure looking over her.

It was him. That man with the broom.

The doorknob rattled, and he jumped away.

“What are you doing here?” Adrian asked.

Eva’s eyelids dropped. The meds were exhausting.

“Just cleaning the room, sir.

“Alright. Don’t make too much noise or you'll wake here.”

Eva fell asleep, not processing that her sheets had been pulled up to her knees to reveal her skin.