CHAPTER 8
***LARISSA***
6 YEARS AGO
My eyes fluttered open slowly, but I shut them close immediately as the rays of sunlight attacked them. I opened them slowly again until my pupils adjusted to the sunlight.
I looked around me, not recognizing where I was or how I got here. I sat up on the bed I was lying down on and took a look around the room one more time.
The walls were painted a light cream color and three small chandeliers dropped from the roof. There was a fairly large closet and a wooden arched door at the entrance.
I closed my eyes, hissing silently as I felt a ringing pain at the back of my head. My head was aching badly, my stomach was hurting and my wrists looked so red.
My wrists. I remembered being dragged here by Rogues after running away from the pack. All the events started coming back to me slowly up till when I met the Rogue General.
He was my mate. I remember feeling so confused, scared, and nervous at the same time as he walked up to me and raised my chin.
My knees went weak as he stared at me and my head started to spin before I suddenly collapsed and the next thing was total darkness.
Why was I in a room like this? I was a pack Wolf, if they didn't kill me on site, they should have locked me up in some small dark cell or confined me to work in the kitchen.
Was it because I was the General's fated mate? Mate or not, he couldn't possibly want to have anything to do with me.
I groaned as I tried to climb down from the bed. As my feets touched the ground, I noticed they stepped on some kind of flat stand placed there.
Instantly, it produced a bell jingling sound and almost immediately, the large doors of the room burst open and three ladies dressed in simple colored dresses walked into the room.
Who were they?
"Good morning my lady, did you have a beautiful night's rest?" One of them asked as another one went to open the curtains covering the second large window letting even more sunlight into the room.
"I...." I didn't know what to say or what to do.
Before I knew it, the third one started to open my gown.
What was she doing?
I moved away from her, shrugging her hands off.
She stopped and flashed a polite smile, "Allow me, so my lady can have a scented bath."
I raised an eyebrow and glanced at the three of them one after the other. They all had unwavering polite smiles on their faces.
Did they want to bathe me? I didn't say or do anything so the lady moved closer and pulled down the zip of my gown.
I felt slightly flushed and embarrassed. I've never been naked in front of someone else in my entire life, talkless of three people.
As the gown dropped off my shoulders to the floor, I stepped out of it and they led me to the bathroom. There was a large bathtub there and one of them was filling it with hot water, soap, and scented petals.
She dipped her finger into it probably to feel the temperature and when she deemed it was right enough for me, she faced me and nodded.
I walked closer to the bathtub and I put one foot in. I took my foot out immediately. It was so hot, it felt like it could boil me.
"The water is too hot," I said.
"It's just enough to soothe your body. The petals have medicinal properties too, to help you heal and regain strength," she replied and I nodded.
I swallowed nervously and summoned up courage before stepping in, resting my back on the wall of the bath.
***
PRESENTLY.
"A boarding school?" Jack had asked dumbfoundedly. He was shocked to hear me suggest taking the kids to a boarding school.
"Really?" He asked again later that night when I was in the kitchen doing the dishes.
"I've thought it through for a long time now and I think it's best for all of us. They'll be able to form a good social life with other kids and our work schedules won't affect them," I replied that day without looking at Jack and I arranged the dishes in their respectful places.
"I've not been complaining have I?"
"Are you suggesting you've been taking care of them while I neglect them?" I finally turned around to face him.
"No, but we could hire a Nanny, Laris-"
"Jack, we talked about this before. I've made up my mind," I interrupted him, walking past him out of the kitchen.
"Are you sure?" Jack asked while we sat in the office of the Dean of the boarding school we were enrolling the kids in.
It was a safe distance from our house and workplace just like I wanted.
We signed the necessary documents and saw that the kids were assigned to rooms in their different dorms. Dave and Daniel were roommates while Diana was paired with another girl.
I waved at them as we walked out of the school and I climbed into the car.
I looked at Jack who kept staring at the kids until they disappeared into the building.
All of this was so sudden and it wasn't fair on any of them, but how could I possibly explain my reasons to them?
Jack climbed into the car and started the engine. He didn't spare me a glance or talk to me throughout the ride back home. He was obviously mad at me.
He would get over it, I thought.
It had been a week and I hadn't heard back from Logan since the phone call.
The silence was killing me.
I didn't know if he was planning something terrible or if I managed to call his bluff and get him off my back that day. I wanted to believe the latter, but he went to so much extent to find me here in the human world and contact him. I'm afraid my response to his call wouldn't be enough to get him to stop.
I was constantly on my tiptoes, expecting him to pop up in the most unexpected places or do something extremely ridiculous.
He was driving me crazy and I hated it so much.