Tiana's POV
My heart started pounding again like it wanted to escape out of my chest. I wasn't sure why my heart was beating faster, but I knew I had to come up with a very good story as to why I was in their territory, and I also needed to be prepared in case I had to run for my life.
Peter knocked on the door, but there was no response. After knocking for a while, Peter turned to me and said, "Let's go; it seems like Theo is not in. You can talk to him tomorrow, let's go get you something to eat and so you can clean up and change into a clean cloth. I myself also need to clean up and get something to wear.”
I simply nodded my head in agreement. Our walk back was rather silent, and it felt awkward. We went to meet Amara outside the pack house when we got down, and we saw her standing with a lady and two men, but the lady appeared younger than the other lady I saw with her the first time.
“Hey, Layla, where is your brother?” Peter asked the young girl standing close to Amara.
“Elara came to deliver a message, so he had to see her off.” The girl named Layla replied. She seemed surprised when she saw me.
“Okay, but why didn't Fiona just say so instead of acting cold when I asked her where Theo was?" Peter replied.
“Common, you know she always acts up whenever Elara is around. And by the way, who is this? You didn't introduce her to us the first time.” Amara asked, with a little smile on her face.
"Yeah, that's true,” Peter replied. “This is Tiana. She's a guest that will be staying with us tonight. If you and Layla could please take her up to our rooms and take care of her, I would appreciate it. She will need a bath, a couple of clothes because we lost her bag in the forest, and probably a good quantity of food; as you can see, she is very thin. And please, Layla, can she spend the night in your room? Cause I don't want her to be alone.”
“That's not a problem,” Layla replied, with a huge smile on her face.
Then he turned to me, “Tian, meet Amara, my mate; you met her on our way in, and this is Layla, our Alpha's daughter.” He said, introducing me to the two ladies first before turning to introduce me to the other two men. “This is Ethan, the head warrior of our pack, and that is his twin brother Evan.”
“Hi, it's nice to meet you all and thank you for your hospitality,” I said, giving all of them a low bow.
“Hi, nice to meet you too, Tiana,” Amara and Layla replied, while Ethan and his brother just waved their hands to acknowledge me.
“Okay, let's go get her settled in,” Peter said, and we started up the stairs again.
As we were going up, I saw Amara looking at me with surprise on her face, and I could tell that they were mind-linking each other and they were probably talking about me. I couldn't help but care less; I will be out of here tomorrow, so I can endure whatever happens to me tonight. Layla, on the other hand, seems to be happy with the idea of me spending the night in her room, as she is grinning at me in total happiness.
Layla was very pretty with her blonde hair and dark grey eyes; she was a little bit chubby, and she had curves in all the right places. But she was not as pretty as Peter’s mate, Amara. Amara is a stunning beauty with jet-black hair, dark brown eyes, and pale skin.
When we were outside, I couldn't see Amara’s face clearly, but I knew she was very beautiful, and seeing her under the bright light of the pack, I could tell she was the definition of beauty itself. Everything about her is just perfect; she was the kind of lady any man would kill for. Peter was lucky to have her as his mate.
I kind of feel safer here than I ever felt at Moonstone Pack, but I am not going to let my guard down. I am not a fool. They could be trying to warm me up to lower my defense, but I am not going to let anyone else hurt me anymore.
I might not be able to shift or be as strong and well-trained as they are, but I knew I was going to stand up for myself from now on. I won't allow anyone to take advantage of me. They might be able to shift and all that, but I believe I can outsmart them all and run for my life if I need to.
“Layla, please take Tiana up to your room and let her grab a shower. I will go make her something to eat in the kitchen and bring it up for her. In the meantime, I will send a maid to bring some clothes for her.” Amara said to Layla, and she gave me a warm smile as she turned to go get me something to eat. I could tell that she knew that I was still scared of being here and was just trying to bluff that I was calm.
As I followed Layla to her room in the Alpha's quarter, I reminded myself to stay vigilant and pay attention to everything that was happening around me. I have goals to find a peaceful place to live with no drama and no bullies. And. I feel like I am closer to living that dream now than I ever have been.
I have never met a nicer and more cheerful person in my life. Layla can totally run a conversation all by herself. She was so excited about the sleepover that we were going to have, and she didn't even know me or anything about me, and that kind of baffled me. Like, how could she be this happy at having me sleep in her room?
When we got to her room, I was about to take a step in when I suddenly felt a burning in my chest. The burning sensation increased as I started to gasp for air. I wanted to call Layla for help, but my voice seemed to be stuck in my throat. I rubbed my chest, trying to calm it down, but it didn't stop. My body swayed as I tried to walk, and after a few seconds, I felt my body fall.
I thought my body would crush on the cold tiled floor, but before it happened my body was hanging in the mid-air. An arm sneaked around my waist, and my back collided with a hard chest. A scent of lavender and bamboo hits my nostrils. I opened my eyes only to see Layla rushing towards me, fear evident on her face. My vision blurred and darkness slowly swallowed me.