Chapter 6 The Key
Sienna
I pushed the black door open.
In the center sat a woman, her limbs bound tight to a wooden chair and her head covered by a rough black sack. She lunged forward, her voice muffled and desperate.
"HELP!"
I bolted upright, gasping for air.
Just a nightmare. Get it together, Sienna. I rubbed my face, trying to shake the image. My brain had obviously taken those weird thuds I heard last night and turned them into a horror movie. There was no way anyone here was a kidnapper—least of all Sev.
“I was just hearing things,” I mumbled, sitting up. I massaged my temples, feeling a dull headache from the sudden wake-up.
"Coffee..." I groaned. I reached for the bedside table and found the little button used to summon the help.
A minute later, a maid slipped inside.
"Can you bring me a cup of coffee? Extra strong?" I asked as I tried to flatten my messy morning hair.
“I would love to, Miss, but the Alpha has left specific instructions. He wishes for you to join him at the breakfast table as soon as you are awake.”
The dull ache in my head vanished instantly. My heart, which had been racing from fear moments ago, was now hammering for an entirely different reason.
“Is he still there?”
“Yes, Miss”
I couldn't help the stupid grin that spread across my face. Was this the new routine? Because if so, I could definitely get used to it.
Hail, breakfast!
"Alright," I said, swinging my legs out of bed with a sudden burst of energy. "Give me five minutes to look human, then lead the way."
My "Hail, breakfast!" mood evaporated the second I stepped onto the veranda. My appetite didn't just leave; it went into hiding.
It was that woman from yesterday. Trisha? No, Keisha.
The sun was blazing, yet she was covered from the chin down in heavy fabric, even her neck hidden by a high collar. It definitely wasn't a fashion statement for a summer morning in Regalia. I frowned, wondering what she was trying so hard to hide.
“Good morning,” Sev greeted me, his voice warm and full of energy.
I couldn't match his enthusiasm. Not while she was sitting beside him at the round table, leaning in with a look that was way too cozy for my liking.
“What an awful way of dressing,” I said, the words slipping out before I could stop them. I pulled out the chair directly across from her, making sure my annoyance was visible.
Keisha just raised an eyebrow, a smug, knowing smile playing on her lips. She looked at me like she knew a secret I didn't, and Goddess, she knew exactly how to push my buttons.
“Keisha came by this morning to bring a peace offering for yesterday,” Sev said, gesturing toward a basket of plump, freshly picked strawberries.
I let out a dry scoff. “And I’m just supposed to accept them? Who knows, they might be poisoned.”
“Sienna.”
Sev’s voice was low—a warning. It wasn't the usual soft tone he used with me, it was a scold. My heart jumped, but not with the usual flutter. It was a sting of genuine hurt. Seeing my reaction, Keisha’s smile turned into a look of pure victory.
I bit my lip, forcing the sting down, and replaced it with a sugary-sweet fake smile. “Well, thank you for even bothering,” I said, tilting my head to look as innocent as possible. “But does a peace offering usually come with a verbal apology? She’s going to say it, right, Sev?”
Keisha’s victor's smirk vanished.
“Of course,” Sev replied, shifting his gaze to Keisha with a look that urged her to get it over with.
I took a slow, casual bite of a piece of bacon, watching her over the table. “Don’t tell me you need an order from your Alpha before you can apologize?” I teased.
Her jaw tightened. “I wasn’t even being rude! I just told the truth—that you’re a child!” she snapped, her voice rising.
I didn't snap back. Instead, I let my expression crumble and reached out to clutch Sev’s sleeve. “Sev…” I whispered, my voice sounding small and pitiful.
One of the few perks of him seeing me as a ‘little sister’ was that I could play the part perfectly when I needed to.
“Keisha,” he said, his voice dropping into that dangerous Alpha territory. He massaged his temples, looking like a frustrated teacher trying to stop two kids from bickering.
“Fine. I’m sorry. Now, are we done?” she spat, glaring at me.
“Thank you,” I replied, my voice instantly returning to a confident tone. I gave her a tiny, teasing smile. “See? Was that so hard?”
I decided to just tune her out, focusing entirely on my breakfast. If I tried hard enough, I could pretend it was just me and Sev, enjoying the morning sun.
But the peace didn't last.
"I have some matters to attend to," Sev said, standing up and adjusting his jacket. "Continue with your breakfast." He gave me a brief nod before heading back inside, leaving a thick, uncomfortable silence behind him.
I wasn't going to let her win by leaving early, so I kept eating, determined to take my time.
"You know..." Keisha started, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial hum once Sev was out of earshot. "I heard you went for a little walk last night. To the North Wing."
The clatter of my fork against the porcelain was louder than I intended. I froze. "What?"
She smirked, clearly enjoying the look of shock on my face. She took a slow, deliberate sip of her tea and leaned across the table, her eyes glinting. "Do you want to know what’s actually inside?"
"There’s no way you’d know."
"Oh, sweetheart. I’m much more connected to Sebastian than you think. Calling him 'Sev' doesn't mean you know his secrets."
I bit my lip, hard. Every instinct told me to ignore her—that she was just trying to get under my skin—but she had me. How did she know I was there? Jordan was the only one who saw me, and I didn't think he was the type to gossip with people like her.
Instead of giving her a comeback, I stayed silent, which only made her grin widen.
"Let me give you some advice," she said, sliding her hand across the table toward me. When she lifted her palm, a small, silver key was resting on the tablecloth. "I had a duplicate made. Secretly, of course." She gave me a slow, mocking wink.
"I want you to go to that room. Tonight, let's say... 11:00 PM. Open it and see for yourself," she challenged.
I couldn't take my eyes off the metal. "Why would I do that?"
"Because you're dying to," she countered. "You heard something inside, didn't you? Something that sounded like it didn't belong in a 'storage room'?"
"How do you know this?"
"I already told you, child," she said, leaning back and looking thoroughly bored again. "I know Sebastian much better than you do. The question is... are you brave enough to find out who he really is?"