Chapter 26 Chapter 26
~ JANE ~
I didn't care about anything going on around me. The trauma of Liam's action still hunted me. My mind was swirling in a series of 'what if' thoughts. Alpha Keegan dropped me and called for Crystal to attend to me.
"Here." Scarlett handed over a nightdress to me, the concern in her eyes for me were evident in public for the first time tonight.
Crystal made the men excuse me so I could get into the nightdress then Scarlett handed a glass of water to me.
"Thank you." I muttered to her, still hugging my legs to my chest and quivering.
"Are you cold?" Alpha Keegan asked me when he returned.
I didn't want to speak to him. Though he had released me from the punishment and had dealt with Liam, I couldn't bring myself to forgive him for putting me through such terrible treatments. Despite my pleas and cries, he hadn't stopped my punishments but only ordered for them to be increased. How evil? I could at least have the right to be mad at him for my sanity.
"She is. Please wrap yourself up in a blanket." Crystal lifted the blanket to me.
My hands were too weak to accept the blanket and wrap it around me so Scarlett helped me out with that.
Crystal examined me and applied treatment to my injuries and the welts from Liam's whippings. "You must be going through a lot right now. A specialist will examine your mental health tomorrow." She said and I forced myself to nod. "I'll also return to check up on you. You can apply the ointments in the other parts of your body. I'll also prescribe medications for you. Please take care. I'll leave now." She grabbed her briefcase of clinical equipment and caught up with
Mason.
"You can all head to bed." Alpha Keegan ordered.
Scarlett and the other ladies took their leave, leaving Alpha Keegan and me alone in the living room.
"Liam and the men have been arrested. Whether or not you're an omega, no one has the right to sexually assault any of my pack members. On that note, you've been forgiven for your punishments." Alpha Keegan said, sitting beside me.
"Thank you." It came out like it was forced out of my mouth. "You didn't have to release me from the punishments for my crime. I know the Alpha of Dark Stone pack can't easily forgive someone for rejecting him and this is just another means of increasing my punishments to another level. I know the whippings and suffering I experienced weren't enough to satisfy how I might've accidentally crushed your pride at the party. Please let me know what my next punishment would be. If it requires me to remain locked up in my room without seeing anyone and being personally beaten by you, I'll accept whatever punishment." My tone was frigid without me trembling in fear of the Alpha's love-something I never knew I could do.
"What do you mean? I already said it's canceled." He lifted a confused brow at me.
"You can let me know my punishments tomorrow. Goodnight Aloha." I rose up to my feet and left for my bedroom.
I wrapped the blanket around me to serve as both my mattress and cover from the cold.
My life was back to its normal way, well...maybe for now, till Alpha Keegan was going to barge in here and yell my next punishments at me.
"Hurry up! Other pack members have to attend to their daily jobs and activities." Mrs. Bea hollered.
"Yes, Mrs. Bea, I'll be done soon. I just need to add a few ingredients to the batter and it'll be ready in a few minutes." I lied. It was definitely going to take almost half an hour or an hour before I was going to be done.
"Just hurry up!" She rolled her eyes and took her leave, yelling at someone else on her way.
While the mix was in the oven, I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen as well as the living room and dining room till the oven alarm rang in the entire house.
I rushed back to the kitchen and served everyone's breakfast on the table, making sure to fill the content of my tummy as well. I also had two glasses of juice and hid under the counter to secretly have ice cream. It felt so marvelous to finally have good food going down there again.
"Hey Omega, take the Alpha's food to his room." Mrs. Bea returned.
"Yes ma'am, I'll do that!" I jumped to my feet, hitting my head under the slab of the counter in the process.
"What were you doing there?" she squinted her eyes at me.
"Nothing. I was just making sure it's clean. You know, so many cobwebs." I twittered, throwing the tub of ice cream under the counter.
She didn't look convinced by my answer but left the kitchen.
"That was close." I breathed out and squeaked when I saw something run past the kitchen window again. " What is that?" I panted. Was it the wind or a paper? It was probably a guard or something. I assured myself.
After serving Alpha's meal, I took it to his room, and knocked on the door with the side of my foot.
"Leave now!" Alpha exclaimed.
His voice reminded me of my sufferings again, and thinking about how merciless he was to me ruined my happy mood this morning. "Your breakfast." I gruffed.
"Oh. Come in." His voice was gentle this time.
I opened the door with my elbow and walked in, dropping the tray on his table'
He cleared his throat. "How are you now?" he spoke like he had thought his words through before uttering them.
"I feel better, Alpha." I kept my gaze to the floor to hide the uncontrollable frown on my face.
"The mental health will be here to examine you."
"Okay." I replied through pursed lips and took my leave. Spending time in the same lungs with him was bothering my lungs.
"What do you need the money for?" Mrs. Bea asked, frowning at me.
"Groceries. The pack house is out of groceries." I replied.
"Fine. Here." She passed an envelope to me. "Return the change."
"Yes I will, Mrs. Bea." I accepted the envelope of cash from her and took my leave, bumping into Scarlett on my way.
"Hey!" she groaned, having her Beta facial expression on.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't looking." I apologized. "It's fine. How are you now?" She inspected my body with her eyes.
"Good." I grinned at her. "I'll get going now." "Where to?"
"To the store, to get groceries." I smiled at her.
"Oh, okay. I can drive you there."
"Really. I'd appreciate that." My smile extended to a grin.
"Okay. I'll grab my car keys and will meet you downstairs."
Scarlett drove me to the store and I bought everything according to the list I had written down for everything we needed at the pack house. Scarlett didn't come in with me. She claimed she had work to attend to on her laptop, but I had my doubts that she probably didn't want to be seen hanging out with me and I understood that. It only made me miss Chloe because Chloe didn't care to be anywhere with me. While I was done grocery shopping and paid for it, I received the change and kept the bags in Scarlet's car. "Jane, I have to attend to something urgently. I won't be able to drive you back to the pack house. You can
"No problem. I can return to the pack house on my own. I was going to walk here by myself anyway." I smiled at her again.
"Okay. You can leave the shopping bags in the trunk.
I'll take them to the kitchen when I return home." "Okay, no problem. I'd have the chance to take a walk." I grinned, feeling excited to explore the beautiful city again for the first time in a while. "Are you sure?" she quirked an eyebrow.
"Yes, it's fine. Bye." I waved at her. "Okay, bye." She got into the car and drove off.
"Shit, I should've kept the money with her." I realized the envelope was still with me as I started walking to the pack house.
I walked for a few minutes, appreciating the amazing and relaxing view of the town; there were so many trees and beautiful flowers around, fountains, parks.
My legs started to ache; I only realized the pack house wasn't as close to the store as I had always thought. I couldn't take a ride to the pack house. Mrs. Bea was going to kill me if I spent even a bit of the money It felt like someone was walking behind me. I turned and searched around, but there were only normal werewolves carrying out normal activities in their lives. I shrugged and continued walking.
The footsteps behind me seemed to be going in accordance with mine. Someone was definitely following me. I turned around again, yet I didn't see anyone.
I resumed walking and for the third time had the feeling that someone was following me. I craned my neck in the direction and noticed someone hiding beside a building.
"Someone is definitely following me." Could it be a thief? Was it because of the money with me? I walked faster than normal, the footsteps sound indicated that the person had increased his pace. How could anyone try to rob me in broad daylight? I started running, glancing back at short intervals. It felt like no one was there but I could still hear footsteps running along with me.
"What the heck?" I ran again till the footstep caught up with mine and someone held my shoulder. I screamed and turned around and noticed the person in a black hoodie and black sweatpants with half of the person's face covered with the hood. "This money isn't mine, I promise. Please just leave me." I panted, holding the envelope to my chest. The person tilted his head and chuckled. I think the person mouthed something like 'Money? Who cares?' I pushed the person away and resumed running till I got to the pack house. Once I was in the gates, I searched around, confirming that there was no sign of anyone.
"Is anything the problem again?" the guard by the gate asked.
I didn't want him to think I was crazy, so I forced a smile and shook my head, still panting. "It's nothing.
I hope you're having a great day?"
"Oh yes, I am. And it's a good thing you asked that question because I-"
I wasn't interested and left his presence, totally not paying attention to the fact that he was speaking. "Rude!" I heard him exclaim.
I rushed into the pack house building and to my room, trying to catch my breath.
What did the person want? I was glancing at the door with full intensity like someone was going to pop out from it.
I turned around and screamed when I saw the person standing in front of me, IN MY ROOM! "You.... You.. how did you get in?" I glanced at the door. I just came in through the door and had been staring at it, there was no way he came in through the door. My room window was also tightly shut. "What do you want? Help!" I screamed.
The person threw a paper at me. With my eyebrows furrowed in confusion, I picked the paper, quickly stepping backwards immediately.
'Hey Jane, it's been a while.'