Riley POV
I force my eyes open, feeling the softness of the mattress beneath me, my eyes blinking to adjust to the harshness of the bright sunlight coming through the open window. I can feel the gentle breeze as it caresses my skin and I can hear the sounds of the birds singing in the distance. I frown and glance around the room that is unfamiliar to me. I don't recall how I got here. The last thing I remember is the man that had shifted from his lycan form after I sang to him and then nothing but darkness. I must have fallen unconscious. Did he bring me here?
There is nobody else in the room. Just myself and I climb awkwardly out of the bed, spotting another door which I'm relieved to see leads to an adjacent bathroom. I quickly do my business and then come back out, mulling over what to do. Should I leave? Did I stay and wait for somebody to come to me? I was hesitant. I didn't know what this pack was like but I knew that Lycans were more deadly than shifters and I didn't want to offend the man who had brought me here. There was something about the man, something I was trying to remember but I couldn't put my finger on it. I hesitate and then shrug as my stomach lets out a long growl. I'm starving. I decide to go and find the kitchen. If it's like any other pack house it will be on the ground floor somewhere I figure and nonchalantly open the door.
Still no one. Strange. Normally pack houses would have omegas running around but perhaps this was a different pack or Lycan's did things differently? The house contained various scents though. I quietly make my way down the hallway and spot the stairs, walking slowly down them, my nose sniffing for the smell of anything cooking. My mouth waters as I smell what seems to be cinnamon and sea salt? Weird. I follow my nose and stop abruptly as I come across the dining table and the man himself who is sitting at the head of it, all by himself.
"You're awake," he says pleased while I stand there, speechless and feeling like a complete nincompoop.
I wasn't even sure I knew his name. But he had this delicious intoxicating smell coming from him and I sniffed, my eyes widening slightly.
"I um" I stammer still unable to find the words.
"How rude of me," he says as I gape and he gets to his feet and moves towards me while I fight not to take a step back in alarm.
"Are you okay?" he asks in concern, peering into my eyes while I gulp.
Damn, this guy is hot. Smoking hot. My body is heating up just looking at how gorgeous he is and I squeeze my thighs together, feeling flustered. His eyes narrow "Are you okay? I'm afraid I don't know your name?" he asks apologetically, while looking eager at the same time.
"Riley" I wheeze, barely able to think straight.
The man was too pretty to look at. I could feel myself blushing bright red. He seemed unaware of the reaction he was having on me.
"I um, your name" I stammered like a fool.
He laughed, showing off his pearly white teeth. He looked completely at ease. "It's Bailey," he said warmly.
"Nice to meet you."
God, could I be any more awkward?
"Well Riley how about you take a seat" he suggested "and I get you something to eat?"
I look at him surprised as I sit down at the table.
"You're going to cook?" I ask doubtfully.
He puffs out his chest. I try not to stare. "I make a pretty mean omelette," he says wryly "Otherwise I can do cereal" he looks a bit deflated.
I laugh. I can't help myself. "An omelet sounds delicious," I say agreeably and see his eyes light up.
"I'll be back," he says and heads into the nearby kitchen while I sit there, drumming my fingers on the table.
Should I help him? Did he honestly know what he was doing? I began to feel hesitant. If he was sitting at the head of the table, did that mean he was the Alpha of the pack? I had so many questions on the tip of my tongue. To my shock, he came back within minutes bearing a large plate of omelets with toast and a glass of juice which he placed proudly in front of me. I let out a moan of appreciation and swore I saw his eyes darken slightly.
"Eat," he said hoarsely "you look hungry."
"You're not eating?"
"I already did" he answered, "not long before you got up."
He looked a little sheepish.
I shrug and begin to dig in. It was heaven. He'd made a bacon and cheese omelet and it was huge. I barely managed to eat half of it and the toast while he watched me, making me feel self conscious. He was beaming though, happy to see I was eating the food he'd prepared.
"You're a good cook," I told him appreciatively as I began to sip at my juice.
I pushed the half-eaten food towards him "I'm afraid I can't finish it though."
He devoured the rest while I watched in stunned silence. I tried not to laugh.
"So um, I hate to ask this because it sounds crass" I waited till he was finished.
He raised a brow looking amused "but are you the Alpha? Is that why you sit at the head of the table?"
He looked flummoxed. I heard a laugh and turned to see a man with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes standing there, looking highly amused.
"Thomas" Bailey said warningly but the man just snorted.
"Alpha" he laughed, while I stared.
God were all the men in this pack hot and drool-worthy? He was clearly a lycan. Maybe lycan's were just hotter than shifters? I wondered how I would prove that theory.
"Alpha" Thomas repeated sounding tickled "that's funny. He's the King of the Lycans" he informed me and I almost fell over.
This man, the one who had brought me here, was the King? I stared at him slack-jawed. Bailey rubbed the back of his neck, eyeing his Beta, I assumed that's who he was, with a piercing gaze. "Did you have to tell her? Now you've ruined it" he complained "she's gone all quiet."
I coughed. Thomas grinned "she was going to find out eventually, now she has. You can thank me later," he said smugly while Bailey glared at him. "Maybe you should tell her the other thing" he added while I glanced between them confused.
"Thomas don't you dare" Bailey growled.
"Tell me what?" I asked.
Bailey exhaled looking frustrated. "It's nothing bad," he said quickly "or at least I hope you won't think it is. I know that for some, Lycans can seem like dangerous creatures or scary or..." he trailed off as I began to laugh out loud.
It seemed ridiculous to me that he thought I would be afraid of him. Thomas eyed me uncertainly "I think you broke her" he commented "she's broken, look" he added.
I snorted. "I'm not broken," I said indignantly "I'm just not afraid of you. Why would I be?"
"Um, cause we kill shifters? Cause we are bloodthirsty, coldhearted bastards who can't control our lycan side?" Thomas said sarcastically.
Bailey looked like he was about to tear Thomas apart. Thomas eyed him with a grin.
"I've heard all that, but the Lycan I met in the woods didn't frighten me," I said quickly, afraid the two of them were about to come to blows for real.
"About that," Bailey said, still glowering at a nonrepentent Thomas "I still can't quite comprehend how you managed to free me from my lycan form."
"What do you mean?" I asked puzzled.
It had been relatively simple to do.
"I mean, I've been trapped in that form for a year" Bailey said with infinite patience "unable to shift back and you managed to do it with just your voice and maybe magic" he said thoughtfully "I suspect I already know what you are, but I want to confirm it for myself."
Immediately my heart sank. As soon as Jaxon had discovered what I was, he had considered me a danger to the pack and everybody else. Fear flooded through me. My body began to shake. I saw his nostrils flare and his eyes narrow as he took in how frightened I was. I couldn't help it. The thought of being thrown in a dungeon again and having to run for my life was making me feel physically ill. I didn't want to have to go through it again. I couldn't.
"Shhh Riley it's okay" he said, kneeling in front of me as I stared at him between watery eyes "you don't have to worry about me hurting you. I would never do that not in a million years."
I give a bitter laugh "How can I be so sure of that? How do I know you won't hurt me when I tell you what I am? What's to prevent you from killing me the second you know?"
"Because we're mates. You're my mate Riley and I would never harm a single hair on your head."