I'm not exactly sure how long I sat there crying in the bath. It was long enough for my hands and feet to start turning wrinkly like a prune. Long enough for me to realise that I needed to stop sobbing about my current misfortunate circumstances. And long enough for me to convince myself that I needed to put on a brave face and plot an escape plan if I ever wanted to get out of this hell.

I couldn't keep dwelling on what was going on. Yes, I was still scared. I was more than terrified as a matter of fact. But I had my wits about me at the very least. I had to keep up hope that my father was doing everything in his possible power to find me. I believed in him, he would eventually figure out my exact whereabouts and realise I had been kidnapped by this insane faction of people.

Taking a deep breath to compose myself I opened the door of the bathroom gradually and peered out scanning the bedroom for any sign of movement. Nothing stirred.

A bundle of clothes sat neatly in a pile on the bed across from me. Looking down at my appearance I couldn't help but feel vulnerable in the mere little towel. It was the clothes or nothing. My pajamas were in no state either to be reworn. Pride needed to be disregarded at this moment in time.

Without hesitating any longer I made my way over to them. A large oversized red hoodie, a pair of black basketball shorts that looked to be three sizes too big and a pair of normal white socks made up its contents. These were boy clothes.

"Are you kidding me?" I mumbled under my breath holding up the basketball shorts into the air. These were sure to fall off me straight away. This was shameful. I had never worn guy clothes before. They even smelled weird.

"May I come in?" A voice spoke from the other side of the door startling me. Oh god no.

"NO!" I screamed out fearful that he would walk in on me naked. That would really just be the cherry on top of the cake. Had the Alpha guy been waiting out there this entire time? "I ... I just need a minute."

"... I'm sorry about the clothes, it's all I have at the moment. Keith is retrieving some clothes from his mate ...- Partner's house." He apologised stumbling over his words. He sounded disorganized.

Frantically I dressed myself pulling the items of clothing on not caring that the fabric was chafing my delicate sore skin and seeping shoulder. Regarding the shorts I had to tie them at the waist to keep them up and the hoodie, well the hoodie just drowned me altogether .

"They'll just have to do." I whispered shaking my head at the awful ensemble I had just put on. I didn't even have shoes. I didn't even have a hairbrush. But something was better than nothing.

"Is it safe?" He questioned for a second time. I didn't answer.

He warily opened the door to the bedroom. I remained silent sporting my game face. I wouldn't allow him to see me being weak. Not again.

Just as he opened his mouth to say something, his lips pulled into a tight line and his gaze wondered to behind him. All of a sudden, arguing voices and clattering could be heard from downstairs.

"Move!" A voice demanded and a few inhuman noises responded back to the person's demand. Who was downstairs? More clanging and smashing followed. What was going on?

The Alpha guy before me remained nonchalant and stared at the ceiling in the bedroom with his eyebrows raised. Whatever and whomever was downstairs, he obviously wasn't threatened by them.

"Bunch of smelly mutts." The voice snarled growing closer and closer. The Alpha guy moved to the side allowing the new intruder access to the bedroom where we were currently standing. A girl came into view.

"Alpha. Sorry for the disruptive intrusion."

"Sophia." I breathed out in utter shock as the stocky brunette bared her jugular to the man standing beside her. What on earth? My mind still hadn't put two and two together. I knew that she was living up here within the reserve, but I hadn't had the time to process the information that she would be involved in this ... situation.

"Hey newbie." She greeted, her demeanour completely changing. Her eyes looked upon me, pity obvious in her gaze. She didn't dare move.

"Sophia. We weren't expecting you." The Alpha guy spoke taking the bundle of various objects out of her arms.

"I ran into Keith's mate on my way over. I offered to take these seeing as how he's a little ... high strung." She gestured chuckling ever so slightly.

Anger sparked within me. I was grateful so see a familiar face but how could she be involved in all of this? This girl had befriended me. These sociopaths kidnapped me. Was this a joke to her? Was my pain and anguish irrelevant?

I must have been glaring. My emotions and disgust must have been heavily reflected upon my face. The two before me watched me carefully but I made no move to say anything.

"Sophia, how about you fetch our ... guest .. some sustenance." He ordered and they shared a look with one another which she instantly picked up upon.

"Oh I almost forgot. Aura is on her way over. She should arrive any second."

A grimace crossed the Alpha guys face at her announcement. Sophia took one last glance at me and left the room bowing in response. Who was Aura?

"Guest?" I remarked smartly at his comment to Sophia once she disappeared from sight. "That's what you call this? Your hospitality has been ever so warm and welcoming."

"You need to eat." He spoke nonchalantly to me ignoring my sarcasm. On cue, my stomach began to rumble madly at the mention of food. Lord I was hungry. As much as I wanted to just run for the nearest exit while I had the chance I knew it was a rash move. I needed to build up my strength; I was weak and was suffering from serious malnutrition. Or so I felt like it.

"Not from you I don't." I spat.

"I can't force you to eat. You wanna punish your own body and not recover by all means please go ahead." He replied indifferently. "You don't want to accept the help being provided then starve but that's on you not us."

He made the move to leave the room and panic flooded me at his words. I hated to admit it but he was right. I was only human after all.

"Fine... I'll eat." I took a step forward.

He made no move to reply. And with that he left me standing there with the bedroom door wide open to follow.

As we walked, I made sure to preserve a good amount of distance between the two of us. I had to make sure to prevent any further physical contact with him, I was not about to let my body betray me like it had previously done earlier.

It was then that I began to take in how extravagant this house really was. I hadn't noticed it the last time I had passed through these halls and rooms. Everything was decorated in expensive marble furnishings and exquisite paintings laced the walls.

When we got the kitchen it was even more breath-taking. But by that I mean it was the sight of so much food that left me stunned. And by food, I meant pure meat. A long table stretched across the room lined with plate after plate of all different kinds of beef, pork, lamb, chicken, veal, ham, you name it.

"Go on help yourself." He gestured almost as if he could read my mind and see me internally drooling. I moved slowly towards the large mound of bacon on the table and grabbed a slice sticking it straight into my mouth. Lord knows nothing ever tasted as good as this bacon did right now. My stomach was doing back-flips in utter delight.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

I leaped into the air in fear as the noise of someone knocking on the back door to the kitchen stung my nerves.

"Come in." The Alpha guy shouted giving permission for whoever was outside to enter.

Much to my discontentment Keith appeared within the doorway making me curse lowly under my breath. Not this twat again. As his gaze fell upon me standing casually across from him, his face turned to pure hatred and revulsion.

"Alpha." He bowed lowly baring his jugular to him but nevertheless keeping his eyes solidly on me. "It is time for your.. daily routine. Dawn is coming."

He was right. Dawn was approaching; the soft orange glows of light were beginning to illuminate the sky outside the window across from the table. I wondered what time of day it actually was. As he said those last words I could tell he was trying to refrain from spilling too much information in front of me like he had done before.

The Alpha guy agreed before he looked over to me. "You are to stay here. Guards will be posted all around the house, though I think you're smart enough not to try and run away anyways after the last incident. I will be back later. Feel free to make yourself at home."

Keith simply just mumbled incoherently about something under his breath and I could tell he was rather annoyed over the fact that the Alpha guy was so laid back about everything including matters involving me. Thankfully Keith wasn't in charge. Otherwise I probably would have been dead and killed off by now.

As the two left through the back door a middle aged woman entered simultaneously.

"Ah, just caught you." She gestured pulling the alphas head towards her own to nuzzle. "Be safe today. Come see me later pup."

She was the first person here that hadn't greeted him by baring her jugular like some sort of animal. Nor had she addressed his as Alpha, but instead pup? That was hardly his real name?

The Alpha graced her with a small smile as he nodded and my heart stopped momentarily in my chest at the sight. The woman turned to face me and her countenance instantly turned to one of concern.

"Oh my dear child."

She was beautiful. She radiated warmth and tranquility. Her long black hair had several white hairs scattered throughout it and her grey eyes pierced right through me like a storm staring straight into my soul.

Shaking my head I tried to refocus my thoughts. I couldn't allow myself to forget that these people were in fact murders and they had in fact kidnapped me. I took a step back and looked to Sophia awaiting for an explanation.

"Eliza, this is Aura, she's our head doctor here." Sophia began and I merely glared at her with as much ill intent as I could muster up. A doctor?

"She's here to help." She continued.

"Sophia it's okay. She's just scared." Aura spoke up approaching me softly. I remained rooted to the spot dubiously. He had sent for a doctor for me?

"My name is Aura, it's a pleasure to meet you." She greeted me, her smile never faltering. "It's Eliza right? Do you mind if I call you that?"

Taking a deep gulp I nodded not knowing what else to say.

"Perfect Eliza. Would you mind taking a seat for me and removing the hoodie? I've been informed you've had quite the incident with your shoulder?"

Instinctively I reached up to my shoulder where a damp patch of blood had already seeped through the hoodie.

"It's okay child I'm only here to help."

I moved slowly over to the chair looking to Sophia for confirmation as she nodded me onward. I didn't say a word and removed the hoodie gently covering my dignity. My shoulder burned but I didn't dare look at it in fear as to what condition it was in.

"Thank you Eliza."

Aura moved to assess my shoulder and I sat there for what seemed like hours as she grinded up different herbs and liquids in a stone bowl.

"Why can't I go home?" I spoke after the long silence, catching both Sophia and Aura off guard. They shared a pained look with one another as I awaited their response.

Aura gently began applying the sticky concoction to my shoulder. "Do you have someone in your life that you would do absolutely anything for? No matter the consequence?"

I nodded in response thinking only of my father. There wasn't anything I wouldn't do for him.

"You would even die for them? If it meant that they would be safe. Even kill maybe?"

I paused for a second and nodded once again agreeing with her. I wasn't quite sure what she was getting at? This didn't exactly answer my question.

"You see that quality if quite rare to find in a human. Humans can be very selfish cruel creatures, and that is only because its a survival instinct in all of them. You and Eleo are very much alike. This place is his home. These people are his home. He loves every single one of them equally. And he would do anything to keep them from harm."

Eleo?

Aura placed her hand on my head and began stroking my hair gently. Normally I would have instinctively swatted her away, she was a stranger, but something in me stopped me. The sensation soothed my anxiety instantly and I began to wonder was this what it felt like to a have a motherly figure comfort you.

"You are braver than you think and stronger than you believe." She whispered.

"Seems like I'm being called for elsewhere." Aura spoke abruptly clearing her throat pulling away from me hastily. "Sophia see to it that Eliza rests well. Your Alpha has business to attend to so you shall stay here with her. If you need me, well you know what to do."

Sophia merely bowed and helped Aura collect her healing equipment and belongings. I was so confused? What had set them both off so quickly? My brain couldn't quite comprehend, had I missed something?

"Wait." I mumbled reaching out for Aura to stop. I needed more answers. "Please!"

She gave me one last look before she turned to leave. I had so many questions. "My child, don't fear the unknown. Believing will be your hardest trial."