Rescued By The Beta

Chapter 09

CLAIRE

After my conversation with Hunter, I was left alone. However, just when I feared I would be locked up in the bedroom longer than necessary—because I hate wasting time just as much as I hate time wasters.

A knock came through the door, filling me with relief that turned into a disappointment later as a servant walked in instead. Are they toying with me or something? I wondered, giving the maid a nasty look as he further walked into the room.

“Nova…” She bowed slightly, her hands gripping the edge of her dress, indicating that she was nervous.

“Despite what everyone around here thinks, just call me Flaire.” I glanced at the entrance, expecting someone other than a servant to come in. “And where is everyone? Alpha Jet?”

“They are in the dining hall having dinner, is there anything you would like me to do before your dinner is brought up here?” She asked, a hint of hesitation in her tone of voice.

So that’s their plan? Isolate her from everyone because they feared she wasn’t Claire? Rolling my eyes, I brushed past the nervous maid because I still can’t tell what her problem is. Perhaps words already got to her that there’s someone that looks like Claire but really isn’t up there.

Making my way unannounced into the dining hall and watching their faces reflecting their surprise at seeing me there. With anger flaring up inside me, I marched to the head table where Jet was sitting.

“Deep down you know I’m Claire…” Walking over to Hunter next, I stopped. “And you, if I were not her, you would have felt it. So why is everyone icing me out instead of helping me take down our number one enemy?” I demanded, looking around the table.

However, Jet pushed his chair backward, stood up and just walked away like he didn’t hear a single thing I just said which pissed me off more. I didn’t think Hunter would abandon me as well, especially after I have proven that I’m in fact Claire to him.

“Hunter.” I called, slamming my hand on the table. “You need to talk to Jet, whether I’m Claire or not isn’t important right now because he broke into the council headquarter and abducted one of their subjects, don’t you think they will be coming for me? What are the plans being put in place to prevent them from taking me back or have you decided to hand me over to them because you feel I’m not your mate?”

“Of course not! You need to understand we need time to process this new piece of information and you should be pleased that Jet is avoiding you, it means he’s investigating you.” He replied, taking another bite of his food.

“Well…good. I just hope I will not be excluded like now when the planning process finally begins.”

“Why don’t you join us?” Trisha invited, speaking for the first time since I came into the hall.

Camille looked at her, silently shaking her head. Uncaring that I was standing only a few feet away from her and I could see the non verbal exchange. She annoyed me, giving me a series of flashbacks of past disapproval from Morgana which made me miss her more and fuel my anger towards Jet and his human pet.

“As kind as that offer is, I will decline. If anyone wanted me here, I would have been invited in the first place.” I turned to leave but paused at the entrance to get in a few last words. “And about the quivering nerve of a maid you sent me, please don’t do that, I like my privacy and doing things for myself.”

“That’s your previous handmaid.” Hunter replied, an emotion flickering in his eyes. “Give her grace, she’s just nervous about the new you.”

“I don’t care who she is, I don’t want her around.” I went back to the bedroom after that, relieved to find it empty.

My dinner has also been brought up and placed on the coffee table. Eyeing the little feast in front of me, I think back on the time when I was locked up. We were only given one option of meals and seeing the different choice of food on my tray made me overwhelmed.

A knock on the door had me jerking my head towards it, a few seconds later, Trisha poked her head through the door before letting the rest of her body in.

“Is it okay for me to come in?” She asked, her hips swaying as she walked inside.

“A little too late to ask, don't you think?” I responded, referring to the fact that she was already inside the room.

She chuckled, running her fingers through her locs, something about her that seemed to hold my attention. Each hair strand was thin, giving the illusion of tiny braids but I know for a fact that it isn’t.

She noticed me staring at her hair and smiled. “Beautiful isn’t it?” She remarked, when next she spoke, her voice took a serious turn. “Hunter was right about what he told you out there. I also understand your frustration which is why I came here to give you some explanation that might clear your doubt.”

“I don’t care about their personal feelings towards me Trisha, I only care because it’s interfering with my goal which is finding Heather, Gianna and the council. I want them dead and unfortunately I need you all help to do that, Jet’s most especially.” I pointed out, reaching for my hair but once again, she gripped my wrist, halting the movement.

“You’ve done a lot of damage to your hair and scalp. As someone who takes a lot of pride in their hair, I cannot allow you to keep doing damage to it. Back to your statement, that’s something old Claire would never say. She cared a great deal about everyone…she took a bullet for Freya.”

Repulsed by that statement, I flinched. “Old me sounds like a push over, I don’t need to be reminded of that. There’s no such thing as old me or new me. I’m still Claire, who prefers to be called Flaire now…except that I wouldn’t take a bullet for anyone.” I corrected her.

“Hunter told us you don’t know why you prefer to be called Flaire. I don’t have my powers currently so I can’t make psyche contacts or else I would have tried reaching into your mind.” She sighs, a clear indication of how much she missed her abilities.

“You gave that hope to save the human, how many more things are we going to lose before everyone realises she’s a problem like the council? I lost a huge part of myself, you lost your abilities and Jet has lost his humanity where anyone else is concerned.” I scoffed, recalling the sacrifices.

Trisha frowned. “Is that how you see it? I don’t see it that way at all and I haven’t lost my abilities, they are just dormant and I’m working on awakening them. I choose to save Freya and I’ll happily do it again.”

“Why? Because you owed Jet?”

“That…” she stopped, regarding me. “Why are you suddenly hyper-fixated on the fact that she’s human? By the way, she's only half human now.”

“What?” I smile nervously. “Nothing, it just comes up a lot because that’s who she is…you are here because you wanted to explain something to me right?”

“Ha yes, I got a little off track. I’m not certain you remember this but with the council, we can never be too certain. They have played a very cruel joke with us in the past, not to mention the powerful witches they have at their command…”

“Sophia, a hybrid, half witch and half werewolf who practises dark witchcraft. It’s the darkest form of magic and forbidden, the you have any idea the level of evil you have to be to control and control dark magic like it’s nothing? Heather for example the witch who abducted you and Hunter, she’s a high priestess witch, she makes portal.”

She blows raspberries. “And there are others we don’t even know their abilities like Elena, Freya met her once during her first few weeks here after she was kidnapped on a full moon, do you remember? We haven’t heard about her in months…”

I interrupted. “I know about the incident and I understand they are being careful. I also understand that Sophia had casted a mate spell on Jet before but I’m not a witch. I don’t have the power to…” My voice faltered when she gave me a look, realizing a witch could still cast the spell.

Frustration crawled at my guts. “But I know all this information only someone who has been with you guys through it all would know. The only difference is that I'm not looking for a mate, I have no desire for one. Once we put an end to the council, I will leave you guys alone forever.”

“What?” She draws back slightly. “Have you told Hunter about this?”

“But he refused to believe it. He has doubts about me being Claire and he still wouldn’t reject me. The mate bond between us will be a weakness and before it gets to that point, I will reject him…!”