Auctioned at 18 | Claimed by Two Alphas

Chapter 12 | Observation

Raina

Alpha Malcolm Thorne pulls his car up in front of what I can only assume is a castle.

I want to rub my eyes in disbelief.

My jaw dropped, and I didn’t even notice it till he chuckled deeply, “Careful, or you’ll catch flies.”

I look at him in shock, and his smile seems almost sheepish now as he shrugs, “I told you that this was a well-known pack.”

My eyebrows knit together, causing the skin in between them to crease, which makes him chuckle. I look at him, bewildered as I say, “I don’t understand how this is a laughing matter.”

He holds out his hand. “Come on, I’ll show you the place.”

“It’s like a castle,” I state, still looking in shock and awe at the spiraled top that could only be a watch tower. I ask, “I’m sorry, did I miss the drawbridge or get transported back in time?”

He laughs, “We do have a drawbridge, actually; you were still asleep in the car when we crossed it.”

My head tilts to the side as I say, “I can’t tell if you’re joking or not.”

This makes his smile broader. He opens his mouth to speak, but the front door opens and a petite woman with a protruding bump, hurries almost in a waddle down the stairs as she says, “Mal-” She notices me and changes the word, “Alpha! Welcome back.”

He grins at her, “Hey Annie, how are you feeling?”

She rolls her eyes, “You and Rob both worry too much.”

“I promised him I’d check in, can you blame me?”

Her eyes narrow, “Yes, yes, I can.”

Then she turns to see me, she smiles, “I’m sorry, I’m being rude. I’m Annie, the Beta Female around here. You must be Raina Trainer.”

I nod my head as I hold out my hand, “A pleasure to meet you, Beta Annie.”

She swats my hand away and comes closer for a hug. The hug is awkward because of her belly in the way, and I swear, I feel the kid inside her kick at me.

Trust me, kid, I don’t want to be pressed up so tightly with your mom.

She laughs, the sound high-pitched and a bit nasally, “Sorry, he constantly moves.”

I nod, “It’s a boy? Congratulations, you must be thrilled.”

Annie shrugs her shoulders, turning to walk back the way she came as she tells me, “Don’t know actually, it’s just my guess. Robert thinks it’s going to be a girl, and… he might be right. But my mama instincts just tell me it’s a boy.”

“Won’t be too long, and we’ll know the answer,” Malcolm chimes in. We walk into the corridor, and my eyes widen at the sight. The inside is full of natural wood and greenery for decor. There’s a giant crystal chandelier, but the metal is shaped like vines. Malcolm says, “We try to keep everything as natural as possible.”

Annie nods, “That’s why you’ll rarely see that chandelier on. The only rooms with curtains to block the windows are the bedrooms and the main offices. We want as much natural light as possible.”

“It’s just so large.” It rivals the Crucible Academy, and that was a f*****g boarding school/orphanage.

Malcolm nods, “The castle has been in my family for generations now. We’re one of the largest packs in North America, and we regularly host events. It makes sense for the space to be as large as it is.”

He told me they were a well-known pack, which is why he decided that it was necessary to get me. He needed a mate so no one would question his validity.

Malcolm needs an heir.

The odd thing to me is that he never even mentioned that. He seems to want to make sure that we’ll be a real match. Something that he actually wants to be committed to.

And he also made it seem like they couldn’t afford to spend a lot of money on me, and yet… he just spent a lot of freaking money on me. Obviously, he can afford it. If he couldn’t, they wouldn’t still occupy a f*****g castle.

Annie is watching me closely, and she glances over to Malcolm and asks, “Would you like to get settled in your office, catch up on pack affairs? I can show Raina to her room.”

He looks at me, and I can see that he’s hesitating to leave me alone. I force a smile, trying on the facade that this place doesn’t terrify me with its magnificence, that I’m capable of being left alone.

Malcolm smiles back at me, “That’s probably wise, if you’re okay with that, Raina?”

I nod, “I can handle it. Honestly, I’d just like to get settled.”

He nods back to me and tells Annie, “She will be in the room adjacent to mine.”

Her hazel eyes widen slightly, but she nods in obedience, “Yes, sir, I’ll bring her right up.”

Malcolm smiles softly, his eyes meeting mine again before he bows his head and dismisses himself. Annie breathes out as he walks away and quietly tells me, “You have no idea what an honor he is giving you.”

I frown, not quite understanding, and she nods towards the stairs, “Come now, let’s get you settled.”

I follow behind her and ask, “If it’s such an honor, why is he giving it to me?”

“That is the question now, isn’t it?” She responds cryptically.

She leads me up the staircase, down a hall, and opens a door which reveals a hidden spiral staircase. She tells me, “Head up this way, and you’ll see the door.”

“You’re not coming?” I question, but then I look at her; her face seems pale and slightly clammy, and I ask, “Annie, are you alright?”

She nods, taking a deep breath, but I look down and notice that her hands are shaking slightly. I take a step towards her and say, “No, you’re not.”

My mind races as I try to think what could be causing this kind of reaction. I ask, “When is the last time you’ve eaten?”

Her eyebrows furrow, and I huff, “If you have to think about it, then it’s been too long. Especially when you’re pregnant!”

I can’t help but scold her for this kind of behavior. I know I don’t know her, and it’s not really my place. But no one else is here to do it!

I ask, “Where’s the kitchen?”

Her eyes seem glazed over and then suddenly clears as she murmurs, “It’s fine, Malcolm is on the way.”

He seems to appear instantly, a juice in one hand and a small black pouch in another. He passes it to her and says in a stern tone, “You know better, Annie.”

“Not now,” She murmurs as she gulps down the drink. He runs a hand over his face, “Has this happened at all since Robert and I have been gone?”

She winces slightly, and he huffs loudly, “I swear I’m going to have to get you a flipping alert dog.”

There’s a small tilt to her lips as she tries to smile, “Needing to get a werewolf a dog.”

“Yeah, when she won’t take care of herself,” He snaps back at her. He looks to me and breathes out, “I’m sorry you’ve had to be around for this.”

I shrug, “I’m glad I was here. It would’ve been worse if she were off on her own.”

Malcolm smiles softly, his eyes glaze over, and I now realize that’s the mind link connecting for them. He breathes out, “Can you stay with her and wait ten minutes, then have her check her blood sugar? She’ll know how to do it.”

I nod my head, “Yeah, of course.”

He nods back to me and rushes away. Annie holds her head in her hands, murmuring softly to herself, scolding herself. I put my hand on her back and say in a reassuring tone, “You’ll be okay. And so will the baby.”

She looks to me, tears welling up in her eyes as she asks, “How could you know that?”

I can see the baby moving around in her stomach, and I grab her hand, pressing it to one of the spots where I know she’ll feel it and say, “I think it’s showing you it’s okay.”

Her eyes close, a single drop falls down her face, and I wonder how she handled being alone. I don’t know how long Malcolm and Robert have been gone, but I think it’s taken a toll on her being the only one in charge around here.

This is how a Luna would’ve handled this situation, right?

It’s terrifying, though, and I don’t know if I want to be in this kind of role for an entire pack.