Trapped in the Den of Alphas

Chapter 13

Eden's POV

The morning and afternoon pass by uneventfully. I was, of course, rejected in my offer to cook lunch for Mateo. Apparently, Zeke seems to think I still can’t be trusted to prepare anyone’s food. He’s probably right to be concerned, if I’m honest. With the mood that I’m in today, I’m not sure that I’d even think twice about poisoning their bland plates of meat and bread.

I place the little teapot on the stove, and the flicker of the orange flame catches my eye. Suddenly, another crazy plan begins to form in my mind. Perhaps if I can’t get out of this place, I could destroy it? Raise the entire building to the ground.

Despite my initial excitement, I quickly rubbish the idea. How would I make my escape if I can’t leave? I can’t count on any of these assholes to take me with them. Not without Con’s approval, anyway. There’s also the thought of what might happen to anyone left behind. Unfortunately, I’m not so sure that I want charred men on my conscience. No matter how beastly they are.

The sound of multiple moans, groans, and grunts then make their way to my ears, and I’m left wondering what they are doing. After lunch, the Alphas all disappeared into the forest to hunt for fresh meat, and I was more than grateful for the peace and quiet. I’ve already managed to scrub down the dusty sofas in the main living room and tackle the dreaded communal bathroom, which hopefully will make it at least usable later this evening. Sure, Conall forbade me to bathe there, but why should I listen to a word he says? After last night, I’m convinced that the last place I need to be is anywhere near his damn bathroom!

“Get out, elf.” The order comes from behind me, and I turn around to see the two colossal chefs themselves have come to cook dinner for the rest of the men.

“Fine, she’s all yours,” I grumble, breezing past them to investigate the noise outside.

Taking some cleaning supplies with me, I arrive in the living room to find the front door wide open, offering me a perfect view of the yard. I sweep the floor absentmindedly as I begin spying on their unconventional activities.

The men seem to be engaging in some kind of combat lesson. Which I know in itself isn’t highly unusual. Even in Morween, the guards have training sessions, but this is different.

The men are paired off, each couple locked in a battle of flying fists and wayward limbs as rainwater smacks against their bare, muscular chests. I hardly realize I’m doing it, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I’m acutely aware that I’m getting closer and closer to the door, too mesmerized to look away. The sheer amount of bare flesh on display leaves me feeling more than a little…strange. I swallow hard as I nibble on the edge of my lip.

Elven guards are very skilled in fighting by hand and by the sword. There is beauty and precise choreography in their every move. But these men fight with something else entirely. Their style is much more instinctive and animalistic. I’m one part terrified, and one part fascinated, all at the same time.

It’s then that I hone in on one physique in particular that stands out from the rest. The broad back of a man so physically dominant and powerful that the sight of him makes my breath hitch. I watch in a trance as the rain beats off his tanned skin, slipping between the grooves of the sculpted muscles on his back. His skilled hands pull back into tight fists, swinging outward to assault his attacker in calculated yet wild strikes. His arms, huge and bulging, could no doubt crush me to death, but I oddly find myself wondering what they would feel like to touch. What they would feel like under my fingertips. He pushes his attacker away, and his hand lifts in the air as he pushes his fingers through his wet hair, slicking it back to reveal his handsome face.

I’m not at all surprised to see that the beast I’ve been ogling is Conall.

Of course, it is.

Since last night, I’ve had to stop my mind from drifting to the moment he pinned me down on the bed. The weight of his heavy body on top of mine. The untamed animalistic look in his ever-changing eyes. The feel of his hand against my lips.

I hated it.

Every second of it…or at least I tell myself that I did.

I shake my head in annoyance, downright furious at myself for allowing these strange thoughts to plague me like this. Just as I am about to tear my eyes away, he looks in my direction, water droplets running down his serious face. His attacker takes advantage of his distracted state, grabbing him by the waist to wrestle him to the ground. I gasp just a little, walking forward to stand in the doorway. The fight turns intense in the blink of an eye as Con begins defending himself with a flurry of powerful, targeted punches. The broom drops from my hand, and my eyes widen as he takes a blow to the stomach.

This only angers him even more.

Suddenly, he flips positions with his sparring partner, who he now has pinned beneath him by the neck. His arm stretches back to land strike after strike repeatedly. The rain beats down harder. Thudding off his body and the muddy grass around him. The men nearby stop what they are doing to take in the nasty one-sided fight. My breathing begins to get faster. My heart is pounding in my chest.

Look Away, Eden, I order myself privately in my f****d up head. You know that he’s an animal. A ruthless savage.

Look. Away. Now.

Suddenly, everything goes quiet.

Con lets his victim go, standing up straight as his taut body rises and falls rhythmically.

His neck twists.

He looks straight at me, and I at him.

The rain bounces aggressively off the ground between us as he stalks toward the door, coming straight for me.