Phoenix Rising

Chapter Seven

The King kicked another wooden door open and carried me through to a huge dining room. It was twice the size of the one at Alpha Jack's quarters. Then again this was the King's quarters so it made sense.

My eyes landed on Lily already sitting at a long oak table next to the man that had retrieved her yesterday- the shirtless man. Radic I presumed.

She gave me a knowing look as her eyes darted to the mark displayed on my neck.

The King sat me down in the chair next to the one he took at the head of the table. Radic was the first of us to speak as he shot a glare in my direction.

" Did you enjoy your run? Because I did not enjoy having to sit in a room with the daftest shifters know to this world and take over Blade's place for the last hour and a half."

Zirablade. Blade? I felt the latter fit him better.

Hard, sharp, and deadly just like the blade of a real sword. Before I could open my mouth to say anything swiftly Blade's hand flew out and smacked the back of his nephew's head.

Wack.

"Ow! Damn you old man I was just joking."

Wack.

"Alright, I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend you, grandpa."

Wack.

This time I muffled a laugh and managed to speak before another smack was delivered to the back of Radic's head.

"Old man? How old are you?"

I reached out to take the water that was sitting in front of me and gulp it down in an attempt to sate the hunger gnawing at my stomach. They hadn't even begun eating so it would be a while before I could eat the leftovers from their plates.

Blade's attention snapped over to me but he remain silent as he looked to be pondering over my question. Apparently, he took too long to answer because his nephew chimed in again.

"A whopping one hundred and twenty-two years old. At least he will be in a few weeks."

Water hung up in my throat as I choked on it causing me to have a coughing fit. There was no way in hell he was that old. How did he still look twenty-five?

"I'm sorry." I managed to choke out after clearing my throat of the water lodged in it. "Forgive me for my outburst. You just do not look like someone who has lived for over a century."

Blade had a rather irritated look on his face as he narrowed his eyes in on Radic. His nephew seemed to pick up on the fact he was about to be smacked once more and scooted his chair flush against the one Lily was sitting in just out of reach.

Radic reached forward to grab what looked like a roasted chicken leg off a silver plate in the middle of the table as he changed the topic of conversation.

"Anyways, let's eat shall we. All the boring nonsense about treaties and such has me starving."

I sat with my hands folded in my lap watching as each of the three loaded their plates full of different things like rolls, potatoes, greens, and various meats that were centered on silver dishes.

Everyone began eating and I tried to keep the desperate hunger from appearing on my face as I watched. Blade was busy cutting a steak, and Radic had already devoured the chicken leg he'd grabbed.

My attention was pulled to Lily as I heard her whisper to me across the table, "you don't have to do that here Fee."

Our eyes met and hers glimmered sympathy while mine was confused. She must have sensed it because she cut her eyes to the food in the center of the table and then down to my plate. She was hinting at me to take the food and eat with them, yet I remained frozen in place as Blade's gruff voice cut in.

" Don't have to do what? Why are you not eating?"

Neither I nor Lily said a word. The look she was giving me told me it was better to not elaborate. Blade however seemed to grow more irritated as his voice dropped lower and he ordered, " look at me."

I reluctantly drag my eyes over to meet his unsure of what to do. I seemed to spend the last two days in a haze of constant confusion.

"Now answer me," he commanded.

With a heavy sigh, I fidgeted with my hands under the table. I felt compelled to answer him, but it wasn't the same as when Alpha Jack ordered me to do or say things. With Jack, I had no choice and my body and mouth acted under his Alpha authority.

Now I felt like I had a choice, and my mouth remain silent as Blade and I had somewhat of a stare-off. At least until Radic spoke up.

"You know that won't work on her now that you've marked her."

Blade c****d his head to the side and suddenly a smirk appeared as he stated, "your right- but I was actually speaking to Lilith."

His eyes cut to where Lily sat and I watched hers go wide in return. "Tell me- what is it Phoenix does not have to do here?"

She bit down on her lip and let out a frustrated sigh before speaking. " Fee was only allowed to eat the scraps from the warriors' plates that the Omega slaves were ordered to give her. If there were any."

Radic had stopped mid-bite and stared over at me with an almost sad look in his eyes. I didn't want to look at Blade but out of the corner of my eye, I saw him picking my empty plate up piquing my curiosity. Our eyes met as he placed his plate with the huge steak down in front of me and sat my empty one in front of himself.

His expression was made of stone and his voice was stern as he ordered, "Eat."

If we had completed the bond I would be able to feel his emotion better but as for right now, it was unreadable. My stomach growled at me once more and I decided for once I would follow his order.

I picked up the fork he left on his plate and took a bite of the cut-up steak on the plate. I had to close my eyes and breathed out heavily through my nose from how damn wonderful it tasted. I hadn't eaten food that was freshly made and still flavorful since before my parents passing.

Once I swallowed it the desperate hunger I felt finally reached the surface. Bite after bite I shovel food into my mouth before I could even swallow what I was chewing on. I knew I looked like a savage animal but I couldn't control myself. Not until I ate every single thing that was on the plate.

After I had, I closed my eyes and gripped tightly on the fork in hand to keep from reaching out to the plates in the center of the table and devouring everything in sight until I made myself sick.

"I'm sorry, It's been a few days since I last ate." I managed to strain out through the silence. I knew they were all watching me. I could feel it. That fact alone made me want to keep my eyes closed.

However, the sound of a plate clinking against another snapped my eyes open. I looked down to see Blade's hand as he sat the empty plate he had taken from me atop the one I'd cleared. Except now the plate was piled with more food.

I shook my head as I glanced over at him. "No, I can't. Thank you but I'll make myself sick. I've not eaten more than a plate of scraps in a day since I was a child."

He looked at me for a moment as if trying to decide whether to make me eat it or not. Then abruptly his chair scooted back and he stood up while announcing, "come with me then."

I did as I was told and stood up as well. I followed him halfway to the door before my vision began spinning the room around me. All of a sudden I felt lightheaded as I tried to grab onto a side table next to me to steady myself. My legs buckled underneath me though, and I ended up knocking the vase that had been on the table off to the floor with a crash.

Blade whipped around with wide eyes as I heard him shout out my name right before I hit the floor. My head seemed to land on something hard, but not quite as hard as the concrete floor would have been.

Right before my mind went dark I felt a hand touching my cheeks and then my forehead. Tingles spread through my body, and I knew Blade was the one who broke my fall.