The Twin Alphas’ Fated Mate

Book 1: Chapter 4

~Mercury~

I've been walking through this forest for days. The sun has gone down and come back up five times since I escaped. I believe that means I've been missing for 9 days now. I haven't eaten or drank anything since the day of the auction. I'm pretty sure I'm lost and I'll probably die in this forest. I'm exhausted and I'm close to giving up. I just want to curl up and go to sleep. I haven't even been able to process what has happened this week. What happened back at the warehouse, when everyone was knocked unconscious. Was that me? I can't even explain it but it felt powerful. The same as when the beaker broke. Like a surge of power went through me. But how is that possible? Is it true what people think of me? Do I have some forbidden magic? I can't even think properly right now I'm so hungry.

I can't keep myself on my feet anymore. I'm so weak and tired. I need to stop. I look forward and I can't tell if I'm imagining it or not, but there's a man there. He's swearing all black, but not like Ivan. this man is wearing sweatpants and a tight t-shirt.

The thin fabric of his shirt is stretched across his chest and I can see all his muscles from here. Yup, I must be hallucinating men now.

The man starts walking towards me. "You are trespassing! You need to turn around and go back to where you came."

"I'm sorry. I can't do that."

"Why not?" the man asks.

"Because I don't know where I am. I escaped from my kidnappers." I manage to say before I collapse. My eyes are so heavy.

"s**t!" the man yells and rushes to me. He picks me up and starts to carry me somewhere.

"Where are you taking me?" I ask quietly.

"The guard tower. We have a doctor there. And food. You look like you haven't eaten in days." the man says.

"I haven't..." I whisper quietly. The man doesn't say anything else and just keeps running.

We arrive at a small building quickly. Someone opens the door for us like they were waiting for us to get here. But I don't remember the man calling anyone and he was alone when I first saw him.

" Who is that?" a girl asks.

"I don't know. She walked up to our border and collapsed when I told her to turn around. She said she escaped from kidnappers." the man set me down on a bed of some kind.

" Goddess, I hope she's okay. Jane is coming now." the girl says.

I try to look around my vision has gone blurry. I just close my eyes and give in to the tiredness.

-------------------------

I wake up a few hours later. I feel a bit better and I sit up to look around and I see a woman sitting at a desk across the room. She notices my movement and stands to walk over to me.

"Take it easy. You've had a rough couple of days. I'm Jane. I'm a doctor. Can you tell me your name?" the woman named Jane asked. She's older, maybe her mid 40s. She has that look most mothers do. Gentle and kind.

"Um, my name...hem" I clear my scratchy throat "Mercury. My name is Mercury."

"Like the planet?" She raises her eyebrow.

"Yea but you can call me Em. That's what my parents called me." I look at Jane and give her a weak smile.

She looks back at me and says, "Well Em, you need to rest for a bit. You are dehydrated and need food. I have you on an IV for now, but you need actual food and water." I look down at my arm. I didn't even notice I had the IV in my arm till just down.

Just then, the door to the room opens and in walks the man and woman from yesterday.

"Oh you're awake! Good." the man says, "I'm Beck. I'm the one who carried you here yesterday."

I nod, " I remember. Thank you."

"No worries. I couldn't just leave you out there. This is Sylvie. She's my sister." Beck points to the girl he just named as Sylie and she smiles at me. I smile back. I couldn't tell before but Beck and Sylvie look a lot alike. They both have shiny dirty blonde hair, they're both very tall and have the same face shape. They could almost pass as twins. They look to be my age.

"Are you twins? Sorry, you guys just look so much alike one another." I ask.

Sylvie laughs. " He hates being asked that. I'm actually younger by 2 years and it makes him feel less superior when people see us as the same. I think its hilarious."

I manage a small smile. My head is pounding. I wish I had something for this pain. I look out the window. In the distance I see a town. "Where am I? The guy that kidnapped me drugged me while I was leaving school. I woke up in a cell, so I have no idea how far away from home I am."

Beck, Sylvie and Jane look at each other, but Jane speaks up first. "Do you know why you were kidnapped?" she asks hesitantly.

"At first I thought it might be because of my family's money. Then I saw it wasn't just me. There were dozens of other girls there. I didn't understand at first, but the girl in the cell across from me said they were s*x traffickers." I let out a shallow breath. " I escaped during the auction I was supposed to be sold in." I left out the part where I somehow made everyone fall unconscious. I didn't know how they would react to that. They'd probably think I was lying or crazy anyway.

"Oh my goddess. That's horrible!" Sylvie says. I look down at my hands, then look out the window at the town. It seems peaceful here.

"I just want to know where I am and how to get home. They took all my belongings, so I don't have my phone or money."

Beck looks at me. "We will make sure you have what you need. But you can't leave yet. You still technically trespassed on our territory, so our Alphas want to meet you." Sylvie nudges Beck in the side and gives him a warning look. What did he just say? The Alphas want to meet me? What does that even mean?

"What is an Alpha?" I ask. Sylvie looks at me nervous.

"The leaders of our people. They run the pa-uh...town." Beck says.

"And you have two of them?"

"Yes. They're brothers. Twins actually." Sylvie chimes in. I look at them. This is all so different than what I'm used to. People don't usually talk to me and here I am talking to these three strangers about their Alpha twins. That word sounds familiar though. Where have I heard it? I think about it for a moment, then I remember. We learned about different groups of animals in my animal biology class last year.

"Don't wolf packs call the head of the pack the Alpha?" I ask. Beck and Sylvie go still and Jane looks at me with wide eyes.

"Uh..they might. I'm not too familiar with wolves like that." Jane says in a rushed tone. She then turns to Beck. "Please tell..um..Elliot and Arthur she can come to meet them later this afternoon when she's rested some more and has got some real food in her. I want to make sure she won't collapse again."

Beck nods at her and exits the room. Sylvie walks over to the desk Jane was sitting at when I first awoke and sits down. Jane then walks over to a small kitchen in the corner and starts making something, I assume for me.

Jane comes back over and hands me a tray with what looks like a ham sandwich and a bottle of water. She sits with me while I eat and I tell her that I had just finished high school. I tell her it's been at least ten days since I went missing but no one has likely noticed. She gives me a sad look.

Once I finish my food, Jane takes the tray and walks away. I take this chance to lay back down. I feel better and a bit stronger than before, but I'm still so tired. Maybe I'll rest a bit like Jane said.