Leaving his room, Lilith slipped away from the maids and took the other way, determined to carry out her escape plan. One thing was certain now, the forest was no longer an option. It was dangerous, endless, and held no promise of safety. If she could find another way, preferably one that led straight to the streets, she could slip away easily. She knew the town like the back of her hand.
As she moved through the corridor, she kept glancing sideways, alert for Madam Agnes or any of her watchful maids. Eventually, she stepped into an open space, an overly shiny garden that nearly made her roll her eyes. She had barely seen kids around so it was probably for a spoiled adult but she had no interest in knowing who owned such an unnecessarily decorated patch of land. She just wanted to leave it behind.
But just as she took a step forward, a strong grip seized her wrist. Before she could make sense of it, she was slammed against the wall. She gasped, eyes wide, her head snapping up only to scowl when she saw who it was. The maniac from that day.
Zayd's brother, Elijah.
The two brothers might hate each other, but they both shared the annoying habit of forcing people into submission. She was certain they took that habit from their mother, Lady Margaret, she was so bossy.
"Let me go," she demanded, her voice sharp with anger.
"You are in quite a hurry," he said, leaning in. "Need help finding whatever it is you are after?"
She leaned back, glaring. She hated their shameless confidence and blamed her weak human form for her helplessness. If only she were a Lycan, this would have gone differently.
"Don't you think holding me against my will is a little inappropriate? And I am supposed to be mated to your brother. Aren't you afraid of what he will do if he sees us like this?" She asked, hoping to use Zayd's temper to her advantage. She didn't care for either of them, but if she could get them to turn on each other, she might just get the opening she needed. Could Elijah be her ticket out?
"If I cared what my brother thinks, I wouldn't have been locked away for years. You picked the wrong bait, sweetheart." he said, and her brows knit together. Zayd locked him up? Their feud clearly ran deeper than she realized. Getting involved could be more dangerous than she thought.
"Why are you doing this?" She asked, eyes narrowing.
"Because it's fun stealing what belongs to him. I would love to see his face when I make you fall for me," he replied with a grin, flashing his teeth.
"Unfortunately, I am not interested in either of you. Find someone else to play this twisted game with. The longer I stay here, the more disgusted I am with myself. Let me go," she said, but instead of releasing her, he just smiled, calm, amused, and unreadable.
It threw her off.
"The moment you stepped into this pack house, your wants became irrelevant. You are wrong if you think he will let you go," he said, and for a moment, Lilith's hope wavered. Her heart pounded at the terrifying thought of being trapped in this place forever.
But after a brief silence, she pulled herself together and spat, "I don't care. I will escape no matter what, even if I die trying. I won't be a breeder for you or your brother."
That made him laugh. Loudly. She had surprised him. He expected someone dull, submissive. Instead, she amused him and that only fueled his desire to use her in whatever twisted game he was playing.
"I could help you escape," he said, letting go of her wrist. Leaning back, he shoved his hands into his pockets, watching her closely.
Lilith narrowed her eyes. "And why would you do that?"
"I already told you. I just want to watch him fall apart. Do I really need another reason?"
As tempted as she was to ask why he hated his brother that much, she swallowed the question and said instead, "Then help me escape."
A satisfied grin spread across his face.
"Meet me at the…" Elijah stopped mid-sentence as a voice cut through the space.
"You seem eager to crawl back to where you belong, brother."
They both turned toward the familiar voice.
Zayd.
His gaze was dark, jaw clenched tight, and the sheer weight of it almost made Lilith lose her footing. She thought of running, but with the number of guards behind him, there was no point. She wouldn't get far.
Elijah, undisturbed, smirked and replied, "Not as eager as I am to watch you fall first."
Silence settled between them, thick and heavy. Lilith swallowed hard. All she ever wanted was to be left alone. Why were these two so hell-bent on making her life miserable?
After a tense moment, Zayd strode up to her and grabbed her wrist. Just as he turned to leave, Elijah caught her other hand, halting his steps.
Wide-eyed, Lilith looked at Elijah and gestured for him to let go, but he only responded with a smug smile.
Zayd turned his glare on him. "Let her go," he ordered, voice cold and razor-sharp.
"I don't want to," Elijah replied, arrogant as ever.
Oh no, Lilith thought. A fight was coming if she didn't step in.
"I will come see you later," she said suddenly, her voice steady. "You can let go for now."
The two brothers froze. Elijah raised a brow, shocked. "That's new," he said, but he released her hand.
Zayd, however, was another story. Fury radiated from him.
"Ah!" Lilith yelped when he tightened his grip on her wrist. Before she could protest, he yanked her away.
Even a child could tell he was at his breaking point. But if the worst he could do was tie her up again… she would survive it. For now.