Chapter 15
Aaliyah
"Hayley is my name," she said, walking around. "I suppose I'll be calling you Ali from now on."
I parted my lips, running my tongue over them as I stared at her green eyes. They reminded me of forest.
She blinked, frowning slightly. "Are you alright?"
"Yes... Yes, I'm fine. I was just lost in thought," I said.
"This used to be my room," she said, looking around.
"What happened?"
"I grew up and got my own place."
"I'm sorry."
She frowned. "For what?"
"Your partner," I replied. "He didn't deserve to die like that."
"Or maybe he did," Hayley said, walking towards the mirror. She ran her hands through her hair, exhaling loudly.
"He wasn't a fan of Tristan," she said. "I knew he was going to die soon and now he's dead."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be," she said. "So how did you two meet?"
"Who?"
"You and my brother," she replied. "I was really surprised to hear you were going to be his wife. Tristan never talked about getting married before."
"We met in a very complicated situation," I said, thinking about Jack. "He rescued me from my brother, who was whipping me."
"And let me guess—he killed that brother of yours?" Hayley asked.
"Yes," I replied. "And he brought me here."
"The guards said he's busy at the moment," I said, changing the topic as I didn't want to talk about Jack.
"He has a meeting with some witches," Hayley said. "An important one. How about we go for a walk? Let me show you around the estate."
"That would be kind of you."
As we left the room, I turned to see Marcus and Tyler. Tyler quickly stepped in front of Hayley.
"The King would be furious if he finds out she left the room."
"Tell Tristan to go fuck himself," Hayley said, rolling her eyes as she turned and continued walking.
I quickly followed, walking behind her. We made our way toward the long staircase. We didn't speak as we descended.
"Tristan would be quite angry at me if he found out I took you out of your room," Hayley said, breaking the silence.
"But I really don't care how he feels, not after what he did to Collins," she continued. "If he really wants you indoors, he should have been the one keeping an eye on you."
"Aren't you worried about what he'll do?" I asked.
"As much as Tristan loves to kill, he would never hurt me. I'm his sister, our mother's favorite, and Tristan wouldn't want to irritate her, in her grave."
"I heard Lycans are dangerous to be around when they're deeply wounded," I said.
"They'll suck you dry," she said, chuckling. "How did my brother manage to hold himself back from feeding on you in the woods?"
"Because I healed him."
"You're a healer?" she asked.
"Yes," I replied. "Why do you sound so surprised?"
"Because Lycans don't have healers. When we're injured, we just drink blood to heal ourselves," she said.
When we reached the enormous living room, I looked around. I'd never been in this room before. How many living rooms did this house have? There were several paintings of Tristan and his family. My eyes landed on a young man with dark, inky hair and tan skin. Was that their brother?
Slowly tearing my gaze away, I looked ahead to see double doors at the entrance of the room.
Our pace slowed as we approached the door. The head of a Lycan was carved into it. This was the throne room. Was this where Tristan was having his meeting?
"Wait here," Hayley whispered as she moved forward. She placed her ear against the door, listening to whatever was happening inside.
"I think my brother is done with his meeting," Hayley said, knocking before opening the door.
I followed her inside the dimly lit room. Scanning the place, my eyes fell on the large throne at the far end. The throne was a large, twisted metal chair with sharp points and rough edges. It was dark, as if it had been there for centuries. Its uneven, rough shape made it look intimidating.
The stairs leading to the throne were wide, made of white stone and decorated with carvings of Lycans and their symbols.
The chandelier lights made the throne room look even more mesmerizing. The walls were painted black and white.
My lips parted. "This is beautiful."
There were large paintings hung on the walls—paintings of important men and women, as well as Lycans and Werewolves.
"Ali?"
Gasping, I turned to see Tristan standing in front of a small door in the throne room. Startled by his sudden appearance, I stumbled backward.
"Careful," Hayley said.
His gaze swept over me, lingering on my lips. He took his time staring at me. I gulped softly, turning to Hayley, who was busy with her phone.
Tristan moved closer. A shiver ran down my spine as he raised his hand to touch my cheek.
"Looks like I would have to go now," Hayley said, turning and walking toward the door.
Before opening it, she glanced at me. "See you later."
Hearing the door shut, I licked my lips and turned back to Tristan.
"I hope you're not angry with Hayley for bringing me here," I said.
"I'm happy to see you here," he said with a tight smile.
I frowned slightly.
"I don't like that look. Are you angry?"
"Why wouldn't I be when you kept me locked in my room like a prisoner?" I asked.
His jaw clenched. "You're not my prisoner. I kept you there for reasons."
"Why?"
"Have you eaten breakfast?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Piper brought me something to eat," I replied.
"Come with me," he said. "Let's take a walk around the house."
"Why not outside?"
"Do you want me to take you outside, where the bodies are still impaled? It's starting to smell, and I don't want to ruin your mood any more than it already is," he said.
He held my hand, leading me out of the room.