The Alpha's Doll || #wattys2023

Chapter 28

Read up to chapter 42 on my Patreon. Link in the bio.
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Chapter 28

Maria and I sat in the van while Bullet drove us to Akbur Hills. I had left Damon sleeping, I was still in shock and a little uneasy to have left without his permission but the reality is, I didn't know how he would act after last night. I could not predict if he would wake up to be more cruel or perhaps he would somehow be kinder? Or maybe the same?

"Put your hair over your bruises, it's going to freak out the villagers," Maria suddenly snapped. Her recent mood change had not gone unnoticed.  For the past few days, I've noticed that her temper had risen.

I could only assume that it was the stress of the potion, as well as the fact that thousands of humans have already died and there was nothing we could do but stand there and watch. If we could not find silver today, where does that leave us?

"Okay," I simply responded and played with my hair to cover my neck.

"And while we are inside, do not leave my side," she hissed," you do as I tell you."

Once again," okay."

We arrived at the haunting gates of smokey Akbur Hills. Bullet went to open the gates and we were now on foot and on our way inside.

"We'll be done in about an hour," Maria was saying to Bullet.

The people of the prison stared at us both as if we were intruders. The soldiers that guarded the buildings however hardly glanced our way. We walked deeper down the road past little shops of food. I could feel the sweet begin to bead at my forehead, the scorching sun did not help with the nerves.

"I'm going inside to speak with my friend," Maria said once we halted at one of the buildings," stay here."

I nodded in response. She disappeared and I gazed out at the strollers. I was serious about obeying Maria, I did not want to be added stress for her. But the curiosity that krept was almost unbearable. What if, just what it, I could catch a glimpse of my father somewhere beyond that strip of streets shopping at the market? What if he was taking a stroll, or happend to be walking by to talk to a friend?

I inched forwards just the slightest, and after my first step came another and another.
If I was gone for just a few seconds...

I was by the strip of streets that separated the road for the market. I watched dozens or perhaps hundreds of people working, shopping or socializing. It made my stomach. Twist and turn, watching little children  and their parents. To know that if we do not succeed, they will all be murdered, just like the prison in Canada.
I prayed to god that Maria would come back with some answers, or at least a clue as to where we can find silver.
My eyes fell upon a little shop made out of metal, an elder man who shared the same bright eyes as me was hunched over across a pile of brick. He fiddled around with the tools on his counter until he found what looked to be a screwdriver and handed it to a man who held hands with a woman. My heart sunk below the ground. I could recognize him anywhere, it was my father.
I felt the tears flood my vision, I wanted to storm across the distance and engulf him in my grip. I could not walk away without him with me, I could not leave him here-

His eyes suddenly met mine as if he could feel my staring and I gasped and hid behind a tree.

Shit, shit, shit!
He must have seen me, I hadn't aged either so he would have recognized me for certain. I peeked back at his shop to see him stumbling over the tools on the ground to make his way over here. I had to get out of here quick.

"What the hell did I tell you!"

I felt a hand slam down on my shoulder.

"Maria, we have to go now-"

"You just don't listen, do you? Do you understand that you could wreck this entire plan!"

"I know, and I'm sorry, but we have to go!"

My father was fast approaching. He was desperately strutting through the people now, pushing them away to get to trees even faster.

"What happened, what did you do now?"

I grabbed her arms and dragged her away and back into the building. From the lobby and the view from the muddy windows, we both watched as my father burst in through the trunks and with his eyes and mouth wide open, he peered around for me.

"That's Mason," Maria said
I didn't answer. I was watching with blurry vision as he raised his hands to his head.
He must think he's gone crazy to have seen me, and I still hadn't aged.
Evan was right, he can't know that I'm alive. It was too much for him. 
I felt guilty at my own selfishness. Why had I done that? Why had I caused him so much more stress then he already had?

"What did you do? He must have seen you!"

"I don't know, I didn't think he did!" I blurted

"Obviously he did, look at him!"

"I just wanted to see him, for just a second! I didn't think-"

"You didn't think! You never think!" Maria's palms suddenly struck across my face. My head whipped sideways and I gripped my burning cheek. I cried out, now because of the pain but because I was stupid enough to not have listen to her.

"I'm sorry," Maria immediately said.

"Don't be," I breathed through my sobs.

Maria grabbed me into her arms and buried my face in her chest. Her hands held the back of my head tightly as I sobbed into her neck, soaking it with my tears.

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