Fated

Chapter Eighteen

GAIA

The man leans against the doorframe, his smirk widening as he watches me. "Name's Kai James. Alpha of the Blackstone Pack," he says, his tone casual but dripping with arrogance. His eyes roam over me, assessing, calculating, like I'm some puzzle he's already half-solved.

I swallow hard, my throat dry, but I don't let him see my fear. "Why am I here?" I ask, my voice sharper than I feel.

He doesn't answer immediately. Instead, Kai pushes himself off the doorframe and walks closer, slow and deliberate, the smirk never leaving his face. "Oh, come on. You really think I'm going to just hand you all the answers?" He chuckles under his breath, shaking his head like he's amused by my question. "You'll find out soon enough. Maybe. If you behave."

I grit my teeth, my muscles tensing as my wolf stirs inside me, restless and agitated. "What do you want from me?"

Kai tilts his head, clearly enjoying himself. "What do I want?" he repeats, as if he's pondering the question for the first time. "Let's just say... I'm interested in seeing what all the fuss is about. You know, Alpha Lex's precious little mate. The one who's got Lex Miller twisted up in knots."

His words make my stomach churn. I try to ignore the creeping fear clawing at my insides and stay focused. "What are you talking about?"

Kai gives a lazy shrug, like my questions are a mild annoyance to him. "Maybe I'll answer that after a cup of coffee, hmm?"

Before I can say anything, the door opens again, and another man steps into the room. He's tall, with sandy blond hair and a softer presence than Kai. His eyes dart between the two of us, and a frown crosses his face.

"Kai, come on," the blond man says, his voice calm but firm. "Stop messing with her."

Kai rolls his eyes but backs off a little, though the smug grin stays firmly in place. "Relax, Ray. I'm just getting to know our guest."

Ray sighs, stepping between us slightly. His presence feels like a buffer, and for the first time since waking up here, I don't feel like I'm about to be pounced on. "Sorry about him," Ray says, offering me a small, sympathetic smile. "I'm Ray, second-in-command of the Blackstone Pack."

I don't respond immediately, my mind still trying to catch up with everything. Kai. Blackstone Pack. Why am I here?

Ray steps forward, holding out a glass of water. "Here," he says, his voice gentle. "You should drink something."

I hesitate, my instincts still on high alert, but eventually, I take the glass. My throat is painfully dry, and the water, while taken reluctantly, soothes the rawness there.

Ray watches me for a moment before speaking again. "Look, I know this is... confusing. But we didn't bring you here to hurt you." He glances at Kai, who's leaning against the wall now, watching us with an unreadable expression. "This was the only way we could talk to you without the Alpha of your pack interfering."

My brows knit together. "What are you talking about? What does this have to do with Lex?"

Ray sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "We'll get to that. Just... try to stay calm. We're not the enemy here."

I want to believe him, but nothing about this situation feels right. I'm trapped in a strange place, surrounded by people I don't know, and I still have no idea why.

Kai snorts from the corner. "Not the enemy. Yet."

Ray shoots him a look, then turns back to me. "You'll get your answers, Gaia. Just give it a little time."

But time is the last thing I feel like I have.

Ray leads me out of the room, his hand hovering behind me, but never touching. Kai, as expected, stalks behind us like a shadow, his presence a constant reminder that I'm not in a safe place. The house is warm and cozy, the kind of place you'd expect to find a family in — pictures hanging on the walls, the faint scent of baked bread lingering in the air. But none of it feels right.