Alpha Alden ✔️

Chapter Sixteen

Word Count: 1583

~Kezziah

Sermon woke me the next morning, appearing at the door, but not passing the threshold.

The expression on her face told me something isn't right. She seems wary, peering into my room as if someone, or something, would jump out and attack her. It takes my groggy, waking mind a few moments to piece together why she might be anxious about stepping into this room.

Time.

I'm not sure what it means to me if she saw what happened last night. The memory seems to dip in and out of my conscious, but what I do remember, are those piercing golden eyes, and the sharp pain digging into my back makes it impossible to forget the mark.

It only becomes an issue if Alden finds out. This will keep me above him another step, if he doesn't find out, nor see it.

"Good morning," she says slowly, "breakfast time."

We are both watching each other warily, unsure of what the other is thinking. She hasn't had security guards for me in a long time, however, when she wanders into the room, two follow her in. It's not daunting, although I am curious as to why this is necessary. They saw something last night, and if the cunning look in Sermon's eye means anything, she isn't going to tell me what it is.

She waits without a word said, while I wash my face, brush my hair and dress into my tracksuit. I decide the only way I'm going to find anything out, is if I push her myself.

"So, why the guards?" I question, as she herds me out the door, the two men, a good few feet taller than me flanking both my sides. I want to ask for space, but I know I won't be given that privilege.

Sermon adjusts the bun atop her head as we walk. "I thought it might be needed. Just for today."

"Why?"

"You've been reacting to your medication rather strangely, so to ensure the safety of other patients, you will be joined in the breakfast room by a little tighter security," Sermon explains promptly, refusing to look at me. Is she scared?"

I scan her response through in my mind multiple times before I answer again. "Is this about my heart attack? It's not contagious or anything...Is it?"

Sermon takes a suspicious amount of time to answer me. She seems to be formulating an answer, and for a moment, I swear I catch her looking up at a camera we bypass. Either someone is watching, or she doesn't know what to say without causing a riot. I'm just relieved this doesn't seem to be about Time.

"We are just concerned that the medication is giving you hallucinations, or perhaps night terrors," Sermon tells me hurriedly, her tone low and hushed. "After last night, we are cautious, is all."

I can see the cafeteria door approach quickly. Before I'm forced to sit through breakfast wondering what she saw last night, from what I assume was the camera feed, I need to get answers.

"What did you see?" I whisper.

Right before the entrance, she pulls me to a hard stop. "You were wandering around your room all crazy like. Like someone on drugs, talking to yourself and staring blankly in the mirror. Might I say, it creeped us all out, especially since most of the footage was blank, and cut in and out. Higher authority ordered that you take a week's break out your medication."

With that, Sermon pushes me into the cafeteria followed by my guards.

My mind whirls. They didn't see Time. Whatever magic he used, shielded him from their gazes. And cut footage out, which must have involved him branding me. I'm not sure if I should feel relieved, or terrified. Time can do whatever he wants to me, and no one will be able to witness it.