The Alpha's House ✔️

Chapter 22

Penelope's POV

    I reach out to feel James' side of the bed. I am hoping he didn't spend the night in his office again. I am startled as touch something extremely cold. Bolting up right I realize I am not in bed, but instead laying on a cement floor in a small cell. I quickly scurry to the corner of the cell pulling my knees to my chest. I scrunch my nose up as I smell an approaching rouge. A large burly man walks over and slides a bowl under the bars.

    "Eat up, you're lucky Boss decided to let you eat." I don't move until he returned up the stairs.

    I walk over to the plate which was covered in thick slop.  I bring the spoon up to my mouth, and as soon as I smelled the mush, I crawl over to a bucket in the corner and throw up. When I was done dry heaving, I sat back against the wall with my knees against my chest.

    "If you're not going to eat that, do you mind if I have it?" I jump as I hear a small voice.

    I look over to see the cell next to mine inhabited by a small girl. I quickly slide the bowl under the bars towards her. She needs to eat, she reminds me of my old self when I lived with Percy. She was covered in healing wounds as well as fresh ones. Her skin is a sickly pale color contrasting the reds, purples, browns, and greens paining her skin. She shovels the slope into her as quickly as she possibly can. When she was done, she curled up on the floor.

    "How long have you been here?" I ask quietly.

    "My brother and I lived in a small pack, and the rogues burned it to the ground and took the survivors as prisoners. That was probably two years ago." she trails off as she looks into the distant.

    "Where's your brother?" I ask looking around at the empty cells.

    "We tried to escape. They caught me, and..." tears begin to trail down her cheeks, "they killed Ryan, and brought me back here."

    "Does Ryan have blackish hair, and hazel eyes?" I ask slowly. I don't want to give her false hope, but I need to know.

    "Yeah, and he had a scar through his right eyebrow from when we were kids and he-"

    "Slipped in the shower while singing the Lion king soundtrack!" I finish as her eyes grow wide.

    "How... what... how..." she trailed off.

    "Ryan's not dead! He escaped to my pack. He found his mate." I tell her excitedly.

    "I can't believe it! They told me he died," some light comes back to her eyes, "I thought I had lost the last of my family." she says breaking into a sob.

    "Crying already?" a gruff voice shouts from the top of the stairs. "I would give you something to cry about, but Boss wants to see this one." he says evilly as he unlocked my cage.

    James had been teaching me self defense, so I don't feel totally helpless. I stand up and go to the door. When he gets the door unlocked, I quickly shove it towards him. He steps back startled, and I kick him where the sun don't shine. Ryan's sister then slides the tray under the bars and I pick it up quickly. I then use it to hit him in the head until he just lays there. I grab the key ring, and frantically try to unlock her cell.

    "By the way, what's your name. Mine is Penelope." I whisper.

    "It's Wren."

    She is about to say something then I see a look of terror cross her face. I was about to ask her what was wrong when I felt two arms wrap around my waist.

    "Oh Pippa, what has happened to you. You know I like your feistiness, but I thought you were smart. Trying to escape?" He takes as he drags me away from Wren's cell, "The Boss wants to see you, and then I will punish you for being so dumb."

    I am terrified, and confused. I thought Percy was the boss, but if he is really willing to wait to punish me before meeting the boss, then the boss must be extremely powerful. Percy drags me up the stairs and throughout a large house. Once we get to a large black door he quickly pushes me through the door. Sitting behind a large oak desk is a man who looks exactly like Percy just older. I am shoved into a chair, and sit in silence. Before he could speak I hear a small knock on the door.

    "Come in." the 'boss' barks.

    A short older woman with red hair piled in a bun, walks into the room with a plate of egg salad. As soon as I smell the potato I lunge forward towards the trash can in the corner and begin to throw up. When I am done, I look up towards Percy in terror; and await a slap from Percy for moving. Instead what I see is even scarier, he is smiling. I flinch as he reaches towards me, but then he pulls me into a hug.

"We're having a baby!" he says excitedly.

All of the sudden it makes sense, me being so emotional and the throwing up, I have to be pregnant. I know it has to be James', but if Percy thinks it is his I won't say anything. I weakly hug him back before I step back. We all turn when we hear a crash, the older woman with red hair had drop the plate with egg salad. Her whole face is pale, and she reaches out and touches my face.

"Penelope?" she whispers.

The woman flinches slightly and Percy's father wraps his arms around her from the back.

"I thought you would enjoy my present, maybe you will finally accept your life here, Adelaide." he says before kissing her cheek.

Realization dawns on me as to why she looks so familiar. My voice cracks as I whisper,

"Mom?"