Disguise

Fishing for Gold

Brianna's POV

I watched them through half lidded eyes. My entire body hurt - my lungs especially with all the screaming. If I was human, I had no doubt I would have lost my voice by now. But I wasn't. I was a strong, confident werewolf who didn't get what she wanted. I was a mess. I was helpless. I wanted to cry in frustration, and I did. No good came out of it. My usually well groomed nails were muddy and broken in places. My perfect hair was in disarray and I didn't give a single fuck. It was all a part of my disguise. I had to look presentable, be groomed for the perfect Queen. I just wanted to leave all this behind and catch a breath. There was no breathing where they were. There was nothing.

Noori prodded my arm once again and I nearly bit her head off. She didn't even look at me, working at a speed faster than light, she needed to get the poison out of my system. I needed her to do it as well, so I could get back to my mission: find mom. I knew I'd hurt a lot of people, but I felt the worst about Hank, who had been on my side the whole time. Well, until Flora waltzed back into our lives and my truth came out. He had no doubt been as shaken as Reece had. But what choice did I have? I needed to protect them all as well. They didn't understand and they never would, the things I've had to go through. For them, and my mother. Hank had stepped out, unable to see the bruises that marred my skin like birthmarks. I didn't stop him, why subject people to things they could never unsee? He was better off.

Noori tried making small talk with me, but I wouldn't answer. There was no way I could tell them anything. Anything I said would just make it worse for my mother and I couldn't have that. So I would stay quiet, and I would look for possible escape routes.

"-maybe she's just as much of a victim as we are! As you are!" I caught Grey's voice outside and stiffened. I did not need them figuring this whole thing out. It had to be me. Mom and me versus the world. They would just make it worse for us and I would lose her for sure. 'Tell anyone and your mother dies.' 'Tell anyone and everyone you love dies.' 'This is the best really, nobody gets hurt, and you get to be the Queen.' 'Just do as we say and no one will get hurt.' 'Just do this.' 'Just do that.'

Before I knew it a fresh set of tears were running down my cheeks. I could not let them know the truth! Come on, Brianna. Be cold. Be calm. Be strong. Keep your Disguise on. I chanted in my head. The door opened slightly and the Alpha King entered the room. A wave of apprehension swept the room. Apart from Noori, all the four men that dragged me here, Noori's assistant and me, we all froze. He just had this effect on us. It was torture. I looked away from his intense eyes and analyzed the room around me. There were three doors, including the one he entered from. One had to lead to a bathroom of some sort. So two ways out.

I looked at Noori again, who was busy hanging a unit of blood that was about to go into my body. This was good, my scent would change for a while and I could use that for a sneak attack. But first, I had to get out of here and figure out where my mother was taken, or should I say, relocated? I had been so close to finding out about her whereabouts but it hadn't worked. Lucky for me, Reece and Flora hadn't released the news and there had been no ceremony. I could have played as his fiancé for quite a while before I was called into question. But then when Reece marked her two days ago and we all felt it – every single werewolf in the world, I could no longer keep up the rouse. My time was up and so was my mother's.

I looked at the clock in the room, just past 9p.m. I knew that I had till a maximum of sundown before they killed her. Oh, mother. She was so fragile after Dad's death, she didn't deserve this. It was cruel of them to take her. Everyone knew how disturbed she had been. My heart ached for her. Countless times she told me to sacrifice her and abandon the whole disguise, but what kind of a daughter would do that? They wouldn't kill her with mercy. No, they'd torture her for days, drive her crazy. There was no way I would let them do that. I had no choice.