Kidnapped By An Alpha Jerk

Chapter 7

April's POV

After Jerkface left, Emma offered to show me to the room. My tummy felt weird. Reality struck me hard. My family and friends lives were on my hands. I had to play by his rules now. 

Emma, the queer, feline-eyed girl who accompanied me ran on ongoing commentary for the entire journey. Did she really want to be friends with me? I could hardly respond. Instead, I nodded my head occasionally and tried to smile. 

Strangely, I also felt a simmer of sympathy for her. She told me that her and Carlos were 'mates' - or partners. I found the term 'mates' rather disconcerting and so I tended to avoid the awful word. She told me that she felt lonely and was a 'weird' kid but blossomed during her adolescence with people she enjoyed being in the company with. Unfortunately, 'company' did not include Donna (the mean blonde.)  

At least we had one thing in common. Our common dislike of her.

We finally reached the room or prison chamber as I viewed it, considering the fact that I was forced to reside here. The room was different to the first one I had awoken in. With its clean walls, cherry-wood panelling and light filtering in through a large window on the south, the room was the epitome of a battle of vintage and contemporary art. Dust sparkled in the sunlight and I turned to Emma curiously. 

She smiled at me. 

"Do you like it? I designed it myself. I'm not a professional designer, but I do like to credit my artistic vision now and again."

I nodded. This was too much to take in. There was so many people here, so many things I had to accept - I just needed some time to wrap my head around it.

Noticing my expression, Emma quietened. "This is too much, right?" Her voice was soft. "I'm sorry. I was too full on. I just don't meet many people and I find it hard to interact with them without realizing that they really don't want to talk." I instantly felt bad.

"Don't worry. I just need time to process things. Also - also, would you mind if I asked you some more questions about this place?" I asked quietly, watching her expression carefully. 

Her face brightened instantly. "Sure."

"Okay. Well firstly, what's wrong with jer- I mean Aiden? Does he have anger issues or something?"

"No. He's been through a lot. It's changed him. And having to have mate is a big change for him... It's going to be tough and especially with a human. It's not particularly natural..." Her voice was very quiet that I strained to hear much. But I did catch the word 'human.' Earlier, I heard Diego using the same word to describe me. Seriously, what was their obsession with calling people human? I think we know that we're human. Her expression was sombre and I figured this was Aiden's business and his bussiness only.

"Okay," I paused trying to pick out a question from the ones that were racing through my mind. "What's a mate? I mean, why do you call it that?"

"Oh, well a mate is like a soul mate. It's when two wolv- I mean people love each other and you know, commit to one another. A really full on boyfriend and girlfriend I suppose." 

What the actual hell. 

How was I supposed to act like a soul mate to Aiden? It'd be hard enough acting as an acquaintance. And I'd never had a boyfriend before - I don't know how to act or what to say. 

I was snapped out of my trance by Emma whistling in my ear and I asked her a few more questions before the rapidly moving river of questions in my mind slowed to an untimely stop. I was so tired. 

As Emma was walking out of the room, I said: "I know what you mean when you say it's hard to make new friends. I find it hard too - but not because I'm overtly quirky, but because I'm - I'm not blessed in the social department. People need to know my personality to like me, I think, but people tend not to know me because for them, they don't have the time to stop for anyone who isn't instantly sparkly. I also tend to give off a 'don't approach' me vibe, you know? But... since we both find it hard to make new friends, why don't we start by becoming friends with each other? What do you say?" I said sticking out my hand and looking up nervously.

She looked baffled for a minute - probably because that was the most she'd heard me say in one go. Then, her face lit up and she quickly strode over to me and shook my hand.

"April, I would like that very much." She said sincerely as she proceeded to leave the room. I smiled to myself. Even though she was very perky and easy to communicate with, maybe being on the good side of these people would be good.

I flopped back on the bed like a limp rag doll and let out a sigh. My head was hurting from all this information and slowly, but surely, my eyelids began to droop and I dreamed off a land full of drunken Jack Sparrows, watermelon babies chasing me and having an army full of Rapunzel's who used their hair as lassos.

And in the midst of all that madness, the events of the day simply slipped away from my mind, for a couple of hours of complete and utter April heaven.