Chapter 24- The Truth
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Lily smiles a sympathetic smile to me as she points to words in a picture book of the Ugly Duckling.
"Follow my finger," she told me. "There once was an ugly duckling with feathers all stubby and brown. And the other birds said in so many words, get out of town, get out, get out, get out of town."
I grab her finger running along the page, stopping her from reading to me.
"I can read, Lily," I say in my little girl voice, looking at the words lining the page in only a little confusion as they appeared blobs on the page. "I've got it now."
"Read to me then," she spoke, taking my chubby finger and placing it on the page instead of hers.
"And he went with a waddle and a quack. In a flurry of eiderdown, that poor little ugly duckling went wandering far and near. But at every place they said to his face, now get out, get out, get out of here-"
"I've done it. I've taught you how to read, little sis," Lily interrupts my reading-
Jolting awake from my daze, I remember that I was in the chamber all cold and moist.
Jumping to my feet, I look out the slit of the door to see the sun setting, pinks and oranges covering the sky.
Thea and Ozzy were sharing their night together right now in a nice warm cozy room while dirt covered my face from laying on the floor and grit in my teeth when I clenched my teeth.
Knowing nobody was going to come until morning, I lay back on the floor, not daring myself to even lay a finger on that old stone bench for my own safety and to not loose the only food in my stomach.
It smelled even worse over there then it did by the door or in the center of the room.
Closing my eyes as that was the only thing to do, I decide to relive more memories-
The door opening makes me jump up in surprise and alertness, a guard with the same metal armor standing before me.
Well, guess I was wrong about nobody coming until morning...
"Estelle, you're coming with me," he orders through his helmet, the voice not being the familiar guard's from earlier.
Not arguing with his words, I walk towards him and fresh air, taking in deep breaths of it as he gripped onto my arm.
Looking to him once I get my lungs cleared out, I draw my brows together in confusion.
"Where are you taking me?" I wonder.
He doesn't answer, instead he lifts me over his shoulder and starts walking towards the second gate that lead right to Alpha's Headquarters.
Sighing, I see him carry me all the way to the main doors and open them to reveal the same decor inside which was many red carpet runners and chandeliers.
At this point, I'd rather be laying in that chamber with no worries of a guard carrying me to the unknown.
Going down a long corridor, we finally reach Alpha's resting room where he was lounging in a chair in front of a crackling fireplace.
"Thank you, Davis," Alpha says to the guard, not even looking back at us. "You may leave us now."
The guard places me on my feet and strides away, leaving me standing in the doorway alone.
"Come on in, Estelle," he tells me. "We need to speak about a few things."
I stride on in, going to take a seat into a sofa across him when he holds up a hand to stop me.
"You think I want your scum all over my sofa?" He questions. "Stand and take a step back, you smell like complete shit."
Sighing once again, I step back and look into his bright neon yellow eyes.
"What is it you may wish to speak about?" I ask him politely while trying to keep my calm.
He sets his glass of wine on a side table as he sits up straighter, his eyes dipping down my body.
"I don't know," Alpha replies. "How about you tell me. You're the one who thinks affairs are accepted in this committee."
"Who ever said-" I start.
"Saying things like that will only make your situation worsen right now," he slurs, sipping more wine. "Now tell me truthfully."
I let out a long quivering breath...
"Yes, I've done things in the past that I'm not necessarily proud of," I honestly speak. "But what does that matter?"
"What matters is that your release out of CottonWood will be probably close to impossible," he explains. "You've given your purity away which was only meant for your Alpha."
"It was already gone from Rangel," I argue.
"You disgust me," he replies, gulping his wine until it was an empty wineglass. "Davis, refill my glass sire!"
The guard comes stalking in and grabs the wine bottle off the coffee table to pour it into his glass. "Anything else I may help with?"
"Escort Estelle to the nurse's room down the hall," he says. "We've got some business."
"Yes sir," Davis bows politely, taking my arm in his tight grasp. "Does the nurse know of her arrival?"
The alpha sips more wine, his eyelids growing heavy under the the alcohol's influence.
"Of course she does. Don't question my motives sire," he answers, before Davis nods and leads me out of the room
Knowing he wanted me to get tested if I was pregnant or not, I fight in the guard's grip to only have myself picked off the ground and thrown over his broad shoulder before making his way down the dim hallway.
Punching his hard armor with fury, I get dumped onto a doctor's table that looked like a vet's silver counter for animals with a throbbing fist.
The nurse gazes at me with a warm smile on her lips. "Pleased to meet you, Estelle."
Not saying anything in response, she turns to Davis and he takes his helmet off to reveal golden locks that curled above his pasty ears and forehead with a sharp chin and chocolate eyes which said he was human.
The nurse didn't even wait to jump in his arms with her surprised face before pressing her lips to his.
"Davis," she whispers against his lips. "Oh, have I ever missed you so much."
"Not as much as I've missed you, my beauty," he kisses back, his arms hugging her onto his hips.
I take this time to stand from the counter quietly, tiptoeing across the room which causes Davis sets the nurse back to her feet and clutch onto my shirt.
"You're not going anywhere," he seethes, pulling me harshly back to the counter and lifting me onto it. He forces my whole body to lay down, holding me tight as the nurse pulls my dress up and spreads gel over the skin of my stomach before backing away to finish the procedure.
"Seems to be a little foggy," she says. "But I can make out an outline of a head."
Feeling my heart drop, I finally stop fighting Davis and lay back with my hands covering my eyes as tears threatened to stream my cheeks.
"I would say congratulations to you," she tells me. "But I'm afraid that this isn't any good."
I move my eyes to reveal my glassy red eyes.
"You can't tell him."
"Sorry, orders are orders," she informs. "I'm on the process of printing the ultrasounds off right now."
My life was now officially ruined more then I ever thought possible over my years living here...
I look to Davis and he watches her walk over with the ultrasounds, handing me a copy.
"It's a boy," she tells me. "If you were wondering."
I rip the copy and throw it to the floor.
"Just let me leave."
She nods and cleans my stomach off before I pull my dress down and stride to the doorway and turn back around.
"You just ruined my life," I tell her, hoping to make her feel some guilt as I'm suddenly caught by Davis.
"I'll escort you back to your chamber," he says, taking my arm as usual.
"Please just let me go home," I quiver.
Davis stops in the hallway, looking down at me with his dark brown eyes.
"You're not the only one on a thin thread," he speaks. "My love for Elise is dangerous just as your pregnancy with a different guy other then your alpha."
"What are you saying?" I wonder, not getting what he was trying to say.
"I'm saying that orders are orders and I must obey to them or else I get a beaten with my loyalty questioned which then my love for Elise will slip," he explains. "A guard and nurse can't find love."
"Just say I escaped myself and tell him about my pregnancy," I say. "He'll know where to find me."
"I obey orders unlike you," he replies, guiding me out the doors. "So, on that note, I will not let you go."
"Well, I'm sorry about this then," I tell him.
He gives me a questioning look before I uppercut him and kick him into the air like I was drop kicking a soccer ball before I took off.
Holding my dress up as I ran, I jump over the large gate and go straight for Leon's cabin.
Jumping on his balcony, I knock on the locked glass door frantically.
Seeing him pull the curtains back, he eyes me up and down with a concerned look before sliding the door open.
"Estelle?" He questions.
I lock the door when closed, closing the curtains just as frantically and turn to face him.
"What are you up to?" he asks, raking his hair out of his eyes.
"They're after me," I tell him so quick that he presses his finger to my lips.
"Calm down," he says. "Say that again."
Taking in a deep breath, I gaze up into his calming eyes.
"I escaped from the Alpha," I explain. "Beat up a guard. They're going to be after me."
"Why did you escape to come here?" he wonders.
I sigh, sitting down on his neatly made bed.
"Leon, I'm pregnant with your child," I tell him straight out. "Just as you wanted."
He doesn't look fazed as he comes over and sits next to me as it was all his plan to have this happen to me. He wanted to take me from Rangel for his last try to win me...
"I just wanted to tell you before I argue that it's Rangel's for my last chance to possibly leave this committee," I explain.
"Yeah well, just letting you know that I'll always be here ready to support your child," he assures. "If you do choose me over him."
I look at Leon.
"I'm not going to let you win this by you faking me on not using protection."
"I love you so much that I'd be willing to do anything to get you back on my side, Estelle," he tells me. "I miss you and I being together all the time. But, I'll let you go if you wish."
I kiss his cheek at his words.
"Goodbye, Leon."
"Goodbye, my little girl," he smiles, watching me exit through his door.
Sprinting to my cabin, no guards in sight of trying to recruit me back in, I easily make it inside.
"Estelle?" Luster questions from the living room recliner. "What the hell are you doing home?"
I don't even mind replying to him as I head up the staircase and to Rangel's bedroom which I slowly open.
He was laying flat on his back, staring at his ceiling with just basketball shorts on his tan legs. Avoiding from looking at his muscular stomach, he finally sits up upon noticing me.
"Es?" He softly says in question, rubbing his eyes to make sure I was truly there. He must've been thinking about me before my arrival.
Jumping to his feet, he comes over to me and swoops me into his arms to hug me tightly and full hearteningly.
"Did they release you early?" He asks, setting me to the floor and closing the door fully.
"No, I escaped," I reply. "Knocked out a guard."
That's when he rubs a hand over his face with a sigh.
"Es, do you ever want a true chance of leaving here?" He asks. "Because, if you keep pulling shit off like that, we're not going to go anywhere."
"Rang, more like I'm not going to go anywhere," I tell him.
"Are you trying to hint that you don't want me in your life?" Rangel questions. "Just say it."
"No, what I'm about to say will most likely cause-" I'm suddenly interrupted by the feeling my stomach spinning with pain to the point I fall to the ground in utter pain.
"Estelle!" Rangel exclaims, grabbing me and helping me to my feet which felt weak and my mind spins as I start to feel nauseated.
"I need to lay down," I moan in sickness.
Rangel lifts me and lays me on his bed which I curl into a ball as I start to feel the pain worsen.
"Es, what the hell is wrong with you?" He wonders. "You better explain real quick."
I somehow get control of the pain enough to sit up and meet gazes with him.
"I'm pregnant," I groan straightforwardly.
He gives me a look of complete surprise, coming over and sitting next to me to ask the most dreaded question...
"Is it mine?" He wonders with his words full of hope, taking my hands in his.
I feel a tear stream my cheek as all my mental pain came crashing down at the sound of the words, removing my hands from his.
"Rang, I hate myself for it," I whimper. "For letting him do this to me."
Rangel's expression turns cold as he jumps off the bed.
"When I think it can't get any worse with you two," he growls. "Right when I think that we have a chance, you go off and get pregnant?"
"Rangel, he did this so it would screw my relationship with you," I cry. "He did this to separate us awhile back when I was visiting him in his cabin."
"You want me to believe he forced you?" He bites out. "Because it's never like that."
I stand up from his bed, my dress sticking tightly to my stomach which Rangel notices as I walk to his bedroom door. My stomach was slowly gaining size as the days and months passed...
"I want you to believe I'm as shallow as I act," I reply. "That I'm not worth your time."
Going to open the door, Rangel places his hand over mine.
"Let me leave!" I exclaim, tears still running from my eyes as usual. "Sooner I leave, the sooner you'll be able to forget about me and this whole mess!"
He pulls me away from the door and up close to his chest which made me crane my neck up and look him in the eyes.
"Perhaps I don't want to forget about you?" He replies in question.
I take a step back from him and tug at the fabric of the dress around my stomach.
"Rang, I want to forget about myself," I tell him honestly. "I want to forget about my past and my now current choices that I'm making."
Rangel looks into my eyes with a pitying expression.
"I'll get you out of this," he coaxes. "I promise that to you, Es."
"There is no 'getting out of this'," I reply. "I'll be getting banished once the guard wakes up and informs the Alpha and-"
Rangel grabs my hips and lifts me to press his lips to mine, making me feel fire hot all over as he demanded me to kiss him back as he kissed with bruising force. Surrendering to his lips, I kiss back with my hands gripping his shoulders to keep my balance as he held onto me.
"None of that matters," he murmurs between kisses. "All that matters is that you're with me right now and nothing is interfering at this second."
I grin at his words, grabbing his blonde hair between my fingers and pull gently to cause him to kiss me harder. I growl pleasurably against his lips when it pained my whole mouth.
"Sometimes I wish it were easier to kiss you," I smile against his lips as I slip down slightly in his arms from him having to hold me.
he only smirks, following with a nip of my lip that made me whimper. Feeling him carry me to his bed and lay me down and climb over me all without breaking contact, I run my hands up his shirt to feel his hard muscles ripple underneath my touch.
"God damn, Estelle," he huffs, holding my hips down to the bed as he kissed me. "I've missed you so much."
"Oh, I wish," I smirk, fumbling with his shirt to have him lift it over his head in one swift motion and quickly reconnect our lips.
"You want to test that thought?" He questions with mischief, riding my shirt up and off after he pulls me upright.
I giggle, "Not when I'm pregnant, Rang."
He opens his mouth to speak but stops when shouting voices erupted from outside his bedroom door.
"Es, get under the bed," he orders urgently.
Not having to get told twice, I slide from his bed hastily and crawl underneath his bed. His weight sinks the mattress down a bit as he lays down, trying to act normal.
"You can't hide, come out!" A guy hollers, kicking down Rangel's bedroom door.
Rangel jumps to his feet as the guy stands in the doorway with black boots and in uniform.
"What the hell?" Rangel questions in anger.
"Don't act surprised, Stevens," the guy responds, stepping forward to be face to face with him. "So, where is she?"
"What are you talking about?" Rangel continues to act clueless. "First you break my door down and now your asking me a bazar question that makes no sense that you expect me to answer?"
"Call it bazar all you want," he says. "But, we both know that you know where she is."
"Is this about Estelle?" Rangel asks. "I thought she was in your chamber."
That's when the guy grips Rangel's throat, lifting him off the ground.
"You don't fool me, Stevens," he grits out in putrid, letting go of him to yell out to the others,"Search the area! We aren't leaving until we find her!"
Pressing against the wall to hide myself in the shadows, I see the guy's boots approach the bed suddenly.
My stomach dropping, I panic internally for an escape...
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