Eleanor POV

My heart raced against my ribcage as the car came to a stop inside the estate.

I knew that I needed to find my way out of here.

If the Alpha found out about my presence, then I would either be sent back to Elton or I would be killed. At this point, his killing me would be a lot easier to accept, but the idea of his sending me back to Elton worried me more than I could admit.

The man wouldn’t let me live for a second, and I knew that he would have realized I was gone by now. He wasn’t the type to leave me alone throughout the day, and if not him, then one of the maids who checked on me on an hourly basis would have reported that I was missing.

“Out of the car,” the man with the Russian accent said. My heart hammered beneath my ribs, and I took a deep breath before stepping out. My knees ached as I stood, but despite that, I made sure to hold my stance and remain upright.

Thankfully, no one commented on the smell of blood. I doubted it would last for long, though. I was just grateful that the leaves of the tree were masking my scent enough for them not to notice anything. Otherwise, things would have gotten far more complicated.

“Liana, these girls are to be checked, cleaned, and trained. Alpha Killian will give you further instructions on what he wants them to do later,” the man said, nodding at a woman who walked out of the house to meet us.

The woman looked at us, her eyes studying our expressions for a moment before she nodded in response. He walked back toward the car without saying a word.

“Come inside,” the woman said, and I looked down at my feet, not wanting to draw attention to myself. I needed to find a way to slip from their sight, and for that to happen, I had to be extremely calm and quiet.

We walked into the house in silence, and I couldn’t help but feel an ache in my chest. It was the same one I’d felt back home before leaving. Whatever it was, I didn’t bother dwelling on it as I spotted a hallway I could slip into. The house was crowded and busy, but keeping my head down, I walked through without saying a word.

The hall led to a staircase and an empty corridor that seemed to branch off on its own.

My hands shook as I moved toward it, not wanting to take the stairs for fear of the condition of my knees. However, my heart dropped when I heard footsteps and the sound of a man and woman talking. Panic surged through me, and I quickly rushed toward the staircase, knowing it was my only option.

“You know that I don’t like this, my love,” the woman said, her tone gentle.

“I know, but Killian has to be the one to decide what happens from here. We know that he’s working on kicking the family out, and we also know that this ‘treaty’ won’t last more than a day or two. The Bernardi family is not one to be trusted; however, your son is smart for letting them stay until the wedding ends. At the very least, we’ll know our enemies…”

I didn’t bother listening any longer as I slipped down the hall. It seemed to be a secluded area leading to another floor or a private apartment within the mansion. The scent lingering in the walls caught my wolf’s attention, making her curious despite her naturally cautious and isolated demeanor.

My heartbeat thundered in my ears when I heard a man’s voice behind me. Closing my eyes, I slipped through one of the doors—the only one open—revealing a bedroom.

“I want to know when you’ve found her, and I want her brought to me first,” a man said, making my heart drop. My wolf reacted instantly to his voice, and I frowned as my pulse raced.

I looked around, scanning my surroundings, before hearing footsteps drawing closer.

My hands trembled, and I felt my wolf grow even more anxious. She whimpered in fear, and I cursed under my breath before everything stilled for a moment.

“Fuck…” I whispered before slipping into the closet. It was either that or under the bed, and given that I could barely bend my knees—let alone put weight on them—I knew the closet was the better option.

I hid behind the dress suit jackets, gripping two of them as the bedroom door closed. My heart raced, and my wolf nearly whimpered aloud before I bit my bottom lip, forcing myself to stay silent. I took slow breaths, trying to calm my pounding heart and shaking hands.

Everything went still for a few seconds, and if it hadn’t been for the strong, intoxicating scent filling the room, I might have believed it was empty.

The bedroom door opened and closed again; however, I forced myself to remain quiet, focusing on my breathing and isolating every sound around me.

The moment of peace didn’t last long. The closet door opened, and a hand wrapped around my arm, yanking me out. I screamed before I could stop myself, and my emerald green eyes met silver-blue ones.

“Well, it seems like I’ve found the missing Italian,” he said, glaring at me. His voice was deep with anger and rage. My wolf whimpered in fear and pain, and he frowned before shaking his head and letting out a low growl. “Who the fuck are you? And what the fucking hell are you doing here?”