Claimed

Chapter 5: Setting things straight

CHAPTER FIVE:

SETTING THINGS STRAIGHT

[SAVANNA HAUTE’S POINT OF VIEW]

    IT’S QUITE AWKWARD, to say the least. Inside Alpha’s room were three buff men waiting for what seems like our arrival. I would like to say that they were awaiting for the Alpha’s arrival alone but by the way that they were looking at the door seemingly look like they were nothing but kids, and dropping their jaw upon seeing a glimpse of me—I was for sure that they were waiting for me too. Their eyes glistened in disbelief upon seeing me and after a moment or two it transformed into what seems like joy.

    As soon as their eyes landed on mine, they seemed to be pleasantly surprised. Like it was something out of the ordinary or something they just couldn’t believe was actually happening. It was like as if they were expecting me, but still not entirely sure as to what they were about to see—or if I was real. 

    That very idea must have been a reoccurring thing here for that had been what people had been doing whenever they would be noted of my appearance. Some would even stay still, like they did not comprehend my mere existence.

    People gawking at me seemed like a reasonable thing here—maybe because I am new in the place. I wasn’t really sure.

    The staring was quite intense that even if I am absolutely overwhelmed with the beauty of this place, I couldn’t help but feel the burning gaze from the people around me. It was that severe that it was able to cast me out of my comfort zone. Makes me feel like people were judging me—for a while, I have been used to people looking at me.

    Even if my mother told me countless times that they were nothing but people who only wanted to get a glimpse of me, I always thought of bad things as the reason why they give their attention to me. My father, bless him, would always say that people were always quick to hand out insecurities to people because they see something good in that person.

    That way, whenever someone would offer me a glare or two, I would to think twice before thinking bad of how they see me—rather feel bad that they had to double guess themselves and judge me for what they see lack in them.

    Still, once in a while—I feel like a sliver of uncertainty visits me.

    Makes me wonder if something’s wrong.

    Feeling quite uncomfortable with their stares, I instantly moved one step back. It was like an act of instinct, one that I couldn’t help but act upon. I then stilled as a hand brush my back, preventing me from continued on moving backward. There were no denying that it was Alpha, as only he seems to have the power to have a touch that would send sparks all through my body.

    With a slight caress to calm me, he then says, “Refrain from staring too much, normal people gets uncomfortable with those.”

    Alpha bites back the words behind me, letting the three males cough as they try to look anywhere else but me. A little apology came from them though, which was enough to make me chuckle but I suppressed them. They seem like three people who had been caught doing something bad and now doing everything they could to play it off. Even then though, the man behind me seem to see it as a good thing.

    Satisfied with the result that he got, Alpha took his time to walk straight in front of where I was. With his tall and muscular build, one could saw the hours he had spent on the gym. That, of course, gave me a spot to hide just right behind him— not like the attention that I was getting.

    “So it’s true? You finally found—”

    “I suggest you hold your tongue,” he muttered, a sigh escaping his lips at something that these men were doing. I am not quite sure what it is, but he seemed extremely bothered, “We’ll talk about that later. My request already came through as the twins gather everyone. We'll try to fix everything that's been a mess here.”

    “Alpha—”

    “Now, delta,” he ordered, making me shudder by the tone of his voice.

    My eyes shot up upon feeling that he looked back at me, a cringed escape through my lips upon seeing the displease in his face. There’s just something unnerving about this man that I couldn’t help but flinch back. He seemed intimidating and not just because of his body and how he was built—but also because of how he talks. Alpha has a way that makes you fear him, and I see it as a bad thing. While it was true in a way that you needed some dominance when you work—you won’t have to do it all the way. Doing that only puts you in a position where every single one of your workers just see you as a man who is above them—nothing else.

    He must be lonely. 

    “They’re still cooking your meals, do you need some rest?” He asked softly. I was struggling to pick what to do that it was taking me a lot of time to offer him a response. Alpha's eye never left mine, waiting for my answer to form. When it took more than minute, only then did he offer another thing that I could do, “or you could try ringing your father, if you want to be sure as soon as you could.”

    I automatically nodded to his latest suggestion, “I’ll go and call him if that's okay.”

    “That's okay, tesoro,” he agreed before digging his phone out of his pocket. Alpha was fast with opening his phone and clicking on the contact that he has of my father, “Call him then.”

    A frown etched on my face upon seeing the contact name of what I thought was my father, looking at the man with a frown, “This says father.”    

    “That’s him.”

    “But...” I trailed, still not pressing the call button, “I wanted to call my father.”

    “That is your father, Valir,” he answered.

    My hands looked around the phone to see if this was my phone—for there is no reason that he was to put this contact in my father. It’s not like he’s—I gasped, looking at the man who was looking at me with curiosity in his eyes.

    “A-are you my brother?”

    He laughed, shaking his head in disbelief, “I am not, tesoro.”

    I tilt my head, confused at his answer but I do see the clear difference between him and my father. There is no way that he would have another kid another than me—it was obvious that I was the only one of his child. The man seemed to realize what was going into my mind so he grabbed his phone and seemed to messed with something.

    “Maybe this will clear who I am,” he says seconds before handing me his phone.

    Confused, I took my time to look upon his phone. His laughter soon followed a couple seconds later, as if he was expecting me to react just how I did. My cheeks tinted into nothing but crimson upon seeing the newly added contact name for my father.

    Father in law.

    That’s what it now says.

    “Now, what does that suggests?” He asked, raising a brow in my direction.

    I looked at the man before me, seeing nothing but perfection. While it was true that he had me breathless from only seeing him—I was confused why he was giving me this so much time and investing ways to have me if I wasn’t kidnapped.

    His touch was unlike any other too, making it feels like warm and subtle sparks that would surround our body. It makes me question as to who he was to make me feel things that are absolutely foreign to me—and why does my father trusts him into handling me?

    That was my main concern.

    Father never really trusts anyone when it comes to taking care of me. He was known to only trusting himself whenever it involves me. So one might wonder why my father gave me to him.

    The fact that he has my father’s contact was already a clue that he didn’t kidnap me, for it was quite unlikely that he’s handing his phone and allowing me to call my dad at any time that I want. He'll be a terrible kidnapper if that's the case. 

    Which brings me to a question that has been bugging me—who was after me?

    “Savanna,” I jumped upon hearing his voice, surprised to see that he was already on the other side of the room. He was standing beside a comfortable looking couch, one that seems to be calling my name. He then pointed into it, “Take this seat while you make your call.”

    My eyes followed the men who were still present, “I don’t want to intervene.”

    “It’s not for debate, Savanna,” he responded.

    “Oh,” I replied with a smile, hurrying to his side, “Thank you, I guess.”

    Alpha only nodded his head before walking to his desk, one that isn’t that far to where I am. It was still enough though to give me some comfort into knowing that I will have the privacy into talking with my father. It gave me the perfect sense that they really weren’t out to get me.

    For who in the world is a kidnapper who would make me wants to talk to my father and gave me some privacy—none, I tell you. The men that were present on the room was now giving him the attention that he needed, not once did their attention swept back into mine. There was enough space between us that I couldn’t hear them talk but enough to have his eyes cast on mine.

    It was quite awkward.

    “Alpha? How can I help you?”

    My father’s voice rang through the phone, automatically spreading a smile through my face. He had always been the source of my happy place. Father is my happy pill. A caring father who offers everything that he has for his children. Me. 

    Judging by the tone of his voice, he wasn’t worried or in a state of frenzy—which then makes my accusations of being entirely wrong. They were not kidnappers. I felt terrible by judging them, but then, those two men did show up with guns. 

    Not all the fault goes entirely onto me.

    But I do still have errors. 

    “Father,” I replied softly, “It’s me, Savanna.”

    “Savanna, is anything wrong, sweetheart? Did you arrive safely? How was the flight?”

    My lips pursed, frowning at the thought, “What’s going on? I thought someone kidnapped me or something.”

    “Kidnapped? Where did you get that idea?” he asked with what seems like confusion.

The very tone that he had seemed to have snapped something inside me, as if unleashing something that I wasn’t even aware of. For a moment there, it feels like something from within me surfaced having me little to no control over my anger.

    “Well,” I dragged, sitting upright to get everything out of me, “First! Mother was in a hurry to send me off with a driver named Santiago. She was talking so cryptically and forcing me to leave on my own, forcing me to hide behind the groceries. They told me that someone was after me and then out of nowhere, our tire busted and then two men with guns suddenly came upon us!”

    “What?” He sputtered loudly, surprised. 

    “Yes! And then I—” my rambling stopped upon realizing that my voice was already quite loud, gathering the attention of the four men who are currently present in the room. A small smile slipped through my lips, chuckling the embarrassment that I was feeling, “I’m sorry, I can go—”

    Alpha shook his head, stopping words midair. I was about to continue talking with my father when he stood up, looking at me with an eye that seemed cold, “Santiago? How does he look like, Savanna? Is he pale? Has a bruise on the side of his lips? Brown eyes and an accent?”

    “Yes, that’s him. Mr. Santiago.” I responded softly.

    The room became eerie; even my father burst out a small curse on the other end of the line. He rarely cusses when I am in the place, seeing that I don’t particularly like it. He muttered something that I didn’t quite understand but he seemed really disturb and so does everyone else on the room.

    Alpha, being an able man, grabbed one of the folders on the table before browsing upon it. He took a couple seconds, maybe a minute before he ripped a picture and walked towards my direction.

    “Is he the man in the picture?” he asked, handing me the very same thing that he had ripped.

    I frowned as I received the picture, seeing that it was Mr. Santiago. I think? I have seen and talk with the man to know what he looks like. However, instead of a normal man who seemed antsy and a father material—the image that was in my hands was a menacing man who was wearing an orange suit.

    An inmate.

    It is tagged as someone dangerous, pilled between someone who they needed to kill in sight. 

    The man seemed like a complete opposite of what I have seen in the car. I could see the anger and hatred in the picture, but when he was with me, he seemed entirely genuine and safe to be with. He seemed like a gentle soul in reality.

    My lips pale upon seeing the reason why he was put into jail. It wasn’t really hard and for the first time, it would seem like I understand why he seemed different from reality.

    Below the line of his offense were listed things such as: grooming children, r**e, murder and k********g.

    “This is him,” I confirmed, with my hands shaking.

    “Jordan, call up the twins. I need them to confirm something for me,” he muttered as softly as he could, but I could see the struggle in his mouth. Even if he only called one name to fix something, all of the males present in the room left. It was taking him a considerable effort not to scare me off. Alpha then offered his hand, “do you mind if I talk to your father for a second?”

    I frowned, “But I—”

    “Sweetheart, let him be. I need to clarify something from him too,” Father muttered on the other end of the line.

    “Fine,” I grumbled before handing him the phone.

    Alpha didn’t even bother to make me hear what they were talking about, making it his way to speak as he silently as humanly possible. He even walked to the other side of the room as his mouth moved. There is no way that my ears couldn’t even hear a single thing, and his face isn’t showing much emotion to know if what they heed is good or bad news.

    They were talking about my safety.

    I have to know what’s bothering my well being.

    Deciding to listen to what was happening, I stand up to where I was seated to move towards Alpha. His brow rose to my very action, slowly letting his lips curving into a small smirk upon waiting for me to reach his place. I was slowly losing confidence upon seeing his face in a more closer distance. It feels like I could feel faint upon being this near to his face.

    “Can I help you with something, tesoro?” He asked with a grin.

    “Yes, I want to hear what you’re telling my father,” I answered, my eyes hazy with how handsome he was in this little of a distance.

    This man has these hypnotic eyes that would have any female bending into his will. He even has the power and the money—I am sure that many women are in his disposal. Almost as if in instance, all the confidence within me diminishes.

    There is no way he’ll put some interest in me.

    “Is that so?” he asked.

    “Yes,” I muttered, nodding my head.

    “Too bad,” he grinned, handing me the phone, which was already disconnected from the call, “Your father already ended the call.”

    My eyes rolled, crossing my arms just below my chest, “I deserve to know what’s happening. You can’t exclude me on this one, whatever is happening—I have to know about it.”

    “You’re right, you do have to know about it,” he agreed, pushing himself out of the wall to close the gap between us. I gulped when he moved his face close to mine, making me see the clearer version of the beauty of his eyes, “but today isn’t the right time.”

     “What if they—”

    He chuckled, shaking his head at the thought that was supposed to slip from my mouth, “No one can lay a hand on you when you’re in my domain, Tesoro. You can make sure of that. Only someone who has a death wish would enter my land.”

    I could feel his very breath into my own face, his lips was dangerously close to mine and I am sure that my cheeks are already showing just how I was feeling to this very thing. Alpha, however, only offered a smile in my direction, which was enough to possibly make me swoon enough.

    “Tesoro?” he asked.

    “If that’s the case, then how come I am not allowed to know?” I asked, snapping out of it.

    His lips pursed into a smile before handing me the phone, “I tell you what. Talk to your father. If he agrees to say to you whatever is happening—I will tell you everything you needed to know.”

    “Really?” I smiled.

    “Yes,” he nodded, crossing his arms, which let me see just how big his shoulders were, “If he only agreed, tesoro.”

    I nodded before grabbing the phone out of his hands, “That’s easy!”

    Alpha shook his shoulders before urging me to call my father back. The man seemed confident about my father's decision, but he doesn't know how much my father adores me. He never really rejected anything that I offer to have. It took only a couple of rings before my father answered it; his tone was just like how he responded before.

    Respectful.

    “Daddy, it’s me again!”

    “Daddy?” He asked, followed by a chuckle, “do you need something from me, Princess?”

    I bite back my lips, looking towards Alpha upon realizing that he caught me. I was expecting to see the smug expression in Alpha’s face; it surprised me when he seemed extremely focused on my face. The man was clearly searching for something, I just wasn’t sure what.

    “It’s just that I wanted to know why Mr. Santiago—”

    “No,” he answered back.

    Smiling, I looked back at Alpha to change my father’s words, “You agreed? Thanks, Daddy!”

    “I didn’t agree, Savanna. He wouldn't tell you anything as this is a touchy topic,” He responded.

    I didn’t even listen to his words; I just continued pushing up a smile to my lips. If whatever was happening is dangerous, I am more than eager to know, “I’ll tell him right away that you agree—hey!”

    Alpha blocked my hands away from him when he snatched the phone out of my grasp. When I was close to grabbing the phone, he didn’t find it hard to catch two of my hands and wrapped it behind me, clearly leaving me immobile. When everything was done to his disposal, he then loudly verifies my words to my father.

    Soon enough, a chuckle escaped through his lips before mouthing a soft “roger” to my father. I can't believe he did this to me. 

    He shook his head, eyes shining in nothing but entertainment, “It’s not a good thing to lie, tesoro. Your face says it all: I can’t lie for myself.”

    “Yeah, yeah,” I dismissed his hands before pushing up the phone back to my ears, “You both suck, Father. I just wanted to know what’s going on. I never want to worry about what’s happening.”

    “You don’t have to know, Savanna. Alpha will take care of everything, trust him, and you’ll be okay. I wouldn’t let him take you in his care if I didn’t believe in his ability,” Father responded, his words were as proud as they could be.

    I looked back at Alpha and wondered why Father put so much trust to him. Father never really believed in anyone's ability, other than himself. He always tells me that the safest place that I could be was on his side. Until now, at the age of 21, I trust his words completely. 

    That is why I never really liked having bodyguard—not only do they risk themselves for you but I only trust my father enough to have the capability to make sure that I was safe. Even with my father’s old age—I know that he was capable of making me safe.

    My chest heaved up a sigh, “Okay, father. Please take care of yourself.”

    “I will, princess. Tell Hendrix to update me as frequently as he could.”

    I nodded, even if he couldn’t see me, “Okay, but who’s Hendrix? So far, I only know Alpha and his goons.”

    Alpha chuckled, along with my father. The Alpha was looking at me like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It was my first day here—do they expect me to know everyone already?

    I’m not that socialite!

    “He's the man in front of you, the one you call Alpha,” father responded.

    My eyes followed Alpha, frowning at what my father just said, “I thought your name is Alpha?”

    “My name is Hendrix Ivanshov,” he muttered before offering his hand, “I have to apologize for not introducing myself, tesoro.”

    “My name is Savanna Haute,” I frowned.

    He nodded, “That’s what I said.”

    “No,” I frowned, “you said—”

    “Are you not going to shake my hand?” He asked, lifting his hand to the level of my eyes, “I am getting tired of waiting idle here.”

    “You’re quite bossy,” I grumbled before touching his hand.

    A small gasp escaped through my lips upon feeling a shot of electricity between our hands. It wasn’t something that will have someone to feel like they thought they were electrocuted, per se. Instead of that feeling, it makes you feel something that I couldn’t quite comprehend yet. My body feels hot almost all of a sudden and judging by the smile in his face—I could say that he had noticed it.

    “I have to go, sweetheart,” Father’s voice woke me up from reality, “I still have something to fix. Please be safe, okay?”

    A smile slipped to my lips, “Of course, Father. I love you, take care!”

    “VALIR! WHERE IS—”

    The call ended, making me look back at the phone in confusion. I was sure that it was my mother’s voice that I just heard, and unlike my father, she seemed extremely mad at something.

    “What even is happening?” I asked, exasperated.

    Hendrix looked at his phone, “Something wrong? Did he lose connection?”

    “No,” I responded.

     When the door opened, showing me the two guys who were with us earlier. Along them were the three men who were in the meeting with him—I wasn’t even able to explain everything to Alpha. It wasn’t like they would be telling me things, anyway. 

    Due to my father's trust with this man, I am willing to offer him the validation that he needed at any single time. I will trust him wholeheartedly, too. That was fair for my father as he always tells me that safety comes from two people—that means that Hendrix needed to know my whereabouts in order to keep me safe. He was supposed to take care of me, so I will make sure to tell him every single detail that he needed. 

    “Red, did you let Santiago off the hook? Have you gone mad?”

    A frown formed on his lips, pointing towards me with a small smile, “The Luna offered me a deal, Alpha. We’re supposed to let him go in exchange for her.”

    "Luna?" I frowned, looking at Hendrix with a face matched with nothing but confusion, "Just how many nicknames will I have in this place?" 

    He snickered, shaking his head, "Just those two, tesoro. Tell me if someone else calls you in another name, and I will end them." 

    "That's quite intense for a call," I replied with a frown.

    Hendrix disregarded my words, looking back at Red with a dangerous emotion plastered into his handsome face, “So, you really did let Santiago off the hook?”

    “I did,” he responded proudly before a small smile slipped his lips, “but… I did leak the information to the Alpha that was residing there.”

    My eyes glazed towards him, “We had a deal!”

    “I’m sorry!” He raised his hands in surrender, not really knowing what to answer anymore, “I did let him go as I promised. You didn’t say anything about letting someone else handle it. The man was bad news, Luna.”

    Hendrix shook his head before messing my hair, “He’s a bad guy, tesoro. It’s a good thing he’s being handled.”

    “But—”

    “But your food is already here,” he cut my words, taking me out of the talk, "We'll talk for a while as you eat the foods that were prepared to you." 

    I sighed, "Hendrix, I want to be there when my safety is on the line." 

    "They prepared baked salmon," he says.

    My eyes sparkled in nothing but joy, "You are right. I will only intervene in your meeting." 

    Hendrix chuckled before dragging his men out of the office, which was a surprise for me. I didn't have another say in the arrangement, as I smell the food entering the place; it was only then doing my thoughts about the problems dismissed and smiled. I was ready to eat this whole thing.

    Even then, however, my thoughts dived back to Mr. Santiago—to see files of him being a bad person, why did I was sent to his disposal? Did my own mother wanted me to become a person he should kidnap or she just didn’t know better? I wasn’t entirely sure what there is to believe. I wouldn’t think that my own mother would do things to make things on the bad end for me.

    “Tesoro?”

    “Hmm?” I asked, swiveling back to the direction of the only person who calls me that. There was worry evident in his face as I asked, “Is something wrong?”

    “I should ask you that—what’s on your mind?”

    There are many things that I was thinking at this very moment—I just wasn’t sure what is there to believe and what isn’t. However, my mind does drift into things that are practically crazy so I was sure that there is no way that my mother put me in a position that she knows wouldn’t end well.

    “Tesoro,” he called again with a voice so gentle.

    Instead of facing him to where he was seated, she was surprised to see the man kneeling before him. His face was fixed with an emotion that speaks of nothing but worry, which she is nothing but grateful for. It would seem like the only person she could rely to was him—alone.

    “Tesoro, what’s on your mind?”

    I frowned, relying my words, “Do you think my mother knew who Santiago is?”

[THIRD PERSON’S POINT OF VIEW]

     frowned upon hearing that from his mate, now knowing what was bothering his mind. While he doesn’t understand why Sylvia was to set his mate with someone dangerous—he was worried she would have a time to think about that.

    Savanna seemed like a child who seemed so naïve about thing.

    If she was to know that in a way, her mother had put her in harms way—she would be devastated and he didn’t want her to feel a thing that was related to that.

    “I don’t think so, tesoro,” he muttered—the lie tasted wrong in his mouth.

    Even if he was to give Sylvia some slack, it was clearly impossible for her not to know who Santiago is. The woman knew everyone who belonged in the paranormal and Santiago is a visible example of that. No matter how may times he wanted to give Sylvia a chance—nothing was adding up.

    She frowned before asking him, “Are you just saying that to not make me feel bad?”

    She is smart.

    “I believe your mother loves you, tesoro,” he addressed with a smile.

    “Thank you,” she smiled, patting his head.

    The man was surprised to the action—never really knowing that she would do a thing like that. His wolf feel like she was patting him for being such a good bye and an animal that he is—he wanted more. Hendrix knew his wolf well and he knew that the beast always hated to be petted—apparently, not for their mate.

    “You are most welcome,” he offered, standing up from his position.

    There were arrays of food in her disposal but she still didn’t have anything removed from any platter. Everything was all rice and some salmon and chicken—the woman didn’t need that. With a single call from the chef, it rushed to his side.

    “Do you need some deserts, tesoso?” he asked, looking at her.

    She smiled, nodding her head before blurting out her own menu, “Just some hazelnut latte and a cheesecake.”

    “Of course, Luna,” the chef smiled before disappearing.

    Hendrix now knew why his mate smells of one thing—hazelnut. It was the first thing that he had smelt and until now, it was mixed with the smell of pine. The very scent of her was heaven and he couldn’t wait to be cuddled between such lovely scent.