The Tribrid's Mate

#3 The Hostage

After a long hot shower and thinking a lot about my situation, I felt better. In a way, I wondered if this kidnapping was a blessing in disguise. Now I won't have to return back and marry the greasy man. Also, Miss Benett wouldn't force Trixie. She would at least wait for some time or ask the old man to look for me. Even if she didn't, the man would look for her. The perverted rusty man was enamored with her.

When I walked inside my new room, which was much better than any place I remembered being, I couldn't help but look around. It had a large balcony, and they did not lock the door from the outside. I could escape anytime I wanted. But they didn't take any precautions. I wondered if they were careless with me. Maybe they were certain that this place was a fortress, and no matter how hard I would try, I could never escape it. It made me groan.

I was now in a bigger, much more comfortable room. But in reality, I was a hostage. I didn't know if it was my bad luck or a good one that I wasn't rotting in some dungeon as I had guessed initially.

I opened the cupboard. While I was bathing, someone had arranged my clothes in the wardrobe. Since my parents' death for the first time in my life, someone else organized my closet. I was scared that I would get used to this luxury and forget all about my escape plan. Were they giving water to the goat before butchering it? I swallowed hard when I suddenly felt like I was a goat.

I was relieved that they kept all my essentials and clothes. But I was furious when I could not find my ID cards, credit cards, and phone inside my backpack. I had figured out by now that he would have got my motel address from my backpack. He somehow had managed to get inside my room to bring my luggage.

What I could not understand was why he would do that. He was definitely a cold killer. There wasn't anything generous about him. He could have simply kidnapped me. Why risk delaying his escape because he felt the need to pick my bags? Was he really not that bad like Lucian said, or was she becoming soft because of this nice room with a view! It's not like they trusted her.

But then I facepalmed myself even to think he could be good. He kidnapped me. He killed someone in front of me! And those were truths I can not deny.

When I was engrossed in my thoughts, I heard someone knock on my door. I could not help but think they were too courteous for captors. I opened the door to find a beautiful woman staring at me with a generous, kind smile. The petite lady with amber hair was gorgeous. She had a gentle attitude, and her courtesy was over the top when I felt like she was treating me like some royal guest. Why are these people so good on the front when they kill and kidnap? Was there something I could not understand?

"Hi. I am Aria, Mathews ma- I mean partner." The beautiful lady introduced, smiling even more brightly at me as if Matthew and I were childhood friends. "Come, let's eat lunch. Everyone has already gathered."

"I am not going to stay locked in here?" I suspected.

"Why would we keep you like that? Come, fast, Milena." Aria said in a surprised tone, making me perplexed. What are these people? They are asking their hostage to join them for lunch. Why?

As Aria waited for me to do something, I wondered if Aria wanted to use the term mate instead of partners. I kept the odd thought to myself.

Aria seemed to be genuine.

I could not help but like her. Her smile was contagious, too. I smiled and followed her after introducing myself. The trip to lunch, rather brunch, was quiet.

As I saw everyone at the table and Aria, I could not help but feel jealous. They all were so beautiful. It was as if God created them on vacation. Why was he so kind to these people? I felt so ordinary and average as I looked down to glare at my calloused feet, playing with the hem of my tops.

I had wavy dark brown hair. And same dark brown colored eyes. How more monotonous could I get? I had pale skin that made me look scrawny. I was not too tall or too short. Average like anything else about me! I felt conscious and sad. There was nothing good about me.

"Are you going to stand there forever, Lena?" Aria chuckled, pointing to a chair next to her. She gave me a nickname without even asking if I was okay. But I could say nothing because all I could feel towards her were positive vibes. I sat next to her to have my first meal from yesterday.

By the time my stomach was half full, my concentration from food had already shifted towards other things that happened around me. Everyone was very cheerful and gossiping among themselves. But when my eyes fell on Lucas, I felt intimidated.

I noticed that he was looking at me from time to time. He was smirking or smiling at me with amusement as if he was some clown. I scowled. I felt as if he was enjoying too much watching me and my reaction. He found me funny. I felt disrespectful. I wanted to confront him, but I felt the need to intimidate him more. Tit for tat, yeah? I grinned, deciding to bring pressing matters to the table.

"Why did you kill him?" I glared at Lucas while everyone looked at me with big, wide, surprised, scared eyes.

Lucas was stunned for a moment. But he recovered fast enough, to my surprise. As he delved into his lunch plate, ignoring my question and me like we didn't exist, the others followed his pursuit. The only difference now was that a deafening, spooky silence wrapped the otherwise enjoyable lunch.

They were hiding something from me. I had to find it out.

**********

It had been days since the incident on the table. They invited me to have food with them. But now, I felt unwelcomed. They were kind and warm to me until I asked something about Lucas or this mysterious place.

I had tried to ask, spy, eavesdrop on everybody several times to find the truth. But no one seemed to care enough to answer me, or there was nothing out of place that could give me a lead. I even tried to escape a few times, but I couldn't even go beyond the main entrance every time. I got caught every time.

I had not seen Aria since that morning. For some reason, I staunchly believed that she was the only one who might answer me if I tried or help me with my escape.

I was beginning to doubt that no one was looking for me and Trixie was still a child to do anything. Maybe I wasn't as significant as I assumed. Or they still had not noticed it since I was on a trip for one entire week. I felt worried about Trixie. Why did I get kidnapped on the very first day?

As I looked beyond the horizon, I felt the need to stroll outside. I felt like it had been ages since I was out in the open and breathing fresh air. I ate better food, wore nicer clothes, slept in a more comfortable bed and a grander room. But my freedom felt alien.

I looked for Lucien. I remembered his introduction. After Lucas, he was the second most powerful person here. It took a lot of persistence and determination before I could get his permission to go outside.

I knew there would be someone or other watching over me now. But it wasn't important. I couldn't see them. So, it didn't matter. As a gush of wind brushed through my flowing wavy hairs, a smile folded in lips naturally.

I walked towards the edge of the cliff to verify if it was really what I had pictured.

****

Third-person POV

"How long do you plan to keep her here? It is not safe for a human to be around." Lucian probed.

Lucas put the pen down that he was holding while going through some files. He gave Lucian a scornful glare and scoffed. He was about to continue what he was doing earlier when Lucian dared to ask him again.

"It's not like if she tells about you to the police in her world, they will ever find you. You don't even exist there. Why did you bring her here?" Lucian implored. He needed some answers.

"You know, it wasn't the last time I had to go there. It was the first of many. I didn't want to be a suspect with my sketches floating around. Plus, Milena had seen me. Someone or the other would have found her, and I am afraid of what would have happened after that. It is safe for both our mission and her to be here." Lucas looked at Lucian with a frown. He wasn't going to explain everything. This justification should be enough to satiate his questioning mind for now.

"I guess so," Lucian sighed, still not convinced.

Lucas had a valid explanation, something so strong that no one can brush it off that easily. Lucian couldn't counteract that. Plus, Lucas's glowering eyes deterred his determination. With that, he left, leaving Lucas alone to ponder over the current situation.

Lucas looked outside the window at his workplace. Milena was standing on the grass stretch, looking happiest since she came here. It brought some calmness as a smile rolled through his lips on its own.

He sighed. It must be Lucian who would dare to let her out. But maybe it was wise. She will never be able to leave this fort without his choice.

When Milena basked in the fresh breeze as it ruffled her dense wavy hair, Lucas felt strange.

Honestly, even he was unsure why he felt the impending urge to bring Milena with him that night.