Of course, he won’t respond, but he leads me to another room. I smell something burning as soon as we enter. In a big and modern kitchen, Tonia is busy cooking, with a frown on, but smiles as soon as she sees us.
“Hi, baby girl!”
“Tonia, what are you doing?”
The smell worries me, so I go over to where she is indeed burning some sausages. What a mess... I take over by reflex, and she only seems too happy to let me.
“Sorry, I wanted to make breakfast, but I really suck at this...”
“It’s okay, I can do it. Can I borrow some things?”
“You can take whatever you want, Nora, go ahead.”
I quickly grab a few things I can find in all the cupboards and the fridge and decide to make an omelet with mushrooms and the sausages I could save from Tonia’s attempt.
Bobo hungrily watches me through the whole process.
“If you start drooling, Bobo, I’m not cleaning!” Tonia says.
While the siblings argue, I can only enjoy this fantastic cooking space. Everything is brand new and top-notch material, too! I’ve never cooked in such a big kitchen before, though I’m only cooking for three. I’m done soon enough, and we can finally sit to enjoy it. I was kind of hoping Bobo would shift to eat on the table with us, but as usual, Tonia just puts his plate down on the floor for him.
“Go ahead, you piggy. Thank you for this, Nora. I knew you liked cooking, but I didn’t know you were that good! Where did you learn?”
“My father taught me when I was young. I just loved cooking with him, and after he passed, I just kept cooking for the pack, so...”
I drop my fork. The pack! How could I be so stupid and mention the pack now? I was so happy with my cooking, I forgot to stay on guard. Tonia looks at me, shocked.
“So, you do belong to a pack!”
I gasp, not knowing what to say. Of course, it’s too late to lie now. Gosh, I’m an idiot! Even Bobo stopped eating. He starts growling. At first, I think he might be angry at me, but then Tonia slams her fist on the table, making me jump. Why couldn’t I shut up...?
“What sort of pack is this! Nora, I examined you; you were abused for years! And your fucking pack never helped you?”
What can I say now? I just stay quiet and bite my lip, confused about what I should do. I can’t tell her that my pack was abusing me! She looks so mad, and I’m terrified about the consequences if Damian knows about this. But Tonia is all agitated now, and Bobo won’t stop scrutinizing me either.
“What’s the name of your pack? I got two words for your Alpha!”
“Tonia, I... I’m okay!”
“Okay? Don’t tell me you’re okay, Nora, do you have any idea how long your medical chart was?”
I shake my head. “It was because I was attacked the night before, Tonia. Otherwise, I’m okay, it’s just... I got scolded a few times, that’s it.”
She suddenly gets up and exits the room, not the slightest calmer. When she comes back, she has a couple of pictures in her hands, and she shows me. They’re pictures in black and white, and I recognize the entrance of the hospital I was at. The caption is yesterday’s date. Were these taken from surveillance cameras?
“Who is the guy at the help desk, Nora? He was looking for you; he gave your name to the secretary but ran when we arrived.”
I look more closely at the photos. That individual is wearing a dark cap covering his face, but I can recognize the cap itself. It’s my brother’s. Is that really Alec? The size and shape of the silhouette look about right. Alec was looking for me? Why? Was he concerned, or...? I shiver. Tonia is waiting for my response, and so is Bobo. I sigh and put the pictures down on the table.
“That’s my brother... I think.”
My answer surprises Tonia, but she calms down a little.
“Your brother? Oh, you did mention you had one. Well, it seems like he is looking for you. Do you want me to find him so you...?”
“No!” I screamed. The siblings were startled, but now they’re both looking at me with surprise. I don’t want Alec to find me. That’s the main reason I agreed to stay locked in this hospital room before–I was scared.
“Nora? Nora, what’s going on?”
