GIVEN TO THE TWIN ALPHA KINGS - Chapter 13: Chapter 13

Delaney
My stomach was rumbling after every minute while nausea crept up. I had locked myself up in my room since the previous day when I cut my finger, hiding like a coward. The alpha kings had attempted to get me to open the door countless times until they just stopped. It was almost 7 a.m. when Maribel's warm voice seeped through the door into my room.
"You need something to eat before you faint," she said, after knocking softly on the door.
"I'm not hungry," I grumbled, another rumble sounding.
"Your stomach says otherwise." She let out a light laugh. The smell of sausages and toasted bread wafted through the door into my nose, making my mouth water.
"Alright, I am a little hungry," I admitted, pushing myself off the bed to let her in.
"You know," she began, handing me the tray with the array of dishes. "You can't keep this hidden for long," she whispered, pointing at my open cut.
"Sshh," I hushed, looking over her shoulder into the hallway. What if Ronan or Kai were listening in?
"They are not around," she revealed.
"When will they come back?" I asked, shifting on my feet, her gaze directed on the cut on my finger. It was still open and red, a constant reminder that I needed to stay hidden until it healed.
"They went to see the healer over Lucy's death, so that might take them a few hours," she relayed, handing the tray over to me.
"You need to cover that up; I am not the only one in the mansion. Elias is around, and he asks questions more than I do," she stated, squeezing my right upper arm. After thanking her for the breakfast, she left, instructing me to take the dishes to the kitchen after I was done.
It took a few minutes for me to clear out the toasts and sausages and drown a bowl of chicken soup. I stretched, my muscles feeling sore from lying on the bed for too long. Maybe a walk outside at the compound would help clear the tension in my body and the thoughts in my head. Still in a pair of pyjamas, I picked up my phone and a pair of ear pods and then went down to the kitchen, humming a tune.
Maribel wasn't there, so I rinsed the utensils fast and headed for the front door. I was just about to open the door when it was suddenly pushed open, revealing Kai and Ronan. I froze on my feet, my heart's beat pausing for a second before resuming with such vigour. Had Maribel lied when she said they would take a few hours?
"Finally she steps out of her bedroom," Ronan teased, his eyes directed on my face.
"Look, we didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable yesterday," he added.
"Uncomfortable?" I asked, blinking.
"Is that all you can say after accusing me of murder, of being a witch?" My voice arose, taking a step back from the two men as they walked in.
"No one said it aloud," Kai joined in, his voice bored.
"You didn't have to! I saw the way you reacted, looking at me with a cold, calculating stare. All you could see at that time was a witch in your midst; the accusation was all written on your face." I breathed, a lump in my throat growing.
"What else were we supposed to think when you were the only new person in that run?" Ronan questioned.
"You cannot blame us for suspecting you. If you were in our shoes, you would have reacted the same way." The more they talked, the more they made it hard for me to swallow my growing emotions.
"I am not a witch, let alone capable of taking someone's life. If you brought me here under the guise of protection to mistreat me, then take me the fuck back home. I would rather deal with rogues than you two."
Kai was quiet, observing me, and when I looked at him, his gaze was directed to my left hand. Only when his brows furrowed did I realise that he was looking directly at my cut. I quickly hid my hand behind my back, my chest tightening.
"Let me see your hand," Kai instructed, closing the distance between us.
"Wh-y?" I stumbled on words, looking around for a way out.
"Don't make me ask again," he added, his voice calm yet stern.
"Don't touch me." Despite my resistance, he grabbed my wrist. I swear my legs turned to jelly at that moment, with my bladder filling up, putting pressure on my lower stomach.
I held my breath as he inspected the cut, a thin layer of sweat already forming on my forehead. "You are not healing. At all," Kai said as a matter of fact, his eyes narrowed.
"That's not normal." Ronan stepped beside him, his voice sounding a bit distant.
"It's just a c-ut," I stammered, attempting to pull my wrist from Kai's hold, but he only tightened it.
"Delaney," he called, holding my gaze. "Where is your wolf?" he asked, each word pronounced with such coldness that it chilled me to my core. A burn in my chest reminded me that I had held my breath too long.
"I..." My throat tightened.
"Shift, now," Ronan ordered, as his brother let go of my wrist. They stepped back, waiting for something that wasn't going to happen. I felt cornered at that point, gasping for air as the world closed around me.
I prayed for a miracle to happen at that time, for something, anything or anyone to rescue me. Seconds went by, the two alpha kings staring at me with such icy stares that left me trembling. Maribel was right; I should have told them instead of struggling to hide who I really was.
"I can't," I breathed, my voice cracking.
"You can't, or you won't?" Kai growled, the sound making me take another step back.
"I..." I swallowed hard, took a deep breath and uttered the very words I never thought I would in the presence of alpha kings.
"I have no wolf."