Chapter Two
“Dammit, Andrea. I told you. Never speak unless you're spoken to!” The voice of Alpha Lorne, Drea’s father rang across the dining table, almost shattering the wood upon which the entire family's hands lay on.
Drea swallowed, the sting of her father's loud voice hitting her in almost every part of her body.
“This is probably why you don't have a mate yet. I guess no alpha wants a blabbermouth.” Alpha Lorne dug into her into more, much to the silence of everyone else at the table.
Drea, fighting itching tears, looked around the table at her brother, Heron, who could do nothing but shift uncomfortably in his seat. At her sister, Lilly, whose eyes remained glued to the food on her part of the table. None of them spoke up for her.
They couldn't. Her father was just that type of man. The revered Alpha who would go any length to curb disrespect. If they tried to say anything in contrary, he wouldn't waste any time punishing them for it.
“All I'm saying is if the Snow Pack are as dangerous as you say they are, why haven't they come for us yet.”
“Drea!” Heron whispered, warily, staring daggers at his unrelenting sister.
“You want to know why, you vermin?” Alpha Lorne said, the anger in his voice still more evident than ever. “Because they're biding their time. They're a ruthless bunch, the Snow Pack. They don't leave survivors. They didn't leave anyone alive when they invaded the Eastside. Every single pack there is dead.
“I heard the Alpha of the Snow Pack bathes in the blood of his enemies in his Snow Palace.” Lilly whispered, the shakiness in her voice, alluding to the fact that she believed what she just said. Drea gave her an amused expression.
We have to be ready for when they strike us.”
“Why would they strike us?” Drea asked, turning back to her father.
“I don't know, Andrea. Why does a ruthless and murderous pack of wolves do anything? For power and control, obviously!” Alpha Lorne said, his voice a hair short of a loud scream. “Do I really need to explain how this works?”
Drea felt her spirit recline into itself.
“The point is, that we have to be prepared. When the Snow Pack attacks, the lucky ones are the ones who die quickly.” Alpha Lorne continued. “We have to give ourselves some kind of fighting chance because if they strike, then God help us all.”
Like a fading dream, memories of Drea’s conversation with her father started to disappear into the darkness.
“Hello?”
The voice was distant and echoey, like a beacon, drawing Drea in. Was this a dream?
“Hello?”
The voice sounded clearer, almost closer to where she was. But where was she? All she could see was darkness. A large and stretched out pile of nothingness.
“Hello!”
She opened her eyes. The darkness was gone and it had been replaced by the curious and excited face of a young girl, not younger than her sister.
“Oh, good. You're awake.” The girl said, clapping her hands in utter glee.
Drea cocked her eyebrows as she began to gain sensation in other parts of her body. Her eyes grew clearer and her and so did her situation. She was in a bedroom—one that looked nothing like hers by a long shot. She was laying on the bed, feeling the soft cushion on her back. The walls around her were painted a sharp blue, a color that seemed to put her mind at ease for some reason when she knew, even in her half-delirious stage, that the opposite should be the case.
Her eyes settled on the girl before her one more time. She still had the gleeful smile on her face and for some reason, it did not exactly piss Drea off.
“Who are you?” She asked, feeling the words draw themselves rather slowly out of her mouth.
“I'm Rita.” The girl replied, her voice just as crisp and clear as it had been a few seconds ago. Rita was a bright blonde and her deep blue eyes seem to almost gain a life of their own. She had the same build as Lilly, except maybe slightly less refined.
Drea’s eyes left Rita again to study the room she was in. “Where am I?” She whispered, just loud enough for Rita to hear, and answer.
“Well, you're in the Snow Palace.”
“The Snow Pa—” Drea felt the words freeze unironically in her mouth. Oh God.
Suddenly, like the key to a locked vault, her memories started to kick in. She began to remember the events prior. The loud scream she had heard downstairs. The way she wanted to follow Lilly down to the living room but couldn't. The petrifying moment of dead silence right before he walked into her room. The unusual chilliness she had felt in his presence. The way his deep brown eyes pierced right into hers as he leaned down at her.
That was all she could remember. Feeling a fresh wave of the cold start to get to her, she sat up on the bed. Her eyes scanned the walls one more time for something she had seen before—the air conditioning. But it wasn't on.
So where was the cold coming from?
“Where am I?” She whispered again, turning to look at Rita.
Rita narrowed her eyebrows. “I just told you—”
“No, I mean where am I? Where is this place?” Drea asked again, grabbing Rita's wrists, expressing an inexplicable sense of urgency.
“Uh…North Pole.” Rita replied, mild fear written on her face as Drea tightened her grip around her wrists.
“North Pole?”
“North Pole, Alaska.”
Drea swallowed, slowly releasing Rita's wrists. She was far from home.
Really far from home.
“That'll be all now, Rita. Thank you.” A voice at the door called, shaking Drea out of her momentary reverie and Rita out of her fear.
It's the voice. His voice.
Rita made her way out of the bed and hurried to the door, giving Logan a quick nod before leaving the room.
Watching him lean against the doorway sent a fresh wave of chills down Drea's spine. He was
standing—staring at her, the mildest smirk on his face.
She wrapped her hands around her body, feeling her teeth start to chatter again. Logan frowned in confusion and almost immediately, the realization hit him. He walked into the room, towards the cabinet and grabbed what looked like a remote control. Drea continued to watch, her heart racing surreptitiously as Logan pointed the remote to the air conditioner above. He turned it on and a slow hum filled the room.
“Heating should kick in soon.”
He was in the same clothes he'd worn when she saw him in her bedroom. It made her start to wonder just how much time had passed since she blacked out.
Drea felt her skin jump when Logan turned back to the cabinet to return the remote.
“Relax. I don't have any reason to kill you. Not yet, anyway.” Logan said, his voice unwavering and confident.
Drea continued to watch him, unable to form words for some reason. He just killed her entire family. There was nothing stopping him from killing her too. She was on his turf. He had every single upper hand.
Logan stood before her, his arms folded. “I know you have a lot of questions but all I can say is, you're here because your brother is out there. He escaped before I could get him. And I need you. You know, as leverage if I ever need to get him.”
Drea’s heart skipped a beat. Her brother was alive. He escaped before Logan could get him. Something about that news filled some obscure part of her with immense relief.
But for how long? Knowing the Snow Pack’s reputation, Heron's only got just a tiny little bit of time left before they caught up to him.
“Now, all I need you to do—” Logan said, taking a step closer to her. “—is remain the good little hostage you are, right now. Don't give me a reason to kill you, Andrea. I won't hesitate.”
Drea swallowed. He knew her name. He knew her full name.
Words continued to remain locked in her mouth. No matter how hard she tried, no word would come out.
“Good!” He said, turning back to the door. “I'll have Rita bring you some coats, just in case. I'm glad we had his talk.”
Drea watched him step out of her room and shut the door behind him. Then, and only then was she able to breathe. She couldn't stay here. She didn't want to have to be around him. Not after what he'd just done to her father. Was her sister even alive? Did she manage to escape as well?
As the harsh chilliness in the room continued to dissipate, thanks to Logan's heating system, a new goal began to rise in her. She needed to leave the Snow Palace. She would need to be careful and resourceful but she would leave. She must find her brother and make sure he's never caught.
She must find a way to escape, no matter what it took.