The Beast's Possession
42: He needs you.

**Aife pov**

"What the-" I didn't get to finish the question when a hand was slapped over my mouth and she shushed me.

"Don't let them know you're not alone. Just because he let you come here alone doesn't mean he actually let you. There's a man at the door, waiting for you. Whisper."

My eyes widened and shot to the door. Why did Bane think it was necessary to send someone after me? I told him I needed to use the restroom, not go on an epic battle quest.

As if reading my thoughts, she groaned. "Everyone here knows you tried to escape. And if anyone didn't know that, now they do. Alpha Bane sent him after you and announced that you already ran once so it wouldn't be a surprise if you tried the same thing again. That's why there's another guard outside, right under the window."

Slowly, she pulled her hand away from my mouth and whispered, "do you understand?"

I nodded, in true moron fashion. Of course, I understood what she was saying, but that fact alone didn't force away the confusion. How did she know all of that?

Noticing the puzzled look on my face, she offered me a gentle smile. "My name is Brianna, I was chosen by one of the warriors. He's the one who was sent to guard the door, and he also happens to be the one who sent me in to warn you not to do anything stupid."

"But why?" I managed to choke out.

"Why what? Why warn you? Why guard you? I will need you to give me a little more details if you want decent answers," Brianna shrugged. "Everything?"

She scanned the restroom and then sniffed it. "All clear," she muttered, more to herself and then, jumped on the sink top and grinned. "Warn you because we heard some bad things happened to you when you first tried to escape. Just because we're a part of this pack doesn't mean we condone the Alpha's behavior and laws. Why guard you? I think it's pretty much only so you couldn't escape. He needs you for something, we just haven't figured out what for." "Money," I muttered, tilting my head and glancing at the window. The only gate to my freedom, as risky as it was, was taken away from me for good.

"Huh? What do you mean? Not to brag or anything, but Alpha Bane has a lot of money. And I mean a lot - a lot."

Alright, now I had no ideas at all. I had no idea how wealthy Bane was, but judging by the look on Brianna's face, he was seriously loaded. But if so, why was he so pressed about the money Killian offered?

"But it makes no sense," I whisper-hissed, a little more frustrated than I should be.

"What makes no sense? You're a weird one, you say things without any context and expect people to understand you." Brianna huffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Stepping a little closer, I leaned in and whispered, "all this time I thought he was keeping me here because Alpha Killian offered a lot of money for me. I was supposed to get married to him after my twenty-first birthday. An arranged marriage of sorts, but from what I gather, even after he learned my pack was destroyed, he hasn't given up. He believes I am alive."

Maybe telling these things to a complete stranger was a mistake, but deep down, I hoped that Brianna wouldn't betray me. After all, unlike others, she came to warn me, not berate and ridicule me.

Brianna's eyes widened and mouth shaped a perfect 'o'. "What?"

Again, she looked around as if she still feared someone could overhear us. "Now it makes more sense. Alpha Bane and Alpha Killian are like the worst enemies ever. They go at each other's throat whenever they are in the same room. You're a pawn, just like we thought. For as long as Alpha Bane has something Killian wants and can't get - our Alpha is winning their childish war."

I rolled my eyes and groaned. These childish games weren't up my alley. I hated that two men had enough power to play with other's lives just for their stupid competition.

"We need to get going or Alpha will get suspicious. We've spent enough time here already. You go first, I will follow you soon after. Oh, and I will try to see you again whenever I'll have a chance," Brianna announced as she jumped off the sink top and started pushing me towards the door.

She was so quick and eager to get me out of here that I didn't get a chance to thank her.

As soon as she shoved me out of the door, I ran into the guard. "A firecracker my woman is, isn't she?" He chuckled and gestured toward the hall, waiting for me to walk away.

I nodded at him, muttered a weak, "yes, but I like her," and hurried away.

My mind felt as if it was stuck in a state of daze until I entered the living room again. Thankfully, there wasn't an orgy happening anywhere in my sight, but something had changed. Bane wasn't with his friends anymore. He was sitting on a sofa with a woman on his lap, the same girl that was covering away earlier.

The moment he felt my eyes on him, Bane gave me the smuggest shit-eating grin that I had ever seen. In response, I rolled my eyes and walked to the bar area to ask for some water.

Clearly, the asshole thought that I would act my part and pretend to be jealous. Honestly, I couldn't do that even if I wanted to. I was a shitty liar and everyone knew that, but when I was forced out of my comfort zone to fake emotions, my inability to act really shone through.

"What can I get for you, Miss?" The bartender asked the moment I stopped at the bar.

"May I get water, please? No ice, just water," I smiled, acting as politely as I could.

"Sure thing. One water, coming right up," he beamed and winked at me.

The next moment, he set a glass of water on the bar top and hurried away to offer his service to a few men that had joined my side.

Just as I took the glass and brought it to my lips, an arm snuck around my waist. "Why aren't you fucking jealous, princess? A woman was sitting on my lap. A woman that isn't you. Do you really care so little about me to choose a glass of water over your rightful place? Have you already forgotten that you are to become Luna?" Bane growled.

"I'm still too weak to get into arguments, can we please not?" I muttered and took a sip of the water, ignoring the curious glances from the bartender and the rest of the men.

"Just this once," Bane whined and buried his face in the crook of my neck.

Cold shivers ran down my spine. I hated it. Hated being touched by Bane, hated being near him, and even more - I hated the way he was acting right now, being stuck all over me like some lovesick puppy.

"If it's not too much to ask for, may I go back home? I know I'm supposed to be here, but I'm really not feeling well," I lied through my teeth.

Bane tensed and his hold around me tightened. He pondered my words for a little while until an annoyed groan left him and he finally released me. "Fine. But if you leave, I leave too. No objections."