CHAPTER 10

I keep staring at the man who is directly looking at me as my back presses against the head of the bed.

He is seated, holding a black book and a pen. He shuts it and turns to face me, his black eyes meeting mine. Especially when he tilts his head just a little, it makes me uneasy. His gaze never leaves me. I don't care if they are two black tunnels leading to hell or heaven; they make me want to go there anyhow. They sparkle brightly. wherever it may be.

I choke as he continues to stare, unsure of what to think.

Instantly, his features shift, and he sits up straighter.

He says, "Good morning," out of the blue, letting a strand of his beautifully curled brown hair fall into his eyes. I am mesmerized by his hair as I watch him push it back. I can't help but stare at the spirals of curls that cover the top of his head, just above his ears, and the area just over his shoulders. My lips continue to separate for no apparent reason.

He waits because he believes I want to speak. When I don't, he keeps talking.

Saying "I'm sorry if I startled you," He apologizes, and I'm not sure what to say in response given that he did shock me. Do you mind, though? No. But should he be aware of that? In my opinion, no.

I respond, "Who are you, and where is Tinley?" instead.

Tinley, whom I had met yesterday, is definitely not in this room as I search around for her. The vintage sea-green wallpaper, the chest at the end of the room, the table, and the chair this man is sitting in are all more visible now that the room is well-lit by the sun. He is dressed in black jeans and a big white shirt that wraps him from his neck to his wrist.

The door opens before he can respond.

Both of us turn.

When Tinley and a girl enter the room, they both appear surprised to discover this man seated on the chair next to me. Tinley has softer features in the light. Her hazel eyes sparkle, and her face is tiny. Today, she is wearing a blue and white striped dress. It is a straightforward dress with a long row of vertical buttons running down the middle that, as usual, falls to her ankles. The dress doubles as a pinafore, so she also wears a long, white shirt underneath it.

But the girl next to her has long white tunic top, loose black slacks that dip at her ankles. The sleeves naturally end at her wrist and she also has a medial row of buttons running down the length of the tunic, but they are loose rather than tight. In addition, she is wearing a large black shawl over her shoulders that reaches from the back of her thighs to the nape of her neck.

Why is no one wearing bright colors, and why are they wearing the strangest outfits I've ever seen? Blue, white, and black are all I can see.

Tinley, the girl, and this man silently stare at each other without saying a word, yet their faces twitch in various ways as if they were conversing. Nessa must have forewarned me about this. Now that I am watching it unfold in front of me, I'm actually creepier than before.

Tinley and the girl nod and walk away before I can ponder any further. I close the door and the man comes back to face me.

"What made Tinley emigrate?" I stare at this man from the door and ask, perplexed.

He responds, "I asked her to leave," and I deliberately widen my eyes in response.

"How did you manage to do that?" My bones begin to ache once more as I ask a question that I already know the answer to in a higher-pitched voice.

He gives me a wary look but says nothing.

I'm scared by it.

"How did you do that and why?" I press my inquiry toward him and ask it again, this time louder. "Who even are you?" I shout.

I have wild eyes when I stare at him because I don't understand what's happening and I detest being perplexed. At this point, I'm not even pretending. Dammit, I just want him to get to the point! Why the hell did Tinley leave us alone together? Who the fuck is he? What the fuck is he doing here? I neglected to introduce myself," he begins, watching my movements with great attention. My name is Storm, and I'm the pack's alpha.

"Storm?" I sputter something startled, but he raises an eyebrow, and I stop. Oh my god, Ava! He shouldn't be aware that you are familiar with him. I sit up more upright to fix my mistake! "Alpha? What on earth is an Alpha?

In an instant, Storm's brows wrinkle, and he grips his black book.

Hence, we have the infamous Alpha Storm. I'll give him that; he is extremely attractive. His tangled jumble of hair and intriguing black eyes are my favorites. But gosh, that indicates that I am standing right next to a lion. I'm at his house. Oh, this explains it all! He has to be Tinley's relative!

He speaks, somewhat hurriedly, "Tinley informed me that you apparently don't know who you are," "You appeared severely injured when the farmers brought you to me yesterday. You were severely beaten, according to the healer I had look at you. While she was applying some herbs to you, you were unconscious, and everyone I asked about you just had no idea who you were. You were discovered close to their border, so I even dispatched guys to the Blue Water pack to inquire about you, but nothing happened,"

His posture straightens out. I stay silent and make an effort to control my facial expressions, which causes them to writhe in further uncertainty with each new statement. My wrists and arm have some purple bruises on them.

"Your situation is odd because it's impossible for you to have originated from either the Blue Water Pack or the Sapphire Pack based on your clothing. Their women don't wear these kinds of clothes, I think as I lift the blanket to check my yellow sundress, which ends just before my knees and has sleeves that fall just past my shoulders. And yuck! I detest yellow so much! Why didn't smug Nessa just choose a red dress? My sexy side is not brought out by yellow! Because of your attire and the fact that I have been attempting to create the mind link with you ever since you woke up, I am certain that you are not a member of my pack.

You can't be a member of the Goldstone pack, though, as I don't believe they would have permitted you to leave their walls.

I comprehend his meaning. The Goldstone pack is the biggest pack, and as a result, they have a stupid caste structure and a disproportionately large number of destitute people. The former Alpha of the pack built a gigantic ass wall around the pack to keep everyone in and restrict access since those folks would risk their lives to leave. In essence, you are not allowed to enter or leave that pack without proper papers, identification, or a letter of invitation from someone who resides there. They are extremely strict about who enters and leaves. Truly, tyrants. Even though most Alphas are autocrats, that pack goes beyond all reasonable bounds.Perhaps they actually did let you out of that pack. No scenario can be ruled out. Since Maddox's pack appears to be the most likely to be yours given your attire, I dispatched someone to ask him about the three packs that border mine. However, if you are a member of the Goldstone pack, I have no idea how they were able to free you; alternatively, you were robbed and all of your goods, documents, and identification were taken; or, in the worst situation, perhaps you were abducted. I say, "Kidnapped?".

It's just a thought, but I'm trying to figure out exactly where you come from, and I'm just at a loss. I have no idea how you would have crossed two packs to wind up injured and battered in a cornfield with my pack with no shoes or things if you aren't from Maddox's pack,"

I slap my forehead. This Alpha Storm member is thoughtful. How did he manage to analyze so much in just 24 hours? I'm perplexed.

Do you really have no memory at all? He asks, turning his head to the side and looking directly into my eyes. I return the gaze. I fight the need to squirm and turn away from his domineering gaze but I push myself to look back. Probably because he has an Alpha personality, he intimidates and agitates me. But I can't look away for fear of giving him the impression that I'm lying. I am, yet we proceed.

I shook my head and lay down.I tried all night to remember who I am and being in this strange room made me feel uneasy, but no matter how hard I try, I just can't remember anything and it just makes my head hurt a lot, like right now. I don't know what else to do so I keep trying but it's just not working,"

My eyes begin to tear up, and as they continue to do so, I simply shake my head in agreement while gazing intently into my hands. When I glance up at him while crying, he has softened eyes of his own and appears lost. He appears to be trying to soothe me, yet he restrains himself.

He puts his hand on the bed and says, "Calm down, don't cry," and I sneeze loudly. "I swear to you that I will do all in my power to identify you and return you securely to your family. He sighs, "I can't fathom how concerned they must be about you. "At least, do you remember them. like even the smallest thing about them?"

As I shake my head and act like nothing is happening, more tears start to fall from my eyes. Storm, you came to a dead end with that one because my parents went away when I was seventeen. A handkerchief is pulled out of Storm's pocket and offered to me.

I see tears! The secret to winning any man's heart is sweetness. If you offer a man the trickiest math problem, he'll figure it out in a minute, but if you give him a woman who is sobbing, he'll fall apart in a matter of seconds. At least I now understand one of his flaws.

Storm's attention immediately shifts to my hands when I reach for the handkerchief. Only after lifting the handkerchief to my eyes to dab away my phony tears via sniffles do I realize what his eyes had caught.

Assassin ring I wear.

Could I see that? He curtly inquires, pointing at my ring, and I immediately take my hand back to indicate my denial as anxiety quickly rises in the pit of my stomach. I slap my forehead. Fear of being discovered immediately sets in. I am unable to pay to remove my ring. If he demands me take off my ring, I'm done for. I'll cry a million rivers if I have to, but this ring won't be coming off.

I'm not taking it away from you, so calm down. I simply want to view it. He smiled a little and extended his hand. "I swear, I won't accept it. You can rely on me.

I reluctantly lay my left hand in his right palm, folding my fingers to prevent him from removing it without my knowledge. His eyes are examining my jewelry critically as he gaze down at it. He has a firm palm.

He releases my hand.

"I'm curious as to what the 'A' on the ring represents. Your name, perhaps? He muses out loud, and I look down at my ring to see why he believes it to be a "A" rather than a "R." I am so appreciative right now that the italic was carved so that, when viewed from a different angle, it appears more like a "A" than a "R." But I'm still bothered about something.

"What?" I enquire as I resume wiping away my tears.

He wipes his chin and says, "It just doesn't make sense to me why your ring wasn't stolen," while I watch him suspiciously. "This ring is made of pure gold, so why didn't whoever did it take your ring too if you were beaten and robbed like I initially thought you were? Strange," he remarks, and I turn back to my ring.

For his own good, Storm thinks far too much.

He adds, looking me directly in the eyes, "I still don't know what to think, but I will figure this out and take you home. I will also find the one who hurt you."

He gets up and smooths out the inconspicuous creases on his jeans. I raise an eye to him.

"You are welcome to stay in my pack and in my house till then. We'll do everything we can to ensure your comfort and speed up your recovery. I'm hoping your memory returns soon and that you'll fully recover from any injuries.

He nods and says, "Thank you, Alpha," as his eyes flit to the door.

"I'll get Tinley to give you a massage and make you a bath. Make yourself at ease.

Before he walks away, he smiles at me, and I chuckle within. Please don't be alarmed, Storm; I will make myself quite cozy.