Abdo gently nudged the blonde girl, who had been sprawled on the frigid, unforgiving floor for some time.
"Kareen, wake up," he urged.
Yet, the girl remained unmoving, her actions unmistakably signalling one thing: she was deliberately avoiding Abdo's call.
“Did you really kidnap a blonde?” queried Hunter.
“No,” Abdo replied, “We accidentally brought in a new dilemma.”
The sound of a chair creaking echoed as a girl finally opened her eyes, inhaling deeply.
“Can I speak now?” she inquired.
The others turned to Kareen, thinking it was her, but I recognised that voice better than my own reflection.
Chanel.
She propped herself up, exhaling heavily as she surveyed the room until her gaze landed on him.
Rum.
Determined, she rose from her seat and strode toward him, poised to ask him her questions or unleash her fury, whichever was the best option.
"It seems like you five are preoccupied, so let me get straight to the point,” she closed the gap, “In five sentences or less, I would like to know why my sister is in this palace and who these other people are?”
"Haven't you been trying to find her?", He growled, folding his arms on his chest, "Say thanks first".
"Mr Rum", She said, so close they were barely any distance, "I said I would like to know something, I am still waiting".
Tears flowed from my eyes as I watched.
This was the Chanel I knew.
Rum turned Chanel towards Hunter, "That man and the green-haired pretty one standing next to him. They brought her here". Then he turned, whispering in her ear.
"Unconscious".
Chanel turned to them, she appeared confused.
Till her gaze then fell on me.
About time.
She turned to me and laughed walking closer, "You're so lucky you're alive".
"I really am", I replied.
She hugged me tightly, almost engulfing my skeleton too.
"Two hugs in a day, it's a first for me", I added, trying to hug her back.
She pulled back slightly, "Who else hugged you?. It better not be one of these unknown zygotes?!", she said pointing at the two men who just stood by the corner quietly.
Hunter.
Alpha.
Abdo and Rum had kept their focus on Kareen, trying to get her to open her eyes at least.
Rum was coming up with the ideas...which kinda showed why she hadn't woken up yet.
Chanel, on the other hand, was questioning each and every one of us.
"Would you mind introducing yourself?", She persistently interrogated Hunter.
She stood barely inches away from him, she said it helped her feel intimidating... even if she knew she wasn't.
But the closer she got, the more I noticed.
That Hunter was tall.
Hinter placed a hand on the back of his neck, thinking.
"Um..I'm her mentor, I guess", He said, terribly unsure, even I felt disgraced.
"Mentor?", Chanel replied. "Are you the force that pushed me back, in the woods?"
Hunter's eyes flew back to the moment, his moon had knocked a girl unconscious back then... she was a threat.
"Yes, sorry", He said, his body instinctively shifting back a bit.
"And what in the world gave you the right to choose her?", she asked, obviously angry.
"Where did you even come from?, Sprouting out like some weed and just taking my sister?. WHO IN THE WORLD DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!", Her veins joined her anger, simply dancing to the rhythm.
"I didn't force your sister.", He said, his hands trembling, Chanel's voice was as life-threatening as it sounded.
"We simply made a deal".
I turned Chanel a bit, letting her look at me, "I did choose by myself. If he can live up to expectations, then I'll let him be my teacher".
Chanel calmed herself down, allowing those veins back in. "And these 'expectations' are?"
I laughed a bit and turned to him, "He's an Ischgein, He says he can teach me the spin cycle in two days".
She looked at him a bit before facing me, "So he's just delusional?"
"Yeah".
"So he'll never live up to your expectations?"
"Prob".
"And the one with green hair who doesn't talk?"
I chuckled. "Alpha, that's his name. Don't question it".
"He's just a friend of the brown-haired one, Hunter Ischgein".
Chanel extended her hands towards them both, she was still a bit angry, but she could calm herself now, "Ni-
A sound stopped her in her tracks, the sound of laughing and begging mixed together.
"Stop it, Stop it, My eyes.. My eyes are open", The person croed, laughter in between each word.
And a 17-year-old blonde girl was the victim.
Rum finally stopped tickling her, brushing off dust fromthe feather with attempted elegance.
"This place", He whispered, "is clean".
"Sure thing, Merlin", Abdo said, helping Kareen up.
"How do you feel?", He asked her.
"Kidnapped".
Rum stole a pen and paper from Abdo's desk, writing things down.
"Ask along, Abdo", Rum smirked, "I'll be taking notes".
Abdo sighed and looked at Kareen's hands.
"Kareen, you attend N's&R, right?"
She shook her head, "Till you let me go, I won't tell you anything".
Rum raised an eyebrow, "If we let you go, then how would we question you?"
"I just need some information", Abdo told her. "You'll be put out of here as soon as possible".
"And I should believe you, why?"
"I'm really sorry to say this, but you don't have a choice," Abdo said. "So, can you please hurry up and let me know?"
Kareen knew she didn’t really have any options. The guy she had dealt with earlier was right there, and his friends might even be more intimidating.
"I’ll play along with your nonsense, but just so you know, I won’t let anyone get away with anything easily."
Abdo sighed, "Sure, Ma'am. Now, can you just answer the question?"
She nodded, "Yeah, I go there. What about it?"
"Well, there’s a dream—" He paused to shake his head. "Dreams at your school."
Her eyes widened, "Dreams? What kind of dreams?"
"Pleasure," Abdo replied, "And the unknown."
Kareen stammered, "I—how do you even know about this?"
I enjoy soaking up new information daily. Is that enough for you?" Abdo said, glancing at Dove and the others.
Kareen had more to add, but since Abdo had changed his attention, she just ended up standing next to him.
How did he even find out?
Abdo moved toward a white room, apparently searching for something.
Before long, he came back with four identical books, giving one to each of us—me, Chanel, and Alpha.
"Hey, why didn't I get a book?" Hunter began to whine, but Abdo simply ignored him.
He walked over to the elevated surface at the counter.
"Get ready, you three," he said with a grin, holding up his own copy. "You're about to join N's&R.