11. Belle

Ipretty much inhale my eggs and bacon, letting the fat and grease fill my body.

Francis never let me eat bacon. Anything high in fat.

He seldom let me eat meat.

But now I eat like I"ve never eaten before, and when my plate is empty, my heart cries.

Rian is right by my side, scooping more eggs onto my plate.

He looks at the other male, Leo. "Put more bacon on, Goddammit!"

Leo nods and gets to work, slapping down pieces of bacon onto a skillet.

Now the smell of fried bacon fills the kitchen again, and I groan, losing myself in the aroma.

Then I down my coffee, feeling the buzz immediately.

My first ever cup, and it is… something.

"Holy shit… You really are ravenous. When did you last eat?" Rian asks.

I wipe some scrambled egg from my mouth, wondering how best to phrase my reply.

I can"t tell him too much. No matter what, he cannot know about Francis.

None of them can.

The less they know, the better.

I will at least give it a few more days before I come up with a concrete plan of any kind.

I intend to find that little boy from my dream. I"m pretty sure he is real.

He has to be…

If he is, then he would be a grown man now. Possibly with a family of his own.

My heart pounds. I could be an Auntie…

I shake my head, helping myself to a third serving of scrambled egg.

I shouldn"t get my hopes up; I don"t even remember the boy"s name.

He may not even remember me. He may not even care.

No. He did care. He used to smile at me so sweetly.

I"ve read about sibling relationships in my books, and he always had that protective older brother vibe.

I always felt safe in his presence.

Not unlike how I feel around Rian…

However, that"s where the similarities end. Because there are other feelings involved with Rian, feelings that pulsate deep in my body, settling at the base of my spine.

It grows stronger whenever he stops beside me, and whenever our skin makes contact.

I find myself craving all of their touches, but that could be because I have been starved of love and affection for so long.

I can"t remember the last time someone hugged me, and I try not to tear up as Leo slaps down six pieces of bacon onto my plate.

Still, there"s no stopping the waterworks, and now I cry and eat at the same time, wondering how that is even possible.

How do I not choke?

Both men freeze at the sound of my crying.

That"s when Leo makes a strange sound like a bear. It"s low, vibrating deep in his chest, and I just stare.

He nestles down beside me, scooping me up onto his lap as he attempts to hand-feed me the rest of my eggs and bacon, and I"m not sure what comes over me.

The strange sound rumbling deep inside his chest lulls me to sleep, and I close my eyes, resting my head against his shoulder.

I could really fall asleep to that sound.

No man has ever held me like this before. His arms cover me like a blanket, and I lap up all the attention.

"It"s okay, kitty cat. Have some more bacon."

He cuts up the bacon, and now I wrap my mouth around the tines of the fork, groaning in deep satisfaction.

His purr turns into a low growl at the sound, and then he hardens beneath me, making me shudder in delight.

It feels so good to be coveted like this.

I just don"t understand why he growls like that. The gray-eyed male did the same thing in the woods, too.

I lift my head from his shoulder, meeting those hooded, chocolate-brown eyes.

Leo arches a brow in question.

Rian seats himself at the other end of the table, and I feel his affectionate gaze all the same.

"Yes, kitty cat?"

There Leo goes with the kitty cat again.

I"m no kitty cat.

Kitty cat makes me sound harmless and innocent.

I"m not sure what comes over me when I gaze at him. I have just never seen a face so exquisite before.

Leo really does resemble a statue, and finally, I reach my hand across and run my fingers over the sharp lines of his cheeks.

His eyes shutter at my touch, and not once does he bat my hand away.

He merely lets me caress his smooth, sculpted skin.

Francis never would have let me touch him like this. He would have punished me by taking away my blankets.

He may have even taken my whole bed.

But Leo looks as if he needs my touch like he needs his next breath.

That purr starts up in his chest again, and I finally remember what I wanted to ask.

"L-Leo?" I say, trying out his name.

It sounds good on my tongue.

Leo seems to agree as he whispers, keeping his eyes closed. "Yes?"

I continue running the pad of my finger around his face, reaching the cleft on his chin. "Why… how do you make that sound?"

He opens his eyes at that, and I gaze into those narrow brown slits. "What sound, kitty cat?"

I pause. "That low purring sound… like… like the kind a mother bear makes to her cub… And the growling…"

Finally, his eyes open all the way, searching my face. His mouth parts, and then he looks across the table at Rian.

I follow his gaze.

Rian looks at me just as dumbfounded, his brows creased in deep concentration.

He leans his chin in his hand. "He"s an Alpha, Belle… They all make that sound when they"ve…"

He doesn"t finish his sentence, the penny seeming to finally drop.

His face blanches, and then his eyes widen. The green catches the light. "Shit…"

I stir uncomfortably now. "What… what is it?"

Rian is too lost in his thoughts, reaching up to rub his temples. "This… this is bad…"

"What"s bad?"

I glance at Leo, but he can"t seem to stomach looking at me either.

However, he never takes his arms from me. He keeps them wrapped around my body, as if trying to keep me safe from the world.

I lick my lips. "Please… tell me…"

Rian gazes up at last, biting his lip. There"s no missing the guilt on his face. "Belle… how much do you know about our world?"

Is that a serious question?

However, when I think about it… not much.

I spent my life in captivity. First, at the Facility, and then with Francis the moment I turned eighteen.

The only other life I remember beyond the gilded bars of my cage was the life of that sweet, curious girl. The one who used to run up the hill with her big brother.

I give him his answer. "Nothing."

Something comes over Rian"s face, and I try to decipher the emotions.

Anger, guilt, sympathy?

Finally, I slip away from Leo"s lap, needing the space to breathe.

Now I fold my arms, hunching my shoulders as I prepare for the worst.

This will hurt, but I need to know.

"Tell me everything…" I say.

Both Rian and Leo look at me startled.

I suck in a breath. "Please, I… need to know…"

How else will I survive out there? I need to know what faces me in the real world when I finally leave.

Even if the knowledge will shake me to my very core.

Rian sighs, standing up. He steps up beside me, taking my chin in his hand.

"You best sit for this…"