The Girl Upstairs Part one - Kendric's POV

Once she’s gone, I feel something shift inside of me. I’m not sure what to think of her or the entire interaction. It seems like she’s a prisoner in this home and scared of what they might do to her.

I stare up the stairs at the attic door she fled to, my mind racing. Her scent lingers in the air, faint yet distinct, stirring something primal within me.

Who is she?

I only know of Jackson having one daughter. Not two.

Why does she act like a captive, always bowing her head in shame as if she wants to disappear?

Barrett came a few weeks ago, inquiring about Gabby as a potential mate for Waylen, but he had seen another girl. We were both confused about what she was doing in their home. But when Barrett asked about her, hoping to find a mate for me, Jackson said she wasn’t available.

Of course, I’m not looking for a mate, unless she is my fated and the one from my past.

While Barrett and Jackson are speaking to one another, I look over at Jackson’s mate and his daughter. They are both talking on the other side of the table, while looking over at Waylen every so often.

Sometimes Gabby looks at me, but I have no interest in her. She is nothing to me and never will be. Waylen may have her if that is what he and his father wish. I am only here to make sure my fated mate isn't here. I have already searched everywhere else, but here.

I’ve known her by many names. But this time, she has been impossible to find, like a shadow slipping through my fingers. Some nights, I’ve even wondered if she exists at all in this lifetime or if fate has stolen her away before I can reach her.

Yet here she is, right up the stairs. I can’t shake the feeling, the certainty, that it’s her.

From across the room, I watch as Millie leans toward Gabby, her lips moving quickly while keeping it to where I can’t hear. Whatever she says makes Gabby stiffen. A moment later, she rises from the table, her movements quick as she brushes past me on her way upstairs.

I shift slightly, angling my body to listen, trying to catch any conversation that may happen when that girl finds the one upstairs.

Her name is Valeria, I believe.

There’s something about her that makes me want to protect her from this family, but I can’t act too rashly.

Then I hear her somewhere upstairs. There is a sharp knock as I assume Gabby is standing at the girl’s door. There is a slight shuffle, as if someone had to move.

“Is there anything I can do for you, miss?” Valeria asks, which makes my heart almost stop in my chest.

Why is she calling Gabby miss? What kind of place is this?

“I’m not sure, Valeria. You see, I noticed that strange interaction between you and Kendric. He is quite handsome, but also way out of your league. Though he is not one of my suitors, I suggest you keep your eyes on the ground where they belong. You will be lucky and fortunate if my father finds a match for you, considering how low you are on the totem pole. Who knows? Maybe I’ll take Kendric as mine since you seem so interested.”

I suppress the urge to growl as Gabby speaks. From what I see, Valeria is a beautiful woman in her mid twenties. There is nothing wrong with her and she’s gorgeous. The only thing wrong is the rags she wears, along with the way they treat her.

I almost turn around, but Waylen catches me by the arm. When I glance back at him, he shakes his head while keeping his gaze focused on Millie. He has already caught on, just as I have, to what they are doing to the poor woman upstairs.

They’re keeping her as a slave.

“Yes, miss,” Valeria says from above us, but there’s a slight hitch in her voice, like the words taste bitter. “I know it is a long stretch for him to find someone for me.”

My heart tears apart. Just what have they done to her? What does she see when she looks in the mirror?

Does she think she’s ugly, and that no one will want her?

I hear footsteps moving in her room. I’m guessing Gabby is moving closer to her and I almost pull away from Waylen to go to her.

“Be glad my family took you in and gave you a home when you didn’t have one. If you didn’t have us, then what would have happened to you when you became an orphan? You should be happy to serve us for the rest of our lives as payment for saving you.”

“Yes, miss.”

And that is all it takes for me to snap. I yank my arm from Waylen and almost let out an audible growl.

But then I hear my name being called by Barrett.

“Kendric?” He looks at me as if he doesn't know what to say or do. I think he heard that conversation too, but he’s trying to make friends with Jackson.

“I’m fine,” I say, faking a smile. “Just fine. I think a fly buzzed right by my head and my wolf doesn’t like those.”

My attention is pulled back upstairs.

“Well, good. If you remember that, then you should do just fine. Don’t forget lunch is in about four hours, so you better have things ready by then,” Gabby says, this time much quieter, which means her father must have caught on.

I turn, only to see Jackson looking straight at me. He knows I’ve heard it.

My gaze narrows in his direction as we lock eyes. I don’t back down, which is a direct challenge, but he’s not speaking up to issue one. He knows that he might lose in a fight and doesn't want to chance it.

The air between us crackles with unspoken tension, but before it can snap, the sound of footsteps creaking down the stairs grabs my focus. Gabby.

By the time she reaches the bottom step, my patience is thin, and my body is wound tight with the urge to rip her apart. She barely glances at me in passing, then looks back at her mother, as if the entire conversation between her and Valeria never happened.

“I believe she is going to the market to grab some things for lunch. We’re in for a treat when she cooks,” Gabby says with a beaming smile.

Something tells me that the poor woman cooks all the time, but I know I can’t say anything. I need to know more before I do anything.