Chapter Eight: The Last Meal?

Enzo Ellios Skyler P.O.V

I was sound asleep when suddenly the alarm clock rang loudly. I just stayed in bed, I tried to reach for the alarm clock on the table to turn it off, but I just fell on the bed.

''Arghh! A bad day again!'' I groaned in pain when my back hit on the floor. I stood up while fixing the blanket and pillows that had fallen off. I heard a loud knock on the door and I didn't open it right away.

''B*tch! Open this goddamn door!'' he shouted as he slammed the door in annoyance. I was laughing at my hot-headed brother, I opened the door now and saw him standing while carrying his pillow.

''I told you to throw that alarm clock in the trash!'' Alas exclaimed and he slapped me using the pillow. I grabbed my big pillow and slapped him as well. Every morning this is our routine, pillow fighting.

He gets annoyed every time my alarm clock rings, he also wakes up in the other room. We stopped at what we are doing when we see Flynn standing outside the door. He was looking at us while he was taking a sip to his cup.

''It's too early, you two are already fighting,'' he said. Alas and I have settled, Flynn walks into my room and sits on my messy bed.

"Is Max awake?'' I asked. I put on a t-shirt and pajamas and tidied up the mess, Alas just leaned against the wall, listening to us.

''Maybe he's still asleep, let's just wait for him to wake up," he answered and he was suddenly dumbfounded, as if deep in thought about something. Assuming that it's about Freeda, he is concerned about that woman.

''What to do with that undercover? Who's name is Freeda? It's very dangerous if she runs away,'' Alas urged. I know that he's annoyed that we bring Freeda into our home, but we were surprised when Max changed his mind. We all thought that he would kill her last night.

''We can't do anything, but Max didn't do it for no reason, I just don't know why but he will take care of her anyways,'' I said. That's all I can think about why Max let Freeda live, he is not a fool to just do that for no reason, he will do something unexpected again.

''Have you met Freeda before? She looks surprised when she saw you last night, well she was very shocked when she saw our faces one by one,'' Alas said. All night Freeda was startled when she saw us all, Magnus and I had already seen her there in the building we were working on. I didn't know that Flynn, Jude, the twins, and Max also met her in the town.

''I didn't expect that she was that woman, I just saw her in town, near the plaza, she was crying that night because she lost a loved one,'' Flynn shared, he also finished drinking his coffee.

''Did you help her?'' I asked, he nodded as he sighed and smiled bitterly. He seemed embarrassed to say what happened, I could read in his mind what he didn't want to say. He was afraid that Freeda's view of him would change after what happened last night.

''Do you remember Luna again? In your actions, you seem to repeat the mistake you made before, I'm warning you, Flynn, stop it while it's still early, that's a trap for us,'' Magnus ranted, Flynn just nodded and stood up.

''I know, but I can't stop my heart from falling in love again, I can't dictate my heart, I can't control how I feel,'' Flynn explained, my eyes widened at what he said, I thought that he would avoid that incident, but it seemed like it would happen again.

When because of forbidden love, Flynn violated the golden rule. He loved a woman who almost ruined us, and that woman was killed by Maximus. We avoid loving a mortal, we don't need a mate, because our lives will be put in danger. Once they will know about our secrets, people will hate us. I am also afraid to fall in love, I have been hurt once because of it.

''Take that woman out from the basement and bring her to the table,'' someone commanded. The three of us were surprised to see Maximus standing outside, I noticed that he had just woken up. He may have overheard our conversation, well he can hear us even when we are far away, so we have no privacy.

''I'm going to take her out there,'' Flynn insisted, he was going to walk out but Max stopped him.

''Enzo will take her, you all go downstairs I have something important to say, '' he said. I nodded and Flynn could do nothing but come down. Max handed me the key, while Magnus went back to his room to get dressed.

I quickly went downstairs, when I came to the basement I immediately opened the door. I saw Freeda was still lying on the bed, I shook her on the bed but she was sound asleep.

''Freeda! Wake up, don't wait for Max to wake you up,'' I said, I patted her back but she didn’t want to get up. I heard footsteps coming down here, I saw Cassius, he was carrying a bucket and I didn't know what he was doing here.

''What is that? What are you doing here? I was just told to come here to get her,'' I said, I feel like he's going to do something bad, I know Cassius, he's the craziest of us all.

''So that you don't bother to wake her up, I will wake her up with this fresh cold water from the stream,'' he grinned. I was shocked when he suddenly poured it on the person who was sleeping in the bed, Freeda suddenly woke up from the bed while shivering in the cold.

''What the heck!'' Freeda shouted, I couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction. Cassius will retaliate, he hated Freeda so he can't be stopped from taking revenge. Well, he's a jerk.

''Finally, you woke up!'' Cassius cheered, he laughed but he was surprised when Freeda suddenly grabbed him, she would have punched Cassius in the face but she stopped when she saw Max and other guys outside the door. They were also surprised to see Freeda soaking wet, her hair was so messy that she looked like she was from a fight.

''Who removed the handcuffs? Did I tell anybody to remove that?" Max asked seriously, he looked at us one by one, Flynn walked inside and faced Max.

''I removed the handcuffs because it would be difficult for her to sleep on the bed,'' Flynn answered. He's not afraid, he is the one who always violates Max's orders.

Magnus took the handcuffs and put them again in Freeda's hands. She was just staring at the floor and had no emotion. I noticed that she's also pale, it looks like she will faint at any moment.

''Let's all go upstairs, there will be a meeting, and you're involved,'' Max commanded, Freeda just looked at him and said nothing. We all walked upstairs, I was the one holding Freeda to support her, Flynn was also on the side worrying about her.

When we sat down at the table there was a lot of delicious food lying around. Flynn is the cook here at home, he is the only one who is good at cooking. Everyone sat down but Freeda remained standing, because the seat was not enough, I just adjusted and let her seat on my chair.

Max was sitting on the other edge of the table, he was just staring at Freeda who was silent. Jude, Alas, Magnus and Cassius are already eating. I'm still looking for a chair to sit on, I'm already hungry. When we all ate, Freeda just stare at us.

''Don't be shy to eat, we are not that stingy,'' Max uttered. He also began to eat, it was very quiet and only the sound of spoon and fork was the noise to be heard.

''I'm not hungry,'' she replied. She just bowed her head as her hands were crossed, she was still shivering because of the cold water that Cassius had poured earlier. We suddenly looked at her when we heard that her stomach growled.

''Eat that, you might run out of rice,'' I said, I put some food on her plate, she gulped and slowly took the spoon. ''These guys are gluttonous,'' I whispered, I chuckled a bit when Alas glared at me.

As I continued to eat, I almost choked when I saw Freeda quickly swallow the foods, as if there was no tomorrow. She took two pieces of chicken and she was like our dog Hugo who gnawed bones as well. Looks like someone will add to the greedy eaters here at home. For sure, the rice will quickly deplete.

About three minutes later we all finished eating, we stayed at the table because Max had something to say. I just slowly put away the plates to be washed, I also got water for them to drink.

''Last night, if it weren't for your condition, I would have killed you right away. But I thought, you're still useful, so I'll just make you a maid here at home, no one will take care of my brothers so if you want to live, do whatever I want, '' Max said, his hands rested on the side of his big chair and his legs were crossed, he looked like a king.

He rules like a king in this house, everyone will follow him, when someone violates his rules, he will be beaten.

"W-what? Maid? I've worked hard all my life, then you will take me here as your helper? Are you kidding? If that's the case, I'd better just die. Thank you for the last meal," Freeda dictated, I stopped cleaning the table to approach her, I patted her on the back to tell her to just keep up with the conversation.

''We're just wasting our time with her, we're just going to have a big problem if this woman betrayed us,'' Magnus interrupted. ''Besides, we can't trust her, Max, she will only put us in danger,'' Alas added.

''She can stay here, I'll just make her a toy. Just in case, if you'll allow Max,'' Cassius joked, all of us glared at him, especially Flynn. We know what he means, and Max will never allow that. Freeda was angry with Cassius, she was holding a fork so I stopped her from doing what she wanted. I took it from her hand and she released it.

''If you would rather die than to do your condition, then I'll give you what you want, '' Max persisted, Max was annoyed with her behavior, he's bored with Freeda's attitude and mood, so he'll do what he didn't do last night.

''Give me the gun,'' Max ordered, and Magnus immediately gave the revolver to him. We all just looked at each other, Flynn was scared for Freeda, I was also nervous about what Max would do.

''Max, we are in front of the table where we are eating, will you stain it with blood?!'' Flynn demanded and Max glared at him.

''I-I'm leaving now,'' Jude suddenly spoke, our attention went to him, Jude doesn't speak every time we eat and he leaves without permission from Max, I also noticed that he is uncomfortable with what's happening in front of us.

''No one will leave, stay in your seats. Just look at this woman losing her life,'' Max said seriously, he put a bullet on the gun, we were watching him on what he does, I was restless and nervous, I have seen him kill someone many times but only now I was scared like this. I don’t know why I’m scared, but I just feel sorry for Freeda. I pity her.

''M-max, you can talk to her later, she doesn't seem to be feeling well,'' I said, I tried to stop him but he just glared at me.

''Shut up, go wash the dishes,'' he commanded and I just nodded. I looked at Freeda whose face was red, her eyes were already teary, her fists were also clenching, she wanted to fight but she couldn't, Maximus had a gun. With one shot of that gun, she would die.

''Stop it, Max, let her rest first, at least for a moment,'' Flynn leave on his seat and blocked her. He will be damned for what he does. Max gets angry when someone objects to what he wants.

''Go away, don't wait for me to get mad at you again,'' Max admonished. He sneered and shook his head, he restrained himself from exploding in anger.

''I told you to leave. Otherwise, I will hurt you too,'' he appeased, there was already a tension between the two of them, I couldn't do anything but watch.

''Kill me first, before you hurt her,'' he dictated, I can't stop them both. I looked at Magnus who was confused by what Flynn was doing, Freeda was just stunned and emotionless. She was exhausted and looked traumatized.

My eyes widened as Max pointed the gun at Flynn, they all stood up and stopped him. "Max! Are you losing your mind? He i's our brother,'' Magnus dictated, Max didn't let go, Cassius tried to grab the gun but we were all surprised when Jude grabbed it.

''Can you stop the commotion first? I can't eat properly, '' he said, he threw the gun on the table, Max looked at us one by one.

''You all object to what I'm doing now? Tss, for this woman?! Okay, I won't kill her, but don't ever let her escape, or else all of you will be damned,'' he demanded. He took off his leather coat, calmed down first, and looked at Freeda again.

''By the time that I catch you running away from here, I'll kill you right away, remember that,'' he threatened. He looked at Flynn, and I could see the anger in his eyes.

''We'll talk later, I'll be back in the evening,'' he added. They argued again so the two of them would fight.

Flynn just sighed and looked at Freeda. ''You alright?'' he asked. Freeda just shook her head.

''Get dressed first, then rest again,'' I said. ''I have some clothes in the bedroom, just give them to her,'' Jude added, he also left his seat and went to town again. That's how he is, he doesn't help me here at home, he prefers to roam.

In the morning, things didn't go well, especially in Freeda's life. Max already left, Magnus and Cassius followed him, we were left here, I approached Freeda and we supported her as she almost fainted. Fortunately, this wasn't her last meal.

But this is just the beginning for her, she will have a hard time because Maximus will be the one to follow.