The hybrid's harem

After the talk in Jonathan’s throne room, Eleanor instructed his guards to show her to one of the rooms in the packhouse. She was untied but remained confined for the rest of the day. The next day however, Jonathan gave new instructions. She had the freedom to move around the compound, but under surveillance. It was his way of showing good faith so that she could see he did not want her as a captive but as a partner. To Eleanor, it was the perfect opportunity to get a lay of the place. She would quietly accept his hospitality while plotting how to take him down and communicate with the others. However, her attempts to reach out to either Henry or Sophia through mindlink were futile. Walking around the packhouse, she noticed that it was full of the white oak smell she had detected before among the rogues who had attacked Darkfall and also from Jonathan when he infiltrated Blackstorm. Did it have other purposes besides hiding their true identities? Was it the reason she could not communicate with the others? If that was the case, she had to find a way to contact her people. It wouldn’t do her any good if she discovered something that could help their war against Jonathan only to be unable to let the others know. She knew it wouldn’t be long before Henry found out about her plan and decided to come looking for her. So she had to get a message to them so they could know she was alright and patiently wait for her instructions. She made her way out of the house and onto a courtyard she had spied from inside. Once again, she tried reaching out to Sophia, but she could not make a connection. She focused on a group of girls who were sitting at one corner of the courtyard, chatting. As she got closer, she realised that one of them was Nessa. Eleanor had thought that she would be locked up in a cell, so she was surprised to see her there. Even better, she looked well. She was wearing a pretty sundress and sandals, her hair brushed over her shoulders. There was no sign of the injuries she had received the previous day. Quickly, Eleanor crossed the courtyard. Nessa saw her and turned to her with a big smile. She walked away from the other girls and approached her. “Eleanor!” she greeted her happily, “It’s so good to see you!” Eleanor blinked. This was not the kind of exchange she was expecting. Just yesterday, the girl had been crying as she got whipped mercilessly. Why was she laughing and going on as if nothing had happened? Eleanor reached for her hand and pulled her farther away from the others. “Are you okay?” Nessa nodded. “I am. Jonathan is taking good care of me.” Eleanor’s brows twitched. “He is?” “Yes. He is my mate.” Nessa giggled as her cheeks blushed. “I’m so happy. I didn’t think I would meet my mate so soon!” “What do you mean he is your mate?” Eleanor demanded, getting more confused with every word that left the girl’s mouth. “He kidnapped you and tortured you. He is not your mate!” “I can feel it,” Nessa said, her eyes shining with ecstasy. “It’s the best feeling ever! My wolf also responded to him. I have never felt something so powerful like this. It’s an amazing feeling!” Eleanor was growing increasingly worried about Nessa. What kind of poison had Jonathan fed her to make her think like this? It was as if he had brainwashed her! “She is not the only one,” one of the guards who were trailing her closely disclosed. “All the women here are his mates.” “What?” Eleanor whispered, looking towards the girls Nessa had been talking with earlier. How could that be? There were so many, more than ten! How could a hybrid have so many mates? She had once heard of a werewolf with four mates and that in itself was a rarity. It was not common for werewolves to have multiple mates and it did not make sense for a hybrid to have so many. As she assessed the girls, three of them broke away from the others and walked towards her. Their eyes were full of jealousy and loathing as they sized her up. They stopped in front of her with defensive postures, as if they were facing their biggest enemy. “So you are the new one,” one of them said, crossing her arms over her chest. “The new what?” Eleanor asked. The three girls snickered. “Don’t act innocent,” the second one said. “You must think you will replace us.” “What’s your name?” Eleanor asked the girl. “Where did he find you?” “Why do you want to know?” she asked. “Do you think you can spy on us and talk trash about us to him so you can be his new favourite?” “Whoa,” Eleanor exclaimed, “I’m not here to replace anyone.” As she looked at the girls, her concern grew. Some of them looked so young, as if they had just undergone their first shift. Had Jonathan abducted them from their packs the same way he had done to Nessa? What was he using to control them so that they all believed they were truly his mates? Because she knew that was a load of bull. The more she found out about him, the more sickened and disgusted she felt. She could not wait to make him pay for every little evil thing he had done. “Seriously,” she said when the girls kept looking at her suspiciously. “I did not come here to make enemies. I just wanted to find company. Jonathan brought me here against my will and I don’t even know where I am. I’m not his mate.” She hoped she could make friends with the girls and have them open up about where they came from. If they had been there long enough, they could even share some useful information. However, she had to be careful. Seeing how devoted they were to Jonathan, she had to find someone who was not entirely under his spell. Otherwise, the wrong person would reveal her moves to Jonathan. “Really?” the first girl asked. “Really,” she confirmed. “I have no interest in Alpha Jonathan, so I’m not going to fight with you over him.” The girls whispered among themselves, debating whether to believe her. Finally, they walked away, satisfied. As the three walked away, Eleanor noticed a blonde girl who was standing nearby. She looked like the youngest among the group, appearing no older than sixteen. She was already watching Eleanor with a sad look, but as soon as Eleanor looked her way, she averted her gaze. Eleanor knew right then that she needed to talk to her. This girl was different from the others who seemed to be unaware of their situation and just happy to be Jonathan’s mates. Making up her mind, she took a step towards the girl.