| Body |
One
Neah
“Where the heck is she?” I hear the Beta scream. I already knew Beta Kyle was talking about me, the only servant of the house. I groan and get to my feet, grabbing the cleaning basket and taking it with me.
The moment Beta Kyle sees me, he strides towards me and his hand slices against my cheek. I don’t make a sound. Years of experience has taught me to keep my mouth shut at all times and only speak when spoken too, even if what they are doing to me hurts.
“Alpha Trey and I are expecting company and you still have not cleaned the office like you were asked.” Beta Kyle spits at me
I nod my head and my hand tightens on the cleaning basket. If I could just find the courage to swing it at his head, it would make my day. I resisted, he was stronger than me and I didn’t need locking up for another week with no food. My stomach already hurt enough.
“We are trying to make a good impression on Alpha Dane. Do you not understand how important it is for us to join ourselves with his pack?!”
I don’t answer, I know it's a trick, to try and get me to say something so that he can give himself a reason to punish me. I keep my eyes low so that I didn’t have to look at his face.
Alpha Dane, I had only ever heard rumours about him. Words exchanged between the other pack members when I was in the room. From what I gathered, he was a ruthless man, a Wolf feared by others. He didn’t mess around and he had the largest pack.
“He is the Alpha of Black Shadow, the biggest pack in the world, we need him!” Beta Kyle continues. Yet he doesn’t tell me why.
We had never been attacked and we had never attacked anyone, so why did we need another pack to help us?
He places his hands on my shoulders, digging his nails into my thinning skin and turns me around, kicking me in the but as he shoves me towards the office. ”Useless Wolf.” He mutters as he moves away.
Quietly closing the door, I lean back against it, observing the already clean office. There was nothing out of place, it looked perfectly fine for a meeting with this so-called powerful Alpha.
Closing my eyes, I slide down to the floor. I hated this house. I thought that when I turned eighteen, I could finally escape, but four years later, here I still am, a slave in my own home. Doing all the dirty tasks for my brother, Alpha Trey and the pack. While my ex mate, Beta Kyle waltzes around reminding me of how worthless I am.
Someone clears their throat and I freeze, I thought I was alone. Leaning forward, I see a handsome man sitting in a chair, just around the corner. A foot propped up on his knee as he nurses a glass of drink. His short hair is dark and his eyes are a deep crimson colour, that don’t quite look right.
They suddenly shift to me and I throw myself back against the door as my heart pounded.
“Is this the way you greet all Alpha’s?” His deep voice rumbles through the room, there was an edge of amusement to his tone.
“I’m sorry.” I whisper, getting to my feet. “I…I thought I was alone.” I had no idea who he was but I could feel the power radiating off of him, even without my Wolf. He doesn’t introduce himself either, why should he?
“Come forward.” He orders and I already feel a lump forming in my throat. Alpha Trey was going to finish me.
I step around the corner, doing as I’m told, allowing him to see me properly. I close my eyes, expecting the worst.
“You smell funny. Yet you are a Wolf, correct?”
I nod, though I couldn’t tell how he was going to react. Most laughed when they found out about me.
“I would prefer it if you spoke to me.” He growls, “I’m not in the mood to play games.”
“Yes.” I whisper. I couldn’t help but think of all the punishments I was going to have to endure. A whipping maybe? Starvation for another week?
“Why do you smell strange? And how is it possible for you to not know I was in the room? You should have scented me.”
“I…..” I hated the question.
“Spit it out, I haven’t got all day!” He takes a swig from his drink.
I knew why I couldn’t scent him. I knew why I hadn’t been aware of his presence, but telling people why was not something I ever wanted or liked to do. They never let me tell my side of the story. All they do is laugh and mock me.
“You should open your eyes when you are talking to someone. It’s rude to not look at them. Has your Alpha not taught you anything?” His deep voice sends a shiver through me.
Slowly, I open my eyes and lower them, there was no way I was making eye contact. “My Wolf abilities were bound,” I mutter. Twice, I wanted to add. Twice my abilities were bound. But he probably wasn’t interested in that part.
He leans forward, carefully placing his glass on the small table next to the chair. I could feel him staring at me, “Why would someone do that?”
If this is the Alpha that my brother is supposed to be meeting with, I knew I could screw everything up for him by saying too much. “It was a punishment.” I whisper. It wasn’t far from the entire truth but it was the simplest answer I could give.
There’s a twitch in his cheek. Was he angry to hear of such a punishment? Or maybe, just like the others, he was amused by it. I couldn’t tell.
The door swings open and my brother screeches at me “Neah, what the heck are you doing in my office?” He turns to the crimson eyed man. “I am so sorry that my sister is bothering you, Alpha Dane.”
Crap, it was him.
My brother spins around, his hand stretching out to hit me. I close my eyes, bracing myself, ready to feel the burn.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Alpha Dane’s voice rumbles through the room.
Peeking through slits, I see Alpha Dane has risen to his feet, his hand coiled around my brother's wrist.
He was taller than my brother, more muscly too. “Neah,” My name rolls off of his tongue, “was kindly showing me to your office, Alpha Trey, as you failed to meet me at the front of your house like I requested. I was lucky someone was present, at least someone understands the importance of this deal.”
What? I had no idea what he was talking about. And he had no reason to lie for me.
My brother glares at me, clenching his jaw tight. I was going to pay for this later. I would have to try and steal some food.
“Go and get Beta Kyle.” Alpha Trey seethes. “Tell him that our guest is here.”
I nod my head and hurry from the room, the last thing I wanted was to be caught between bickering men.
“Beta Kyle,” I whisper as I enter the dining hall. He instantly glares at me with his dark eyes. I had spoken without being spoken to. “Alpha Trey is in the office with Alpha Dane. I was sent to inform you.”
He slams the newspaper down on the table and glares at me as he walks by. “You’re lucky that the Alpha sent you to get me, otherwise you wouldn't be seeing sunlight for a few days.”
Pausing behind me, he yanks my head back, locking his fingers in my hair, leaning in close to me, I feel his hot breath on my skin. He doesn’t speak, it was just his way of proving that he could do what he wants when he wants.
I try to keep myself busy so I can stay as far away from the office as possible. My peace doesn’t last long when I hear my brother calling out to me.
Quietly, I pad towards the office and plaster a smile on my face as I open the door.
“Neah, go get the champagne and some glasses, we are celebrating.”
I bow my head and hurry to the drinks cabinet. Quickly finding what my brother has asked for. As I re-enter the office, I can feel Alpha Dane watching my every move, even the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. No one ever watches me this closely.
Approaching the small table by Alpha Danes chair, I start to fill the glasses. He takes the champagne bottle from me, telling me he is more than capable of filling his own glass.
I feel my cheeks flame, not from embarrassment, but because I knew that I would be punished for this. I should have been quicker. I should have filled the glasses before entering the office. I should have…. My brain freezes when I see my brother glaring at me.
“Neah is your sister, correct?” Alpha Dane questions my brother.
“She is.” Alpha Trey mutters with disgust. He looks away from me to focus on the man asking questions.
“Why do you treat her like vermin?” Straight to the point, my brother wouldn’t like that. He only liked sharing information on his terms.
No one had spoken to my brother about his treatment of me because everyone took great joy in beating me. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t move but I knew I had to get out of there. If this deal goes to pot because of me, then that would be my fault too.
“Neah was responsible for our parents' death.” Alpha Trey spits
I closed my eyes, battling back the tears that were threatening to break free.
“Responsible how?” Alpha Dane’s voice rumbles through me. He was definitely angry.
“She served them Wolfsbane.”
Two
Neah
Don’t make a sound. Don’t make a sound.
I knew Alpha Dane was studying me. They all did, no one could ever quite believe how someone could do something so disgusting as poisoning their own parents. I stood there, with my head hanging low, wishing for the ground to open up and suck me in.
There are movements around me. He was standing directly in front of me. With a rough finger he tilts my face up towards his, forcing me to look at him. Slowly, his hand latches onto my throat but he doesn’t squeeze. “You poisoned your parents?”
“I was six.” I splutter. “I just made them lemonade.” My voice comes out all squeaky as I try to defend myself. I could barely remember my parents, but I could remember all the guilt I had been made to feel since that day.
His crimson eyes flash to my brothers. “Hardly seems fair to blame a six year old.”
“A six year old should know the difference between plants.” Alpha Trey snaps
“Sounds to me like she was set up.” Alpha Dane shrugs his shoulders, letting go of my throat. “We all know that standard wolfsbane doesn’t affect us anymore. We evolved from that thing centuries ago.”
What? What did he mean? Wolfsbane wasn’t lethal. It had been drummed into me since I could walk.
“Which only leaves Blood of Wolfsbane.” Alpha Dane mutters
“You weren’t there, Alpha Dane.” My brother muttered through gritted teeth as his eyes narrowed to slits. “It was Wolfsbane.”
He nods his head. “You are right, I was not present.”
Great, now there was someone else who could remind me of something I had done by accident, years ago.
“But tell me this, where would a six year old get Blood of Wolfsbane?”
“I didn’t ask you here to talk about my slave!” Alpha Trey spits. “Or what happened to my parents.”
Alpha Dane grabs his leather jacket from the chair. Unlike other Alpha’s he seemed to dress more casually. A simple black tee and jeans covered his huge frame. And unlike other Alpha’s, his arms are bare of tattoos, not a single bit of ink poked out anywhere.
“You’re right and now I have a few things to mull over.”
“I thought we agreed.” My brother exclaims
“Nothing has been signed. Now I will show myself out.”
The moment he is out of the office, both my brother and Beta Kyle round on me. “What the heck did you say to him?” My brother demands, slamming a hand into my stomach.
“N..nothing. Well, he just asked me why I smelled funny.”
“Did you tell him?” Beta Kyle demands. He was practically spitting in my face. I hated him. I hated him so much that I had vowed to one day get my revenge and rip his stomach out through his mouth.
“WELL?” My brother yells when I don’t immediately respond and smacks me across the side of the head.
My head involuntarily moves up and down. “But I didn’t say it was you.” I tried to sound strong and confident but it just comes out as a whisper. If they weren’t Wolves, they probably wouldn’t have heard me.
My brother's hand locks into my black hair as he yanks my head back, sending a shooting pain through my skull. “If you have ruined this, you won’t see daylight again.”
He drags me by my hair from the office and down the hallway towards the basement door.
“Please….” I beg. “He was an Alpha…I… I had to answer him.” My cheeks burn with my tears as he flings the door open.
On the other side of the door is Alpha Dane. He is leaning against the wall with his arms folded, staring out at us. My brother's hand falls from my hair, relieving the pressure on the back of my skull..
“Alpha Dane, I thought you had left.” Alpha Trey murmurs angrily.
“I said I would show myself out. I thought I had found the door, but instead I find a basement, riddled in your sister's strange scent. Is this how you treat your family?”
“As I said,” my brother holds his ground, “She is responsible for the death of my parents, so yes, this is what she deserves.”
“You should keep your nose out of other packs' business!” Beta Kyle adds.
Alpha Dane laughs. “If I agree to this deal, everything about your business becomes my business. So tell me, what would your punishment be for her? No food, locked away for a week, beatings?”
“We don’t….”
“Really?” He cocks a brow, “You really expect me to believe that you would have just let her sleep? I have already stopped you from hitting her once. " His eyes roam over me. "She is underfed, bags hover under her tired blue eyes. For a sister of an Alpha, she is certainly not treated like one. Regardless of what she allegedly did when she was a pup.”
“She did do it!” Alpha Trey seethes “And she has nothing to do with our deal.”
“That’s for me to decide.” His crimson eyes flicker around the hallway. “Where is your mate? I would be interested to know how she feels about this.”
I close my eyes, silently begging my brother not to call his Luna. Luna Cassandra is worse than Beta Kyle and Alpha Trey together.
“On second thoughts, why bother her. I’m certain she is just as vile as you.” He sneers
I peer through slits to see his crimson eyes on me. There was no reason for him to defend me and yet he was. I was a nobody, no one special. Just who everyone called a traitor. Only instead of being given a death sentence, my brother had decided to make me spend my life suffering.
“I have a proposition for you, Alpha Trey.” Alpha Dane is smirking at my brother
“We have already agreed on terms.”
“Well, I’m adding one. And if you don’t agree, you will not get my help. Instead, you will become my enemy. And we both know, you don’t want that.”
“I take it that your new terms have something to do with her?” Alpha Trey mutters through clenched teeth.
“You would be correct. Let me take her away to my pack and then you, Trey will have a deal.”
Me? Why would he want me?
As my brother and his Beta discuss me, Alpha Dane is still studying me. His look made me nervous. What could someone like him possibly want with me?
“Deal.” Alpha Trey sticks out his hand for Alpha Dane to shake. He doesn’t take it, instead his crimson eyes shift from me to my brother.
“I will have paperwork drawn up and will return tomorrow.” He reaches a hand out and cups my face, “Ensure you have everything packed.” He drags his thumb across my bottom lip and strides to the opposite end of the hallway and straight to the front door. He knew exactly where the front door was, so what was he up to?
He pauses at the door. “If I find out any one of you has laid a hand on her. The contract will be the last thing you need to worry about.” He struts out, slamming the door behind him.
“Get out of my sight!” My brother snaps at me.
Hurrying away, I make my way up the stairs and into my tiny bedroom. It was practically empty, the only things I had were a few changes of clothes. It would take me less than a minute to pack
By morning, I hadn’t slept. Alpha Danes questions were on repeat and why was I so interesting to a Wolf like him. There was a reason he had the biggest pack. They were known for their fighting abilities, that’s why my brother wanted to link Moonshine with Alpha Danes pack, but where did I fit in to all this? And what o earth is Blood of Wolfsbane?
Three
Dane
“Tenth bride’s the charm.” Jenson mocks as the driver pulls up in front of Moonshines packhouse.
“Shut up!” Eric snaps at him
“Both of you shut your mouths. Before you say something you regret!”
‘He will never learn.’ My wolf, Aero muses.
The driver pulls open the door. “Just give me a second, I need to speak to my men.” The door closes and neither one of them speaks.
“She isn’t like the others. Don’t speak to her, don’t look at her. And you Jenson, keep your hands to yourself or you might just lose them this time.”
I was more rattled than usual. Neah was different to the previous selected mates. I didn’t know what it was or whether it was because I was used to confident women, but there was something about her. And Aero appeared to like her too, more than any of the others. I had to have her.
“I mean it!” I snap at Jenson's smug face, “Being my brother won’t change my mind!”
He runs his fingers over his lips as though he was zipping them shut.
They follow me from the car. Standing in front of the old packhouse, all three of us stare up at it. Because until a month ago, I knew nothing about them and even after my visit, all I had learned was the Alpha is a beast.
My knuckles hammer on the door. It’s barely open an inch when I force myself through making his Beta stumble back.
I spot her straight away, hiding herself behind a corner. “Are you ready?” I call out.
“If you just want to…..” Beta Kyle starts.
“I was not talking to you. I was speaking to Neah.”
The expression on Beta Kyle’s face was a picture. His jaw hung open and his eyes are wide. He clearly had never been told what to do, even by his Alpha.
Neah steps out from her hiding spot, clutching a barely full carrier bag. She drags her teeth across her bottom lip and nods her head.
“Where are the rest of your things? I told you everything needs to be packed”
“That’s all she has.” Trey snorts as he makes his appearance.
“That’s it?” I stare at him. “That’s all her belongings? She’s what, in her early twenties and that’s all she has?”
“What more does she need?!” His Beta sneers.
‘Kill him, let me rip out his throat and he will regret the day he crossed us.’
“What are you waiting for?” I hear a horrible shrill voice that seems to vibrate through the floors.
Looking away from the Beta, I see a woman holding on to a statue of herself that sat at the bottom of the stairs. Her blonde hair hung in waves around her face as her green eyes studied me and she sways her hips as she moves to Trey.
I noticed Neah’s reaction yesterday. When I asked Trey where his mate was. Her whole body had tensed up in fear. She was afraid of this woman and I wanted to know why.
“Take her Alpha Dane. I’m sure she will be as useful a slave to you as she is to us.” Her shrill voice goes straight through me. “Look at the silly girl, she’s going to pass out.” The blonde bimbo laughs
“You don’t get to talk about her like that anymore.” I glare at the blonde, “She is not your toy. She is not your slave and I suggest that you, Alpha Trey keep your wife in check. There is only so much disobedience that I will tolerate.”
“DISOBEDIENCE!” The woman screeches just as Neah’s hip hits the floor. “How dare you! If anyone is disobedient, it’s that rat in the corner.”
‘Who the heck is she calling a rat?’ Aero growls
“You should make yourself familiar with our agreement.” I snap. “It seems your mate has not told you everything.”
Waving Eric forward, he pulls a thick wad of paper from the folder under his arm. The contract that I have drawn up.
“All that for your help?” His mate’s eyes are wide
“I don’t do half-witted contracts.” Taking the contract from Eric, I shove it against Trey’s chest “Shall we go to the office?”
Trey leads the way with his mate clinging on to him and his Beta hurrying behind. My men follow them while I stay behind to check on my new mate.
“You are more than welcome to join us, after all, you are involved in this deal. Or my car is outfront, you can take your stuff and wait there for me.”
“Are those my only options?” she whispers, keeping her eyes low
“For now. Personally, I think you should sit in with us. It will give me great pleasure in pissing off that mate of your brothers.”
She keeps her blue eyes low as she continues to clutch that bag of hers. This close to her, I could really see how ill she looked. Even her heart beat is slow, like it’s fighting to hang on to life.
“So what will it be?”
“I….” Her head rotates between the front door and the direction of the office. “I….. The office I guess.”
“Good choice.” I hold out a hand for her but she doesn’t take it. Pushing herself up to her feet. She wobbles a little, but steadies herself.
Walking a few steps behind her, I see the evil glares she receives from Trey and the other two idiots as she enters the office..
“Take a seat.” I whisper as I walk past her. My hand grazes her lower back and she immediately tenses up.
She stands, frozen to the spot. Only her eyes dart about when she shakes her head.
“Sit!” I say it a little louder
“She doesn’t have that privilege here!” The blonde snaps, with her lips curved up in amusement
“Sitting is not a privilege.” I growl, wondering what else they were forcing her to do. I couldn’t see any bruises on her arms or legs, a good sign, I hoped.
‘It better be!’ Aero paces in my head. He wanted her out of this place as much as I did.
The blonde physically recoils in her seat. Her mouth falls wide open, shocked that I had said something. “And I suggest,” I look at Trey, “You tell your mate to keep her mouth shut. Or I can shut it for her.”
“Alpha Dane, you are in my home…..”
“And you want my help, correct?”
The three of them were fuming. No one liked being told what to do in their own home, yet they were doing just that to Neah. I point to the empty chair between Jenson and Eric and she finally sits down.
“Let’s just get this done.” Trey snaps, “The sooner she is gone, the happier I can be.”
“You should read the contract.” I muse
“I agreed that you could take her as part of our deal.”
“Idiot!” Eric murmurs. He knew as well as I did that contracts should be read before they are signed
They sign without reading and practically throw the contract back at me. “Done.” Trey mutters
“Good, you can get her out of my house.” Trey’s mate screeches.
If I had it my way, I would just take Neah, then I wouldn’t have to put up with the twidles, but this way, they can’t have her back. Even if they begged. A contract was a contract and it was impossible for them to get out of.
Getting to my feet, I hold a hand out to Neah, “Come, we are leaving this rat hole before I lose my temper.”
Her warm fingers slip into my hand as she rises to her feet. Her other hand clutches the bag to her chest as she walks with me to the front door. She doesn’t even look back to say goodbye and that confirmed everything I needed to know. She hated them as much as they hated her.
She pauses at the open front door, her hand falling from mine. Her blue eyes are wide as she stares at the limo.
“Come.” I instruct
Eric and Jenson are standing behind her, watching her curiously.
‘Is she okay?’ Eric links me.
“Neah?” I step in front of her and she doesn’t move. She seems to be staring right through me. “It’s time to go.”
“Okay.” Her lips barely move
She takes a step forward, almost as if she is in slow motion. Her hands grip the door frame, her knuckles turn white as her heartbeat increases. Her lips part a little and her hand falls from the door frame just as her eyes roll to the back of her head.
“I’ve got you.” I mutter, catching her just before she hits the floor. Her entire body tenses up as I lift her and carry her to the car. She was so weak and was even lighter than I expected. She probably didn’t weigh much more than a small child.
Jenson and Eric get in the car first. Jenson cocks his eyebrow at me and has a smirk plastered to his face as I slide in with Neah on my lap.
“Keep your thoughts to yourself, Jenson!”
I hold her close, listening to her breathe and her heart as it slowed. Letting my fingers comb through her dark hair as she becomes a little more with it.
Suddenly, she sits up right, moving away from me and trying to make herself as small as possible.
Deciding not to force her to do anything, I keep my attention on my Beta and my brother, talking about pack stuff while casting a glance over to her every so often to make sure she was alright.
“Come.” I mutter as the limo comes to a stop. I don’t wait for the driver and get out myself, holding a hand out for her.
“I’m fine.” She speaks at last while glancing at the others and shuffles herself forward to the open door.
She stares up at my home, gasping a little. It was easily three times the size of her previous home and I hoped that she would be happy here. That I could provide her with a life that was better than her last.
“Let me give you a tour.” I suggest as she continues to clutch that carrier bag to her chest.
She follows me in, not speaking a word. I had no idea if she was listening to what I was saying or not
“The omegas swap out on a rotational basis. Good for the youngsters to learn some responsibilities before they get proper jobs.” I tell her while showing her the dining hall with a table long enough to fit twenty people around.
We move through to the kitchen. Where I point out a board on the wall. “If there is anything you need, you just add it to the board and it will be ordered in.”
Her brow furrows and still she says nothing.
Picking up a pen, I smile. Maybe she felt intimidated by me. “So tell me, what do you need because there is no way you are living under my roof with just the things that are in that bag.”
Her dazzling blue eyes dart around the room
“Well?” I ask.
“I don’t need anything.” She whispers
Sighing, I start scribbling things down. Underwear, jeans, workout clothes, dresses, shoes, anything I can think of that will cover her for a few days.
Holding the pen between my teeth, I grab her around the waist. My thumbs meet just above her belly button and my fingers touch her spine. She was so thin, how was she even alive?
Four
Dane
She looked like a deer caught in headlights as I write her size down. She was tinier than I thought. Skin and bone. If I had moved my hands up any higher, I would have felt every rib sticking out. It sickened me, she should be strong, powerful, she had Alpha blood running through her veins.
I also saw how she scrunched her face up when I measured her. It wasn’t fear, it was pain. She was hiding something underneath the baggy maids dress.
“I know you want to say something, so just say it. I’m not interested in the crap Trey drummed into you. You don’t have to wait until someone asks you a question. You are free to say what you want. Are you injured?"
"No."
She was lying, I could feel it.
She shakes her head as if it would confirm her answer and a lock of her black hair falls from the band that was supposed to be holding it back.
Neah was going to be a tough girl to crack. A life of being starved had made her quite protective over herself. I will make Trey pay for what he has done to her.
“You have to say something, Neah. I cannot read your mind. When I mark you, at least I will know what you are feeling.”
“Mark me?”
I didn’t think her eyes could get any wider.
“Yes, I will mark you.”
She was completely and utterly shocked by the idea. Her pink lips part a little as she continues to stare at me.
I thought she knew. I thought that was why she came so willingly. My Beta had kept asking me if I was certain I wanted her as my bride. There was no doubt about it, she had a strange scent but something was luring me to her. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her when I first saw her. My Wolf Aero was going mad for her too. Though he hadn’t said a word about her. Annoyed with me for not taking her home with us yesterday.
“You….You brought me so that you could mark me.” She takes a step back, walking into the kitchen island. She winces a little and quickly covers up her pain, relaxing her face..
“If Trey had bothered reading the contract, he would have discovered that you are to be my bride, not a slave. He would also have read that if he or his ridiculously silly mate tried doing anything to you going forward, that pack would become mine, or rather, yours. I never bought you, Neah, you were always destined to be mine.”
“I’m a murderer.” She gasps. “Why would someone like you want me for a bride?”
‘Blood’ Aero growls interrupting my thoughts.
I glance down at her baggy dress. A blood stain had appeared right where I had my hands wrapped around her.
“What’s that? Are you injured?” I demand, I had barely touched her.
She covers the stain with her hand. “It’s nothing. It’s just a cut that I keep knocking and it opens up again. I forget it’s there.”
Forget? How could she forget a wound?
‘Why isn’t she healing?’ I feel Aero’s panic. ‘She’s been with us less than two hours and already she has some form of injury.’ His need to protect her was strong.
It hadn’t occurred to me that her lack of abilities included not being able to heal. I would have to find someone who could reverse the binding and soon.
“Show me!”
“It’s fine.” She mumbles
I was already so sick of hearing that phrase.
“It’s not optional.” I mutter. “If you won’t show me, I will have to find a way to look, myself.”
Her heart skips a beat. She looks around the kitchen. “Can.... can we go somewhere more private?”
“Private?” I didn’t really do privacy. What Wolf did?!
She bobs her head but still keeps her focus slightly off of me. Almost afraid to look me directly in the eyes.
‘Office,’ Aero mutters.
‘I was just going to suggest that!’ I snap back at my Wolf. I feel his eyes roll as he retreats to some dark corner of my mind.
“This way.” I gesture to the door.
Neah waits for me and follows closely behind. The scent of blood steadily grew stronger, it was more than just a cut. I already knew that.
In the office, I hit the remote and the blinds start to drop, blocking out the sunlight. Neah hesitates and slowly begins to unfasten the buttons of the dress but only where the large blood stain was. Keeping everything else covered from me.
She pulls the dress to one side. The wound was about four inches long and already fairly infected.
“See, it’s fine.” she whispers.
“You need to stop saying that.”
She closes her mouth and starts to fasten the buttons.
“No,” I grabbed her hands, I had caught sight of another bruise. “Let me see the rest of them.”
It wasn’t optional.
She gasps as my fingers rip apart the rest of the buttons.
Her sports bra had seen better days, just the same as her underwear. But it was the bruising I was most concerned about. Bruise upon bruise, scars that had come from whips. Her hip bones and ribs stuck out too.
Turning her around, and pulling the dress from her, I find that her back is just the same. Yet interestingly, there was nothing above her chest and nothing below her thighs. Her arms were completely bare of wounds too.
There was only one reason why someone would do that. To either hide what they were doing to someone, or to keep up appearances. They didn’t want guests to see. More importantly, they didn’t want me to see, considering the meeting was arranged over a month ago.
She fumbles with the dress, pulling it tightly around her thin frame.
“You need to see a doctor.”
“It’s …..” she trails off when she sees the anger on my face. “It always heals, eventually.”
“Did Trey do this?” I mutter with my teeth gritted and gesture to her body
She lowers her blue eyes.
“Cassandra?”
She still doesn’t answer me.
“That prick that follows Trey around? All three of them?”
She pulls her dress tighter around her and silently nods. She brings her hand up to her face, brushing her cheek, wiping away an escaped tear.
“Anyone else?”
“The pack.” She whispers.
‘I’m going to kill them all.’ Aero growls.
He will have to get in line,
“Because of what you allegedly did to your parents.”
She nods.
“I don’t believe you were responsible.”
She tilts her head up towards me, her brow knits together as her eyes finally find mine. “Because of Blood of Wolfsbane?"
Five
Neah
“I…I don’t know what Blood of Wolfsbane is?” I whisper
He frowns at me. “Your brother said you knew the difference between plants.”
“I…” I didn’t have an answer. I couldn’t remember, not fully.
“Blood of Wolfsbane is Wolfsbane fed by our blood. The leaves will have a red hue to them. I can’t imagine a child would know what it is because it is not freely grown. Your brother’s story doesn’t add up.”
“Oh.”
“I won’t stop until I find out who did this, Neah.” His crimson eyes narrow. “I will make them pay for the suffering you have endured.” He sits on the edge of his desk, studying me. “Right now, you do need to see someone about the infection.”
I kept my mouth closed, I was still trying to process his news of me being set up. Why had my brother never considered it?
“Come, I will show you our bedroom. You can shower before we see the pack doctor.”
Frozen to the spot, I don’t move. Did he just say ‘our bedroom,’? As in, we are sharing a bedroom? I guess he thinks he can mke love with me whenever he wants if I’m his contract bride. A shiver runs down my spine at the thought.
Glancing up, I see him watching me. He is stood at the open door, waiting for me. Ensuring my dress has me covered, I step out into the hallway. No one was around and the hallways were quiet.
As we moved, Alpha Dane would tell me what each room was, but he seemed more focussed on getting me to the bedroom.
His bedroom is huge, with massive windows, just like the rest of the house. The bed sat pressed up against the wall. All around it, thin drapes hung from the ceiling, but they were tied back at each bed post.
What surprised me the most was that the bath and the shower were in the same room. Only the toilet was in a small room to the side of the shower. No privacy, whatsoever. Though, he didn’t seem to care about that.
He makes me jump when I feel his warm breath on my skin. “You don’t need to be afraid.”
I may not be able to smell him, but he would be able to scent the changes in my emotions.
Crossing the room, he pulls open the glass door to the shower and turns it on. The moment he closes the door, the steam of the shower quickly fogs up the glass. And still, I find myself afraid. He gave me no clue as to what he was expecting from me.
“Hey,” His rough fingers tip my face up. “It’s just you and me and for now, I will let you shower in peace.”
Walking away, he pulls his phone out of his pocket and messes around with it before placing it on the bedside table. “The alarm is set for ten minutes. I will come back then. I will bring you something to wear so just stay in the towel. Understand?”
He stares at me, waiting for an answer and I just nod. A ten minute shower. I was lucky if I got a minute shower back home and the water was always cold.
He moves to the door and with his hand resting on the door knob he looks back over his shoulder at me. “I really wish you would talk more, Neah.”
Alpha Dane leaves me in peace and I make a mad dash for the shower as if I’m in some kind of fantasy land and this was all a dream. Maybe it was, maybe I was about to wake up in the basement of my home.
The smells of the soaps and shampoos are divine as I lather them into myself. And my hair has never felt so clean. The wound on my stomach stung as the hot water hit it, but I didn’t care, it was worth it.
Someone in the room clears their throat and I freeze. Thanking the steam for keeping me semi hidden.
“Neah, are you done? The alarm went off five minutes ago.” Alpha Dane’s voice seems louder in here.
I had been so caught up in the freedom of a simple shower that I hadn’t even heard the alarm or the Alpha come back into the room.
“Coming.” I mutter, turning off the water and pulling a towel around me to hide the hideousness underneath.
Stepping out, I already see that my ripped dress, underwear and worn sandals had been removed from the floor. Alpha Dane sits on the end of the bed with what looked like folded clothes on his lap and a pair of trainers.
“It’s not much, as we don’t have anyone with as small a waist as you.” He smiles as he hands over the clothes. A matching navy blue sweatshirt and joggers. “You will have to make do without the underwear for now. Should be here first thing tomorrow.”
He watches me with a cocked eyebrow as I pull the joggers on and tug the sweatshirt over my head before removing the towel. Maybe he was used to the women parading themselves in front of him, or throwing themselves at him because he has power, but I wasn’t like that.
“Let’s go.” He rises to his feet and this time, I follow him. Something told me that if I didn’t get this wound looked at, it would put him in a bad mood.
The pack doctor was young, unlike the one back home who was old and afraid to let anyone take over from him.
She smiles at us as we enter the pack hospital and rewraps her dark hair into a bun. “Raven, this is Neah.” Alpha Dane introduces me with a grin.
I keep my eyes low as I hear Raven say, “Alpha Dane, what seems to be the problem apart from the strange smell she has brought with her.”
It didn’t sound like a hurtful comment like I was used to, but more a comment of curiosity.
“She will tell you herself when she finds her tongue.”
“I have a wound.” I whisper.
“And you are not healing?” Raven asks, confused
“I don’t have my Wolf.” I hated saying it. It was just a constant reminder that I did not fit in.
“Her Wolf was bound when she was a kid.” Alpha Dane tells her. “That’s why her scent is strange. Her Wolf is there, locked away, waiting to be freed.”
My eyes flicker up only to find him staring straight back at me. I had always believed that my Wolf was gone. Not that she was trapped.
Raven’s dark eyes hover on me. “Wow, okay.” She grabs my hand. “This way, let’s take a look at this wound of yours.”
She leads me into an empty room and asks me to lay on the bed and to show her my wound.
Pulling up the sweatshirt, just enough for her to see the wound. Her eyes widen, a flicker of rage passing over them as she takes in the infected wound and the bruising that surrounds it.
Her fingers carefully press around the wound. “How long ago?”
“A few days.” I mutter, though I wasn’t sure. Every beating blurred into another one. Any day that I wasn’t hit was a good day.
Raven shakes her head. “This is longer than a few days ago, the infection has had at least a week to develop.”
“Neah, you need to tell us the truth.” Alpha Dane orders
“I don’t know.”
“NEAH!” His deep voice rumbles through me and I close my eyes, fearing his anger. Anger brought punishment, punishment brought pain.
“I swear, I don’t know. The beatings, they happen so often that they just kind of…. I’m never not bruised.”
There’s silence and I was too afraid to open my eyes. Alpha Trey had said it over and over, that if anyone found out, he would make my life a misery, more than it already was. I used to wonder who would ever find out that didn’t already know. Now here I was, sitting in another pack’s hospital, revealing the truth.
“Heal her!” Alpha Dane shouts after what seems like forever. He storms from the room, pulling a phone out of his pocket.
“You will have to forgive my brother. His temper is short, especially when it comes to things like this.” Raven mutters as she gently inspects my wound
“Your brother?” I whisper, opening my eyes
“Ah, I see he informed you. I’m guessing he didn’t tell you that Jenson is our brother too?”
I shake my head, I’m guessing Jenson was one of the men that came to my brother's house.
She chuckles. “Jenson is considered to be our brother’s Gamma.”
“Gamma?” I had never heard of the term.
“Yep and Alpha Dane has a love/hate for me working here. He wants me to represent our family, but he knows this is what I’m good at.” She grabs a pot of cream from the cupboard. “Now this needs to be applied three times a day. It should clear up the infection, if it hasn’t changed in a couple of days, I will take another look. My brother is waiting for you out front.”
“Thanks.” I mumble, taking the pot of cream from her. I looked at the label, but couldn’t read it. I had never learned to read.
She bobs her head at me as I hurry out to find Alpha Dane on his phone, snapping at someone. He hangs up as soon as he sees me and asks what Raven said.
“Cream, three times a day.” I show him the pot and he takes it from me.
“Good, come.” He strides off and I have to run to keep up with him. I follow him through the house and into the office.
“Show me.” He orders, pulling the lid off the pot.
It wasn’t going to be negotiable, not when he had used the same tone moments before he ripped my dress open earlier.
Slowly lifting my sweatshirt, he crouches down in front of me and gently smothers the wound in the cold cream. “I don’t want you to lie to me, Neah. Not ever. If you can’t remember, that is what you need to tell me. Is that clear? I don’t want to have to guess what you mean.”
“Okay.” I couldn’t say anything else, I was too focussed on the warmth of his hands. One presses against my lower back, holding me steady while the other gently rubs cream into my wound. The only touch I had received from another man was a beating.
“Stop holding your breath.” He tells me, getting to his feet. “I am not going to hurt you.”
It seemed impossible to believe given my history. The act, the words coming from him, it just didn’t feel real.
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