The Alpha and his Mate, page 2
"Stay still bitch or I'll really give you something to cry over," he growled. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long,” he whispered as he breathed in my scent from the crook of my neck. He was so close I could feel his breath on my face and I gagged as I got a strong whiff of whisky. Oh god please no, Damon was a mean drunk, just like his father.
I quickly flung my legs in the air, trying to get enough momentum to get him to release his hold on my arms, but all I ended up managing to achieve was twisting my elbow in the wrong direction, causing me to scream in pain as I heard it pop out of its socket.
"I said stay still," he growled as he quickly elbowed me in the stomach, effectively winding me and making it nearly impossible for me to breathe. Not good, not good at all. The hit rendered me breathless, and I momentarily paused my efforts to escape, my whole focus now on just making sure I got enough oxygen into my lungs and not have a panic attack.
"There, now you be a good little girl and I won't have to tell my father about you not listening to me," he smirked, knowing that the last thing I wanted was to have a drunk Tony angry at me. I looked up at his face with a pained expression and even in the dark I could tell that he was enjoying this, enjoying hurting me and making me cry out in pain. I guess the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree.
"Now do as I say and I promise I won't hurt you anymore, okay?” He whispered in my ear, still keeping his full body weight on top of me. His breath caused me to gag, stopping me from answering him, and I received another elbow to my rib cage because of my silence.
I cried out from the pain, feeling my ribs re-breaking from the impact, but he ignored my cry and continued to hold my wrists down, repeating his question.
I nodded my head, tears leaking out from the corners of my eyes. I just wanted the pain to stop.
"Good little girl," he sneered as I felt him move both of my hands into one of his, my elbow screaming in protest at being moved, but I bit back my cry, not wanting to anger him anymore than he already was. With one hand he held both of mine down securely with all his weight whilst the other found its way to the hem of my shirt and started to grip and paw at my skin around my hips and stomach...I needed to stop this, I needed to get away from him and away from this place.
With all my strength and will power I pushed upwards, succeeding in head butting him in the face and I smiled in slight satisfaction as I heard a crunch, ignoring the stars that formed behind my eyes at the impact.
"Ahh what the hell! You freak...you broke my nose!" He screamed as he let go of my arms and sat up to cradle his bloody face in his hands, swaying from side to side slightly due to the high levels of alcohol still intoxicating his system.
I didn't wait another second, worried that if I hesitated even slightly, he would regain his composure and continue what he’d started. As quickly as I could I slipped out from under him and kicked him in the back, shoving his blood covered face into my lumpy old mattress before turning on my heel and making a run for it.
"Crap, get back here you bitch!" Damon screamed at me as I sprinted as fast as my legs could take me, out of my room, down the stairs taking them two at a time and out the front door, thanking whoever was up there that it wasn’t locked. I knew where they kept the keys, I just didn’t have time to retrieve them and fiddle with the lock as I could hear Damon already stumbling after me not too far behind.
"I'm going to get you bitch," he screamed as he chased after me through the door and down the street. "I’m going to get you and when I do you are going to be so sorry you did that."
Tears streamed down my face as I sprinted as fast as I could down the street and into the surrounding woodland, my bare feet quickly getting bloody and cut up from the gravel and twigs that bit into my sensitive soles. I ignored the pain and forced myself to push on, cradling my injured elbow in my right hand, close to my body. My laboured breathing was causing my ribs to burn and making it difficult for me to suck in enough air, but I pushed on, hoping the adrenaline would keep me going. There was no way I could go back, not after what I’d just done.
"You can't run from me, little girl," he screamed after me, gaining on me with every stride he took, his height causing him to have a clear advantage in his speed.
My eyes looked around frantically, taking everything in as I looked for a solution. I knew I couldn’t outrun him, especially in the physical state that I was in. My tears continued to stream down my cheeks, panicked that I couldn’t find a spot big enough to hide myself. I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand to help clear my vision and just when I was about to give up hope, I spotted something. I almost cried in relief as my eyes locked onto a small opening in the trunk of a nearby tree. I just had to hide out in here for a while, just until he gave up looking for me, and then I could get away from him, from this place, forever.
I made a dash for the tree and sighed in relief as I managed to scramble into the opening, barely fitting into the small gap, and held my breath to stop him hearing my laboured breathing. My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest when I saw his feet run straight past my hiding place. I had to clamp my hand over my mouth, in fear that a whimper would escape and give my hiding space away. I could hear him stumbling around for a bit, the alcohol obviously still affecting his balance and sense of direction as he walked from left to right. I sighed in relief when I heard his footsteps grow quieter and quieter, him obviously giving up in his search for me in this area and moved onto the next.
I always loved playing hide and seek when I was younger, it used to be my go-to game whenever I played with the other kids that would come to my house when their parents came and visited mine. Little did I know a few years later I would be playing the deadliest game of my life, one little noise and I was done.
I sat in the roots of the tree for as long as I dared, feeling the unnerving tickle of multiple insects crawling all over my bare feet and legs, testing my ability to remain still and quiet as I stayed hidden. I sat there in silence for a long while after Damon left, straining my ears for any sort of noise that was considered out of the ordinary. When I came up empty, only hearing the wind in the trees and the animals scurrying around my feet, I cautiously crawled out of the hole. My head constantly turning in all directions with my wild eyes peeled open, looking for any sign that Damon was nearby. I sighed in relief as I came up empty and quickly started running as fast as my body was able to in the opposite direction to where I saw him stumble, hoping to put as much distance between me and the Leftens as I possibly could.
…
I don't know how long I had been walking for, but it felt like hours. The adrenaline had now completely worn off and my injuries that had previously been numbed were now in the forefront of my mind as I pushed my aching legs to keep going. To where I didn’t know, I just knew I had to get as far away from that place as I possibly could. Away from that house and away from those people. I was stupid to think that I could have lasted there.
As I walked my brain wandered along with it, taking me back to that place and back to all the times that they had punished me for something. To all the times that I was starved for talking out of turn, for all the times I was hit because I had missed a non-existent speck of dust on the carpet. I had thought about escaping so many times, even attempting it once or twice, but I always ended up being caught. The locals all seemed hell bent on keeping me in that house, if they ever came across me in my attempt to run, they would just pick me up and drop me back at the Leften’s house. They wouldn’t even look me in the eye and always perform their task with a blank stare, as if I was just a misplaced object that they were just returning to a neighbour. After that I gave up, understanding that no matter where I went I would always be found and brought back to where I belonged. The Leftens, all too eager to remind me of why I should never try to run away again.
I sniffed as a tear fell from my lash line, but I quickly brushed it away and cleared my throat. I am so much better off not being there, I'd prefer to die right now, alone and cold in the woods, then go back to that place.
As I carried on walking, I slowly started to feel the air shift around me, and I frowned at the unfamiliar sensation. I had never felt this feeling before, it was kind of like the air around me was charged in some way, like there was some sort of electrical current in the very air that I breathed. My frown deepened, not understanding what the charged air meant, but as I stumbled on an exposed tree root, I shook my head and cleared my throat. Now was not the time to get distracted.
I pushed on, hoping that I would eventually find a road that would lead me to the next town over where I could get some help. As I walked further and further into the forest though I was getting more and more lightheaded, my feet stumbling in their attempts to walk forward just like Damon had been doing not too long ago.
I stumbled again as my vision went patchy and no matter how many times I blinked; it wouldn't clear. I went to sit down and put my head between my knees, hoping it would help clear the dizzy spell, but before I could I felt my spine start to twist and contort in unnatural directions as I screamed in pain. What the hell is happening to me?
I fell to the floor as the pain continued to intensify, the discomfort from my elbow becoming completely overshadowed by the pain that seemed to radiate from within my very core. As time went on the pain spread, going all the way to the tips of my fingers and to the soles of my feet. I’m not sure how long the pain went on for, it felt like hours, but it could have been a mere few minutes, and just when I thought I couldn't take anymore, the pain vanished, and I lay on the ground panting and out of breath.
I lay there for a few minutes, trying to get over the white-hot pain I had just gone through. It was like someone was pouring boiling hot lava throughout my veins whilst simultaneously breaking every bone in my body. I had gone through pain in my life, suffering through more beatings than I cared to remember, but nothing had compared to that.
As I tried to stumble to my feet, trying to stretch out the aches and pains that had started to form in my muscles, I heard a low growl coming from my left in the shadows. I spun around in fright, turning to where the noise had come from, but instantly came up blank as I stared at a small collection of ferns and brambles. What was that? Just as I was about to turn, trying to take in more of my surroundings, I heard another growl coming from behind me and my heart rate spiked as I stared at three huge wolves as they came stalking into view, saliva dripping from their teeth and hackles raised.
Well I laughed to myself you did say you'd prefer to die than go back.
I stared at the three wolves for a few seconds, taking in the snarl on their muzzles and the way their bodies were coiled up and ready to pounce at any second. I froze in panic, not knowing what to do. I had never even heard of wolves living in this area of the forest before, and I had no clue on how to react around them to try and show that I meant them no harm. I was about to turn and run, thinking that was my best option in this kind of situation, but paused when I saw a man emerge from the shadows of the tree line.
He was obviously the one in charge of the three wolves, once he appeared they stepped back slightly as if they were giving him room to do what he was planning. He had dark brown hair which stuck out in every direction and a slight dusting of day-old stubble across his cheeks and chin, showing that he was older than he appeared. The thing that confused me the most about him though was his choice in attire. Even though it was way into the early hours of the morning and too cold for any person of sound mind to be out he was barely wearing any clothes, just a pair of cut off jean shorts leaving his chest and feet bare and exposed to the elements.
He stood in front of me as he started to make his way over, making slow deliberate steps forward until he stopped just a few feet before me. We stared at each other in silence as I took in his domineering appearance. The guy must have been a giant because even at my 5’2 height I barely came up to his mid chest.
"Who are you," he suddenly demanded in the silence, causing the crickets and other nightlife creatures to pause in their evening song. He folded his arms over his bare chest as he stared down at me, hate clear in his eyes. He looked so much like Tony in that stance I couldn’t help but curl in on myself slightly, wanting to make myself look as small and as insignificant as possible.
All I could do was whimper in response as I took a step back with my head held low, wanting to get away from these creatures. As I took a step back the wolf behind me growled and snapped their teeth, reminding me that I was completely surrounded, making escaping from this man virtually impossible. Outrunning a drunk Damon was one thing, but three wolves and a giant angry man? No chance.
"Who are you and what are you doing on our territory," the man growled again as he took another step towards me, shortening the distance between us. I had no idea what this man and his wolves wanted from me, but I remained silent. Natalie had always told me that I should not even be seen, let alone heard. I had their rules ringing in my ears as I assessed the situation, hoping that if I stuck to them, it could save me a beating.
"You are trespassing on our territory, which is punishable by death," he stated before taking another step towards me, putting me within reaching distance of him. If he wanted to, he could reach out and strike me at any moment with nowhere for me to go and no way for me to protect myself.
I tried to stutter out that I didn't mean to cross into his land, that all of this was just one big misunderstanding, but all I was doing was making these weird noises that I had never made before. Why the hell can I not speak?
"Shift," he suddenly demanded of me as he stared me down. You could feel the power radiating off him in waves and I curled in on myself further at the sight of him. His blue/grey eyes suddenly spun gold for a split second before returning to their previous colour. I almost didn’t believe it, the only thing reassuring me that it wasn’t just my eyes playing tricks on me was the fact that the wolves surrounding me had the exact same shade of golden eyes as he’d just had. I frowned in confusion, how was it even possible for a person to have irises that seemed to change colour in the blink of an eye?
"Shift or we will have no choice but to attack," he yelled. “This is your final warning,” he growled, his voice too gruff to even be considered human.
I looked down, hoping to find something that could help me in some way, but when I didn't see my feet, I panicked. My feet were gone, and in their place was a pair of sandy, blond-coloured paws, all cut up and bloody, just like my feet had been. I looked around with wide panicked eyes, not knowing what to do and hoping that someone was around to offer me some form of explanation. This was a dream...this had to be a dream. Someone help me, help me please!
My heart was racing faster than it ever had before as I started to panic. My breath became short and fast, feeling like no matter how much I inhaled I still wasn't getting enough oxygen into my lungs. My vision started to go spotty and the last thing I remember was a ferocious growl off in the distance before I lost consciousness and blacked out.
Chapter 2
Jax's POV
I had been feeling agitated all day, both at myself and at the people around me.
I kept finding myself yelling at my pack members throughout the day for no apparent reason. Either someone was working too hard and were going to cause themselves an injury, or they were being lazy and weren't picking up their fair share of the work. They were interrupting me too much; they weren't keeping me informed enough. It was safe to say that the whole pack had been on edge today because of the mood I was in.
I sighed in frustration as I tried to focus on the paperwork in front of me. I had locked myself in my home office for most of the evening and into the early hours of the morning, not wanting to snap at another person for fear my anger would get the better of me.
I had never been like this before, this angry and out of control. I had always taken pride in being a level-headed Alpha, but today something just seemed off and I couldn’t figure out what it was. I took a sip of my slightly too strong coffee as I ran my free hand through my black hair, refusing to give into the exhaustion that was trying to take over me, no matter how much caffeine I pumped into my system. I had been putting off doing paperwork for weeks now and it was about time I sat down and got some of it done, my self-imposed isolation being the perfect excuse for me to be left alone.
I had gotten about halfway through the pile of papers that needed my signature and approval when I felt someone trying to push into my mind and gain my attention through the packs mind link. I growled slightly at the interruption, hoping to ignore whoever wanted me, but when whoever it was didn't give up, I released my walls and growled at them, letting my frustration be known through the pack link.
“This better be good,” I growled. I had always found the link between pack members fascinating as a child, the ability to talk to people telepathically had almost seemed too magical to be true for my young ears to believe. Who needed a phone when you could talk to anyone you needed at the drop of a hat? Now though it had almost become a hindrance, the fact that I was available to anyone with just a thought was enough to make a man crazy, especially when all he wanted was just a few minutes of peace and quiet to himself.
“I'm sorry to bother you Alpha.” Henry, one of my warriors who was on patrol tonight apologised, having felt the irritation coming off me even through our packs mind link. “We have a lone trespasser on the south side of our border,” he explained.
I growled in frustration “then deal with it, you have your training, use it.” Was he seriously interrupting me for a problem as simple as a single rogue trespassing on our territory, surely something as simple as that could easily be handled without me? Especially with Xavier out on patrol tonight.
