Unexpected Friends

Alexandra

I dropped to my knees, tears freely flowing down my face as I cherished the last few seconds before I would be ripped apart into shreds.

“P-please,” I spat out. The marbled brown wolf lifted his body from his position and slowly paced towards me, he cocked his head to one side in confusion as he stared at me, his gaze never leaving mine until he shifted.

“Announce yourself rogue,” he shouted. I immediately could feel the power radiating off of him, telling me that he was a shifter of status rather than a rogue. The other wolves with him growled again, startling me and causing me to fall backwards. “I’m sorry,” I whimpered, and grasped my knees tightly against my chest to cover my naked body. The man had a rugged appearance about him with a few large tattoos that stretched out on his defined muscles. His dirty blonde hair brushed against his forehead, contrasting his amber eyes.

“I said, ANNOUNCE YOURSELF,” he screamed louder.

I buried my face into my knees, hoping that he would just end my life quickly instead of making me feel the pain of his sharp canines ripping my skin apart. “Leave us. I’ll handle the rogue,” he announced to the other wolves. I could hear the breaking of bones as another wolf shifted, “man, can you be quick? Jax, I’m telling you, Alpha Liam is going to have our heads if we don’t show up soon. Just deal with the rogue already,” the other man lectured with aggravation seeping through his voice. “Leave Marcus, that is an order,” the man who I assumed was Jax responded.

I swallowed the lump in the back of my throat, the words Alpha Liam ringing in my ears.

The other man rolled his eyes, “come on boys,” he said, before shifting back to his wolf and disappearing into the forest.

I could feel the rugged man crotch down in front of me and sigh, “you’re a strange rogue little miss. Or maybe you just became a rogue. Can you tell me your name?”, he said in a softer tone.

I slowly lifted my head until my eyes met his, unable to choke out a single word. I stared at him, my stomach growling louder this time. “Hungry much? Don’t worry, I get like that sometimes too. How about you tell me your name, and I’ll bring you back for a hot meal?” I struggled to keep the smile from creeping onto my face, it had been a long time since someone had been so kind and thoughtful to me. “Come on, I’ll bring you back, and you can meet my Alpha,” he continued.

I shook my head and pushed my face into my knees again, terror taking hold of my body. I had made sure to stay near the river and away from Crescent Moon’s territory like I had been told. How did I manage to come across his pack? “Just please let me go, I mean no harm,” I whimpered, keeping my head steadily buried against my legs.

“So come with me, it’s not safe for you out in no man’s land. I promise no one will hurt you,” he declared, and placed his hand on my back. My body shuttered from the contact, his hand rubbing up and down to comfort me. I knew he wouldn’t take no for an answer, but I also knew if I returned to the Crescent Moon Pack with him, his Alpha would rip me apart himself.

Lifting my head again, I nodded at him. “Okay, just let me get dressed,” I answered in a pleading voice. “I’ll give you a minute, I think the pack house chef is making lasagna tonight. You’re in for a treat, little miss,” he replied and stood up, taking a few steps closer to the river and turning his back towards me. I pressed my lips tightly, grabbed my white dress and ran for dear life in the other direction.

“Really?”, the man shouted out with sarcasm laced in his voice, but I knew looking back in his direction would only slow me down. I zigzagged through the trees in the forest, hoping to confuse the man with my scent as he raced behind me. His shallow footsteps told me that he didn’t bother to shift into his wolf and was taking chase in his human form.

A large elderberry bush caught my attention, and before I could hurl my body into the bush to hide, my body thumped against the dirt floor and a large gray wolf had my body pinned down under his. He growled viciously, his drool dripping onto my face. “Oh come on, let her go,” the man said from behind the gray wolf. The gray wolf slowly crept off of my body and shifted into the same man from earlier named Marcus.

“She’s a rogue Jax, and she tried to run away, either finish her off or I’m taking her into holding. Take your pick,” Marcus said, gripping his hand around my arm. I could see the hesitation written all over Jax’s face, “let’s go,” he finally said, looking defeated.

Jax walked in front of us while Marcus kept a tight grip on my arm, holding me prisoner and dragging me through the forest. Jax finally turned around; pity evident in his eyes, “can you let her get dressed? Oh my Moon Goddess, give the girl some damn dignity.” Marcus furrowed his brows, “dignity? She’s a rogue! What is it about her? If you want to get laid, I’ll take you to the whore house myself”. My eyes widened, the thought that they were using sex slaves here too in Crescent Pack made bile leach up my throat.

“Get. Dressed.”, Marcus ordered in a stern voice and dropped his grip off from my arm. I debated running away again, but I knew I wouldn’t get far and would only further aggravate the two men that were holding me hostage. I slipped my dress on and pressed my lips together, digging my hand in my pocket. I felt relief flooding my chest as I always did when I felt Luna Fraya’s necklace still securely in my pocket and nodded at Marcus, allowing him to take hold of my arm once more.

We soon approached a large white building that looked more of a warehouse. I had never seen such a massive building before. We made a turn and headed towards the entrance, Jax pulling open the steel door. I noticed that the building had no windows, which I found strange. Even the slave chambers in my old pack had one window. “Don’t worry, I’ll sort this out quickly. I know you’re just scared,” Jax whispered to me.