© Claimed By Him ~ Elektra Orfanos

I can't sleep when he's staring at me like that.

His golden eyes are glowing and they're piercing into my face like he's trying to burn holes in it. Even with my eyes sewn shut I feel his intense stare almost like any moment now he will decide to attack me.

I don't know how long I can pretend to be asleep for.

He's-might I add- also blocking the exit to the cave not that I can easily run from him anyway but it's nice to have the option. It's seems that he doesn't trust me enough to fall asleep, that he thinks I might just sneak past him and he doesn't have to worry... Because I don't have a death wish anymore. I love life too much to give it up so soon.

Besides he did make it very clear that I'm not going anywhere tonight.

He did want to cuddle but I made the point of my discomfort of sleeping with a male -wolf or not- I don't trust his motives.

Surprisingly he was very lenient. Almost a gentleman... Gentlewolf?

However I regret my decision with the warm fire out and the night being so cold and cruel. Having his warm pelt to protect me has now become tempting.

"Must you watch me like that?" I asked leaning on my elbow unable to pretend anymore.

'I thought you were trying to sleep?' He sardonically said.

"You're making it hard by the intense stare. I figure why dream of my nightmare when I'm staring at one?" I regretted it as soon as it left my mouth.

'Well that hurts.' He replied dully but I sense a little hurt.

"So it does have feelings." I mockingly awed hoping to cheer him up.

He chuckled but it sounds forced and vicious. 'Just go to sleep little one.'

"I'd rather be in my own bed." I winced.

'Well unfortunately you won't be. Suck it up princess.' First little one now I'm a princess? I'm not asking for much I just want a comfy warm place to sleep. Staying out here in a cave was not on my to do list. I honestly didn't expect to even live through the night and maybe I won't, maybe once I fall asleep he will eat me alive.

I shivered at the thought. "Why should I suffer?"

'Consequence for trying to kill me.'

"Hm... I see." I averted my eyes down at the ground biting my lip. I'm punished for trying to kill him but what's his punishment for actually murdering and eating those people. I shivered again, lying on my side and hugging myself to keep me warm. "It's just so cold here without the fire." He stood and strolled over to me making me shift nervously until his body curled around me protectively. This time I let him and snuggled into his fur dipping my nose in it and breathed in his pinecone smell. "Thank you." I whispered. I swear I felt him shudder a bit from my breath. Maybe I do have an affect on him. Or it's just my bad breath acting up again...

'Mmmm goodnight little one.' He purred with his head nestling right next to my own.

"My name is Luna." I said but I don't know why. He started laughing again so I playfully elbowed his big fluffy belly. "Don't make fun of my name."

'It's not funny just ironic.'

"How?" I questioned curious.

'Go to sleep Luna.'

"What's your name?"

'Why should I say?'

"Because I shared... You should to." I pushed determined.

He sighed with his eyes smiling down at me. 'Just call me Alpha.'

I scoffed and rested my head back down on the ground. "Yeah I don't think so."

'Do you know what that means?' He asked surprised.

I replied with my eyes closed. "Yes. There is no way I will flatter you with that, it's no different to king."

'Oh I like the sound of king call me...'

"Oh shut up and let me sleep." I interrupted smiling. He laughed sinisterly before I fell asleep with his warmth all around me.

~*~*~

I woke up to his light snores as daylight greeted me a good morning. However this isn't a good morning, I've done the unthinkable.

I can't believe this... I slept with the beast and I'm still breathing!

I bet if my grandmother found out she'd bathe me in holy water.

No time to think about that.

Now is my chance to kill him but I still have no weapon since I you know... Dropped my knife. The wolf had a heavy paw resting on my back and my face is so close to his that if a breathed to roughly he would probably wake up.
I crawled away from his warm body making sure not to wake him and picked up the sharpest rock I could find and was close to my reach. I knelt down in front of his humongous head and took a deep breath before holding the sharp stone above my head.

One strike and I'm done. It will all be over and everyone will be safe.

Well and truly safe.

But as I kept staring at his sleepy face my hands started shaking violently. He looks so -not sweet- I mean he is still a terrifying creature and even asleep he looks so vicious and vile. Yet there is a handsomeness in him that I never noticed before and it was too dark for me to really see last night anyway. His expression is not as scary only soft and sweet.

"I can't do it." I whispered broken. The stone fell out of my hand landing next to me and I resisted the urge to reach out and pat him. Who knows what he's like in the morning? He didn't feed on anything last night so he will definitely be starving now.

I have to get out of here before it's too late.

I stood up and walked silently across to the boulder blocking my way. How the hell can I climb over this? Something grabbed my thighs and elevated me up in the air making me squeal.

'See you next month Luna.' He said. I flinched surprised and when I turned to look over my shoulder, his golden eyes shone at me while he held me up.

"Uh..." My heart skipped a beat as I sat up from his hand to the top of the rock and I averted my eyes away from him hiding my hot face. "See you then... Alpha."

~*~*~

I wildly ran out of the woods as I reached civilisation and climbed over the incomplete stone wall this village is trying to build to keep the wolf out. I bypassed men working early to build it and heading in the direction to my grandparents cottage.

"Isn't that Luna?" I overheard one of the builders ask the other but I didn't stop. Once I reached their house protected with creeping red roses all over the walls and windows I bolted through the front door I was suddenly engulfed by the great arms of my mother's father with his prickly beard itching my cheek.

He pulled away and grabbed my face with his hands staring down at me with worried brown eyes. "You're alive!" He roared. My grandparents are not like others. They're not ageing hags or monsters they're both very handsome and grow old graciously. He still has a full set of silver hair, he's still chiseled and toned, my grandmother is still fit and has long silver hair that's braided every time I see her.

"Barely..." I panted.

"What were you thinking?" He questioned. I noticed his eyes are all red from crying and that made me want to punch myself in the face.

"I'm sorry." I wasn't thinking...

"She's here!" My grandmother cried out from the bedroom further into the house. Grandpa Algie pulled me to the dining table which is joined with the living room and the kitchen and forced me down in their wooden chairs he had made himself as a gift to his wife. He even carved out roses on the heads of the chairs because he knows they're her favourite.

"Mabel! Get the poor girl something!" He shouted pulling off his muddy jacket. He must have been out there looking for me.

My grandmother Mabel rushed to the room with her white nightgown on and her silver hair loose and stuffed with dried leaves. Her dark green eyes went glassy and she gripped my face. "Luna!"

"Give her some food! Get some herbs! Do we have any bandages?" My grandparents went hectic, rummaging around the kitchen for whatever they are searching for.

"I'm fine!"

"We're not." Mabel snapped and glared at me. "We were out all night looking for you. We thought you were..." She slapped her hand over her mouth and turned away from me to sob. Grandpa Algie patted her back and couldn't even look at me anymore.

"I was distracting the wolf." I whispered. The world around me went silent, even the wind as it leaned in to listen.

They both turned their heads and stared at me stunned. "She's gone mad." Algie stated.

"What? No I haven't!" Well I did sleep in a cave so... No I still think I'm pretty sane!

"What if she did...? Those stupid boys! Did they dare you to do this Luna?" Mabel asked me.

I rolled my eyes. "No they were too busy making stupid faces at my chest."

This made my grandfather make an unnatural sound with his voice like a growl. "Arielle is going to be so mad." Arielle being my mother who lives out in the city. I ran from the city to here for a quick escape and I felt the need to be here for my grandparents while the wolf was howling.

"She probably already knows. Since everybody else knew but let you go for dead." Grandma Mabel began to sob again.

"That's lovely." I muttered.

She shouted. "What do you expect? No fool is stupid enough to go out there with that demon lurking in there! Why? Why Luna? Why would you go into the woods?"

"I was raised to be fun not smart." I didn't say. My grandparents don't deserve my harsh tongue. "I just... I wanted to protect you."

"You took my bear trap." My grandfather said. I never even got to set that up properly.

"And a kitchen knife." I mumbled still unable to believe I dropped it along the way.

"Jesus Christ!" He shouted flinging his arms up in the air.

"Sh! Nosy neighbours." Grandma said. She glared at the window then stormed over to them drawing the curtains on some random old woman. "Enough of this. You're going home before you give me and your grandfather a heart attack."

This isn't fair! "You haven't even heard my story."

Grandma Mabel turned around and glared at me ready to scold. I hate being treated like a child. "No stories. You leave today and you keep your lips sealed until further notice." She began closing all the curtains then started the stove to cook.

"You weren't meeting anyone in there were you?" My grandfather asked.

If he means: "do you have a secret lover we need to know about?" The answer is no. I wouldn't get myself in danger because some boy asked me to. I'm hurt that he would think that lowly of me but I understand why he asked.

"Algie! No talk!" My grandmother ordered.