CHAPTER TWO - RIGHT OUT OF A HORROR MOVIE

"Let's go," Roarke demanded, dragging me towards the tree-line.

"Where are we going?" I asked, frantically. My knees were shaking beneath me, barely holding my weight. 

Then, almost as if an angel was looking down on me, a loud, foreign howl rang through the forest. The howl caused Roarke to freeze, along with his pack who all exchanged silent looks. If there was one thing that I had learned about werewolves, it was that they were downright territorial - and an unwanted wolf had ventured his way onto Roarke's territory.

As Roarke started shouting commands, his pack members rushing around, I finally acted. Afraid of what Roarke was going to do with me, I reared my foot back and kicked him in the shin. HARD. His grip loosened on me and I pried myself free, desperately sprinting off into the trees.

A terrifying snarl came from behind me.

The forest was dark and creepy, the perfect place for a horror movie scene. The moonlight didn't help much because of the canopy of leaves. I was running blindly. I was stumbling over twisting roots and losing my balance from the dips in the damp underbrush. 

At one point, I tripped over a treacherous root growing out of the ground and tumbled forward onto my knees. I blinked away my tears, shakily rising back to my feet and taking off once again.

I had no idea where I was going. I had no idea what part of the forest I was in. I had no idea how close the nearest civilization was - even so, who would help me? Who would risk their life to save me from the werewolves?

My own thoughts were causing me to panic, just as I was tackled from behind. The wind left my lungs with a whooshing sound. I gasped for air as strong arms flipped me onto my back. Massive, hard thighs straddled me, pinning me to the forest floor. 

Roarke growled into my face, holding my wrists together above my head. I was still taking deep breaths, trying to fill my lungs with oxygen. His eyes glowed when I shifted beneath him, struggling from his weight. I just needed room to breathe. His body weight was preventing my chest from expanding; I was slowly suffocating. 

"Submit," he ordered, snapping his canines in my face. I mustered a look of confusion as my lungs protested. "Bear your neck to me."

A sign of submission, of course. I felt my face reddening as I stared up at him, frightfully. He wouldn't bite me, would he? I had just kicked him and ran. One chomp into my neck and I was gone, but was death better at this point? What if what he had planned for me was worse than death?

I made the decision that suffocating was not how I wanted to die. My stubbornness wasn't going to kill me just yet.

I rolled my head to one side, offering my neck. 

A tremor of fear traveled through me when he lowered his face to the crook of my neck. I began to silently plead that he didn't bite me - when he exhaled loudly, his breath tingled my skin. The goosebumps were immediate and when he pulled back, he was looking at me with a dark expression. "Don't try that again."

I was relieved when he slid off me. I inhaled deeply, finally feeling my lungs expand. However, this moment of relief was abruptly ended when he roughly pulled me to my feet. "I thought that I made it clear that you're mine."

"I-I'm not," I stuttered, bravely. "Just let me go! Please! You don't want me!" 

He growled. "If that was true, you'd be dead."

I took a step backwards and he moved forward, his shoulders stiff. I stumbled away from him until my back hit the trunk of a tree. When I tried to move from it, he was suddenly face-to-face with me, trapping me there. My eyes widened in surprise when he pushed his chest against mine, not leaving even an inch between us. 

"You should know better than to run from a wolf," he told me, his voice hoarse. The pad of his thumb traced my bottom lip, before he cupped my chin with his large hand. "You just made this catch much more exciting."

His face inched closer to mine and I braced myself for the assault of his lips. 

Much to my relief, I was saved by a male emerging from the trees, spotting us.

"Alpha," he said, clearing his throat. "We caught the trespasser." 

Roarke dropped his head into my chest, releasing an irritated growl. My entire body shivered as I kept my hands to myself, afraid to touch him. He suddenly ripped away from me, pulling me with him. We walked over to the male who was barely visible for my eyes to see. It was so dark, and it was so cold.

When we reached the male, he moved to grab me, probably to take me off his Alpha's hands, but Roarke instantly glared at him. "Don't touch her."

The male raised his hands in surrender, backing up. 

I was forcefully dragged through the trees, stumbling over my own feet. When Roarke heard the chattering of my teeth, he stopped and looked at me. "You're cold."

I pinched my lips together, not responding. He pulled me closer for his body warmth, continuing through the forest. I didn't want to be touching him whatsoever, but the heat of his skin was nice. I casually pressed my numb fingers into his side. I was going to take advantage of the moment. 

The unfamiliar male appeared on my other side. "If you want, I can watch her, so you can deal with the trespasser, Alpha." 

"No," Roarke answered, immediately. "I don't want her out of my sight."

The male frowned. "You want her to witness this?"

Roarke stopped, looking at me. "Why should I save her the nightmares? She ran from me. I think she should see this - see just how cruel I can be. She can take this experience as a warning."

"I-I won't run again," I said, shaking my head. "I know better now."

"Do you?"

I nodded, almost frantically. I had acted on impulse and panic when I kicked him and ran. I knew that I couldn't outrun a wolf, especially an Alpha. I wasn't stupid enough to try it again. Roarke gritted his teeth together, looking towards the male who was watching us, silently. I stood completely still in-between them.

"You will watch her," Roarke stated, flatly. "Take her to my place." Then, his dark eyes shifted to me, narrowing. "You will eat, bathe, and wait for me in bed, understand?"

Numbly, I nodded.

He gave me a lingering look, before handing me over to the male. I watched as Roarke stomped off, disappearing within the darkness of the forest. The male began leading me the opposite direction, sticking close. I was just relieved that I didn't have to witness whatever Roarke was going to do to the trespasser. 

The male hesitated. "What's your name?"

"Chloe."

"I'm Blake, his Beta," he said, his shoulder bumping mine. "Please, don't try to run while I'm watching you. I will get in just as much trouble as you."

"I won't," I said, in defeat. We walked through a cast of moonlight and I caught his features. He was around my age, perhaps a few years older, with short dark hair and green eyes. He was well-built, like any werewolf, but he wasn't as intimidating as Roarke. "Has your Alpha ever kept a human before?"

"Yes, as slaves."

I took a deep breath. "So I'm not the first."

"You're not a slave," he responded, looking at me with a frown. "If you were a slave, you wouldn't be given food, or a bath, and certainly not a bed. And, when you ran back there, you would've been killed instantly if you were a slave." 

"So, what am I?" I asked, confused. "A play-toy?"

He grinned at me. "Sure, that's a good word for it." 

My stomach twisted in disgust as we reached an average-sized house, located on the outskirts of the forest. The white paint was chipping, the shutters were cracked, and the front porch steps were broken. Blake led me forward as the sound of wind-chimes filled my ears - I spotted them hanging from a nearby tree. 

Blake lifted me up onto the porch, then opened the front door.

The interior was much nicer than the exterior. There weren't any decorations, just what was necessary. Black leather couches, antique rugs, a stone fireplace, and a mounted television. Blake guided me into the kitchen, which was clean and organized. This was Alpha Roarke's house?

"Okay, let's see what you can eat," Blake said, opening the fridge. "Uh, plenty of beef - you want a hamburger?"

I stepped forward. "Is there anything other than meat?"

Blake looked at me oddly, before opening one of the drawers inside. He produced a couple pieces of fruit, an orange and an apple. I gladly took them from him, then plopped down at the counter with my stomach growling.

"You can't just eat fruit," he said, watching me. "How about some pork?"

Peeling the orange, I shook my head. "Um, I don't really eat meat, unless I'm desperate." He closed the fridge, eyeing me in question. "I was a vegetarian for four years."

"Well, your eating habits will have to change," he said, releasing a chuckle. "Now that you'll be staying with Alpha Roarke, you'll be consuming a lot of meat." 

I didn't respond, just began devouring my fruit. Blake peered out the window above the sink, as if he was waiting for Roarke to emerge from the trees. Blake didn't bother to engage in a conversation with me - he seemed like a quiet man. I was thankful for his silence; I wasn't in the mood to socialize. 

Once I was finished eating, Blake led me upstairs to a bathroom. He started the water in the bathtub, correcting the temperature for me. Then, he began rummaging through the cabinets, grabbing all of the sharp objects, including razors.

He looked at me. "I'm not having you slit your wrists on me."

I was appalled. "I'm not going to kill myself."

"I wouldn't blame you," he murmured, straightening. "I'll be right outside the door. Right outside. So, don't try anything - and if you need something, just holler." He gathered all of the shampoos and soaps from the shower, setting them down near the tub. "If you try to poison yourself with this shampoo - "

"I won't," I interrupted, quickly. He hesitated in front of me, then walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him. I sighed, looking at the steam rising from the tub. A hot bath sounded amazing at the moment.

I stripped out of my dirty clothes and stepped into the tub.

I slowly eased myself down into the warm water, feeling my muscles relax. I hadn't had a nice, warm bath in forever. For the last several months, I had been washing myself in rivers or ponds. I eyed the shampoos and soaps, before grabbing the lavender bar of soap and rubbing my body with it. 

There weren't any feminine products, so I was stuck with using men's shampoo. I was dipping my head back to rinse my hair out when I heard Blake say, "Chloe!"

"Yeah?"

"I have clean clothes out here for you," he said, right outside the door. "There should be a towel underneath the sink."

I remained in the bathtub until the water grew cold. There was indeed a towel underneath the sink and I wrapped it around my torso, tightly. When I stepped out of the bathroom, a set of clothes were placed on the floor, waiting for me. I kneeled down and grabbed them, before turning back into the bathroom to change.

I was given a men's shirt and shorts, undoubtedly Roarke's. The green shirt reached my mid-thighs and the shorts barely clung to my small waist. 

When I exited the bathroom, Blake appeared. "Here."

He was holding a toothbrush and toothpaste for me. I took them from him with a soft grin, then brushed my teeth. I hadn't felt this clean in months.

After that, he led me down the hallway into a bedroom. Curtains were drawn over the windows, so the only source of light was from a single lamp on the nightstand. There was a massive bed in the center of the room and animal skins were pinned to the walls and were scattered on the floor as rugs. 

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "This is Roarke's bedroom, isn't it?"

Blake nodded. "Go rest. He'll be here shortly."

"Uh, I think I'll sleep on the couch," I said, backing away. I didn't want to share a bed with Roarke. I didn't want to be anywhere near his bedroom.

"He wants you in his bed," Blake said, warningly. "He will not be happy if you disobey him." I shook my head, heading to the living room. Blake watched with an unhappy expression as I curled into a ball on the couch, relaxing into the cushions. "Fine, it's your ass on the line, not mine."

My achy joints and bruised feet were satisfied with the couch. Even with Blake moving around and muttering things, I quickly fell into a deep sleep. I wasn't sure how I was able to sleep comfortably knowing that I was on a werewolf's property, an Alpha's. Out in the crazy streets with Foster, we crashed in abandoned buildings and even cabinets. 

I wasn't dreaming when I was jerked awake. 

I opened my eyes groggily, instantly screaming at the sight in front of me. Roarke was standing there, his mouth and neck covered with dry blood. His dark eyes skimmed my body as I sat upright, scooting away from him to the other end of the couch. "W-Why are you covered in blood?"

"The trespasser," he answered, shortly. "Why aren't you in bed?"

My stomach knotted. "I want to sleep here."

"I told you the bed," he said, a growl emitting from his lips. "You disobeyed me - it's like you're asking to be punished." I whimpered when he moved forward, grabbing my wrist and yanking me to my feet. When he put his face close to mine, I could smell the strong, metallic scent of blood. "It will be your blood next if you continue to piss me off."

I remained silent, trembling in front of him. 

"Blake told me that you don't eat meat," Roarke said, his eyes narrowed. "That will have to change, understand?" The sight of him covered in blood was scary enough for me to nod my head for his satisfaction. "Good, now come."

When he tried to pull me towards his bedroom, I dug my feet into the floor. I was afraid of what he had planned for me - I mean, he was covered in blood. 

Roarke faced me with a snarl. "I suggest you don't fight me on this, little one." His eyes glowed in warning and I sighed in defeat, following him to his bedroom. "I'm going to take a quick shower. If I step out and you're not in that bed, you will be the next person that I punish."

I didn't take his threat lightly. 

As he headed to the bathroom, I walked into his bedroom, my heart hammering in my chest. I crawled into his bed, choosing the side nearest to the window, just in case. I purposely placed a pillow in the center of the bed, like a wall, and curled into the smallest ball possible.

I waited for him, more awake than ever. When I heard him enter the room, I didn't bother looking at him. I kept my eyes centered on the window, feeling uneasy. 

I felt the bed dip, followed by the pillow being ripped away with a growl. "No."

Then, he flipped me over, gathering me so close that my face was on his bare chest and his nose was buried on the top of my head. I didn't understand him. At all. One minute, he was threatening me - and the next minute, he was cuddling me. He kicked the covers down to our feet since his body heat kept us both warm.

"Why do you want me?" I whispered into his throat, confused.

"I told you already."

"You told me that you want to corrupt me," I said, his chest rising beneath my head. "I'm not the only 'innocent' person out there. I'm sure you've crossed several women who have attracted you - "

"Not like you," he interrupted, roughly. "Go to sleep."

I hesitated. "I just want answers."

"Go to sleep," he repeated, his arm around my waist tightening. "Do not make me repeat myself again." I squeezed my eyes shut, taking a deep breath. 

At least I had a bed to sleep in.