I ignored the vibrating of his phone interrupting the silence in the room, trying to find my place on the page of the book I had been reading. I had just managed to find it when the sound of his chair rolling backwards on the hardwood floor distracted me again. I glanced up catching his eye as he made his way to the door but he offered no explanation as to why he was suddenly leaving his office.

Normally I couldn't possibly care less about who the Alpha spoke to or what he spoke about as long as he wasn't speaking to me but the fact that he had felt the need to leave the room to answer this call piqued my interest. 

I heard his footsteps enter the bedroom before he finally answered the call. At this distance it was hard to hear what he was saying but he was underestimating the abilities of a curious human ear. If I held myself very still and strained to listen to what he was saying, I could just about make it out. 

"I told you it's not possible, she needs me."

I wished he had put it on speaker so I could hear what the other person was saying but even with just his side of the conversation I was willing to bet the "she" he was referring to was me.

"I know it's been months, it's not easy on me either but it's what's necessary."

He sounded frustrated, as though he had this conversation more than just a couple times and was getting tired of having to repeat himself.

"Can I not even rely on you to keep the pack calm? I thought there was a reason I had chosen to make you second in command but perhaps it was undeserved."

My brows rose involuntarily, it seemed I wasn't the only one he was a condescending asshole to, that was just his natural state of being. How I wished he could deem me undeserving of being his mate and fire me like he seemed about to do to this second in command of his.

"The elders are always convinced the next meeting will be their last." He said dismissively.

It seemed like someone was trying to convince him to come to some sort of meeting, one of the seasonal meetings perhaps. I prayed to whatever deity that was listening that they would succeed in their persuasion. Even just an evening to myself would allow me to regain some semblance of the sanity I had lost being constantly smothered by him.

"Why didn't you tell me Carl was so sick? If one of my pack members is hospitalized I should at least be informed."

I listened with bated breath to hear what he would say after that, hoping this was enough to convince him to leave the house.

"I don't want to hear excuses, just tell the pack they can expect to see me tonight."

I sank back against the couch in relief, tensing up again when the Alpha appeared in the doorway of the office, trying to neutralize my expression to hide the elation I felt.

The Alpha walked in, heading straight for me and I looked up from my book when he sat down next to me on the couch. For once willing to give him my undivided attention since I was going to be getting some much anticipated news from him.

"There's something I need to talk to you about." He said and I nodded, angling my body towards him and setting the book that lay in my lap aside. Far too eager for this conversation to even bother glancing to see which page I had been on. His eyes narrowed slightly as he tracked the movement, clearly suspicious of why I was acting this way when normally trying to pull a response from me was like pulling teeth.

"One of the pack elders is very sick, doctors don't think he'll make it to the end of the year."

"I'm sorry to hear that." I said sincerely, watching as he reached forward and grabbed one of my hands that lay in my lap, holding it in his own. His eyes watching my expression carefully to gauge my reaction.

"I had no idea he was doing so poorly. I've tried my best to continue leading the pack as it has been led in the past but not being present has had an impact on my leadership. "

I had to clench my teeth to bite back the words of encouragement to go see him that were at the tip of my tongue. For him to actually go through with leaving me alone in the house I had to not seem eager to see him go.

"It's unavoidable, I have to go see him. I wouldn't forgive myself if he passed away and I hadn't so much as visited him once."

"I understand." I responded, just a tad too quick to seem natural.

"While I'm out I'm also going to stop by the winter meeting because apparently my pack is getting very restless after not having seen me in months."

I couldn't quite understand why anyone would complain about not seeing him but I was grateful for it nonetheless. They had my blessing to take up all his time.

"I'll be out for a couple hours." He said finally and I had to fight back the smile that was threatening to make its way onto my face. It seemed like he could smell my elation judging by the furrow that formed between his brows.

His grip tightened on my hand and he yanked me forward suddenly, a gasp escaping me as I stopped just short of hitting my forehead into his. Unable to keep the irritation off my face, I glared at him. My expression going slack as I noticed his darkening eyes indicating how angry he was. Heightened emotions of any kind from him usually meant the beast was closer to the surface, and while I couldn't quite tolerate Onyx either, the wolf was something I dreaded seeing with every fiber of my being.

"There will be guards outside keeping a very close eye on the house. If you so much as even step foot outside I will know and I'll be home before you can get down the street."

"Let go, you're hurting me." I said, trying to pull my hand out of his but his other hand came up to rest on the back of my neck, stopping me from leaning away.

"You seem awfully excited, planning to try running away again little mate?" He asked.

"I'm not going to try to run away, but can you really blame me for being happy you're leaving when you're constantly acting like this?" I asked, just managing to weasel my hand out of his and holding it up so he could see the clear outline of his fingerprints on my skin.

His gaze fell to my reddened skin and he seemed to lose some of his vigour, loosening his hold on my neck so his hand was just resting on it as his shoulders slumped.

"Fuck, I'm sorry." He breathed, reaching for my bruised hand but I yanked it out of his reach. Glancing at his eyes and relieved to see them return to their normal colour. I pushed at his chest and for once he backed off.

I rubbed at my hand as I walked out of his office to get some ice from the kitchen, playing up the injury so that it would hopefully cut short his scary Alpha mate tirade. It didn't really hurt, I had always bruised easy but the guilt would shut him up and distract him from his anger. I could feel him following me closely, hovering over me as though he were just about to snatch me up. Only serving to get more on my nerves than he already had.

"Sit, I'll make you an ice pack." He said and not wanting to argue with him today I sat down at the table to wait and watched as he made an unnecessarily large icepack.

When it was done he knelt down before me, taking my hand in his and stubbornly keeping hold of it even as I tried to pull away, pressing the ice pack gingerly to the bruise. I flinched at the freezing cold temperature against my skin, watching him flinch along with me as though he were the one injured.

"I'm sorry Athena, I didn't mean to hurt you. I was upset and I didn't realize how much pressure I was putting on your hand."  

"I'm used to it." I said, watching with pleasure as he flinched again at my words.

"Don't say that." He mumbled, lifting my hand and pressing a kiss to the ice cold skin. The heat of his lips searing like a brand.

"I never mean to hurt you, there is nothing in the world more precious to me than you. This is hard for me too but I promise I will try my best to ensure I don't ever hurt you again."

I looked away from him, unable to stand the intensity of his imploring gaze. I heard him let out a small sigh but luckily he didn't press for a response. He wasn't going to get one, his promises meant nothing to me.

"I didn't intend to leave you alone in the house just yet, I wouldn't go if it wasn't so important. Please promise me you won't try anything while I'm gone." 

"I promise." I said easily, having absolutely no intention of trying to escape tonight. I needed to gain his trust if I was ever going to succeed in getting away. I needed him to get comfortable leaving me home alone so that eventually he would stop leaving guards to watch me in his absence.

"Please Athena, I really don't know what I'll do if you try to run away."

"Or if you try to contact him." He added before I could say anything. His words may have been spoken pleadingly but it was a reminder of what he was capable of. If trying to scare me out of doing either of those things was his intention he had succeeded.

"I'm not going to do either of those things. You would know if I was lying."

"I know and I appreciate it." He said rubbing his thumb gently over my hand.

"I have about an hour before I have to leave, I won't be able to eat with you but I can make you something."

"I'm fine with takeout." I told him. I wanted to minimize the amount of reminders of him that would surround me while he was gone. Getting takeout on the rare days I was home alone was about as close to normal as I could get while forced to stay here with him.

"I'll order it before I leave so let me know what you want." He said and I nodded.

"I have something I want to finish before I leave so let's head back to my office."

"Wait." I called out making him turn back towards me, raising a brow expectantly.

"Can I borrow your phone? I want to call my family." I asked.

I knew it would be a stretch to ask him to leave his phone so I could talk to them while he was out. Talking to my family would renew my good mood that he had managed to ruin, even if it was with him eavesdropping.

"You can talk to them tomorrow, I'm anxious enough as it is today leaving you here alone and having you talk to your family right before I go is only going to make it worse."

"Why can't I talk to them today? I'm not going to plan a big escape with you listening in."

He sighed as though I was the one being unreasonable, reaching out towards me but I leaned away from his touch.

"Athena I'm not saying you can't talk to them, just not today. I know how your family feels about me and it's going to be hard enough leaving you here without me having to worry about you discussing running away in code."

I stared blankly at him, trying to fight down the urge to scream in frustration. I clenched my teeth to keep from doing so, rising from the chair I had been sitting on and sweeping past him to go back to his office. I needed the mental escape the book would provide if I was going to recover my excitement for an evening without the overly controlling and apparently paranoid Alpha breathing down my neck.

His hand wrapped around my arm just before I made it to the stairs. He pulled me back into his chest, his arms bracketing me as he leaned down resting his chin on my shoulder.

"Don't be upset mate, I'll take you to see them soon to make it up to you."

"Fine." I responded shortly, exacting my revenge by digging my elbow into his midsection as I pushed away from him. To my disappointment my elbow was met with only solid muscle instead of the soft tissue I was hoping for.

I made my way up the stairs with him following closely at my heels, going back into his office and sitting down on the couch to take up my book again. I tracked his movements from the corner of my eye until he was settled back at his desk and typing something on his laptop before I allowed myself to focus on trying to find my place in the book.

Once I had found it I tried reading but found my eyes glossing over the words without taking in a single one. Unable to resist the urge to glance at the clock which seemed to move slower than ever, the hands having barely moved even when I forced myself to wait as long as I could before checking the time again. More than once I saw the Alpha glance at me from my peripheral vision as I took yet another look at the clock but couldn't bring myself to stop.

Eventually an hour had passed and I looked expectantly at the Alpha, slumping as I saw he was still typing away on his laptop. I didn't know how I had survived the hour wait but now to see he had no desire to be punctual and it would take even longer was a real disappointment. The Alpha's lips twitched just a moment before he glanced up at me with a raised brow. I looked back down at my book immediately, knowing I had been caught but hoping he wouldn't mention it.

"I'm almost done." He reassured and I glanced up with the most nonchalant expression I could muster before glancing back down at my book as though it didn't matter.

"You know your excitement would be even cuter if it wasn't in anticipation of me leaving? It's still irresistibly adorable, it makes me dread leaving even more." 

I kept my mouth shut and eyes trained resolutely on the book, turning the page though I had no idea what I had just read.

"Come here and order whatever you want to eat so it'll be delivered before I leave." He said, holding his phone out and I set my book down to go grab it from him. He kept his gaze on his laptop as I approached, not even moving so much as a muscle until I had slipped the phone out of his hold and then his arm shot out to wrap around my waist. Before I could react he tugged me onto the arm of the chair he sat on.

I tumbled down onto it, letting out an involuntary yelp as I fell into his side having lost my balance. He righted me with the arm he had around me so I was perched on the arm of his chair, clearly having no intention to let me go. I stared at him in shock for a moment before realizing it was no use when he merely tightened his hold on me in response, staring straight at his laptop and not even sparing me a glance.

Suppressing a sigh I decided to quickly order so that I could return his phone and get away from him but accidentally locked it due to my unsteady hands. My heart lurched in my chest before speeding up as I felt him lean his face against my arm to see past me to his screen, the position oddly intimate.

"The passcode is your birthday." He said and I nodded, holding my breath until he turned away again, typing away on his laptop with his free hand.

I put it in and was surprised to see that it really unlocked. I couldn't believe he knew my birthday let alone that he would change his passcode to it. Trying not to think about that I went to the food ordering app he normally used when he ordered us takeout and picked the option that had the shortest delivery time. As soon as I had placed the order I held his phone out for him to take, trying not to wince as his fingers brushed against mine but failing.

I stood up, relieved that he let me go but could feel his gaze on my back as I made my way back to the couch. The couch was thankfully against the opposite wall of his office, allowing me to put some much desired space between us.

I opened the book again and tried to look like I was reading it until he stood at his desk, shutting the screen on his laptop and stretching languidly. The buttons of his light blue shirt straining to hold together over the expanse of his broad chest.

His lips quirked up into a smirk as he glanced up to see me watching him, the dimple in his cheek making an unnecessary appearance. I merely looked back down at my book, mentally apologizing to the author for not giving their book the attention it deserved.

"I'm gonna go get ready." The Alpha said and I nodded without looking at him, waiting until he was out of the office to allow my tense muscles to relax. Feeling an ache in my lower back from sitting so rigidly for so long.

Setting the book down now that he was no longer around to see me pretend to read it, I preoccupied my mind by fantasizing about my evening. These next few hours that he was gone I would finally get to relax and I was very much looking forward to it. It hadn't been as bad when he was sleeping in his office, but having him around 24 hours a day had really taken its toll on me. I was tired, achy and erratic from the sleep deprivation. I didn't want to waste my alone time sleeping, but it would probably be good for me to take at least a nap.

Since he seemed to be taking his sweet time getting ready, I tried again for a few minutes to read but it was futile. Instead of continuing to try I decided to use this time to figure out what I wanted to do with my evening. When I thought of what I wanted to do the first few things that sprang to mind were all off limits but I tried not to let that dampen my spirit. If I couldn't see the people I loved or go out anywhere then watching a movie and eating takeout alone would do.

Having made up my mind I went downstairs to the living room where his TV was to browse through the movies. I had only just turned it on and sat down on the couch when the doorbell rang. I froze, glancing towards the direction of the door without so much as making a move to get it though I knew that it was most likely just the delivery for the takeout.

My stomach sank at the unsettling realization that something as normal as opening the door to retrieve a delivery had become so formidable for me. Just as I rose, determined to prove to myself I wasn't such a coward that I couldn't even get the door without explicit permission from the Alpha I heard the front door being swung open and froze again. Feeling like I had been caught just as I was about to do something wrong.

"Hello Alpha." The individual greeted and I didn't even need to be able to see them to know they were probably bowing in respect.

"Hello Lucas, thanks for bringing this over, this is for you." He responded, presumably offering the deliverer a tip though I had also tipped on the app.

"No Alpha I couldn't, but thank you, I-I'm just happy I got to see you again." They responded, the slight pitch of their voice indicating it was most likely a teenager.

"I insist, my mate would be very upset if I didn't. I'll see you at the meeting this evening?" The Alpha asked though it sounded more like an order.

"Of course, see you both then. I can't wait to meet Alpha mate." The deliverer responded making my eyes widen.

"It'll be just me this evening, she's not quite up for it yet." The Alpha said much to my relief.

"Oh sorry, of course. I'll go now, sorry." They said awkwardly and I quickly sat back down as I heard the Alpha shut the door, staring straight ahead at the TV.

"Chinese food?" The Alpha asked as he made his way into the living room, setting the food down on the table.

I was about to respond but snapped my mouth shut at the sight of him. Clearly this meeting was a big deal considering the Alpha had changed into a full black suit. A well fitted blazer stretched over the wide expanse of his shoulders making them look even broader than they already were. It was worn open to reveal the perfectly ironed white dress shirt he wore underneath, the thin fabric dipping in to reveal the muscled contours of his upper body and worn buttoned to the top for once. A thin black tie completed the ensemble. The black dress pants he wore beneath did nothing to hide his thickly muscled thighs so that there was no misconception based on his gentlemanly clothes that he could rip someone apart with his bare hands.

The entire outfit looked tailored onto him and was probably obscenely expensive. He looked every bit the Alpha he was, somehow more intimidating when dressed like this, untouchable. The sleek movements of his body as he made his way to stand right in front of me and held out his hand giving away the primal nature the formal attire may have concealed.

The mere size of his hand had me hesitating to do so, it was definitely bigger than my face with rough palms and veins that protruded under the tan skin. Not wanting to risk getting into an argument I forced myself to place my hand in his, allowing him to pull me up so that we stood nearly chest to chest. A mere couples of inches of space between us. I kept my gaze on my toes feeling particularly nervous though I couldn't really say why.

"Before I head out there's something I need you to do for me." He said.

"What is it?" I asked, fighting to hold still as he moved his hand towards my face, resting his index finger under my chin. The touch of his skin was warm and rough as he gently prodded my chin up so that I was looking into his eyes.

"I need you to scentmark me."

"Scentmark?" I repeated dumbly, not understanding what he wanted me to do.

"Scentmark me so that my pack doesn't suspect anything is wrong. They'll find it strange that we aren't mated since it's been months but sensing your scent on me will help quell their worry."

"What do I have to do?" I asked hesitantly, hoping it did not involve licking because there was no way I was licking him. Evening alone be damned if it must.

"Don't worry, it's easy. Just do what I tell you to do."

I couldn't help the skeptical look I gave him as he stepped even closer and leant down slightly, the couch behind me leaving me unable to back up unless I wanted to be sprawled on the couch. The predatory look in his eyes told me that would most definitely be a mistake.

"Put your hand on the back of my neck." He ordered making me blink in confusion but I complied nonetheless. Mentally having to give him credit for not flinching at the feel of my cold fingers as I gingerly placed my hand on his heated skin.

"Now rub your palm there so your scent gets on me."

I rubbed my palm up and down awkwardly, trying to keep my fingers from catching in his hair since that was more intimacy than I could handle. He reached up and I flinched but continued rubbing my hand up and down his neck as his hands went to his tie instead of on me.

I looked up at him questioningly and he held eye contact with me as he pulled the tie loose with a finger caught into the loop before popping open the top button of his shirt making my eyes widen as I looked away quickly. Nothing was ever as simple as it seemed with him. I shouldn't have agreed to the scentmarking in the first place, now he was starting to take his clothes off.

"Now rub your cheek against my throat, here." He said arching his head to the side to reveal the right side of his throat. The smooth tan skin stretching tautly over the thick corded muscles of his neck at the movement.

"Can't I just do it with my hand?" I asked, bringing my hand from the back of his neck to the front but he caught my wrist, shaking his head at me.

"That's not the way scentmarking is done."

"How would they even know if it was my cheek or hand?" I asked.

"You wouldn't understand, it's a wolf thing." He said but I was still sceptical and it seemed he could tell.

"Athena I just need you to scentmark me and then I'll be off." He reassured. I glared at him as I mentally debated whether it was worth it, but he held my stare evenly.

'Come on mate, I don't bite." He said, eyes twinkling mischievously since we both knew his statement was not true.

"I certainly won't mind if you do though." He added in a low murmur as though telling a secret that was to be kept between us.

I gave him a cautious look trying to gage from his expression whether this was a good idea or not but his face gave nothing away. Taking a deep breath to steel my nerves I leant in slowly until my cheek was pressed against his throat, heart pounding so hard it was making me nearly nauseous. I rubbed my cheek once from his slightly exposed collarbone to just under his jaw and then tried to move back but he placed his hand on my upper back to keep me still.

"That's not enough to get your scent on me, the wind will blow that off." The Alpha said huskily, letting his hand fall lower on my back as I leaned in again and rubbed my cheek up and down the skin of his throat, the skin of his jaw slightly scratchy with a faint hint of stubble. His scent filled my senses as I breathed in, sweet and slightly spicy. He let out a sound that sounded suspiciously like a groan and I jerked back, afraid I had done something wrong.

"You have to do the other side too." He said and I opened my mouth to complain but thought better of it. Snapping my mouth shut I leant in towards him again, making the mistake of glancing into his eyes and seeing the way they were hooded with desired. The whisky colour appearing almost syrupy as they melted with the heat I could see in them.

It made my breath hitch and only served to make me hyperaware of everyplace where we were touching. The feel of his warm skin against the palm of my hand and my cheek, the heat of his hand where it rested on the small of my back and the cold cotton of his fresh shirt lined just beneath it with the heat his body gave off. In order to get close enough I was forced to lean against his chest right under which I could feel the pounding of his heart, nearly matching the racing of my own.  

I rubbed my cheek just one last time along the length of his throat before pulling away to look at him, swallowing nervously and looking away from his heated gaze.

"You'll be late." I said and he nodded wordlessly, swooping down to press a deep kiss to my cheek, nudging his nose against it once before pulling back and buttoning up his shirt again. He fixed up his tie without glancing away from me but it seemed to sit slightly more towards the right.

"It's crooked." I said unthinkingly as I looked down at it, making his eyebrows raise in surprise.

"Can you fix it?" He asked.

I stepped closer to him and shifted the tie slightly so it sat right against the hollow dip in the middle of his collarbone as it had before, careful to not let my fingers brush his skin.

"There." I mumbled as I stepped away, letting my hands fall back to my sides. His lips curved up into a small grateful smile, shocking me into nearly tripping over my own feet. He didn't really smile much, his smiles were usually smirks or had a cruel mocking edge to them. The full pink lips framed by tiny half crescents at the corners and the deep dimple that formed in his cheek created a deceptively sweet picture.

"I should go now." He said staring down at me as though leaving was the last thing he wanted to do. I nodded and took a step back to increase the distance between us, the movement seeming to break him out of his trance.

"There's gonna be guards outside, let them know if you need anything or want me to come back. I can be back in a matter of minutes if you need me." He said staring at me with an almost hopeful expression as though urging me to tell him not to go.

"Okay, I will." I responded making his face fall slightly but he recovered himself before I could be sure.

"I'll see you in a couple hours darling." He said, eyes raking over my face as though this was his last chance to see me.

"Bye." I said shortly and it seemed to force him into action. He turned to leave, giving me one last look before he was out of view.

I listened as he shut the door and waited until I heard the lock click into place before I let myself sink down into the couch, trying to calm my racing heart. I'd never considered myself to be much of a coward but despite the time I had spent locked up in his house being so close to the Alpha still scared the hell out of me.

I took a moment to close my eyes and simply enjoy the silence in the house. Being the only one here was about as close to freedom as I had gotten since my last escape attempt and I had no desire to think about that.

Afraid I would fall asleep if I stayed like this any longer I forced myself to straighten from my slouch, grabbing the remote from off the table and choosing one of the streaming services the Alpha had. I browsed through the movies, skipping past the romance section since those would either remind me of Ethan if it was a human cast or remind me of the Alpha if it wasn't.

The first thriller in the category was about a violent kidnapper and so I skipped over that genre entirely, bringing me to comedies. I picked the first one that seemed to have an all human cast before grabbing up my bag of food and beginning to take out the various items. I chose to forego using a plate and ate straight out of the containers with my chopsticks.

I hadn't been paying much attention while I was ordering and chosen one of the recommended orders for one person but was surprised to find that I quite liked the food. I stuffed my face with greasy noodles as the movie started. The main character getting fired from their job minutes into the movie due to a freak accident that might have made me laugh before I had become so dreadfully serious. They proceeded to move in with their little sister which made me think of Nora and wish I could talk to her.

I felt a bitter pang of envy watching the two sisters on screen fight over stupid little things, wishing I could go back to living with my sister. I missed my parents very much but it was Nora that I thought about most. I hadn't even realized how much time we used to spend together until I no longer could.

If I wasn't at work or with Ethan I was at home and either in my sister's room as she did homework or sitting on the couch in the living room with her sharing some sort of snack as we watched TV together. Even when I ran errands I used to force her to come with me.

I missed her sarcastic quips and the way she would complain about me being around even though I knew she loved it considering if I didn't go to her room in the evening, she would come do her homework in mine. I missed the updates she would give me about her life, telling me all the little details about her day and expecting to hear about mine.

If something seemed off with Nora my parents would expect me to know about it or be able to find out and tell them if there was anything to be concerned about. The food suddenly seemed bland and held no appeal but I forced myself to keep eating, sniffling and trying to fight back the stinging in my eyes as they welled with tears.

Although there had been nothing in the summary about a love interest one was introduced and I had to give up trying to eat altogether as he laughed in a way that reminded me too much of Ethan. Closing up the containers of food I set them on the table, deciding ice cream would be easier to stomach than actual food if I was going to end up crying over a comedy. It was a new low for me but I was going to blame it on the Alpha and indulge myself.

I opened up the freezer to see many little pints of ice cream lined along the top and chose one with chunks of fudgy brownies and cookie dough in chocolate ice cream, bringing my find back to the living room along with a spoon and glass of water. I ripped open the seal, tossing it next to me on the couch and took off the lid before digging in.

The Alpha only bought the expensive brands of ice cream and now I was grateful because even if I wanted to cry I couldn't help but shovel spoon after spoon of the rich chocolatey ice cream into my mouth. Hunting for the brownies and cookie dough chunks between bites making the ice cream disappear a lot faster than I thought it would.

I returned my attention to the movie as I reached the bottom of the pint, setting it down on the table just as the main character got into an explosive fight with the love interest. Ethan and I barely ever fought, even when we got into arguments it never got to the point of yelling and if we were upset we would take time to cool off. He almost always apologized even when he wasn't in the wrong. He would tell me that when we were married we would have a rule to never go to bed upset at each other.

It made me sad now to think of how excited Ethan had been to get married. He had been bringing it up ever since our first anniversary when he had told me that he wanted to marry me one day. He was such a wonderful person and he deserved a happy ending.

I felt incredibly guilty for not sincerely telling him to give up on me, it was the right thing to do but I was too selfish. A better person would have lied and told him they were happy with their werewolf mate so that he could move on and not endanger himself. But I wasn't that selfless, I didn't want to give him up. Though I'd never admit it out loud somewhere deep down I felt I was owed my happy ending with him if the fates had been cruel enough to put me through being the Alpha's mate.

I hiked my knees up on the couch and hugged them to my chest, watching as the main character's sister advised her to apologize to the love interest and she went chasing him through an airport. It felt almost cruel to watch the character get her happy ending as I sat there rotting in my captor's house.

This movie seemed to be from the time before werewolves had made themselves known and I couldn't help but envy the people who got to live then, though rationally I knew it was a terrible time. The world had been rot with poverty, wars and global warming had been an escalating and unmanaged concern. The werewolves were unfair to humans but they had fixed many major world issues, I chastised myself for even thinking such a thing.

Dwelling in self-pity wasn't good. The more I allowed it, the more vulnerable I became mentally. I had to stay strong if I didn't want the Alpha to drive me insane.

Swiping at my eyes with the back of my hand I grabbed the remote as the comedy I was watching ended, going back to browsing for something that would occupy my thoughts more effectively. Romance was still very much off the table, comedies were probably best avoided as well since they often had some sort of emphasis on family or romance. I was far too stressed for a thriller which was what made me pause as I came across the horror movies. Normally I wasn't a huge fan of them considering they gave me terrible nightmares and would refuse to watch them alone but it seemed the perfect choice considering it wouldn't remind me of my loved ones and would effectively capture my attention to keep my mind from wandering.

I chose one that promised many jump scares in the description and turned it on, regretting my choice the moment it started and the unsettling music made the perfectly ordinary scene of a suburban neighbourhood seem frightening. I grabbed one of the couch pillows, hugging it to my chest. Momentarily reminiscing about how when watching horror with family I would always grab Nora and hug her to my chest in fright making her incredibly annoyed before I shook myself out of it.

By the time the young family moved into the home which clearly had something very wrong with it, I was so scared I couldn't even bring myself to get a refill on my water from the kitchen. I muffled an embarrassing whimper into the pillow I was holding as the spirit prowled out from behind a dark corner and advanced on the little boy in the movie. Nearly shrieking when I looked up in response to seeing something in my peripheral vision and saw a shadow move in the house, trying to convince myself with my hand over my racing heart that it was just the patrolling guards. They had probably heard me and approached one of the windows or doors to make sure I was okay.

On one hand the horror movie did the job perfectly because the only thing I could think about other than the movie was how pathetic it was that I, a grown woman, was so terrified of a scary movie, but on the other hand it was a terrible idea because the Alpha's house was so big and I was all alone in it. My stomach sank when the movie ended without the spirit being vanquished and then the credits started off with a disclaimer that the movie was based off a true story.

I shakily turned the movie off so I could rid the house of the eerie music that was playing as the credits rolled, listening intently to the silence in the house to ensure I was the only presence. I really wished I was home then so I could force Nora to let me sleep in her bed or stand outside while I went to the bathroom so I wouldn't be scared.

Quite unfortunately I needed to use the bathroom and there was no Nora for me to ask to come with me so I had to mentally prepare myself to venture out into the dark house all alone. I knew there were washrooms on the main floor as well but I was not about to go opening random doors to the many dark rooms in order to find it, that would be like intentionally provoking the malevolent spirit.

I got up from the couch cautiously poking my head around the corner to look into the dark silent hallway. Mentally berating the Alpha for having such a giant house and trapping me in it. Taking in a deep breath to steel my nerves I went sprinting down the hallway, flicking the light switch as I darted past it and up the stairs. Getting the eerie feeling that I was being chased so not stopping until I was in the bathroom.

Once I got there I had to take a moment because of how out of breath I was and massage away the stitch that had formed in my side. Admittedly it was more of a mansion than a house but that was still pitiful.

I quickly used the washroom, too scared to look up in the mirror as I washed my hands. The sound of a door opening had me on high alert and I instantly shut off the water, going stockstill and even holding my breath to try to figure out if I had been imagining things out of fear or if the door had really opened.

"Athena!" Came a booming voice from downstairs making me nearly jump out of my skin in fright. I held my hand over my racing heart, feeling nearly faint from the terrifying experience.

"Athena where are you?" The Alpha yelled, sounding much more frantic this time.

I dried my hands on a towel quickly before darting out of the washroom, worried he would get upset if he thought I was hiding from him. I ran down the stairs to see the Alpha whirl around in the entryway upon hearing my footsteps.

I had only made it to the last stair when he came barreling at me, sweeping me clean off my feet and crushing me into his chest with two arms wrapped around my waist. I yelped as he buried his face into the crook of my neck, probably getting a face full of my hair as it had swung forward when he had lifted me but inhaling greedily at it as though it were ambrosia.

"You're here, you're still here." He chanted under his breath, pulling me impossibly closer as if trying to meld me into his chest.

"Let go, you're crushing me." I gasped out and he set me on my feet, pulling back just far enough so that he could get a look at my face. Keeping hold on my upper arms so I couldn't completely escape him.

"I missed you so much sweetness." He said, tipping up my chin in his hand and swooping down to press his lips to mine. I tried to stagger back but was stopped by his hold on the back of my head, pulling me in closer and kissing me desperately. He pulled away before I could think of how to get him off me, pressing a kiss to my forehead and cradling my cheek in his hand reverently.

"Thank you for staying." He said making me frown. I hadn't really been given the choice, but I thought it best not to say that lest it make him lose his cool.

"I was so scared when I walked in and couldn't see or hear you. My heart was pounding so hard I couldn't hear your heartbeat over it."

I didn't know how to respond so I simply kept my mouth shut, watching him warily in case he tried to steal another kiss.

"I need to get changed but then I want to hear all about what you did while I was gone." He said, looking at me expectantly until I nodded. Satisfied he walked past me to the stairs presumably going to his room to change his clothes.

I stood in the foyer of the home watching after him and wishing it had been the spirit opening the door instead of the Alpha who was far too overjoyed to see me.