I struggled to open my tired eyes. Looking up, I sighed and let out a small breath of relief. Everything had been a dream. I had no mate, my mom was alive, and I was still in Halfmoon  in my house, and I was sure Sara was downstairs with my brother - awaiting me to wake up.

My wolf growled to my dismay.

[We're not in our house] she spoke. My wolf and I rarely spoke to one another. She was so difficult. 

Worried by her statement, I began to look around with fear. She was right. We weren't in our house. And the scent was different. Maybe I was a packmates house! Yeah, that was it.

But a dark feeling in my stomach was keeping more than alert. I released myself of the silver sheets, getting up. Looking down, I could see the outfit I was wearing was not something I wore before. It was a sleek white night gown. Who the hell put me in this thing?

I felt knots tangle in my stomach, and I knew something was off. I ran across the wooden floorboard to a door. Flinging it open, I welcomed a long dark hallway. After opening it, a scent hit me hard, causing me to widen my eyes.

It was a musky, leathery, chocolate earth scent. But it was so enticing. It was shocking. Why did this smell so nice? So good? I found myself breathing harder just to take in more of it as it filled my nostrils, entering my lungs.

I took more steps down the hallway until I came to a staircase. But before going down, I noticed a nearby window. Forgetting the stairs, I ran to the window, looking outside.

The clearing wasn't my home.

And I realized that it wasn't a dream.

I wasn't home. I had no parents, no pack. Only a few of us survived the whole ordeal. Me, my brother and Sara being some of them. My mom . . . she died trying to protect the pack. Her necklace! Feeling all around my body, I was shocked to know it was around my neck. That was odd. I never put it on.

Looking out of the window, I saw some people I didn't know. They were sparring, in a terrifying way. They were so fast, and strong. One blow to one guy's face sent him hurdling, but he got up as though he'd barely been struck! 

I groaned, grasping my head as all the memories came pouring back into me. 

The blood, the snarls. The wolves. Reddawn. Baine. I whimpered, resting my hands on the window sill before I got a grip of myself. Everything I know was just destroyed. 

[We don't have time to mourn. We can do that later. As for now, we need to find the others, and hopefully escape.] She explained. That was the most she had spoken to me in the past year since I've shifted.

I nodded to myself and pushed away the harsh memories and forced my feet to shuffle forward.

I skipped two steps at a time to get to the bottom.

"Hey!" Someone called. I looked up to see someone at the top of the stairs, his eyes glaring at me. Adrenaline rushing through me, I hopped the last 5 or so stairs. Immediately I ran to the double doors that would hopefully lead me outside. Opening them, it took a second for the bright light to welcome my eyes.

Two arms wrapped around, causing me to scream. "Shut up!" He yelled in my ears. I kicked and punched, bit and screamed as he carried my outside.

"Let go! Stop, put me down!" I hissed.

"Alpha!" 

My heart froze at those words, and so I stopped squirming, awaiting for what was to come.

"Let her go," Someone growled. I shivered and realized he was here. The guy holdin gme dropped me to the ground, making me land on my stomach.

"Oomf," I grit.

I felt like I was being treated like a rag doll. I daringly looked up at Baine, his hard eyes staring down at me. 

"I'm not getting up," I suddenly stated, criss crossing my legs. 

He ruined my life, so the least I can do is annoy the living hell out him and his pack.

Kneeling down, Baine stared at me, and I felt like his eyes were staring into my soul. His jaw clenched as he inched towards my face. I felt fuzzies run down my body as I stared at his well framed face.

"Yes. You will," He growled. I met his eyes with mine. I could tell he was pissed. But I was too.

"No."

"You really aren't going to like what I'll do," He said with a slight smirk. Wow, that was the first time this cruel beast might have actually smiled.

"Fuck you!" I hissed in his face. That humorous glint was gone, and he harshly gripped my shoulder, causing me to feel  pain. He dragged me up like I was as light as a feather. 

On my feet, I was ready for him to attack me. Or kill me. 

"Don't curse!" He shouted in my face.

"Fuck you!" I screamed even louder. And with that, he began to drag towards his huge house, which was surprisingly bigger than my old one. The one I would never see again. I couldn't help the tears gathering in my eyes, but I refused to let them drop from my eyes. My feet doubled their pace to keep up with him. As soon as we got in, he dragged my down the hall, and turned to a room, opening it and thrusting me inside, him following suit with the door slamming behind us.

I felt myself growing fearful as I realized we were in an office. I began to slowly step backwards until my back hit the wall far from him. 

"I don't think  you seem to realize the situation you're now in." He started, turning to face me with a grim look.

"Do explain," I growled. I was never one to really fight. But circumstances change. So do people.

"You are now in my pack and must obey my rules. You won't curse. I don't like women who use provacative language, it rather digusts me." He started.

Yeah, well I could think of a few things about you that disgust me.

"Secondly, coming to realize you are my mate, you won't look at anyone else, talk or touch any other male other than me. Understood?" He asked, although I could tell he wasn't ready to argue. Sucks to be you because I'm more than ready.

"I don't care that I'm in your stupid pack! I don't want to be here in the first place! I don't want this new life, and I don't want to be your stupid mate just so you can throw all these rules onto me! Mates are suppose to be equals. But I guess it doesn't matter. I want absolutely nothing to do with you," I explained. With every word I could see Baine getting angrier and angrier.

But I kept going.

"You're an evil monster. I hate you. You killed members of my pack. You ruined my life. You ruined me. And I will never, ever, forgive you." I replied, my voice darker. I let out all I felt I needed to say. Granted I just wanted to cry.

"You will not speak to me like that. I don't care if you hate me, and I don't care about you or your past life. We're stuck with each other now, so deal with it Elle." He began to slowly waltz towards me. It hurt to know my mate didn't care about me but granted I just told him I hated him I was in no way going to complain.

"I don't want you." 

"But that's where you are wrong Elle. Because you do. Whether you don't now or you didn't before, you'll come begging for me," He began to get eerily close to me, "You'll be begging for me to touch you, because you'll know that no one else will be able to elicit the same feeling as I can,"  his voice dimmed down to a husky reply. I looked up at him, noting his face was mere inches from mine. I gulped haughtily.

"No one else will you make you scream for me the way I can. We both now that." He whispered. I could feel his breath on my nose. I pressed my head against the wall, trying not to squirm. He was undeniably attractive but that was besides the point. My wolf was growling in delight at his possessive side. We both found it a turn on, and for a second, I forgot the previous day's fight.

His dark eyes locked on my lips, and before I could protest, his slammed onto mine. I was shocked, and at first in the beginning, I tried to push him off.

But as he slipped his tongue into my mouth, I had to submit. He dominated my mouth, our tongues dancing together. Tingles and warmth vibrated down my body. He felt so good, his lips on mine.

Wait. 

This is the guy who destroyed my home, and his pack brutally killed members of mine. Angry, I gathered up all my strength and pushed him off of me.

"Don't you ever do that again!" I yelled, wiping my mouth. He let out a sadistic grin.

"Why?"

"Because you're a monster," I whispered.

"Then I guess that makes you a total bitch. Because you just let a monster kiss you. And worst of all, you liked it." And with those last words, he turned his back on me, left the room, and slammed the door.

My legs gave up, so I slid down the wall, sitting on my knees. My hand lightly touched my tingling lips. Granted the kiss was great and amazing compared to ones I've had before, I was angry with myself for letting that happen! He was killer, and I just let him kiss me. 

But what scared me the most, was that he was right.