Lacee's Rescue

“The bitch almost ripped my eye out!” One man whined.

“The three of you can’t handle one feral mutt?” A raspy male voice asked.

“She fights stronger than a mutt.” Another added.

Lacee was starting to come too completely. She looked around the room, scanning it for an exit and planning in her head to escape, but she didn’t expect to see what she did. There were almost a dozen people in there with her, including other women. The bronzed woman was standing close by, a proud smirk on her face. The three men that attacked her were very obvious, as she had left each man with wounds upon their faces. They were huge men and she wondered how she even put up as much of a fight as she did, but she was a survivor, by any means.

“We need to wait for Rinc.” One male called out.

“We can’t rick waiting.” The bronzed woman said. “What if her pack is coming? What if she’s not alone?”

The raspy-voiced male reached down and grabbed Lacee by her throat. Naturally, she fought, landing a good blow on his nose. Blood began pouring down his face, but he seemed more angry than hurt. She got a good look at him. He seemed around fifty, but in good shape and muscular. His hair was light, but not gray and his strong jaw was sprinkled with the start of a beard he had not yet shaved.

“Walt, just calm down and let her go. Rinc will be here soon. He’ll take care of it.” A young man told him as he touched the man’s shoulder.

“Don’t fucking touch me, Laran.” Walt shoved the man back. “In my day, we knew how to teach a bitch a lesson.”

Walt yanked Lacee up to her feet and shoved her against the wall, face first. She looked around the room, expecting one of the people to interfere, but no one stepped in to help her.

“What the fuck is going on?” Lacee asked. “Why are you people doing this?”

“Shut up.” Walt pushed his elbow in her back, and she cried out in pain.

“Come on, Walt.” Laran pleaded. “You know Rinc has rules for this stuff now.”

“I don’t give a fuck about those rules. We had rules too. And every pack knows that you don’t go into another packs territory unannounced unless you’re looking for trouble.”

Lacee was so confused, but she was trying to keep calm and levelheaded so she could escape. Her getting hysterical would make her weak, and she needed to be stronger than ever right now.

“I can fight her.” The bronzed woman stepped in. “I am within the law to fight her. Let’s battle it out.”

The woman’s eyes looked crazier than ever as she smiled at the idea of the fight. Lacee looked at the young man, Laran, and his face showed worry and panic.

“No, I have something better in mind. Old law. A feral bitch only wants one thing, so we’ll give it to her.” Walt tore the back of Lacee’s shirt in half and pressed up against her. She kicked him in the shin and yelled for help. “Hold the bitch!”

Two men came up and grabbed her and held her against the wall. "Wait,” the bronzed woman grabbed Walt. “Not this. I didn’t think this is what you’d do.”

“Go home.” He told her.

“But father?” She pleaded. “Just let me fight her.”

“Go home now, Victoria, or I’ll beat you to a pulp after I’m done with her.” He growled, an actual animal growl. Lacee could feel the rumble from the growl in his chest against her back. “Now!”

The beautiful woman, Victoria, cowered like a punished puppy and ran from the room.

“Get off of me!” Lacee began screaming and fighting, but the men were so strong she barely moved them.

“You thought you were tough and bad coming onto our territory, now you’ll learn girl.” Walt’s hands cupped her breast and she cried out in disgust and terror.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, just let me go, please!” She begged.

“No, you’re mine now and I’m going to mark you to teach you a lesson.” He threatened as he pulled at her jeans.

Just as Lacee closed her eyes and braced herself for what was sure to be hell, the door was kicked open and a man barged in. All of the men holding her let go and she collapsed to the floor, holding her ripped shirt over herself.

“What the fuck are you doing?” The large man growled even louder than Walt had. This growl shook the whole room.

“Sir, she...she...she.” Walt was now the weakling stumbling over words and scanning the room for an escape. “She came unannounced on our territory.”

“So, you were going to rape her?” The large man snatched Walt up off of his feet as though he weighed nothing and slammed him against the wall.

“It’s within the law of the packs.” Walt’s voice was high pitched now, like a scolded child.

“That’s the old law!” The man threw Walt to the ground and then picked him up again and pinned him against the wall once more. “We are the new law. I am the law. I am the Alpha of this pack. I say what is your law and I forbid the old laws years ago! You have betrayed me. You have betrayed the laws. You betrayed your pack, and for that, you will be punished.”

“Daron, take him to the barn.” The Alpha directed a man that had entered behind him. “I will deal with him there.”

The other man, Daron, just as large and intimidating as the Alpha, grabbed Walt by the back of his neck and pushed him towards the door.

“And all of you who didn’t dare to stop him, go to the barn too. You will see firsthand what happens when you go against me or this pack’s laws.” The Alpha motioned for everyone in the room to get out and they hurried away with their tails between their legs.

Lacee started to get up to leave the room, but the Alpha dropped down to his knees in front of her and she feared he’d now deal with her as well.

“Are you hurt?” He asked as he looked her over. Lacee wasn’t sure of his intentions, so she hesitated to answer or move one bit. “Did he hurt you?” His hand reached for her, but Lacee smacked it away and braced herself for a fight.

“Don’t touch me.” She snarled at him.

The Alpha looked shocked she had swatted his hand away, and she feared he’d hurt her in retaliation, but instead a smile stretched across his face, and he laughed.

“You are a feisty one.” He smirked. “Don’t worry, I will not harm you. Nor will I allow anyone else here to hurt you. He stood up and took his shirt off. Lacee looked at him, confused at his actions, but then he tossed his shirt at her and told her to cover up.

It wasn’t until that moment that she calmed enough to notice just how magnificent this man before her was. He was gorgeous, taller than any man she’d ever seen, and had a perfectly muscular body like a Greek statue. His hair was straight and black, going down his back over his tanned dark skin. She fought the urge to run her fingers through his hair to see if it felt as silky as it looked.

“Why are you here?” He asked.

“My boss’s birthday party.” She stood up and realized he was even taller than she had thought as she stared up into his brown eyes.

“Why didn’t you check in with our pack’s local chapter? You know that is against the laws. You know that is dangerous.” He circled her, sniffing the air as he looked her over.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Lacee watched him carefully. “Shouldn’t we call the police? I don’t think attempted rape and assault should be overlooked.”

“Police?” His brows went up and he sniffed again.

“How long have you been away from your pack? You don’t have a pack scent; you barely have a wolf scent at all.” He leaned in close to her neck and took a deep inhale of her skin. Lacee was weirded out, but she was also in awe of the man as he got so close to her. She couldn’t help but feel her body tingle inside from her belly down to her thighs.

“What is a pack?” She asked him as he face was so close to her mouth that her breath blew through his beautiful black hair and caused it to fling up for a moment.

The Alpha stared at her with an intense glare before laughing loudly.

“You can’t be serious.” He backed away from her and laughed some more. “You have to be joking.”

“Sir, I just got beat, groped, and almost assaulted by those men. Why would be joking about anything right now?” Lacee was beginning to grow inpatient with this whole situation. “Look, I am so thankful for you rescuing me, but if you don’t call the police, then I will. I’m leaving.”

Lacee headed for the door, but he grabbed her arm and gave some kind of weird look her way. She pulled away and continued to the door.

“Wait.” He jumped in front of the door. “How are you able to resist my aura?”

“Oh, Jesus. Just get out of my way.”

“But,”

“You said you wouldn’t harm me.” Lacee reminded him. “I just want to leave.”

“As Alpha, I forbid you to leave her until I know what’s going on.” He told her.

“I don’t even know what that means. Move.” She attempted to push him aside, but he didn’t budge.

“Do you even know what you are?” He took her face in his hands and pulled it up gently to look into his eyes. Lacee couldn’t deny that her body was attracted to his, but she had enough brains to ignore her desires.

“What does that even mean?” She asked him.

“Do you even know the wolf you hold inside?”

“Alpha.” Lacee shook her head and sighed. “Let me guess, you’re pretending you are a werewolf, and I am under your spell and command. What is this some kind of weird role play for you? You people are sick.”

Lacee sighed and rolled her eyes. The man opened his mouth and roared an ear-pounding howl as canine-looking teeth began to emerge from his gums and his eyes turned a glowing yellow. She backed up so fast that she fell to the floor and scooted away from him. Unable to take her eyes away, she watched as long sharp claws came out from his knuckles and fur sprouted from his skin. The worst part of it; she was turned on deep inside, even as she denied her body's urge to reach for him and take him inside of her right then and there.

“Have you seen enough?” The Alpha asked, his voice more of a growl than human.

Nodding, she stood to her feet and backed away a bit more.

“I don’t understand.” Lacee sat down at a chair nearby. “What have I got myself into?”

“You are one of us.” He announced. “You have the wolf within you. You were born with it’s howl in your heart, and it’s fight in your bones.”