Chapter 3

Alpha Tate rejected us, hurt us! He must be playing with us now! I don't like Alpha Tate, and his wolf Grey always tries to argue with me. Storm mind-links.

I know Storm, he can't expect us to run into his arms after how he has treated us all these years, and he rejected us!

It's getting dark and colder out here. We should head back to the attic. I say.

Trudging my way back to the pack house, I see pack members searching for someone. They must be searching for us. Storm says.

I sneak around to the back of the pack house, climb up the lattice onto the roof, and stay low so no one can see me.

Above the dining room, I hear Alpha Tate speaking to other people. I crawl closer to the roof's edge to hear through the open window below me.

'I am telling you now. Slave isn't an ordinary wolf. I saw it with my own eyes. Slave has the power to heal,' he says.

'Even if she does have this ability, what are your intentions with her?' Sam asks.

'If she can heal, then we can use her to take over other packs and become the strongest, most feared pack in history!' he says.

'And how would she help us do that? She can't heal them to death...' Ava says sarcastically.

 'We will fight the packs ourselves, and she will heal us during battle, so we have no chance of losing!' Alpha Tate explains.

'What if she refuses to heal us?' Sam asks.

'Slave will heal us because she is my mate, and I’m going to mark and mate her, making her the Luna, so she is obligated to help the pack whether she likes it or not!' he growls.

'No!' Ava shouts, 'You promised you would mark me and make me Luna!' Ava argues.

'You are nothing but a whore on the side Ava!' Alpha Tate yells at her.

Ava runs out of the room crying.

I used to be excited about having a mate and being marked, but the thought of Alpha Tate marking me makes me shudder in repulsion.

'We have another problem. Alpha Maximus will be coming to stay here in a few weeks,' Alpha Tate warns.

'Alpha Maximus as in the Lycan prince?' Sam asks, startled.

'Yes,' Alpha Tate answers.

Everyone gasps and chatters amongst themselves in shock.

'Silence!' Alpha Tate orders, slamming his fist on the table. 'I’m aware he is feared amongst us werewolves, but imagine with Slave healing us, we could kill him, and the Blood Moon pack would be ours! The other packs would never give us trouble again!' he says.

'What business does the Lycan have here anyway?' A pack member asks.

'Alpha Maximus hasn't found his mate yet. So he is travelling through every pack he has never been to until he finds his mate. I’ve been told recently it's not just at a full moon that he loses all control over his Lycan. His Lycan has become more aggressive and stronger as he has gotten older and can take over at any given time.' Alpha Tate says.

'You are risking the safety of this pack allowing him here!' Sam yells.

'Don't you think I know that, Sam! I declined to have him here, but he clearly said he wouldn't take no for an answer! He then requested we have one of the cells in the dungeon available for him in case he is here during a full moon. He will have some pack members chain him until the full moon is over. This could be our best chance to kill him while he is locked up behind bars.

Let's face it. The Werewolf community fears him. We will be heroes if we kill him!' Alpha Tate chuckles.

Coward! 

It just goes to show how weak Alpha Tate is that he has to lock another Alpha up before he attacks. Storm says.

He is unworthy to be called an Alpha. I growl.

I continue to crawl along to the other side of the roof, I reach for my window to the attic, but it won't budge open.

I scrape all the ice around the edges, and the window finally opens. I climb in and quickly close it behind me.

Sitting on my mattress in the corner, now huddled up, I blow breath into my entwined hands to warm them up.

A while later, I hear footsteps coming up the stairs. I quickly race to the window and open it. I’m halfway through it when an arm wraps around my waist and pulls me back in.

Squirming, I try to wriggle free. 'You are coming with me, Slave,' Alpha Tate says as he carries me down the stairs.

I continue to try to break free of his hold after hearing his plans, I don't want to be a part of it, and I don't want him to mark or mate me.

He takes me to the dining room. All the people I heard talking from the roof are still there. He sits me on the chair next to him.

'Sam! Your knife, now!' Alpha Tate orders.

Sam stands up and pulls a small knife from his belt, handing it to Alpha Tate. He grabs the knife and slits the palm of his hand open with a deep cut.

All the she-wolves gasp. Alpha Tate flings the bloodied knife across the table and places his hand in front of me.

I stare at his palm as the blood pools and dribbles down his wrist and between his fingers. I look at Alpha Tate with confusion.

'Heal me,' he says. Everyone leans in closer to watch. I sit there, remaining silent, not moving. 'Damn it, Slave! Heal me!' he snaps, making me jump.

I shake my head no. He aggressively takes my hand and puts it on his hand, then grabs my other hand and also places it with my other hand.

'Now! Or you will go a week without any food!' he threatens. I stare down at my hands, covered in his blood. I don't know how to do it.

Not sure what to do, I entwine my fingers through his, making him flinch from the sparks. The room remains silent as I stare intently at our hands, my hair begins to rise, and my hands begin to glow as my eyes become a bright silver. The warmth I felt earlier flows through my body again.

Hearing the excitement in everyone's voice at my appearance, the glow begins to fade, my eyes become blue again, and my hair drops down.

We stare at our hands entwined for a moment before I let go. Alpha Tate stands up and wipes his bloodied hand across his chest to show the wound is gone.

Everyone stares in disbelief at his hand and then at me.

'You see!' Alpha Tate laughs.

Alpha Tate pushes a plate of food toward me. 'Eat!' he smiles approvingly at me.

Everyone begins to eat whilst speaking about my ability or the Lycan coming to meet and visit the pack.

Staring at the plate of food in thought. I’m hesitant to start eating. I feel nauseous at the thought of healing Alpha Tate.

Standing up, I run from the room. I don't want to go to the attic. I know Alpha Tate would find me there. I enter the library and crawl into a low cupboard, closing it behind me. Strangely it’s much warmer than the attic.

Storm, I think we need to leave, tomorrow, I will sneak into one of the she-wolf's rooms for warmer clothes, and when everyone is asleep, we will run. I mind-link.

Where are we going to go? Storm asks.

I don't know, just as long as we get as far away from here as possible. 

Won't Alpha Tate come after us, though? Storm asks.

Most likely, but we must at least try and get away from here. I tell her.

Let's get some sleep. Hopefully, it will be our last night in this packhouse then. Storm says.

What if he catches us? He might kill us for running away—Storm worries.

He won't kill us if he wants to use me for my healing ability. I tell her.

I make myself more comfortable and nestle my head into my arms to use as a pillow before drifting off to sleep.

A few hours later, I’m woken by Alpha Tate tearing the place apart, looking for me. 'I can smell your scent, Slave!' he says. 'Come out, come out wherever you are!' he chants like it’s a game of hide and seek.

I remain as quiet as possible and peek through the crack, to try and see where he is. Suddenly his head comes into my line of sight. Our eyes are inches apart, with only a small wooden cupboard door between us.

'Found you!' he says with a sadistic smile.