Chapter 2: According to plan

The wolf shifts into a handsome man, standing at a solid six foot three over my average five foot six frame. I rub my hand along his arm and he looks at me once more. His eyes flashing in pure murderous rage when they flick over my ripped top. He then turns to face the remaining four men. 

“There is a small body of water in the woods beyond their vehicles. Clean yourself up.” He says, moving forward with a growl.

I turn my back on the grunting as the fighting ensues and I walk past their SUVs. I stare into a pool of water that reflects my blood-covered body in the early morning light. Blood blankets my chest and face as I kneel, feeling numb, and cup the cool liquid in my hands, scrubbing at my skin until it is raw.

The blood swirls in the water, looking like smoke from a recently snuffed-out candle. It’s mesmerizing as it lulls me into a trance. I try to keep my mind from wandering to the dark place blood always wants to take it. To the horrors of my past and the heartache of my empty future. But resisting the pull feels so fruitless and slowly I begin to fall back into the frightened girl who witnessed….

“Ivy” Enzo’s soft voice startles me and I jump, looking over my shoulder, then he slowly approaches me.

“You scared me, Enzo,” I mutter as I look back into the water. 

It ripples when he reaches in and cleans his skin. My eyes are drawn to his movements and I shift my attention to him. His taut forearms and biceps flex and move as water mingles with blood dripping from the chords of his ripped muscles. It’s beautiful to watch the water dance along his skin, changing course with each movement. His hand comes to cup my face but stops short and falls to his lap.

“Are you okay?” He asks me, his brown eyes searching for the words I don’t want to say. 

“I’m fine.” I scoff at him and roll my eyes. He is always so damn worried about me and anger has always been my easiest defense. 

“He touched you–” His eyes are so angry and his pink lips are turned down in a sad frown.

“Shit, Enzo. I’m fine.” I motion to my body. “See! No injury.”

A growl rumbles in his chest and I swing my annoyed eyes up to meet his again.

“You are injured. You made me hurt you so you could play the part.” He grits out. “That goes against everything I stand for, Ivanya.”

“I know,” I say, trying to remain in control of my temper. “Five years, Enz. Five long years of training and fighting and learning. And we are so close.”

“I don’t like it. It’s too dangerous.” His voice is stern.

“You don’t have to like it.” I snap at him. “This is my family that we are avenging. You don’t like it? You can fucking leave.”

“Never.” He says in a panic, “I will never leave your side, Ivy. I made an oath.”

“You fulfilled your oath, Enzo. Long ago, when you helped me get out. You don’t owe me or anyone anything.”

“My allegiance is to you. Until death. You are my mistress. Without you, I am nothing.” He looks at me, his eyes are so full of… something I can’t place as he moistens his hand in the pool of water and swipes at my face. 

I slap his hand away. 

“Then stop questioning how I am doing things!” I snap. “I need this, Enzo.” I plead.

He holds my gaze, and his lips flatten into a straight line. He wants to say more, to bite back his own remark. And sometimes I wish he would give in and just be real with me. Talk to me like an equal. When he does, I feel normal. I miss normal. I miss when he was my friend and not just my worried protector.

“Yes, Mistress.” He says, dropping his gaze as he takes my hand and spins it, placing a kiss on the inside of my wrist. I instantly melt and feel bad for treating him like I have. Enzo has been there for me since my family was slaughtered. He and his family were our guards. They devoted their lives to protecting us at all costs. He lost his family as I lost mine. He doesn’t crave vengeance like I do, though.

“Forgive me, Enzo,” I whisper and droop into his side. His arm wraps around me and he tugs me close, dropping a kiss on the top of my head. 

“It is already forgotten. Let me clean your face? Please?” He asks and I nod. 

He releases me and stoops low into the water, wetting his hands and taking my face into his palms. He gently scrubs the blood from my face as I lean into his touch. A sigh leaves me with each stroke of his thumb as he washes away my stress. His eyes lock on mine and I watch him swallow hard before averting his gaze and looking over the rest of me.

“Let’s rummage for something for you to wear, and then we will rest for a few hours.”

“What do we do now?” I ask him, feeling small and a little needy. 

“We stick to the plan. I will pretend to be the slave master. You will be my recently acquired slave.”

“And the other slaves?” I ask.

“They didn’t see anything. I will slip you in with them and claim them as my slaves now. Once they see the dead bodies, I doubt they will put up a fight.” He sounds so confident, so I nod and agree with his thoughts. Enzo always has the best ideas.

“If they do?” I ask.

“Then they die.” He shrugs as if the answer were so simple.

“Okay,”

He stands and helps me up, clasping his hand in mine, stroking his thumb over the sensitive flesh as he pulls me to the vehicle. After he searches for a short time, he provides me with an oversized white shirt. His eyes linger on my breast for a moment before he clears his throat and looks at the ground. 

“Only have shirts.” He mutters. I quirk a brow. 

“Do my boobs make you uncomfortable?” I ask him with a teasing lilt. He smirks at me and grins.

“No. They would have to be noticeable for me to be uncomfortable.” He throws me a wink and I punch his bicep.

“Jerk.” I grin as I yank the shirt over my body. 

He takes my hand once more, looking down at our entwined fingers, and I watch his face for a moment. He always seems to like to have contact with me. I know most of it is trauma from both of us losing everyone else in our lives, but sometimes I worry we depend on each other far too much. What will happen when I find my mate at twenty-one? I can’t imagine my mate being happy about how close we are. But until then, I will relish his friendship and protection. 

“Let’s go get you tossed in with the other slaves.” He mutters as he drags me along. We hit the desert sand once again, going back the way I came, and he releases my hand, stepping behind me when he comes to a small area where a group of dirty and hungry people all sit chained to a wall. 

Enzo produces a key and unlocks the chain from the rocks where Ron locked it. Then he reaches out and takes my hands in his as he slaps metal cuffs on my wrists roughly. I gasp out when it twinges in pain, but he gives me nothing but a snarl and he shoves my hands away. 

“Your slave master was killed. I am his replacement in the company that runs this trade.”

They say nothing as a woman sidles up to me and looks at my wrist with a gentle smile. My heart aches at the thought of all these people being sold between the prominent packs. All rogues or omegas who have escaped their pack only to be found in life worse than staying in their shitty home. My home wasn’t like that. Not that it matters now. It’s long gone… even so, I wonder where my old pack mates wound up.

“We are leaving now,” Enzo says, yanking on the chain. We lurch forward with a pained moan and follow behind him until we get to the largest vehicle and he opens the door, packing us inside.

By the time we arrive, my stomach is grumbling again and the slaves around me have still not uttered a single word. The door flies open and I’m yanked out by my hair and I cry out. I’m immediately slapped for my cries of pain and a few slaves help me up to my feet. A petite young woman paces in front of us looking us over with a look of distaste.

“Where is Ron?” she asks, stepping up to inspect a man. She tilts his head and sniffs him, gagging when she steps back. “He promised me the best.”

“Ron is dead,” Enzo says, sounding bored with her. “I’m his replacement.” His deep commanding voice has her stopping and looking at him for the first time, and I can see the delight in her eyes as she smiles at him coyly. She tucks loose hair behind her ear.

“Not such a poor replacement.” She says “I’m Haley. I’m the Beta’s daughter and in charge of taking in the new slaves and breaking them in. That type of thing.” She waves her hand around in the air animatedly.

Enzo raises a brow and sends her a sexy smile, and I gulp.     

“You seem to know your trade well, Haley.”

Her smile turns to a frown, and she turns back around. “None of them will do.”

My eyes snap to Enzo, willing him to look at me, and I give him a look, telling him to make this fucking work. I can see his disapproval, but then he squares his shoulders and smiles brightly.

“There must be some mistake. I don’t bring inferior products, Haley. I’m not sure what I can do to change your mind.”

“This one looks like she has never seen a day’s work in her life.” She says, pointing to me. “This one is old and useless, this one smells, this one looks like she might fall over.”

“Haley, if I may…” Enzo steps forward and points to me. “This one was made for packhouse work. Easy on the eyes and timid. That one would be useful for cooking in the kitchens. Age means experience. And the smelly ones you can have doing labor outside, and the little one… she would make a good nanny for the baby pups after a few good meals. Relatable with her size and all.”

Haley steps into him. Her hand runs up his chest, but Enzo doesn’t flinch.

“Say I keep all your slaves. Does that mean you are done with your job for a while?”

Enzo smirks. “Mmm, if I sell this entire group, I get some much-needed time off. I’d have to find a pack to settle down at for a few weeks, of course.”

“Sold.” Haley practically falls over her words. She giggles a loud annoying high-pitched noise and I find a scowl on my face. I don’t like her or the look she is giving Enzo.

“But I don’t want you talking about any of those slaves being pretty again. Got it?” She licks her lips and then backs away from Enzo, turning her eyes to me. She sneers as she looks me up and down.

“Bella, take the slaves to the showers and get them cleaned and fed. Especially the blond. We are going to see what she is made of.”

“Of course, Haley,” Bella says, grabbing our chains from Enzo and leading us away, with Enzo watching me with worried eyes. His attention doesn’t go unnoticed by Haley, who scowls at me and grabs Enzo’s hand, dragging him the opposite direction.