1: Debt Collector

                The pounding in my ears was so deafening that it was getting harder to focus on more than one thing at a time right now. I just wanted to give into the rage churning through me and lash out at all of them. Scream, punch, kick, whatever chaos it took to get my point across. They all had played a part in this ludicrous declaration of lunacy and I didn’t know who I was supposed hate the most for it right now.

                The closest candidates were the muscle bound mongrels that had wrestled me down to my knees while restraining my arms behind me. They’d already failed to prevent me from cracking my knuckles against their ring leader’s jaw; right after he’d ordered me to kneel in submission before him. I was almost certain I’d have bruises on my knees from hitting the hardwood floor so hard, and up and down my arms from where their meat hooks clawed at me. But they were just brain dead drones following orders, incapable of producing an original thought on their own. I wanted to rip their arms off and beat them with them, but I don’t think I hated them the most right now.

                Maybe it should be my parents. After all, they didn’t hesitate to comply with any of the demands that were being made. They just stood there with their heads bowed, agreeing that the time had come to pay old debts. Our family was refugees, barely allowed to live within their borders. But my parents were behaving as if these monsters were the absolute authority. Neither had looked me in the eye since I’d walked into the room. Betrayal could be a legitimate reason to hate them, and this was as deep as a betrayal could run.

                No, the top of my shit-list had to be the smug asshole towering over me. Dmitri Volkov, the Alpha of the Opalescent Moon Pack. He was exactly what you’d picture an Alpha to be; tall with broad shoulders and an expensive suit pulled taut over the massive muscles beneath it. I suppose most would’ve called him handsome, with his startling ice blue eyes, and thick, slightly shaggy black hair framing his perfectly calm face. He even had a chiseled square jaw, complete with chin dimple. I wanted to rip that face off, starting with that smug little smirk plastered on his lips.

                He grabbed my chin firmly in his hand, forcing me to look up at him so he could inspect my own face easier. He was interrogating my parents about every facet of my life while we stared directly into one another’s eyes, both refusing to be the first to look away. His questions ranged from the kind of diet I was on, my grades at school, any training I had acquired, too how many human friends I seemed close with. He even went as far as questioning them about my feminine health and cycle, which seemed to make everyone else in the room uncomfortable, while I seethed.

                The more I fought against the hands that held me in place, the wider the arrogant smile spread across his face. He paused in his questioning to push my hair out of my face with his free hand and tuck a stray red curl behind my ear, “Are you sure she gets enough sunlight? Her skin is practically as pale as porcelain,” his thumb slid along my cheek. “And whose side of your family does she get such unusually bright green eyes?”

                He turned away from me to compare my features with those of my parents, who looked like they’d just flown in from Greece. I can’t say that I’m ashamed of how things played out from there. I had made my position clear and if he wanted to keep this game of cruelty going, I was more than happy to oblige.

                While no one could see the murderous glint in my eyes, I took my opening. Twisting my chin free of his grasp and planting my feet firmly underneath me, I lunged. My body surged forwards almost a foot, dragging my throng of live restraints with me. I hadn’t been able to wrench my arms free, but there was no way in hell I was going to waste their momentary surprise. I bit down on the fleshy spot of his hand between his forefinger and thumb where my chin was previously being held. The warm coppery tang of blood flooded my mouth and dripped down my chin.

                My jaw clenched, locking my teeth in place so he couldn’t pull his hand free without leaving a significant chunk behind. I refused to let my disappointment in the fact that he hadn’t uttered so much as a grunt of discomfort deter me from keeping my teeth buried. He had at least stopped mid sentence and turned to stare back at me, his eyes a little wider and his mouth hanging open.

                We stared at each other until a hand smacked my face, forcing my head to roll back from the force of the blow as my jaw went slack. No one else moved a muscle or said a word as he stared down at his hand and the blood oozing out of the crescent moon shaped gash my teeth had left behind. I however, couldn’t hold back the maniacal smile that twisted my lips. I hoped it healed into an ugly red scar, as a constant reminder that he wouldn’t control me, ever.

                “Alexandria!” My mother cried out in horror, finally breaking the silence. “I’m so sorry,” she groveled, quickly shifting from outrage, to obedient servant so easily that it made my head spin. “I’ll go fetch the first aid kit!” She scampered out of the room so fast she practically tripped over her own feet.

                “Traitor,” that was the word that came to my mind, my mouth to dry to much more anyway. This pack had granted our family sanctuary, so that we wouldn’t be hunted or killed off as rouges. But we’d always lived on the outskirts of their territory, never included in any pack activities. We were so excluded that I attended a human school. All my friends were human and our neighbors too. Why did she treat him with such reverence, when he’d never done more than allow us to exist? Especially when I was the price to pay for that existence?

                I wasn’t exactly sure who had slapped me but my money was on oaf he’d called Beta. He was the only other person within reach of me that didn’t already have their hands full with holding me back. I would have to repay him in kind another time. As it was, my anger was the only thing that let me fight through the dizzying sensation of the blow. My eyes came back into focus slowly, almost like stepping out of a dark tunnel into sunlight, just to see him watching me. Pulling on the angry fire ripping through me, I pushed forward again.

                They were ready this time, and 2 more enforcers lunged forward, helping to keep me restrained securely. It was comical to me that it took 6 large men to hold one 18-year-old girl. Funnier still when, you knew that they were supposed to be some of the strongest lycans of the pack, and I was practically just a meek little human girl. He slowly smiled again as they wrestled me back down onto my knees.

                Returning with our first-aid kit, my mother rushed in and knelt on the floor beside him. “Alpha, may I tend your wound?” He held his hand out to her absentmindedly; those icy blue eyes still enthralled with me. “I’m s-so s-sorry,” my mother stammered as she cleaned the wound. Damn his quick healing, it’d already stopped bleeding before she started to wrap a roll of gauze around his hand. “I assure you we raised her better, she’s never had an outburst like this before in her life. I’m so embarrassed by her behavior.” I glared at her in disbelief. She was embarrassed by my behavior? I wasn’t the one handing over my only child to the Alpha of a pack that didn’t even consider us to be pack members because of a deal made 16 years ago with his parents.

                “She’s very,” his head tilted slightly as smile crept across his lips, “spirited.”

                My mother nodded, keeping her eyes down and stuffing things back inside of the kit. “You’re very gracious Alpha,” she thanked him like it was a great compliment.

                “Perhaps now would be the perfect time for us to have that coffee. I still have so many questions to ask about my new acquisition and a few details to iron out about.” He smiled warmly, while my parents nodded obediently. “We’ll talk in the other room to avoid any further outbursts. Please, lead the way…” he gestured with his uninjured hand.

                My parents walked out of the room, refusing to look in my direction even as they passed by me. They weren’t even going to say anything to me? Not a good-bye or anything?

                “Nathan,” he addressed the man I assumed had slapped me; “I’d like to spare her parents anymore unpleasantness tonight.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully as he looked me over, “Strip her down to the essentials; I want to leave everything from this place behind. And have her bound and gagged to contain any future tantrums.” He took a few steps to follow the same route my parents took out of the room, but paused in the doorway, “try to make sure my merchandise isn’t damaged any further if you can help it.”

                “Of course, Alpha,” Nathan nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

                “I’ll see you later my pet,” he gave me a little wave as he winked at me. A soft laugh escaped his mouth as I tried to lunge after him again. “Very spirited,” his voice faded with his departure around the corner.