CHAPTER 4

The world outside the convent is a strange one. Granted, it is loud, noisy and full of smoke but it is not as bad as the sisters at the convent had painted it to be. The people here at RED MOON are friendly and helpful.

“Hey, Alisa! Can you take out the trash?” Big Ben, the chefs yells over the sizzling of burger patties and the frying of potato chips. Marlene had somehow put in a good word to ‘The Alpha’ and got me a job as a kitchen helper at RED MOON. I even have a brand new uniform, it is a simple white blouse and black skirt with a cute little tuxedo apron. The skirt is the shortest I have even have ever worn, it only covers up to my knee but I musn’t complain if I want to keep my job. I have yet to meet the elusive Alpha though. I’m hoping he will come tonight so I can thank him in person for hiring me.

“Okay!”

I quickly head over to the trash bags and tie them up. A full moon rides high above the clouds as I step out of the kitchen and head to the back of the building to dump the trash. The place is deserted with only the grass, trees and cool crisp nighttime air to grace the building’s backyard. I am less than five feet away from the trash bin when I spot three men leaning against the wall puffing cigarettes. There is no one else here and fear starts to creep into my heart.

Be brave Alisa, I tell myself. They’re just out here for a smoke is all.

I lower my head and try to walk past them but they move to intercept me. One is tall and slim, the other squat as an old stump. The third has the face of a dark angel brought up on the wrong side of heaven’s gates. He is clearly the leader. He smiles as he sees me trying to get away from them, flexing his biceps as if they were laws unto themselves. Oh, this is not good.

"Hey, babe," the leader says as they corner me in a semicircle. This is not good at all. "What you doin' here all alone? Lost?"

I swallow the lump in my throat and shake my head. "No. I…I just came out to throw some trash.”

I take a step back and try to move past them once again only for the leader to stretch out his arm and block my path. He exchanges smirks with his friends. I don’t like the look on their faces. Tightening my grip on the trash bags, I take instinctively take a step back but the leader reaches out and roughly grabs me by my arm. Pain engulfs me and I wince.

"What's your name?" the leader asks.

The memory of Father Bringham suddenly comes back to haunt me and my heart hammers in my chest. I am having trouble breathing.

“I said, what’s your name?” the leader shakes me by the arm like a ragged doll.

“Alisa,” I manage a whisper, struggling in his grasp. “Please let me go. I need to work.”

He laughs as if I had just told him a joke. Then in one swift motion, he slams me against the brick wall. My head connects to the hard wall with a loud thud and for a moment, I see stars swimming before my eyes. I try to swing the trash bag at him but he simply swats it away like a fly, sending the bag to tumble out of my hand and roll onto a grassy patch on the ground.

My breath comes out in strangled high pitched huffs and I open my mouth to call for help but a hand clamps over my mouth. It belongs to one of his friends.

MMPHH!

The leader grins like the god he thinks he is. "You’re a very beautiful woman, Alisa, you know that? And I appreciate beauty when I see it."

He leans to stroke my face even as his friends pin me to the wall. I attempt to claw at him only to have his friends erupt in laughter.

“But I don’t like it when you claw at me.” In one savage move, the leader tears off my apron and rips my skirt. Tears line my eyes as he slides his filthy hands up my thigh.

No, please no. Please don’t do this!

“I’m feeling in the mood for a little fun tonight boys.”

One of his friends seem to have a second thought. “Clyde, you sure about this? This isn’t even our territory. I heard it belongs to Ryder.”

I struggle, kicking my legs but I am horribly outnumbered. Please just leave….

Wait. My ring! If only I can get it off…just one touch and I can end this torment but my hands are immobilized by Clyde’s friend. I struggle some more, Lord please give me the strength!

“Ryder eh? I’d like to meet that guy personally and see if his reputation really precedes him.”

Then he turns to me and smiles.

“Imma give you a good time Alisa.”

I cry as he lowers his head to the crook of my neck, roughly biting my skin. I whimper as Clyde unbuckles his belt, his friends merely laugh and continue pinning me to the wall. I know what will come next. Tears spill from my eyes, dripping down my face and making a puddle on the ground.

I cannot let them do this to me! With all my strength, I bite onto the finger of the man who covers my mouth and he lets out a yell.

“Bitch! She bit me!!”

In his pain, he momentarily lets go of both my mouth and hands to inspect his finger and I try to make a run only to have one of them grab me by my hair. It is Clyde and he is pissed. He shoves me to the ground and wraps both hands around my neck, choking me. I cannot breathe!

“Yer gonna pay for hurting my friend Alisa,” he sneers with a wild glint in his eyes. Frantically, I try to pry off my ring but one of his friends lands a foot on my wrist, sending a shockwave of pain up my arm. My lungs scream for air.

“Hey, Clyde! She’s got a gold ring! Maybe we can sell it off when we’re done having fun with her.”

Please don’t……the stars above start to swirl and things start to go hazy. I feel a pair of rough hands parting my thighs. No….please don’t touch me! I beg of you! Please……

There is a sudden sound of rushed footsteps and as my vision starts to tunnel into darkness, I hear the menacing growl of a wild animal. And through the haziness, I see a scuffle break out. Everything happens in a blur, someone or something pounces on one of the men. There are screams and in the frenzy, the hand that chokes me is now gone and I can finally breathe. Air…sweet delicious air fills my lungs and I cough violently.

Someone is thrown against the brick wall and the crack of knuckles hitting bone slices through the air before a defeaning silence falls.

“Help…” I manage to croak out and a strong hand pulls me up. Strange, I can’t seem to move and my head slumps into the person’s arms.

“I'm Alpha Ryder, you’re safe with me.” The voice is a deep baritone of power and strength and without a doubt, it is a voice I know that I can trust. I smile, or at least I try to. Then everything goes pitch black.