Chapter Nine - Rosalie

I hear footsteps. It’s been so long since anyone has come down here beyond just delivering food that I fear whatever this is. Whatever’s coming.

The door smashes open making such a sound that I cover my ears.

I push my body against the wall, force myself into the corner but Eustace has already grabbed me and yanked me out making all my attempts to stop him feel more than futile.

He holds my arm so painfully and pulls me along. We go up the stairs, along the corridor and out the door. We pass no one, not a single person man or Wolf.

The air is freezing outside and I gasp in shock as it hits me. Eustace throws me a look as if to say ‘shut up’. I drop my gaze. I know what’s happening, that he’s taking me somewhere to hand me over. To give me back.

He picks me up and dumps me in the back of a van slamming the doors shut and I shiver against the cold metal sides as we drive off.

It’s over.

My escape. My freedom.

When these doors open I know exactly who is going to be waiting for me. I can’t help it, I cry then. I sob. Silent tears of desperation cover my face and I don’t even both wiping them.

The van rocks slightly and I can tell we’ve come off the road. When it comes to a stop my fear doubles.

He opens the door narrowing his eyes when he sees I’m right at the back, as far away from him as I can possibly be.

“Come here.” He says.

I shake my head. I’m not going to make this easy for them.

He snarls leaning in and grabs me by my hair. I push him back, he’s so strong he doesn’t even react. But as soon as he gets me out the van I pull free from his grasp and I run. I’ve got no shoes on, I’ve no idea what direction to even run in.

We’re in the woods. I tear my skin on the undergrowth but I don’t stop. I know he’s chasing me, that I don’t stand a chance of escape but I have to try, I have to do something.

He’s on me within second, flattening me into the ferns and the brambles. I cry out and he curses me.

He grabs some rope, tying my feet together and then rolls me over to tie my wrists. All the while I’m crying, begging, pleading him to let me go.

And he just stares back at me, no expression, no emotion. It’s like I’m not even a person to him. Though in truth I know that’s the case. I’m not. I’m human. I’m bottom of the pecking order. Bottom of the list and to Eustace I’m worse than that because I belong to Silas. A Mutt they hate. A Mutt every Wolf hates, even those from his own Pack.

He hoists me back up and tosses me over his shoulder. I guess he’s done trying to make me obedient. I kick out, slamming my tied legs into his chest but he just tightens his grip to a point where it hurts so much I stop fighting completely. What’s the point anyway? I can’t out run him, I can’t escape him and I know I’m minutes now from my fate. Minutes from being given back to Silas.

I shut my eyes, forcing back the tears. I want to be strong, defiant. Maybe if I piss Silas off enough he might just kill me and be done with it.

We come to a clearing. I can sense in an instant we’re not alone.

“You’re late.” Someone growls. It’s a Wolf I don’t recognise.

“She tried to run. She’s surprisingly feisty for a human.” Eustace mutters as he tosses me from his shoulder onto the ground.

I land in a heap. I keep my eyes downcast and I force myself up to my knees. I can sense them. The bodies, the Wolves, the dangerous men all around me. It feels like they’re facing off, like I’m in the middle of two sides ready to attack.

“She wasn’t when I had her. I knew exactly how to make her obedient.” Someone growls and I look up, gasping in horror as I meet his glare.

Silas.

He’s only a few metres from me but it feels like he’s already choking all the air out of my lungs.

He snarls, taking me in. Seeing my hair, seeing my body, seeing how much I’ve changed, how much I’ve claimed back from him. He stares at my arm, at where the sleeve of the jumper I’m wearing is rolled up enough and his eyes focus right in on where the tattoo is.

I paid a small fortune for that tattoo. It’s a phoenix. It felt almost poetic at the time although I’d admit now it’s a bit cheesy. Its wings are inked into flames. It stretches over my forearm, not too big, but it covers what he’d done. How he’d marked me.

“Get here. Now.” He snaps and I drop my gaze, instantly crawling on my bound hands and knees to do as he orders. I have no fight now. I have no defence against him. I guess it’s from years of conditioning, years of abuse; it’s instinctual, it’s a survival reflex to me, just like breathing.

“It’s a curious thing, don’t you think, that your so-called mate never sought to find you.” Cain says narrowing his eyes and Aeron glances at him.

“What are you saying?” Silas asks. His grip tightens around my arm, and I cry out as his nails dig into me.

“I’m just saying it’s very curious.” Cain says with a smirk.

“I didn’t think Mutts could have mates like us.” Another Wolf from his side says spitting the word ‘Mutt’ like an insult. Which, in truth it is.

Silas snarls. “We have mates.” He says. “This girl is proof of it.”

“No, I’m not.” I snap unable to stop myself and my eyes widen in shock. Why of all times have I decided now is a good time to speak?

Cain blinks shocks and Aeron smirks.

“So you have a voice after all.” Aeron says.

I look from Silas to both of the Alpha Twins in complete and utter fear.

“Speak.” Aeron orders.

I shake my head. It doesn’t matter what I say, the outcome is still the same; they’re giving me back to Silas. The more I say now, the more pain I will be in later.

Aeron walks right up to us, pulling me from Silas’s grasp and grips my face forcing me to look at him. To meet his piercing blue eyes.

My body erupts in heat at the feel of his skin against mine and it’s hard to focus on anything else. He runs his eyes down me, looking from my face, to my neck, to no doubt where my now hardened nipples are poking through my jumper. Why does my body keep doing this? Keep reacting like this?

“Are you or are you not his mate?” Aeron asks.

I shake my head in the limited movement I have within his grasp.

“Then why have you been with him for so long?” Cain says and my eyes flit to him then back to Aeron.

Silas goes to speak and Aeron silences him with just a look.

“Tell me, girl.” Aeron orders and I gulp.

“He forced me.” I whisper so quietly as if I could somehow hide it from them all. As if all these Wolves don’t have incredible hearing. “He said he would kill my parents if I didn’t obey him.”

I hear Silas snarl and Aeron snarls back at him louder. He lets me go and my legs collapse under me. I fall to the ground. I feel weak, dizzy. It feels like I’ve spent the last hour spinning in circles over and over.

“Is it true?” Aeron asks Silas.

“What does it matter? The girl is human. I can do what I like with her.” Silas states. “And in my eyes, she is my mate. I chose her.”

“If you chose her, why is she not marked?” Eustace asks.

Aeron’s eyes snap back from Silas to me. He stares at my neck, where we both know there is nothing.

“Well?” Aeron asks.

“We cannot mark like Wolves can.” Silas states.

“That’s a lie.” I spit. “You tried. You tried to mark me so many times.” I say. I remember the pain of it. The agony of his teeth against my neck, piercing my skin and then the infection, the raging fever. The days on end where I couldn’t move after before I’d finally wake, and the wound was healed. No marks, no scars. Nothing.

And then he’d do it again.

Silas snarls and takes a step towards me. I flinch back mentally preparing myself for his beating.

“You are on my lands, Silas.” Aeron growls moving between us. “My lands. You will abide by my rules.”

Silas sneers. “What does it matter how I got the girl? She is my property and I’m taking her back.” He states grabbing my arm and painfully yanking me up to my feet.

Cain snarls and Aeron puts his hand out as if to calm him.

“Not so fast, Silas. We had an agreement.” Aeron states.

“Oh, you’ll get your payment, Alpha.” Silas growls spitting the title.

“That’s not the point.” Aeron snaps. “You started a war over that girl. We not only demand a truce, we demand recompense.”

Silas sneers. “Recompense? After what you did?  It was you who started the war. You killed Luca.”

Around us more Wolves snarl. It feels like the very space is charged, like something is about to kick off.

“And you stole her away. Have you been hiding her here all this time?” Silas asks.

Aeron narrows his eyes. “What cause would we have to steal this girl?”

“Because she’s mine.” Silas growls.

Aeron laughs. “You think yourself that important Mutt? That we would deign to sully our hands just to get at you?”

Half the Wolves in the clearing laugh at Aeron’s words while the other half growl. Silas lets out a noise. A noise I know only too well. My body trembles more at the sound, at the memories of what that noise brings.

“Calm down, Mutt.” Cain snaps.

“You stole her. Why else would she be here?” Silas asks.

“You think that we’ve kept her hidden all this time?” Aeron taunts.

“How else would you have her now?”

“We found her. In our lands, not far from here.” Cain says.

“And why would she be here, in your lands if you did not bring her?”

“Because I knew you couldn’t get me here.” I say yanking my arm free and his eyes snap to me.

“What did you say?” He asks. “You intentionally came here? To this Packs lands?” I can see the shock in his face, he didn’t think I’d do it. He thought all the jewels, all the luxury would somehow make up for all the horror of a life enduring him.

“I would run to the very ends of the earth if it meant I never had to see you again.” I say. I don’t even know why I’m talking, but suddenly I can’t shut up. “If it meant I never have to endure your disgusting body on mine, never have to take your beatings either.” I gasp.

He hits me, his fist colliding with the side of my face and I go down hard.

“You fucking bitch. I gave you everything.” He snarls.

“No, you didn’t.” I mutter clutching my face in my bound hands. I can feel the bruising already. He always knew exactly where to hit to get maximum impact. “You took everything.”

“Enough.” Aeron says. “You want her back then your Alpha agrees to our terms.”

Silas snarls. “Not a chance.”

“Then the girl stays with us.” Cain states.

“You would continue a war over her?” Silas asks.

Aeron shrugs. “You already have.”

“No, you did when you killed Luca.” Silas shouts. “His blood is on your hands. All your dead Wolves blood is on your hands.”

Before I can stop myself I blurt the words out. “No. I did it. I killed Luca. It was me.”

Silas’s eyes snap to me. Everyone’s eyes snap to me. I can feel it. All of their stares.

“What did you say?” Aeron says and I shudder at the tone of his voice.

“I killed Luca.” I say quietly, shutting my eyes unable to look at any of them.

“Why?” Silas growls.

“Because I thought it was you.” I shout. It’s not even true but I’m saying it anyway because I wish it was him that I’d killed. I know they’re going to kill me. I killed a Wolf. I’m as good as dead now. I might as well get it over with, seal my fate and all that. “I thought it was you.”

He grabs me by my throat, lifting my body off the ground entirely, crushing the very air out of me. “You fucking bitch.” He says.

“Let her go.” Aeron orders and Silas shakes his head. Aeron isn’t his Alpha, he can ignore some of his commands if he chooses.

“She’s mine to do as I please.”

“No she isn’t.” Cain states.

“She’s ours now. She’s the cause of this war. Her life is forfeit.” Aeron says though I can hardly focus on the words. I’m suffocating. I claw at his wrist but it doesn’t have any effect. My legs are jerking under me. I’m desperately trying to find some release.

“Let her go.” Aeron snarls using all his power as an Alpha and Silas has no choice but to obey him.

He releases his hand and I drop to the floor, gasping, clutching my throat. My head is spinning, my eyes are losing focus. I know I’m losing consciousness, I can feel my body fading and I fight so hard not to. I’m so afraid of what will happen while I’m out cold. I’ll be completely defenceless.

Cain walks up to me, pulling me further away from Silas.

“Please don’t let him near me.” I whimper so quietly as my eyes struggle to stay open.

“It’s okay.” He murmurs touching my face to comfort me but as soon as his hand touches my skin my body is so overwhelmed that all my struggle, all my fighting is over and I black out.