Kacie

Ignoring the cinnamon smell engulfing my senses, I bow my head and walk in with the food. I look up and see Diana first. She smiles when she looks up at me and sighs in relief. I shoot her a smile before I place Alpha’s food in front of him, my eyes now on the ground.

I make my way over to the man next to my mate and I put his food down in front of him. I walk over to my mate and put his food in front of him, careful not to touch him. Walking over to Diana I place her food down and walk over to Alpha Ken.

He wraps his arm around my waist and I see Diana’s eyes widen in shock. “Dad-” she says but is cut off when Alpha speaks.

“Please don’t hold back and dig in.” My eyes are on the floor but my wolf is trying to come out and acting like she’s high on crack.

“Look at him. LOOK at him!” she begs me.

“If Alpha sees us looking at him we could really get it,” I tell her.

“He can help us, Kacie,” she pleads. Giving in, I raise my eyes to look at him and our eyes lock. I bring my eyes back to the ground as Alpha grabs my face and brings it to his face.

“What are you looking at little bitch?” he growls in my ear. I shudder and shake my head, “I was wondering how the food tasted.” He leans into my neck and I close my eyes wishing I was anywhere else but here.

My mate cracks his neck and Alpha Ken lifts his face from my neck to look at him. “He’s beautiful,” Athena murmurs. We’re both remembering his long black hair and his strong chiseled jaw. His suit hung perfectly on his build and I can’t help but bite my lip.

He stood up and walked towards me. A growl left his lips as he got closer. Alpha Ken stood up and wrapped an arm around my waist, “Is something the matter Alpha Viktor?” When my mate gets closer he stands eye to eye with Alpha. Peeking up at them I see that my mate has at least half a foot on Alpha.

He’s tall and muscular. “Fight!” Athena cries excitedly.

“Athena, stop that! Do you want him to get hurt?” I say with a hint of anger in my voice.

“What is she to you?” My mate asks Alpha. Lifting his head a little to look our mate in the eye, Alpha squares his shoulders, “She’s my slave.”

Mate growls and looks at me. I can’t look him in the eye as a tear runs down my face. “She’s my mate,” my mate says. Alpha Ken steps back a little in shock and his arm around my waist drops.

“What a turn of events,” he murmurs before looking back at mate.

“We’re here to negotiate the terms of a treaty between our packs,” Alpha says firmly. “And while meeting to discuss the treaty I find my mate on your lands, in your house, and maybe even in your bed,” mate growls lowly.

“She belongs to me,” Alpha growls menacingly.

“According to our laws, withholding a mate from their partner is cause for war,” my mate says calmly. He reaches out to me and grabs my arm pulling me to him.

His touch has tingles shooting up my arm and I have to fight the urge to pull my hand away.

“I will be taking her,” he says before his eyes cloud over.

His friend moves to stand next to me. “I’ll be taking you to the car. If you’ll allow me,” he opens his hand open to me. I look at Alpha and he’s glaring holes into me, I look over at my mate and he isn’t looking at me.

I swallow.

“I think we’ll be safer with our mate than if we stay here with Alpha,” Athena encourages me.

“Your opinion is biased and could potentially kill us,” I bite at her.

“Please, Kacie, go with his beta,” she pleads. Remembering what happened before my mate got here, I decided to take my chances, I reach out and grab his friend’s hand. Alpha growls as we walk away and I shoot a glance at Diana.

“Bye,” I mind link her.

Viktor

After Jake gets her into the car he comes back into the house. We’re still in the kitchen where he left us. “Are we good? Or are we going to have a problem?” I ask him firmly. Any hint of rebellion and I’ll fight him here on his territory.

Exhaling he closes his eyes and looks up at the ceiling. When he opens his eyes, he takes a seat and signals for me to take mine.

“What are you going to do with her?” the girl at the end of the table says boldly. I look over at her and decide how I should answer. I don’t know what I’m going to do with her. I don’t need any weaknesses. “She’s my mate. I’ll figure it out.”

“You just took my next Luna from my arms, Alpha Viktor. I require something in return,” he says to me with a smirk on his face. If I could I’d rip his mouth off of his face and skin him alive.

“You’ve taken something of his sir, you need to give him something to replace it,” Jake links me.

“I can offer you, someone, in place of… your slave,” I say holding my wolf back. Flash wants to dig his claws into him more than I do.

“She was ours in the first place, we owe him nothing,” he growls. “Didn’t you see how submissive she was?”

“You don’t need to remind me,” I reply in a low voice.

“He’s BROKEN her! She wouldn’t even lift her eyes,” he whines.

I did notice her submission. I don’t see it as an issue but Flash has ideas of love and believes in the mate bond. “I will provide you a replacement, and we will sign the treaty during the next meeting,” I tell him itching to get out of here.

Alpha Ken nods and I head for the door. Getting outside I reach for the door and am hit by her chocolatey scent. She’s sitting in her seat with her head bowed and eyes cast down. The urge to touch her irritates me and has me growling. Flash is wagging his tail and almost drooling at the sight of her.

“Drive,” I tell Jake and he pulls out of the driveway. I hear a sigh and look over to her as her shoulders droop in relief. Hmm… What shall I do with you?

“I’ve got a few ideas,” Flash replies and laughs.

I smirk and look out the window. “We have time,” I tell him.

***

Kacie

When the car came to a stop, I’d been biting my lip and tasted blood. Jake opened my door and helped me out of the car. Mate walked through the doors without looking at me once.

“Don’t mind him, he’ll come around,” Jake said with a sad smile. “Follow me, I’ll take you to your room.”

The packhouse was huge and my jaw dropped in awe. The ceiling was high up and the walls had a Victorian period feel to them. We went up the stairs and stopped on the second floor.

“Your room will be here. Alpha stays on the third floor, so try to avoid it unless he calls for you,” Jake says as he opens the first door on the right.

Walking in I’m speechless, there’s a king-sized bed by beautiful double doors. The headboard is a puffed white and my room is at least 3 times the size of my room back at the Blood Moon pack.

“Thank you,” I say with my head bowed.

“Please don’t bow to me, Luna. He may not announce you as our Luna, but you are of a higher rank than me. I’d feel more comfortable if you called me Jake or Beta,” he says and I can hear a smile in his voice.

I lift my head a little and see that he’s being genuine. The kindness in his voice makes me want to get closer but I can’t.

“Thank you… Beta,” I mumble out.

“There’s a shower in the bathroom and I’ll have some clothes brought up to your dresser,” he tells me. “Breakfast is at 7 in the morning, so if you’d like to eat, come down at that time,” he says before walking out of my room and closing the door.

I’m left alone for the first time since we left Blood Moon. I take the red dress off and throw it into the trash bin. Turning the water on hot, I look at my reflection as I wait for it to heat up.

The girl staring back at me looks a mess. The bags below her eyes show how tired she is, her eyes look haunted. Her hair is messy from when Alpha had me on his bed.

Thoughts of what happened in his room and in the kitchen have me leaning over the toilet bowl retching. I’m so disgusted with myself I don’t know who she is anymore. “What happened isn’t our fault Kacie,” my wolf tells me earnestly.

“Who are you trying to convince, Athena? Me or you?” I say after I’ve emptied the contents of my stomach. She whines and crawls into the farthest part of my mind. I get up and sit in the shower. The hot water dripping down my skin, the heat searing my face.

I let out a breath and sigh. My tears mix in with the water and I look at the wall. I won’t fool myself. This place won’t be any better than Blood Moon. The sooner I realize that the easier it’ll be for me when everything comes crashing down.

I lift my head and look at the ceiling as the water covers me in warmth. I close my eyes and focus on the water and feel the water as it washes over me. I pull my legs up to my chest and wrap my arms around my legs. I cry and cry until I’m all cried out.