Break Me, Mate [Extended Sample]

{seven}

"Great. Don't you have any Alpha Duties?" I ask.

"I can handle them with the mind-link. Do you have any idea who that was?" Maddox asks, referring to the person outside.

"If I did, I wouldn't have kept silent." I say as I load my guns and fill my holster with the bullets that I needed.

We made it to the shooting range, which was located in the basement area of the pack house. A useful little room considering how much shooting calmed me down. It was almost as effective as yoga. Maddox decided to watch over me and sit down right behind me as I shot the targets across the room.

"Can I ask a question?" I asked as I shot the head of one of the targets. I didn't look at Maddox, but I heard him grunt in response, "What's with the whole 'big bad wolf' rep you guys get? You guys seem fine to me." I comment as I shoot the arm of another target.

"It's because we kill until no one is left. It assures we don't have enemies left. Survivors turn to vengeance. Killing everything and everyone removes future risks." Maddox explains and I nod my head as I shoot again.

"Is Ari a big leader somewhere?" I ask. "She seems... on a higher level of supernatural beings." I mutter.

"She has her own organization. It runs under and away from the infamous Council, if you were wondering." He says, surprisingly complying to my questions. I nod my head in response.

"And you're part of it, Ari's organization?" I ask as I reload.

"I'm sworn under oath to follow her commands." He responds and that piques my interest enough to turn my head.

"So in plain terms, she owns you the same way someone might own me?" I ask, putting the guns down. "So there are others like her." I add, Maddox nods.

"She doesn't own me at all. Anyways, the Council can't control everyone. So there are other organizations, some are like Ari's who eliminate threats and vouch for peace... so long as no territory of hers is taken, no conflict takes place, and she's independent from the Council. But there are others that want to create an uprising, more than anything, Ari fears the person who claimed ownership over you is waiting for the right time to strike." Maddox explains and I nod my head.

"Got it. So you somewhat understood everything that crazy pants said back there." I comment and I notice that Maddox hesitates before nodding his head in response, "You knew I pushed a bit too far and you let me do it?"

"I wanted him to experience pain." Maddox said with a shrug.

"Huh." I mumbled before shooting one last shot straight to the heart of the target. "Who knew we were so alike?" I mumbled, I heard what may have sounded like a soft chuckle, but Alphas like to be straight-faced- so I guess he stopped himself.

I felt his presence come closer until I felt him right behind me, causing me to turn around. He offers something to me in his right hand and I looked at it. In it was a dagger that was made of silver and yet had an eye capturing white crystal at its hilt. He handed it to me and I observed it. It looked ceremonial, an elegant silver dagger with inlaid turquoise gems on the hilt- surrounding the larger crystal. I looked at him in confusion.

"It's your birthday." He says and I blink at him.

"Right." I say as I looked at the gift and Maddox cleared his throat. "Thanks." I say, awkwardly, before Maddox nods his head and sits back down, watching me as I place the weird dagger down in front of me and proceed to shoot down targets.

***

Maddox is serious about not letting me out of his sight. He is always with me. And when he has a meeting, he drags me along. I am left just about completely lost. It's been three days since the torture day. Which means there's about 20 more days left until the mating ceremony. Which, by the way, I have figured out, means that we have to do the hoo-ha. Which to me, is disgusting. But hey, werewolf culture, go screw and then bite the bleeding hell out of each other. Again.