Rise [COMPLETED] - Book 1 of the Legends Series

Chapter Nine

I woke up with a burning sensation on my wrist. Silver chains were wrapped around them and forced my arms high above my head. My legs felt weak, but I was forced to remain in my standing position.

I looked around. I was in some sort of shed...or cellar. It was musky, and the air felt damp, like we were closer to the coast. That's when I noticed the person on the other side of the room.

He was sitting on his knees with his hands chained to the ground behind him and a blindfold across his eyes. He was covered in bruises and dried blood.

"Noah!" I called.

"Juliet," he breathed, a bit of awareness returning to his body, "I'm so sorry." I could tell that speaking was painful for him. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

Everything came rushing back to me and my heart sunk. "You're a hunter..."

He sighed, "yes...but I don't...I'm not like Zack and the rest of them. That's what I was afraid to tell you. What I was going to tell you."

"Hunters are murderers Noah."

"That's not my life anymore Juliet. Being born a certain way shouldn't be a death sentence."

"How long did you know? That I was..."

"I've always known Juliet. Hunters have a sixth sense for detecting the supernatural," he muttered, "call it intuition."

I didn't reply. I didn't know how to reply.

"You being a werewolf doesn't change how I feel," he continued after a few moments of painful silence, "How I've felt since I first saw you."

How he felt?

"Then you know that Leonardo-"

"Is your mate and apparently holds some power in your pack even though he's so young," he finished for me. "I don't care and it seems like you don't either. You should have a choice in who you spend the rest of your life with."

I wanted to explain everything to him, but this didn't seem like the time or the place. Right now, I needed to focus on escaping. As I tried to think, the door slammed open, making me jump.

"Well look who's finally up," a voice spoke. I looked and saw Zack enter with Kai, Dex, and an older male. After a moment I finally recognized him, he was the man from the picture online, Noah's dad.

"Don't do this Zack," Noah yelled as he pulled uselessly at his restraints.

"I didn't know I raised such a pathetic wimp," the older man breathed. "Seduced by a beast," he continued as he kicked his son in the stomach, "you're no better than your mom."

"Stop!" I yelled, "Please!"

The man glanced at me with a wicked grin. He stalked over and grabbed my face. He was wearing silver chain-link gloves that burned like someone put boiling water on my skin. "Don't think I don't know who you are Juliet. That Connors boy reeks of power and he is practically glued to you at the hip." 

"But your father," he continued slowly as he tightened his grip, "he is so clearly the beast calling the shots. You however...are not an alpha, anyone hunter with half a brain can see that. Nevertheless, delivering your mangled corpse to him will be my pleasure. After some fun of course." He released his hold and walked over to a table covered with various tools.

"What are you talking about?" I gasped. "About not being an alpha?" Even though this was the worst time to search for answers, it was probably one of my only shots.

Noah's dad chuckled, "looks like we have a talkative one." He glanced back to me, "Your old man is an alpha by blood...but you are not. You two look alike so I'm pretty sure you're his offspring, but you are not an alpha wolf."