To Be Claimed

✙ Chapter 2 ✙

By the time I hopped out of the shower, the mirror was foggy. I dried myself with one of the towels on the shelf and slipped on my clean outfit. Since water was dripping from the ends of my hair, I pulled it into a tight bun at the top of my head. Then, I wiped underneath my eyes and gathered my dirty clothes into my arms. I needed to sleep; for the past week, I hadn't been sleeping well over the stress of being forced to participate in the Chase. I opened the bathroom door and walked back to the bed, stuffing my dirty clothes into the bag. Then, sucking in a deep breath, I looked out one of the windows above the bed.

The full moon hovered in the dark sky, shining brightly. Stars shimmered around it, reminding me of my brother - as kids, we used to lay out in the grass and search for constellations. My eyes flickered towards the clock on the nightstand and I realized the Chase started at midnight, in a few hours.

Suddenly, the worse thing happened - a floorboard groaned from behind me. My eyes widened and I whipped around, instantly finding myself facing Daniel and his Beta, John. I gulped loudly, remembering that I left my gun in the bathroom. John was a nice guy until somebody provoked him; judging by the look on his face, he wasn't happy with me. Daniel glared down at me, a growl erupting in his chest. "You are in so much trouble," he forced through his teeth, before his hand shot out. He grabbed my upper arm, squeezing it tightly. Next thing I knew, he yanked me towards him and I was being dragged across the room towards the door. "Don't fight me, Emma."

John trailed behind the two of us, his hands clenched into fists. As Daniel opened the door, he yanked me out into the hallway. I tried tugging my arm free, but his grasp only tightened, causing his nails to sink into my skin. I flinched and reluctantly, started walking down the hallway with him. "How'd you find me?"

"I followed your scent," he answered, harshly. "It wasn't too difficult." I mentally smacked myself in the forehead; I should've known he would've tracked me by my scent. Werewolves had heightened senses, meaning one whiff of one of my belongings - or house - and he could've followed it. "I didn't want to punish you, but it seems I don't have a choice. Your brother tried talking me out of it, but nobody disobeys me." We turned down another hallway and he pulled me into his side, possibly afraid I was going to attempt to escape.

I glared at him. "I could just scream for help."

"You do that and I'll kill whoever comes to your rescue," he threatened, glancing over his shoulder at John. "I know you wouldn't want to be responsible for innocent lives, would you?"

"You don't scare me."

"I will when we get back," he responded, an evil smirk stretching onto his face. I gulped loudly, though didn't show any fear. "Not only did you disobey me, but you pointed at gun at me. Oh, and you show no respect - if it wasn't for me, your brother would've been a Rogue; he wouldn't have survived a week on his own . . . so, I think you've been asking for a punishment. What do you think, John?"

I looked over my shoulder at his Beta with pleading eyes. One time, he offered his sandwich to me when the last were taken. But, as he nodded his head in agreement, I felt a pang in my chest. "Look at that, he agrees."

"I should've shot you when I had the chance."

"Then, you'd be dead by now, Sweetness," he said, releasing a harsh laugh. I scowled at him, hating that nickname more than anything. He tightened his grip as we entered the lobby; surprisingly, we didn't attract a lot of attention. The few people lingering around were too busy chatting to pay attention to us. When we passed the old woman behind the counter, she glanced our direction, though didn't think anything of us. Daniel smirked and pushed open the front door of the motel, pulling me out into the coldness of the night. As he held the door open for John, I took the opportunity to swing my leg around, nailing him in the abdomen. He wheezed and his hold on my arm weakened. Quickly, as John launched towards me, I yanked my arm out of Daniel's hold and sprinted off down the sidewalk.

"Get her!" Daniel shouted, followed by heavy footsteps chasing after me. The sidewalks were empty of people, so I was able to run without bumping into someone. I glanced over my shoulder, finding both of them chasing after me. Daniel was gaining on me; his stupid Alpha speed was to his advantage. John trailed closely behind him, pumping his arms at his sides. Crap, I thought, realizing this wasn't going to be good for me. I whirled around the corner and started down another cracked sidewalk, frantically searching around for help.

"Stop running! You aren't going anywhere, Emma!"

The cold wind whipped at my skin, causing goose bumps to form. I imagined my wet hair was freezing in its tight bun; I was going to get sick. At the end of the street, a large amount of weight crushed me from behind. I found myself falling forward, being tackled to the concrete. Hitting the sidewalk, pain occurred in my elbows and knees since they took the majority of the fall. I released a cry of help as I was rolled onto my back, looking up at Daniel who was seated on top of me, his eyes golden.

"Stop. Fighting. Me!" he commanded, angrily. I swung my fist forward, hoping to connect with his jaw, but he caught it inches from his face. "Pathetic." Then, he squeezed it tightly until there was a painful crack. I screamed and started kicking my legs, wildly. He released my hand and grabbed my forearms, pulling me to my feet. John watched with hard eyes, catching his breath.

"I'm going to kill you!" I shouted, before spitting into his face. There was an awkward silence until he growled, sending chills down my spine. Then, before I could react, he backhanded me across the face. I staggered backwards in shock, before falling to the ground. Pain exploded in my cheek and I knew that it was bright red - I touched it lightly, feeling it sting. Daniel wiped the spit from his face as John cleared his throat, speaking up. "Come on, just grab her."

Tears started pooling in my eyes as I stared up at him, angrily. Daniel glared at his Beta and reached towards me. Defensively, I kicked my leg out, nailing him in the knee. He gritted his teeth together and took another step towards me, but he was stopped by a loud snap!

I whipped my head around, just as John crumbled to the ground, motionless. His neck was at an awkward angle and I scooted away, shaking my head. Standing in his spot was an unfamiliar guy, wiping his hands together. His black hair was spiky, sticking up an inch from his scalp. He stood tall, probably a head taller than me, with broad shoulders. He wore dark clothing from head-to-toe; he practically blended in with the darkness. But, what really caught my attention was his eyes - his emerald eyes. They were the greenest eyes I had ever seen.

"Now, that isn't any way to treat a lady," he said, his voice deep. Tingles shot throughout my body and I shook them away, too concerned about the scene before me. Daniel gritted his teeth together and took a step back, unsure about this guy. The mystery guy shifted closer to me, close enough that I was able to reach out and touch him. "I suggest you run - fast. I'll give you five seconds. One . . . two . . . three. . ."

Before he was able to say the number four, Daniel was hurrying off down the street, leaving behind his dead Beta. When he disappeared from view, I looked up at the mystery guy, slowly crawling to my feet. He watched me with his emerald eyes - his beautiful eyes. But, when I made it to my feet, a wave of dizziness fell over me. "Oh no," I muttered, followed by myself falling sideways back towards the sidewalk. From the way I was falling, it was going to hurt; my hip was going to take most of the impact. But, before I connected with the concrete, an arm slipped around my waist, stopping me.

"Take it easy," Emerald said, holding me up. He looked into my eyes as black spots started appearing in my vision, stretching. "Your cheek matches your hair." In my best attempt, I scowled at him, before darkness welcomed me with open arms.