Gavin
"How is this possible?"
"Alpha..."
I hold up my hand to stop Javi from speaking. Claws curl from the ends of my fingertips. I stare dispassionately at the blackened color. My feet are bare, my half-shifted feet bursting free from my boots as soon as I heard the news.
I look around my son's room. It's pristine. Immaculately clean with his clothes neatly pressed and hanging in the wardrobe. His school books are stacked neatly on his pup's desk. The bathroom is stocked with his favorite comic book character shampoo and soap. His toothbrush is utterly dry. His backpack is missing. He's missing.
"My mate and my son are gone," I say it out loud. My voice is raspy, but the tone is mild. It's a complete contradiction to the seething morass of rage and fear boiling inside of me. My wolf paces, gnashing his teeth, froth spilling from his curled lips. He's insane from fury. As I stare into his eyes, he rakes his claws down my spine. I bite back my howl. My claws click together, the sound echoing ominously in my heir's empty room.
"My heir's scent is faded from this room."
"Salvatore's nanny told me he ran away yesterday," Javi states. He's just as furious.
"Yesterday," I say flatly. My wolf flashes fang as he paces, back and forth. He shakes his head. Saliva goes flying. His chest is heaving in great drafts, in and out, back and forth.
I stretch out and probe the bond with my princess. She's just fine, but now I find myself questioning what that means? Is she fine because she is involved with Salvatore's disappearance? But then, Salvatore disappeared before she did. Did someone abduct them both? This can't be a coincidence.
Did my sweet little princess betray me already?
"Is the nanny in my interrogation room?" I ask Javi.
"Waiting for you, Alpha."
"And Celeste?"
"Sobbing away downstairs. She wants to see you."
"No. She's a distraction I don't need." My wolf licks his spittle from around his maw. He wants blood.
Javi's eyes meet mine for a brief second. "Alpha... I wouldn't assume Celeste is innocent in this."
I blow out a breath that sounds like a growl, "Do you think I haven't thought of it?" It would be just like Celeste to pupnap her own son to grab my attention. But how is CeCe involved? And, if CeCe was abducted, why isn't she terrified right now?
"No, Alpha," Javi responds.
"Interrogation, first," I rasp out. My wolf wants nothing more than to track down his mate in the forest, but I know I need information, first.
"Yes, Alpha."
The interrogation room is in the dungeon. My grandmother didn't even know that they were there, but Grandfather used them all the time right under her nose. It reeks of despair and mold. The only light comes from the scattering of weak, flickering lightbulbs. Somewhere in the distance, water drips.
In the cell, the nanny hangs from her chains. She's young and pretty. Correction - she was young and pretty. Her face is already swollen, eyes black and blue, the left can hardly open, lips bleeding. My elite who arrested her didn't like her attitude. My wolf curls his lip at her, chuffing in amusement at her broken state.
"Where is my son?" I'm still speaking in a mild tone as I bottle all my rage.
"Alpha," she rasps.
I don't know her name. Celeste chose her and I never bothered to give two shits who she was. Javi screened her application and that was enough for me. "When, precisely, was my son abducted?" I ask her.
"Pocket," she whispers.
Her once-pretty dress is in tatters, but still hanging on her frame. I reach in, idly noting how healthy this female is compared to the thinness of my princess. In her skirt pocket, I find a small bit of paper.
It's a runaway note from Salvatore. Simple, straightforward. He's going to live in the woods so he never has to attend lessons again. He doesn't mention me or his mother. It's in his handwriting and despite being tucked into the nanny's pocket, it still smells faintly of my pup. My wolf whines, furious and frightened for his pup.
"Why did you not immediately inform his guards that he was missing?" I ask her.
"Gone before," she croaks. "Always comes back."
"My six-year-old pup has run away before?" I ask her silkily. My wolf crouches, snarling, begging to be set free. I hold him back, just barely.
She just whimpers.
"You're going to die here," I tell her quietly. My wolf growls, but I ignore him. "Hanging there, starving. It'll be slow and agonizing. Your arms will go numb if they haven't already. For now, you can touch the floor with your toes, but you can't maintain that for days. Your legs will give out, then the weight of your body will be forced to your shoulders, then your wrists. Your body weight will shift from your arms to your chest, applying pressure to your lungs. You may suffocate before dying of thirst."
She starts to weep. Ignoring her pitiful cries, I leave the cell. "No one enters," I tell the guard. He nods, his eyes glaring scornfully into the dungeon at the nanny.
I exit the dungeon, the castle at my back. Closing my eyes, I tip my head back and inhale. A tantalizingly sweet scent drifts into my nose. CeCe and my pup. My wolf howls, demanding asshole. I run my tongue along the back of my teeth, feeling the prick of my canines, sharp and ready.
Peeling my pants down and kicking off my boots, I stand naked in the hidden doorway to the dungeon. I take another breath, my wolf salivating, pacing, and shift. My elite pace with me, some of them already on paws, some waiting on feet.
The forest mutes into shades of dull color and grey, but the stream of scent drifting through the trees lights our way like a beacon in the night.
We run swiftly. The forest floor cracks and trembles under our paws. The scent, that pure honey scent, grows stronger with every stride. Our heart pounds in anticipation. Our mate has been out here for hours. She is with our heir. Betrayal tastes bitter on our tongue. If my mate has killed my son she will owe me a life and I will take all I can from her. More than she knows she can give me.
We slow our ground-eating strides near the mountain brook. They are nearby. Our skin crawls with anticipation under bristling fur. There is no scent of blood or pain. The only fragrance is cooked rabbit, candied goodness, and home.
Livid, we silently stalk our prey to the entrance of their little den. Steps away, we can hear our mate's honeyed voice speaking to our heir. Slow and soothing like molasses dripping down her dulcet throat. This is how she speaks to another? She does not speak to us that way.
"...the beautiful vixen ran through the woods, dashing over fields of violets bursting in purple and white. Every step released a cloud of yellow in her wake..."
Jealousy spears our heart and sours our stomach. When we are a step from the den, we deliberately step on a twig. The crack silences the sweet voice. Our ears twitch as we hear a soft inhale, a breath caught in lungs. A small, tremulous pup-voice asks, "is it the fox? Because of the rabbit?"
"Salvatore get behind me," our mate's voice is terror-filled now, instead of filled with syrupy goodness. It enrages us. We growl a low command. Come to me. We hear a breathy, helpless moan in response. Our growl grows in volume, but our prey is tucked tight in her little nest, our heir sequestered away with her.
The den is too small for us. If we break it, rip it to shreds, and tear it apart, we may hurt the sweet prey inside. With tremendous effort, we shift ourselves back to feet.
"CeCe," the rumble shakes my chest. Anger rolls off of me in waves, crashing through the tiny entrance to the den. "Come out, female."
"Shh," I hear her speak. "Let me talk to him, first?"
"Tell him we're washed up," my son murmurs back.
There's a hesitant pause, then a, "I will. He won't be angry with you," my silly girl promises.
"'Kay."
Her head of sweet curls emerges first. Big, green eyes meet mine before they fall away. Her thin blouse is see-through. As she steps out I can see her nipples pebble, her areolas appearing dark under the thin fabric. Long, bare legs are revealed when she stands, only a hair's-breadth from my chest. She doesn't raise her eyes up to me again. "Um... I wanted to go for a walk?" she offers.
The deep growl shaking in my chest quiets her. I grasp the back of her neck tightly and tilt her gaze back up to me. She gasps in fear when her eyes finally meet mine again. Behind her, my son flies out of the den, his little fists clenched on the ends of CeCe's shirt and his thin chest-rattling in fear. I spare him a moment, making sure that he's not injured, before dismissing him.
"Javi, bring my son back-"
"T-to the castle," my mate blurts out, interrupting.
We pause, hovering in the stillness of the air. I bring my hand from her nape to her throat, then brush my thumb over her bottom lip. Javi, hovering behind me, moves forward and takes Salvatore's tiny hand in his. I hear my son protest as he's led back to stand with the elite who followed me into the woods, "No, I want Ceelly!"
CeCe raises her delicate hand and rests it on my chest. "Please, alpha. He's doesn't like the packhouse. He belongs in the castle. With his father. With-"
I pull her small body flush with mine, cutting off her words. "How did you escape, beloved?" I rasp out. All of my early calm is fleeing. My wolf is roaring in my head. Bite her. Claim her. Take her here, in the forest, in their cute too-small den. Bring her back to the castle and take her in every room, in front of every pair of eyes. Claim and bite until she no longer can think of leaving, even for a day, a few hours.
"I... I stumbled onto... um... a hallway... it led outdoors. I was lost and..."
I pick her up and wrap her legs around my waist. The panties she's wearing are easily shredded. She squeaks in surprise when I nudge her soft opening with my cock. She's not ready for me. I run my nose along her cheek. "Little liar," I whisper huskily. "A lost little princess doesn't end up in the woods with my heir by accident. Who helped you?"
"N-no one," she murmurs. Another lie. My sweet girl's lies taste foul, but she still smells of candy. Who is she protecting?
I lick her throat, nibble on the delicate skin there. My hips roll. My wolf is panting in eagerness. "Try again," I whisper against her skin. My wolf snarls, pressing forward. I enter her, just the tip, letting her body sink onto me. The delicate folds of her pussy open like a flower as I force myself inside. She wriggles, murmuring in protest, in discomfort, worried that Salvatore can hear his father fucking.
He can't. I retain that much control, at least. Salvatore is still protesting leaving CeCe. I hear Javi respond in a low voice as he leads him further away.
My wolf pushes. Fuck her into submission. It's not the worst idea, but this delicate creature is clever. Smart enough to escape, strong enough to disobey my Alpha command. I don't even think she knows she's doing it. Although highly enjoyable, fucking alone won't make her yield to me.
"Princess," I croon into her soft, honeyed skin. I pick her up, drop her, again, then again. She sinks incrementally more each time, feeling like silk on my cock. She's still to dry to take me easily, and tears of pain hover on her lashes. "You ran from your mate, your alpha. Hid from me."
"I didn't. I wasn't!" she protests in a quiet sob. Her words are not a lie. I hide my triumphant smile. She didn't run from me. Some of my wolf's rage and panic bleeds away.
Wanting to know more, I inhale her delicate fragrance and force a deep thrust that makes her squeal and her toes curl on my hips. "Gavin, please!"
"Please what, beloved? Please stop? Keep going? Tell me who helped you, sweetheart."
"Noone! I... it was a walk." Lie. "And I found Salvatore... or... well... maybe he found me?" Not a lie. Interesting. "And... we took a bath in the stream-"
I nip her throat again as renewed fury beats its wings against my mind. "You went in the water?"
"Y-yes? It seemed important to Salvatore and-"
My hand smacks against her ass. She squeaks and clutches my shoulders as I spank her hard with the flat of my palm. I rain the blows down, enjoying her jolting body as she squirms in avoidance.
"Alpha!" she finally barks at me after the twelfth blow. Eyes tearing up, pussy split open on my cock, jaw tight in a mutinous expression, she's adorable.
The rage is bleeding out of me, out of my wolf. She wasn't running from me. She's here, pulsing around me in the tightest, wettest hug, but she is most definitely keeping secrets. And that just won't do, will it?
I sink my fangs into the Mark on her neck. Pheremones scent the air. Mine. Hers. I can't Order her, but I can do this. She's a helpless little female to the sensation of the alpha's bite. Almost instantly, her arousal stains the air and, goddess, it's a beautiful scent.
"I'll find him and kill him, love," I whisper. "You'll be mine, always, and no one will take you away from me." Her hips are rolling helplessly against mine, needy and pliant.
She shivers in my arms, despite being surrounded by my heat. I grasp her hips with both hands. She clings to my neck as I start to fuck her in earnest. Moans and sighs slip from both our mouths. She's too small to kiss and fuck at the same time in this position. A negative, but I'm not stopping until she's dripping with my cum.
I hoist her higher, angle her body so that every slide of my cock rubs against the tight little button hidden away between her folds. Glancing down, I groan in pleasure at the sight of her tight pussy split wide over my cock. CeCe's eyes are glassy and needy, her mouth trembling as her orgasm approaches.
"Come for me, little one."
She breaks apart, twisting and crying out. The forest absorbs her sobs of completion as I hold her tight to me, grunting and grinding as my balls ache and tighten. When I come it's with her name on my lips and my wolf howling for more.
"Fuck, CeCe. You naughty little female." When my legs are steady again, I start to walk. Cradling her to my chest, I give the command to my elite as they surround us.
"Set Salvatore up in our room. My mate," I glance down at a dazed CeCe, "and I will be sleeping in the West Tower from now on."
A series of 'alphas' echoes in the trees. Several of my elite rush off on paws. I'll take my time, walking back with my little mate, so the castle has time to prepare for the new reality. Their Luna is going to be my very... special prisoner until she gives in to me completely.
—
CeCe
Gavin carries me all the way back to the castle. I went much farther than I realized. The day is swiftly fading. I'm getting cold even on my sore bottom. The skin of my front is plastered to Gavin, but every inch of exposed flesh is nothing but goosebumps.
"Cold?" Gavin asks me quietly. I murmur a soft response, not a yes or no. He could move faster, but he's choosing to walk slowly. I'm a fool, but I'm not stupid. He chuckles darkly, mockingly, his hand smoothing over the smarting skin on my bottom. Until I shiver.
He pauses for a moment, before he responds with a low rumble, "if you get sick from this little misadventure, I will spank you for days, beloved." With that ominous threat, he takes off. I cling to him harder, startled at the sudden movement. After a moment, I recover my equilibrium. This prince of wolves is fast. Incredibly so. Suddenly, the trek through the forest takes only minutes.
When we arrive back at the castle, I turn my head, straining to see where Salvatore is. Surely Javi has brought him back by now?
I see no one. Absolutely not a single wolf is in sight. Gavin marches us in through the front door, which, now that I think about it, I have only passed through once. We've always taken the side doors for my walks. The cavernous front hall is dead silent as Gavin's bare feet pad over the stone and thin carpet. He stalks up the stairs, his stride not breaking once.
We walk past our room and I wriggle to be free of his arms. I'm reprimanded with another sharp tap on my aching bottom. I try to see Salvatore or at least hear him, but the door to our room is solidly closed. Gavin marches right past it.
"Where?" I start to ask before remembering. We will have a new room. "I hope the West tower is close to our old room. Salvatore needs to be with his family. Something scared him from the packhouse, Gavin. He needs us." My silent prince doesn't respond. "Gavin?"
"Beloved."
"Where is-"
Gavin kicks open a door at the end of the hallway. I gasp and turn as much as he allows me to. In front of us is a large bedroom, but we walk right through it to another door. Behind that one is a winding staircase. As he carries me through the doorway, I see the heavy iron lock on the doorframe. It looks freshly oiled.
Gavin starts to climb the stairs. The wind, up and up, occasionally passing by yet another tall window looking over the snowy mountain. It seems that we are climbing more than one set of stairs. My she-wolf peeks out, then goes back to her den. She's not fond of heights. Neither, to tell the truth, am I.
The top of the staircase opens directly into a large, round room with soaring rafters forming a conical-shaped ceiling. Gavin walks to a king-sized bed set up along the right side of the room and gently tossed me onto the soft surface. I expect him to pounce on me, but instead he starts to inspect the room.
I follow him with my eyes as he talks to me casually, "one way in, one way out, beloved." I glance at the open staircase before returning my gaze to Gavin. Only now, I'm on the lookout for the carved wolfhead indicating a secret passage. I see nothing from my position on the bed. "The tub and toilet are over here," Gavin continues, indicating the bathing area with a small screen. With one hand he folds the screen back, exposing the toilet and tub to the room. I don't see a wolf's head anywhere, and now that I'm looking, I notice that it seems that every part of the curved tower wall is showing, so no hidden spaces.
"Where is the closet?" I ask quietly.
"No closets up here," he murmurs. "We'll need a table for eating. Maybe a desk for you."
"Gavin?" I'm beginning to see this tower in a new, dreadful light.
"You will not wear clothes in this room, CeCe," Gavin responds. "Unless I allow you guests and provide you with something. I will feed you, from my hand. Otherwise, you will not eat. When you leave this tower you will be by my side at all times."
"Gavin-" I say his name in a small voice.
"When we are in this room, beloved, I am your alpha. Your master. Understand?" He stands, feet braced wide apart, golden gaze pinning me in place.
I swallow hard. "Am I not to call you, Gavin, then?"
He turns and walks to me, each step lethally graceful. When he reaches the end of the bed he crawls up over me. Bracing himself over me he murmurs, "In public, you will call me 'Gavin.' In private, you will address me as 'Alpha,' or 'Master,' understand?"
"You wanted me to use your name. You spanked me for calling you 'alpha," I whisper, utterly confused.
His golden eyes darken. "And now, I will punish you for using my name, Beloved. We will not have a repeat of today. Never again."
I stay quiet, just staring at him, stunned and bewildered. He's right, we don't need to repeat this day. My bottom still hurts from before, and I really don't want to see what Gavin comes up with next. This day has already been too long.
"Time to bath, beloved," Gavin says quietly. He walks to the lamps and turns them off, leaving only one low light on, before walking back to me. He picks me up in his arms and carries me to the bathing area. Sitting down on the side of the tub, he turns the water on and we wait. It takes a long time for the water to become warm. We must be a long way from the heat in this castle.
When the tub is halfway filled, Gavin steps into it with me in his arms. For some reason, I'm crying. He starts to wash my hair gently. "I'll take such good care of you, my pet." He kisses the top of my head. "Now, let's practice. Be a polite little mate. Say, "thank you, Master, for my lovely new room."
"Thank you, Master," I whisper through my hiccuping sobs.
"Say it in the voice you spoke to my son with."
"Alpha?" I question him, confused.
"Shh, beloved. Shh," he relents as he rinses my hair.
A/N - Towers are so cool, aren't they? Best cliche ever: the princess in the tower.