Orion
Back in the cell.
I sat on the pathetic excuse for a bed once more and leaned forward, pressing my elbows into my knees.
At least this time they had turned on the light. But all it did was highlight the dark walls, wet floor, and flat mattress.
What time was it? Pretty sure it was the same day. I had no idea how long I'd been in here. After the younger Alpha's outburst earlier, the older Alpha had taken him out of the windowless room where I'd been tied to a chair, and I hadn't seen either of them since.
The way the younger Alpha had looked at me earlier played across my mind, the images causing my skin at my scalp to prickle and warm my chest.
Alaric.
Thick blonde hair. Deep blue eyes. Tall. Strong. No doubt his training regime was tougher than that of a regular warrior as he was the next in line to take over as pack leader. As if I would fight him anyway.
I thought he was ... mesmerising. I'd seen him before, obviously. Around the pack. At Radley's house. Although I'd thought he was good looking back then, my mind had been on other things that day. Like how close he'd been to Radley. Caressing his face. Standing near him. I'd never really gotten a really good look at Alaric because my focus had been on Radley back then.
But now, after seeing Alaric close up ... I thought he was just down right fucking gorgeous.
And ... I was his? I mean, I was pretty sure I knew what it meant, but ... wait. No. It couldn't be.
No.
I was human, for fucks' sake.
I couldn't be ... in that way.
Shaking my head, I glanced over at the sandwich and glass of water placed next to me on the mattress. At least these wolves wanted to feed me. They hadn't tortured me back in that windowless room. I still had all my limbs. And now they'd given me food. Those were all good signs, right?
Dad hadn't said anything about this sort of torture. How he'd described torture in the past ... it hadn't involved sandwiches.
Fuck.
What would happen now? I wasn't so sure they would kill me, not after Alaric's stake of claim over me, but that didn't mean I would be allowed to walk away. Surely the older Alpha would be planning something. And whatever it was probably wouldn't weigh in my favour.
Sighing, I leaned forward a little more. To think that I was going to make Alaric my next target after I realised that I couldn't hurt Radley ...
I couldn't hurt Alaric. Not now.
Fuck.
It was looking likely I wouldn't have any kind of target in this pack.
Rubbing my hands over my face, I froze as I heard a click.
Someone had unlocked a door somewhere down here.
Footsteps.
Hurried.
Soft.
Almost as if they were trying to keep quiet. Like maybe they shouldn't be down here.
Straightening up a little and folding my arms over my chest, trying to appear unthreatened or even bored, I stared at the bars straight ahead, waiting to see who was paying me a visit, concentrating on evening out my breathing.
I knew I was the only prisoner they had. The other cells were quiet. Empty. Even though the guards had shoved a hood over my head once more to lead me back here, I hadn't heard any other sounds in these cells.
The tall form of Alaric appeared on the other side of the door to my cell and I felt my heart leap in excitement in my chest.
Wearing the same t-shirt and shorts I'd seen him in earlier, he looked even more delicious than he did a few hours ago.
How was that possible?
Fucking hell.
Feeling my mouth go dry, I stared at him, unable to tear my eyes away from his handsome face. He stared back, his eyes flickering between blue and silver, telling me he was fighting his wolf.
My heart was crashing against my ribs, ready to beat its way out of my chest and land at his feet.
Closing his eyes, I watched as he shook his head, obviously trying to get his wolf under control. He'd only met his wolf a few days ago. Although he would have been trained to control his wolf from a young age, he wouldn't have experienced it first hand till after his first shift, so he was still kind of new to this, really.
His eyes opened, his blue eyes, and he took a couple of steps forward, until he was right in front of the cell bars. He went to grab one of the bars, then stopped, remembering that they were pure silver, as well as being dipped in wolfsbane.
"Who are you?" His voice was strong, but held a raspy note that shot a thrill along my spine.
Dropping my hands to my lap, I squeezed them into fists, feeling the palms become sticky under Alaric's gaze.
"My name's Orion."
He took a deep breath, his gaze intense. "Orion."
The way he said my name ... that tone ... my whole body felt like it was humming in happiness.
"What are you doing here?" His deep blue eyes bore right into mine, trapping me in his gaze. I felt a strong pull towards him. Pushing me to move. Something in my mind was trying to urge me closer ... closer to Alaric.
Standing on shaky legs, I took a few unsteady steps forward till I was standing right in front of him on the opposite side of the bars.
We were similar in height and build, but I knew he would be so much stronger, far faster, than I would ever be.
His eyes flickered again, his wolf trying to take control and he ran a shaky hand down his face, his breath starting to come out in pants.
We stared at each other, the air feeling charged with electricity, sparks ready to fizzle at any given moment.
"Are you really a hunter?" His voice was firm, deep, commanding but his eyes ... they were turning dark with lust, the heat in them enough to weaken my already shaky knees.
Gripping onto the bars to help keep myself on my feet, I heaved a deep shuddering breath. Clearing my throat, I nodded, realising that I would tell this wolf the truth. The look on his face ... I couldn't lie to him. Just like I couldn't lie to Radley.
Radley.
Fuck.
He would be expecting me. I'd told him I would see him tonight. The image of his face in my mind, along with Alaric's figure right in front of me, stole my breath and caused my heart to beat with a more fierce rhythm.
Watching as Alaric leaned closer, his gaze intense, I felt the strong urge to ... touch him.
Reaching forward with one arm, I slid my hand through the narrow gap between two bars and reached for him. He didn't move. Instead, he watched as my hand inched closer to him, until my fingers grazed his chest.
Closing his eyes, he moaned softly ... and the sound shot straight to my groin, my dick twitching in response.
Holy fuck.
Small electric sparks shot across the tips of my fingers and my heart crashed against my ribs. I could feel the heat of his skin through the thin material of his t-shirt. He was warm. Very warm.
Alaric released a shaky breath as he opened his eyes.
"You are no longer a hunter," he muttered, his voice raspy, hoarse.
I was barely listening to him. Pushing my hand forward a little more, I rested my palm against his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his strong heart.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Fuck.
"You will no longer hunt wolves. Do you understand?"
Huh?
I cocked a brow in question. He leaned forward once more, until his face was just centimetres away from the silver bars.
"You are my fated mate, Orion." He said it with such conviction. He was sure of it. No doubt. "You will not hunt wolves any more, especially wolves in this pack. You will give over all of your weapons. And you will not leave these pack lands. Do you understand?"
No.
Not really.
But I knew I would do anything he said.
Just like I would do anything Radley wanted me to do ...
Wait.
"Radley," I murmured.
Alaric frowned.
"He's waiting for me." An image of Radley sitting on his bed, waiting for me, wearing a hoodie and an innocent look, crossed my mind and I felt my chest squeeze.
Alaric cocked his head to the side.
"I was supposed to see Radley tonight." I explained, the words coming out of my mouth broken, raspy.
Alaric growled low. A warning.
"Why?" His eyes flickered to sliver. "Why were you going to see Radley?"
"He's ..." Stolen my heart. The words caught in my throat, stuck behind a lump that had formed. Radley was so innocent. So pure. I didn't want to get him into any trouble with his future Alpha.
Alaric leaned forward once more, his face just a hair's breadth away from the silver bars.
"Were you with him last night, too?" His voice was a low guttural sound and it took me only a second to realise that this was his wolf talking.
But ... how did he know about last night?
Swallowing, I pressed my hand firmly against his strong chest, feeling the skin underneath my fingertips tense, my own body rigid under his silver stare.
Swallowing, I nodded. "Yes. I saw Radley last night. We ..." Clearing my throat, I tried again. "We're friends." I knew I didn't smell like Radley right now. The rain from last night would have washed his scent from my clothes.
"And what did you do last night ... as friends?" His tone was gruff, demanding, authoritative. His whole body was statue still, his hands balled into fists by his sides.
I stared back at him, my hand fisting in his t-shirt. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his breathing becoming quick. Panting. He was panting. A bead of sweat trickled from his hairline, down his temple, along his cheek. His cheeks started to become flushed. Heat was rolling off of him in waves.
He growled once more, then reached up to grab the hand that was curled into a fist on his chest. His skin touched mine, scorching hot, and little sparks prickled my flesh.
He was ... burning up.
And that meant only one thing.
His wolf was sending him into his rut.
Fuck.
He growled again, this time baring his teeth at me.
Prising my hand off of his t-shirt, he took a step back, his silver eyes boring into mine.
"Radley is mine," he growled as he took another step backwards. And another. One more. He frowned, his eyes narrowed.
His words bounced around in my head and I pulled my hand back, resting it on the bar in front of me.
"Radley is mine!" He shouted, before spinning on his heel and racing towards the door leading outside.