It has been two hours since Tyler left. Two hours I have been left alone to think. Two hours stuck in this small sitting room watching an old television.
I lay on the cloth couch and sip slowly on a soda. There is a human drama tv show playing. Ironically it is about vampires. Only these are the nice vampires that live in a false reality.
In this particular show, the nice vampires attempt to blend in as high schoolers, all while trying to keep their secret hidden. Only that never happens in television shows.
I think about last night. The dark reality of real vampires. They aren't scared of garlic. They have long sharp fangs that can actually kill someone. You don't feel a rush of pleasure when you are bitten. Instead it is only pain. Then sometimes death.
Why did Liam want me so badly? Is being a hybrid something really that rare?
I made a silent promise to myself that I would never let him get a hold of me. He can't win. Vampires and werewolves don't mix.
I finally peel myself off of the couch. I am getting restless now. The last thing I want to do in unknown territory is lay around and wait for the inevitable.
I leave the room and slowly walk down the hallway. Chills move up my arms as I get the feeling I'm not allowed to be here.
Tyler did say to stay here until he gets back. But then again, Tyler is not my keeper.
I finally reach the front door and suck in a breath. I just plan to go for a walk. I am not a prisoner here.
I pull the door open and a chilly breeze hits me in the face. My feet crunch underneath fresh fallen leaves as the smell of fall hits my nostrils.
Leading from Tyler's house is a small stone path. The path follows a trail through the trees to where smoke is seen rising slowly into the sky. Those must be other pack houses. It is quiet here.
In the CrescentRing pack there was always laughter in the air. Children would run around and play until dark. Everybody spent their time outside either training or playing around.
The SilverMoon pack is eerie and lifeless compared to my pack. I walk quietly down the path away from the houses. The last thing I want is to be caught by someone who thinks I'm a rogue.
I think about what Anthony said at breakfast. We are bred that way. And that alpha, he is the worst of them all. Shivers go down my spine as I contemplate the possibility.
I had heard stories about the alphas of this pack. They were initiated by capturing and killing a rogue. It was a sport to them. The bloodier the kill, the more righteous leader you were meant to be. Something like that.
I hear a loud blood curdling scream in the distance that makes me jump.
I slowly pick up the pace and wander towards the painful sound. Is somebody in danger? Not thinking things through, I come upon a small grey brick building in a clearing. The screaming was definitely coming from inside there. The building is guarded by a large metal door with a lever as a handle.
I cautiously open the door, focusing very hard on making as little noise as possible. The doorway opens to a dark, candle-lit staircase leading down underground. I pad down the staircase and immediately recognized a temperature drop as I lower myself into the darkness.
The deeper I go, the louder the scream comes. It sounds like a man being tortured. His bellows bounce off of the walls. I finally came to the bottom of the staircase and I see a metal door. It is cracked just wide enough to where I can see inside.
Inside the room the walls are large grey bricks splattered with deep red blood. There is a chair in the middle of the room where the man is strongly bound with large chains probably coated in wolfsbane, a substance toxic to all werewolves.
The man has his auburn head hanging low as he breathes heavily. He is covered in blood and has deep scratches on his muscular toned body. The man is being beaten by another man's bare hands. The attacker wasn't in view from the crack in the doorway. The man kept beating him and yelling really loudly.
But I recognized that voice, from where? The attacker came into view and I realized it was Tyler. He had a dark look on his face as he beat the man in anger.
"Tell me again how it happened." Tyler growls out. His voice is so low that it sends trembles through my fingers.
"I have already told you everything that happened." The man spits a glob of blood onto the floor.
The second voice belongs to Anthony.
"Tell me again and you might keep your life." Tyler booms, yanking the chains. Anthony's skin sizzles underneath the potent silver.
I gasp, turning my head away from the scene. My heart is racing and my breathing is becoming rapid. Tyler was truly a monster.
I turn back to look at Anthony but meet eyes with a very enraged Tyler. He stares directly at me with a deadly expression.
"You are not supposed to be here, Alex." He rumbles lowly. My face drains of all color and my mouth runs dry.
You have to escape, my wolf screams in fear. I immediately run up the dark stairwell determined to reach the safety of the light at the top. I need air. I race to the top, tripping over the last step and face planting into the colorful crunchy leaves below. I breathe heavily as I regain my sense of mind.
My mate. All the stories that I had heard. They were true, how could he be such a monster.
I have to escape this pack.
I hear quiet rapid footsteps slowly getting louder. Tyler is coming up the stairs. My heart thumps.
I quickly scramble to my feet and scamper into the deep woods. Oh gosh I hope he can't smell me like I can him
I need to escape the pack and reach the other side of the border without Tyler finding me. I have some ground to cover before I come to the border. This pack is huge and I am terrified I will get caught by a wolf on patrol.
I pick up my pace to a quick jog and say a silent prayer to the Goddess that I will make it out safely. I should be about halfway to the border by now. I run past a few trees until I trip. I feel an excruciating pain in my ankle.
I scream in pain as I hit the ground like a ham hitting a nice countertop. I turn over on my side to see a bear trap around my ankle. Blood immediately leaks out from the wound. I sit up and suck in some air as I examine the wound. I am weak in my human form. I grab the bear trap and close my eyes as I open it up, releasing my ankle and letting out another small scream that was mostly muffled by my shoulder.
I grab onto a tree and try to stand on my ankle. I immediately thud back to the ground with a yelp. Tears stream down my face in frustration as I think of what would happen if I was found by a patrol wolf.
The fear alone is enough for me to suck it up and press on. I hop around to the best of my ability as I continue my escape.
.
.
After several more minutes, I can finally see the border marking. My safety.
Boarder markings are different for every pack. Most of the time, packs will mark their territory in spray paint on the trees. Each pack designates its own color so that others will know what territory they are in.
As I limp towards the border I hear a loud growl a few paces behind me. I freeze in fear as I know who the vicious growl belongs to.
"Alex!" Tyler hollers, making me almost jump out of my skin. I slowly turn to see him fuming. His eyes have turned a bright red.
"Where are you going?" He barks. All of the calmness he had held for me earlier has quickly diminished.
"I'm leaving" I say with a sudden burst of courage. Hopefully he can't hear my heart pounding or see me shaking heavily on my decent leg.
"You can't leave." He states trying to keep his temper to a minimum. "I told you to stay at the house until I returned." He breathed heavily as he bubbled with anger.
I am scared. No, I am terrified. This guy is a murderer. He is ruthless like the rest of his sick pack.
"I can leave, and I am leaving this pack." I demand, trying not to show any fear to the fearless Alpha now towering over me.
"You're not allowed to leave. I don't allow it," he booms, leaning closer to my face "You're mine." he yells more to himself than to me. My heart bumps against my chest.
"I don't belong to anyone, Tyler." I yell as I turn back to the border.
"Alex" he growls again. I take a step towards the border.
"Don't test me Alex." He challenges. At that I stop in my tracks.
Without my consent, my feet begin limping forwards again towards the border. Another low growl is released and I feel myself be shoved up against a large oak tree. I open my eyes to see Tyler glaring at me. His face was so close to my face and I could take in his vanilla scent, it immediately melted me.
"I didn't say you had a choice if you could stay or not." His smooth voice spoke sternly.
I shift my body against the tree, trying to escape the man's grasp from my body. He presses me tighter against the tree, resisting any further movement. I don't want to leave any more. I wanted to stay in his grasp and continue to breathe his scent.
No.
That is the mate bond. It has to be. I recall the recent events. Tyler beating that man. That innocent man. Tears come to my eyes but I yank them back as I search for the right words.
"You- I saw you. Beat. That man. In the cellar.. that innocent. Man" I choke out. "All of the stories about you. You- they're true."
His eyes return to their usual brown for a second before glowing red again.
"That. man. Whom you saw me torture, he was convicted of murder. He murdered a child in my pack. He was absolutely not innocent." He spits.
"Oh." Was all that slips through my lips. We stare at each other for a moment before he released his grip on me.
"Next time, Alex. Before you try to run away, make sure you have your facts straight. I would not kill an innocent man." He sounds hurt as he turns away from me.
I look away, towards the border. It is so close. I could just walk a few paces and I would be across it no problem. Into safety. But was it safety? I remember the Vampires and how they killed my best friend. But what if there is still danger in the SilverMoon pack?
"Alexandra." I hear Tyler warn. He probably saw me looking towards the border and now thinks I'm going to run.
I slowly turn towards him as he is waiting for me to either run, or come join him.
I blink twice and then I go to take a step towards him as I remember my ankle and fall for the ground. My eyes shut preparing for the painful thud that follows but never happens. I open my eyes to see Tyler has grabbed me and is now sitting on the ground with me on his lap. His eyes are very concerned.
He looks me over before he discovers my ankle and slowly lifts up my leggings to reveal the bloody sight. Owch.
"How?" He questions, his hands hovering over the painful wound.
"Bear trap." I admit slightly embarrassed. Before I know it he is picking me up bridal style and walking back towards the mansion.
~~~~~~~~~~
Updated Chapter***
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