"We're all searching for someone whose demons play well with ours."
☆:*'¨'*:..:*'¨'*:.☆
As a child, I watched in envy as my mother combed through my little sister's hair every morning right before the crack of dawn. I would sit there glowering at the sight as I ran my hands through my short brown hair.
I wanted what my sister had.
I wanted my mother to play with my hair.
Abigail inherited my mother's looks with light blonde locks, sparkling green eyes and her warm tan skin whilst I was the polar opposite with my father's pale skin, an untameable mass of curly brown hair and his infamous pale blue eyes.
My sister was not only the spitting image of my mother; she also had her personality. Abigail was a high achiever; she was always at the top of her class and would come back home with tons and tons of ribbons. She was, known for being patient and kind, whilst my father and I were both stubborn and short-tempered.
I do love my father. I have always respected him and given him my utmost loyalty, but my mother was my role model.
I admit that I was jealous that my sister was the exact carbon copy of my mother. I hated that I didn't resemble her in the slightest.
But what I was unaware of was; what kept manifesting inside me for sixteen years was a little secret that my wolf was hiding. And a year after my mother's death, as I transformed into the beast for the first time, I soon came to realise that my wolf had my mother's white fur coat.
So maybe Abigail did get my mother's looks, but I inherited my mother's wolf, which I think was something far more honourable . . .
*'¨'*
As I slowly sunk back into reality, a feeling of weightlessness took over my body as if I was floating in mid-air. I could feel my body slowly being lifted and placed onto a wet patchy surface.
When I tried to open my eyes, my command was futile, my eyes wouldn't do as they were told, and I felt that familiar feeling of darkness take over my body again, my fear growing numb to it.
Inside I felt nothing different; I felt just the same, hollow like I had been for the past two weeks.
"Dad?" I breathed out through the dull pang at the back of my head. The air whistled around me, giving me a sense that I was alone wherever I was. The thought was comforting yet still heightened my fear.
The darkness continued to grow, leaving me senseless. I could feel the wind howling around my body viciously and the trees rustling loudly from above.
My emotions were all on overdrive, engulfed in a state of fear as panic coursed through my veins. Deep down, I felt as though I was slowly leaving this world, drawing closer and closer to my dear mother and sister.
Through the fear and panic, I pushed through the darkness and willed my eyes to flutter open. A flood of light blinded me for a second, and at that moment, I thought I was in heaven, but as soon as my eyes adjusted to the brightness and I blinked to take in the surroundings around me, I was left, in a heavy state of confusion.
I didn't know where I was. Everything was wet, green and covered in leaves around me. It was all foreign, including the scents. I didn't recognise the thick, densely covered trees surrounding me that seemed to block out most of the sunlight or the light mist floating in the moist air, and I most certainly didn't recognise the dark shadows looming around a man leaning against a tree to my far right.
My heart stilled in my chest.
As I glanced back, the man disappeared into the cover of the trees. Although he was out of my sight, my sensitive ears picked up the ruffling of leaves, and the quiet falls of his footsteps, as he moved through the densely packed trees. The heavy fog surrounding me made it harder to keep him in sight.
Narrowing my eyes, I spotted the man breaking out from the line of trees and walking towards where I was sitting. I strained my eyes, finally being able to make out his ruffled curly brown hair and the stubble along his jaw. He was shirtless too, with khaki shorts that hung loosely on his hips.
My heart rate picked up as he inched closer, now only standing a foot away, I knew he was a werewolf by his scent alone, and I knew he would have picked up the sound of my ferociously beating heart, but he still hadn't faltered.
The man crouched down to my sitting figure, he carefully watched me just as I watched him back, and from a close distance, I could finally see that his eyes were an ominous dark brown.
The silence was thick between us, and the tension was high, but my fear was inescapable. My heart was a second away from beating out of my chest. My jaw clenched tightly, and my fingernails dug into my palms.
The smell of my blood was faintly present in the air.
The man in front of me started sniffing the air then looked at me with worry in his eyes.
"Are..." He struggled for words as he cleared his throat, almost as if he was unaccustomed to human words. "Are-Are you okay?"
I continued to stare at the man through my narrowed eyes, wary of any sudden attacks or movements.
The wolf inside me wanted to rip him to pieces if he tried anything.
The man's lips twitched a little to what seemed like a smile for a second before he went back to his cautious form. Lifting his hand, he slowly moved it towards my head, searching my eyes for permission as he did so.
My lips curled back instinctively, and I snarled at him in a warning. Even with the fear present, I was prepared to fight if he started something.
"You're injured." He murmured, showing no signs of fear. "Let me treat your wound."
I growled at him again, this time a low warning growl.
Wrenching myself up, I pressed myself against the trunk of the tree behind me, trying to put as much distance as I could between the stranger and me.
He was oblivious as he slowly inched forward again and tried to touch the back of my head, but I slapped his arm away. "I wouldn't do that If I were you. If you are out of line in Black Death territories, there is no guarantee you will return home alive." He warned, although he struggled to meet my glaring eyes.
Fear prickled up and down my spine as his words sunk in. For a moment, I continued to stare blankly at him, not being able to comprehend what he had said.
My vision was blurry, but I noticed this man's scent drawing closer and closer to me; although it placed me in a sudden state of panic, it was enough to snap me back into reality.
"Get away from me!" I screamed through the fierce chattering of my teeth.
My eyes darted around wildly, looking for any means of escape or any form of safety. Daylight was slowly fading away, the sky was now a dark gray, and the dim light of the forest darkened as the man loomed over me, blocking my line of vision.
The man was silent for a moment as he craned his neck to the sight of the far trees on our right. "If you go in that direction you can make it back to your pack, but you will have to go through No Man's Land which is full of rogues. Do you want to take that risk?"
I inhaled sharply, as I gritted my teeth in frustration. "No," I muttered out coldly.
"If you want to return to Night Star Pack safely, then you need to follow what I say, and most of all, you need to trust me. Do we have a deal?" The man's eyes bore into mine from the proximity I could tell they were a warm brown. His gaze left me to ponder whether I could trust his words.
I reluctantly found myself nodding back in agreement, not trusting myself to speak.
The man continued. "My name is Raphael, the pack doctor in Black Death pack. But introductions are not important than the wound on the back of your head that needs treating. So may I?"
"It's fine," I muttered with a glare. "It's all healed." Wanting to make sure, I placed my hand on my injured spot, trying to look for any remains of blood. All that remained was dried up blood that had now covered the back of my head.
How did that happen?
How did I get injured?
How did I end up here?
Paralysing horror soon sunk into me as I replayed what happened the day I was at my pack borders.
The strange scent . . .
The feeling of being watched . . .
The blur of colour dancing dangerously close to . . .
It all seemed to make perfect sense; everything all seemed to click, like the missing pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
"So, It was you?!" I stuttered out, fear enclosing my heart once again. I somehow have gotten used to that feeling. "You were the one that brought me here?" I gasped out. "This ― this is kidnapping, and this goes against pack rules. When my father, Alpha of Night Star Pack, hears of this, he will have you killed." My breathing was laboured as I met my kidnapper in the eye. Raphael had the same strange scent as the scent by Night Star border, he was the one who was watching me, and the one who had hit me on the head.
Raphael just stared at me blankly before shaking his head. "I admit that it was I who had taken you, but you should know that no wolf could ever defy their Alpha's command I was merely following orders."
"You could have just asked me instead." I screeched, erupting him with a growl.
"Would you have followed a stranger out of the safety of your pack?" He asked sceptically. "I suppose you must now, seeing as I am the only one who can help you get back safely."
Motioning me up, he walked ahead over to a line of some vast dense acres. Stumbling up onto my feet, I walked behind him as instructed, clinging onto any small piece of hope I could grasp onto and right now, following Raphael was my only shot at freedom.
As we walked deeper and deeper into the woods, the first thing I noticed was the change of scents; the scent of the forest turned much darker. I breathed in the smell of pungent lichen and blood, and in fear, I huddled closer to Raphael.
The breeze picked up, whipping my hair around my face violently. We neared a small cliff, and immediately Raphael began climbing up, huddling closer so I was only a foot away, I silently followed his steps.
We walked in silence until my lungs were burning with the need for oxygen, Raphael however, seemed unaffected by this and impatiently glowered at me as I paused to catch a breath.
As we climbed up the cliff, another line of thick green moss covered the rocks up ahead. Raphael quickened his pace, almost as if he was sensing he was close and following him, I ran just to match his pace.
Instinctively my eyes scanned the forest, looking for a way out as we approached a nearby cave; my wolf was stirring in me with fear.
I growled under my breath as I spotted a man with dark auburn hair guarding the entrance to the cave.
Immediately his growl answered my own; it was much louder and had a gristly tone to it that made me shrink back in fear.
Edging behind Raphael, I walked closer to him, knowing I had no way out of this. This was my only chance of ever going back to Night Star pack.
I knew better than to believe I had a chance of escaping.
My eyes darted to the ground, and my shoulders tensed as we passed the guard and walked into the dark cave.
It took me a minute for my eyes to slowly adjust to the darkness around me, I felt eyes watching me in the dark, and though I couldn't see them, I felt their stares. I didn't know how many wolves were present, their scents collided together making it harder for me to distinguish each one, but I would say there was somewhere around a hundred, maybe even more.
A feeling of unease settled in me, and fear slowly crept up my spine. "I want to go back," I whispered as I tugged on Raphael's arm. "Take me back." I pleaded, tears brimming my eyes.
Raphael slowly pulled me towards him and secured an arm safely around my waist, trapping me in his hold, making it almost impossible for me to try and escape. "Stay with me, and you'll be safe."
Caught up in the fear, I was stunned when a unique scent engulfed my senses, knocking me back a step. It didn't mix in with the other scents of the wolves. It was more potent than Raphael's scent, who was right next to me. My wolf howled at the smell, and we both knew it had to be him, our mate.
That scent,
His heady masculine scent, which smelled like musk, warmth and death all rolled into one, made my mouth water. It made my wolf want to call to him like a siren.
I inhaled it greedily through both my nose and my mouth; my eyelids drooped as my lungs burned with his scent.
The fear I felt before slowly started dripping away along with my anxiety and panic, and a sense of relief hit me as I got closer and closer to his presence.
I scanned the cave around me, trying to see if he was close. I wanted to see what he looked like in human form. I wanted to know if he was as handsome as his wolf.
NO!
I had to stop; get it together Harper.
This is Gabriel Sinner we're talking about.
"Raphael." A deep voice thundered, which coiled my insides. My wolf grew restless for the sound of his deep husky tone; a spark deep in me ignited, setting me on fire.
Raphael stopped in his tracks, forcing me to stop as well. I now scanned the area around me wildly, but everything was dark. I desperately wanted to know where that beautiful voice had come from.
"Alpha." I felt Raphael bow his head beside me, although I could barely make out his silhouette in the dark. Even with my enhanced vision as a wolf, I was as powerless as a blind human in this cave.
"Daughter of Alpha Raine of Night Star Pack," Gabriel's husky voice was void of emotion. "Tell me your name." He commanded. That was in fact the first time he ever spoke to me.
"Harper," I whispered into the silent darkness, my laboured breathing the only sound present.
"Harper." He echoed. My name rolled off his tongue and sent tingles up my spine. "As soon as a wolf finds his mate, that mate is now under his care and protection."
I shifted uncomfortably in my spot; he certainly liked to cut to the chase.
"Night Star Pack guards shifts are inconsistent, and the guards themselves are weak and easy to kill although your pack may withstand rogue attacks, it can't handle any bigger attacks. As your mate, you're under my responsibility now and under the possession of Black Death Pack." His words were curt and rough.
"What do you mean, I'm under the possession of the pack?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Regardless, he seemed to have heard me.
"By being under the possession of my pack, you will be given protection. News of the failed attack has spread; wolves have heard of you, which puts my pack in danger. You need to be under the care of this pack for the safety of my pack."
I blinked back at the suddenness. A flicker of fear bubbled in me before my familiar stubbornness pushed through. "You can't do this to me," I countered back, my words louder and more defiant than I intended. "I'm your mate, I'm not just someone you could order about, you don't control me. I need to see my family, I can't just drop everything and leave my life just to please you."
Mummers broke out around the cave, bringing my attention to the fact that we weren't alone in this dark cave, but the Alpha's deafening snarl silenced them in an instant.
"Maybe you didn't hear me, Harper, but I don't remember asking you. I'm clearly stating what will happen. It is not a choice; it's a threat. If you don't follow orders, I will retaliate." He simply ordered as if I would agree in a heartbeat.
He thought wrong.
But how could I have forget the pain he had inflicted on my family?
How could I have forgotten the weeks of torture and pain without being near him?
He should know that Harper Raine isn't one to bend over. She isn't a pushover, something I'm glad I got from my father.
"How so?" I asked, my anger brimming full. "What are you going to do if I say no?" I grounded out, my canines ripping through my bottom lip from the suppressed anger I was barely managing to hold in.
"If you don't agree to these terms or run away, your pack will be destroyed. I will make sure that the next time I attack Night Star Pack, it won't be a failed attempt." His words were met with a twisted series of howls cheering on their Alpha.
A growl broke out of my throat before I had a chance to stop myself. I had never met an Alpha like this, one who was so controlling and evil. It was unnerving.
I swallowed, making a strange guttural squeaking sound in the back of my throat. "Please," my voice was barely audible, "just give me some time to at least say goodbye." Right now, it was as though there was gasoline flowing through my veins, and Gabriel was the one that struck the match.
The cave was now eerily quiet. I wasn't even sure if Raphael was still beside me.
I sucked in a harsh breath through my teeth as I waited for what he had to say. I was burning for the need to hear my name on his lips.
My rapid breath echoed in my ears as I waited for him to speak, my nails digging further and further into my skin, scratching and bleeding the surface.
It seemed like forever; he still hadn't answered. "Gabriel." I shuddered as his name escaped my lips, stirring deeply hidden feelings.
"One week." He grunted out. "I will give you one week before I have you dragged back."
"Thank you." I whispered hoarsely, stunned by the fact that I just thanked this monster.
"Raphael, show her the way back." Gabriel bluntly answered and suddenly I was being dragged by the arm and out into the light.
I was stunned by the brightness for a moment, blinking up at the dimming sky my eyes adjusted to the light, as I looked back to where Raphael was standing, I noticed how he was already several feet before me.
We started running back down the path we came up from. I kept my pace to a steady jog as I climbed down the rocky cliff. The forest wasn't far ahead once we got down. I could smell the scent of the trees grow stronger as we got closer and closer to the pack borders, which was surprisingly a long way away.
I closed my eyes. The wind brushed me as I kept running through the woods, allowing my senses to guide me. I forced my legs to speed up, feeling my heart beat inside me rise as it pumped harder and harder.
I heaved out a struggled breath as we pushed ourselves further and further away from Black Death territories, away from my mate.
My wolf was howling without our mate being close. I tried to calm the beast inside as I replayed how the sound of his voice.
Lightning cracked behind us, breaking the dark sky with a flash of light. I huddled closer to Raphael as we went around pack borders and lands with frequent rogue sightings.
Raphael walked behind me in a protective stance as we slowly jogged through the night, our footfalls silent as we could manage.
We ran with our inhuman speed, flying by like streaks against the green of the forest.
As we neared Night Star borders, Raphael slowed down his pace and came to a stop urging me to stop as well.
"You only have one week." Raphael reminded me of my doomed fate as he kept his distance.
"I know." I nodded, gritting my teeth as I tried to reign in my anger.
"You do love your Pack, don't you?" He asked suddenly.
"Of course." I nodded instantly, "I would die for them."
"And your family?"
"More than my life," I replied as images of my dad, Journey and Johnny flickered through my mind.
"Then think of it this way, as long as you are under the care and protection of Black Death Pack, your pack and family will be protected too."
"I hate that fact that I have your Alpha as my mate." I sighed dejectedly as my shoulders slumped in response.
Why did I ever get a mate like him?
"I'm sorry for my part in this." He bowed his head at me, subtly showing me his neck in submission.
"It's okay." I was surprised by my own words. My head was reeling and my heart bucking in my chest. "Be careful, there's rogues out there."
His lips fought a smile before he nodded at me and jogged back the path we came. As soon as he was out of my sight, I hastily walked forward, following the trail of familiar scents back to Night Star borders.
A guard noticed me making my way over, and his wolf approached me with a sloppy wolfish grin. The wolf stretched its neck to the dimming night sky and alerted the other guards with a howl. Soon enough, more wolves drew near, all sniffing my neck and brushing their pelts around me.
Howls erupted around me once they thoroughly made sure I was safe. I was led through the sea of wolves towards the main village, where I saw more guards and Beta Saul running towards me.
As soon as he was at arm's length he pulled me into a hug crushing me to his chest.
"Harper!" He cried as he pulled me out of his embrace. "There you are. You've been gone for a day, the whole pack was worried about you."
"And my dad?" I asked, cringing at the thought.
Beta Saul looked anywhere but at me. "He's uh -" Beta Saul shrugged nervously. "You know how he is."
"Yeah." I sighed, knowing how dramatic my dad was.
"Where were you?"
I gulped down the bile rising up my throat. "I just went for a walk; I needed a breather."
"You were gone for hours." Beta Saul looked skeptical.
"Yeah, I got lost." I shrugged pathetically.
"Well, as long you're safe, I'm glad, but let's not make a habit of this," He sighed at me. I struggled to see if he believed me or not. "We wouldn't want your dad going on a rampage again." He whispered as he guided me past the guards and onto the sidewalk, which led towards the packhouse.
I giggled more so in relief. "No, we wouldn't."
"Come on, let's get you home." He placed his arm around my shoulder and urged me forwards. I willed my feet and my wolf to cooperate as I desperately grasped onto any hope that my dad wouldn't have a fit and go ballistic.
I needed a way to get myself out of this situation, and nothing was going to stop me.
Not even Gabriel Sinner and his hounds from hell.
☆:*'¨'*:..:*'¨'*:.☆
Well thank you for reading!
Hope you guys enjoyed it.
Now for the threat: If you don't comment and vote I will turn Gabriel into a sparkly glittering pink unicorn with rainbow cake spewing out of his ass.
Graphic I know but that's just how I roll.
So Comment and vote!
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