It was the first time I had seen the Red Moon pack house and as beautiful and jaw-dropping as it was, I was too preoccupied with my thoughts to pay much attention.
Because of me, Carla was going to die.
My heart was beating wildly in my chest, and feeling slightly dizzy and shaky I walked into the house behind Alpha Stone.
I needed to warn Carla somehow, help her escape before Alpha Stone actually managed to carry out his threat.
"Alpha Stone," I started, attempting for a final time to change his mind, however he was hardly paying attention to me.
Suddenly he stopped abruptly and I thought perhaps that was a sign he was listening.
"Carla she-" I continued.
"Yes Jayden?" Alpha Stone's voice interrupted me. Jayden? I peered from behind Alpha Stone's large stature and realised he was talking to the man standing in front of him.
He was an equally large man, easily towering over me, with large broad shoulders. He had blonde hair which curled around his ears and blue eyes that honed in on me as I hid behind the Alpha. He radiated power too and from his well built body and the muscles protruding from underneath his shirt, I had no doubt he was a strong fighter too.
His lips curled upwards at me before turning to Alpha Stone.
"Everyone is ready and waiting for you Alpha," he said, before his attention turned back to me. His eyes watched me carefully, and I believed he was about to say something more when a familiar figure bounded down the hallway.
"Oh damn it!" Kate exclaimed as she saw me. She rolled her eyes at Jayden, handing him some money before speaking to me.
"I honestly thought you managed to escape, Eve," she said, shaking her head in mock disappointment. "That's $20 I lost on you."
"You made a bet on me escaping?" I wondered out loud. I looked up at Alpha Stone who was watching us with a lack of interest.
"Yeah, I bet that it would take my brother at least half an hour to find you, and Jayden bet it would take less than fifteen minutes."
My eyes went wide. "Wait...so how long did it actually take?" I asked.
"Ten minutes," all three of them said in unison, matter of factly.
I scoffed, feeling more than pathetic. It took me like fourty-five minutes to make it as far as I did and it only took him ten minutes to find me.
"But Eve-" Kate started with a smile, "I really have to give it to you for all the effort you went to." She circled a finger at me, pointing at my clothes and the scent-hiding mixture caked over my face.
Both Jayden and Kate looked at each other and they burst out laughing, meanwhile all I wanted to do was dig a great big hole and bury myself in it. Looking up, even Alpha Stone looked amused, only hardening his face when he caught me looking.
"Take her back to her room," Alpha Stone finally ordered to Kate, before walking away with Jayden.
★☾★
"Seriously though Eve, you had some guts to try and run," Kate tells me as she directs me back to my room.
"I thought my mother was dead," I reply as I fiddle with my fingers in front of me.
"If it was anyone else, Zac would have killed them on the spot," Kate says, her tone containing a warning. She shows me to a room.
It's a bathroom. "You need to wash that shit off your face first," she explains. "I'll go and grab some spare clothes for you."
She turns to me as she walks away, holding up a finger. "You better not try and run again."
I force a smile, I can't promise that, I think.
★☾★
I had a quick shower, scrubbing my face and body and was drying myself when Kate burst through the doors.
"Oh my god!" I squealed, holding my towel tight against my body.
Kate looked unbothered. "Oh please," she said, "I'm a freaking werewolf, I have seen more naked bodies than the sea has fish."
I seriously doubted that but generously reached out and took the clothes from Kate's hands. It was a grey jumper and a pair of leggings; she also tossed me a new packet of underwear.
"Thank you," I said, waiting for her to leave the room or at least turn around but she didn't. She just stood there watching me. We stood like that for a few moments, me clutching the clothes and the towel tightly and Kate staring at me like she had all the time in the world.
Oh god, did she want me to change in front of her?
Just when I thought she wasn't going to leave, she burst out laughing. "Oh you make me laugh Eve," she said, giggling, "I'll wait outside - be quick."
Oh thank god, I thought, quickly dropping the towel and changing into the new clothes. They smelt like Kate so I assumed they were hers. They were far too big for me as she was taller and more 'bustier' so on me it just looked like I was drowning in it; I even had to roll up the leggings to save me from stepping on it.
Stepping out of the bathroom I watched Kate struggle to hide a smile.
"Remind me to get some seven-year-old boys' clothes for you." Kate smirked and my cheeks flamed red.
She walked in front of me, leading me back to my room.
"Kate," I whispered, jogging slightly to walk beside her, "I'm worried about something."
"Well in all honesty Eve, it's a bit late for you to worry about her," Kate replied, already knowing what I was going to say.
"What?" I asked, surprised at what she said.
"You are talking about that Holten girl, the one that helped you."
I paused and so did Kate. She looked at me. "Aw don't look at me like that," Kate said, probably talking about my helpless expression. "She knew what she was doing and she definitely knew the trouble she would be in when we found out you were missing. She made her bed," Kate sighed, continuing to walk ahead, "...and unfortunately now she has to lie in it."
After escorting me to my room, Kate turned to leave but I stopped her.
"Is there really nothing I could do for her?" I asked one last time. This girl had risked her life for me and I couldn't give up without trying.
Kate turned back, her eyes flashing mischievously
"Well there is something..."
★☾★
This was such a brilliant idea - not.
Maybe I should just walk away, you know go and hide in my room, let bygones be bygones and all that.
I could feel myself tremble as I stood outside the door. Kate did say this idea would work, but then again she did say there were risks. Was I ready to accept the risks, perhaps not.
Think of Carla, I reminded myself, taking a deep breath in. Think about poor Carla who gave up everything to help me.
I breathed in and gathered as much courage as I could and raised my hand and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
I slowly pushed open the door and stepped into Alpha Stone's office. It had been a few hours since I had seen him last and he was leaning back in his chair in front of a large mahogany table, paperwork spread out before him on the table.
He raised his eyes to me as I entered.
"What do you want Eve?" he asked.
I was surprised he wasn't angry that I wasn't in my room and that I was walking around his house. I licked my lips feeling slightly faint. Any previous confidence or courage I had gathered faded when I locked eyes with him.
"Iwantyoutokillme," I rushed out in one breath.
Realising what I said I quickly held out my hands, shaking them.
"No wait, hold on, no wait - that's not what I meant."
Alpha Stone cocked an eyebrow.
"Basically Alpha Stone, what I'm trying to say is, if you are going to punish Carla then you'll have to punish me too. So if you kill Carla, you should kill me too."
I closed my eyes, I couldn't believe I let Kate encourage me into saying this.
"You don't think I will kill you?" Alpha Stone questioned as he sat up in his chair.
"No sir, I sincerely with all my heart believe you can and would kill me." There was no doubt about it. The way his grey eyes darkened and his arm muscles flexed underneath his shirt, made it very certain that if he wished he could easily end me.
"Then why are you here?" he asked. "I gave you a second chance, but you are here in my office asking me to punish you?" He sounded annoyed.
I paused, clutching my sweaty hands together.
"Because I am desperate," I finally responded. "Carla, she knew the consequences, she knew she would be punished for helping me and yet despite it all, she still helped and that's why I'm desperate, to do the same for her."
Alpha Stone watched me carefully and for a second I thought he was considering my plea. Then he stood up and began to walk towards me, his face determined. I hesitated for a second and then quickly took a step back when he got closer.
Standing in front of me, his eyes burned down with rage and before I could even flinch he reached forward and grabbed my throat, squeezing it.
"You want to die? Well then as you wish."
And with that I faded into the darkness.