Phoebe POV
I wasn't seeing Chase tonight, I was there the entire day. And either way, he had some sort of dinner to attend. Like Felix. I thought about what my brother said, "Lupus and you can go somewhere if you'd like. Mingle with the folks." It's a good idea, getting to know some other werewolf people. Since I am their second leader. But it being with Lupus would cause so much trouble. I'd already attract a lot of attention, I don't need a bodyguard drawing more. So I'll go by myself.
The pack house downtown is full. It's like the cabin Chase took me too, but this one is so crowded and loud. There are people lined up at the very back, taking shots of alcohol. The sun hadn't risen yet, so we're all human looking.
I take off my hood and step inside. I don't think they recognise me. The crowd that I was announced in front of was the royal court so I guess the information hasn't been passed around yet. Either way, I haven't been here in years. A woman around my age gets up from her seat. She's got jet black hair, cut straight just under her ears. She's really pretty, decent shape, nice eyes and plump lips.
"Haven't seen you here before, you new?" She asks me. She takes a seat on the bench in front of me and I follow. "Yeah, I don't come here." She snickers and puts her hand on the head rest, laying her head against her flat palm. "Kinda obvious, you're dressed up like a rich bitch. No offence." She comments, looking at my coat. "This place has more tracks and jeans."
"Yeah, I must stand out a lot." I say, looking around and seeing how everyone looks so much more casual than I am. "A lot? You're like the blue gummy in the red worm packet. Come, let's fix you up." She says, getting up and walking towards the back. I hesitate. I don't know this woman.
But I go anyway.
She steps into a door at the very back and waits for me to catch up. "Come on, I don't have all day. I've got a job, you know?" She hurries, making my steps run faster. "Your job is to fix people who need fixing?" I ask her. She nods. "Mhm. Dress code chick, I guess." She uses her hand to scavenge along the wall, feeling for the light switch. When she finds it, a small ah-ha escapes her lips and she turns it on, lighting up the room with a yellow-ish tint.
The room has two cloth racks on each side and a small bean bag on the floor. "Wait, is this actually a thing?" I ask. She steps forward and runs her fingers through all the clothes, flicking through for the right shirt. "Not really, I just store all my stuff here. I stay here most of the time. You know, no need to get up or anything. Just sleep on the comfiest bean bag and when you wake up, there's ready made meals just outside that door." She explains. She finds a nice shirt and pants and hands them to me.
"I'm Cassie and this is my room. You're a rich girl and that is your bathroom. Get dressed there, I'll be outside." She points to a sign just outside the room that says bathroom, before sneaking past me and walking out the door. I step into the ladies room. It's really dark in here. I lean against the tap, staring into my reflection in the mirror. My eyes glow under the light, reflecting a dark and deep orb. My hair is dark, glowing white highlights from the light above me.
I drag a long sigh before picking up the clothes on the floor. I reach down, bending towards it, but then an unbearing pain hits my head, causing me to fall to the floor, my hand clutching the side of my head. My vision clogs and my mouth goes dry. My body fills with tingling senses, giving me pins and needles everywhere. My back arches as sharp pains drag along my spine, as if someone were stretching my insides. I scream in pain. But no one hears me.
My hand claws my hair in pain, gripping down on my skull as the pain worsens. It's everywhere.
I reach up, grasping on the sink corner. With the little strength I have, I list my body up, leaning against the sink. The pain dies down as I stand up, my feet bending down weakly. My breathing pitches slower, deep breaths fill my lungs as I catch myself.
My head slowly tilts back up to the mirror after a few long breaths. But there's something wrong.
When my gaze meets my reflection, it's different. My dark orbs are replaced with light brown ones. My hair isn't the dark and round ones I had a few moments earlier, it's lighter. An ashy grey.
I'm not me. My eyes grow large in shock and realisation. The spell.
Oh thank god I'm not in the palace right now. I need to get out of here. I pack all the clothes Cassie had given me back into the small bag they were in and walk towards the door. "This couldn't get any worse." I mutter. But it did.
Just as I reached for the door's handle, I heard loud footsteps approaching it from the other side. "She went in here, our assistant waiter gave her some clothes to change into. No violence." A strict voice says. I hear people agreeing before the door flies open, revealing three tall men.
They all wear black bandanas on their head, pulling their head backwards. "Hello there, little lady." He smirks.
One of them steps forward, tracing my jawline with his finger. "We know what you've been up to lately." He whispers. "And the court won't be very happy when they find out." The other says. "The Alpha and his sister will have you killed." He growls. Oh yeah, I'm not the princess.
They don't know me.
"What are you talking about?" I question. They laugh and push me against the wall. "You've been sneaking out of the borders at night, meeting a vampire. We could smell the vampire fragrance from a mile away." They say, stepping forward. "Your scent is so strong, I bet you that's why that waitress got you to change."
Shit. My scent blew me off. But that's impossible, the spell is meant to mask it. The man in the middle steps forward as the other two move back, guarding the door. He smirks before pulling something out of his pocket. A rope and a black hood. "Now, be a good girl for us and stay put."
Before I could respond, he'd pulled the bag over my head, trapping me and masking my vision.
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"Get off of me!" I yell, kicking my feet upwards as they carry me out of the bathroom. They take me outside as I feel the harsh bitter cold hit my bare arms. Damnit. My coat. I hear the opening of a door then a shut. Where are they taking me?
The hood comes off my head and gives me my vision. I look around. I'm outside on a veranda. Around us is miles of forests and a river bank just ahead. We're at the very end of the village.
"Now you sneaky rat, you do as we say or we kill you, deal?" The man from before pries me. He has dark raven hair and a tall figure with pale skin and dark eyes. He looks young, but savage.
I clench my teeth and lean forward. "Never." I growl.
His face hardens before his mouth tugs higher, grinning as he lifts his hand. "You asked for it, sweetie." Then his palm hits the side of my face, tilting it to the side. The right cheek stings at his action, prickling my skin.
He smirks, satisfied with the pain he'd given me. His hand reaches for mine, bringing it higher to his face, dragging it along the bottom of his nose, sniffing the skin of my hand. It was like he was sniffing some sort of drug, his eyes going wary as he continues to feel attached to it. He then looks up at me and says, "You're skin is strange. It's the color of toffee under this light and even smells like it." This guy was fucking insane. I snatch my hand back but his grip only tightens.
"Nuh-uh. You're not going anywhere." He grins, bringing my hand back to his face. His lips glide across the back of my palm, his tongue licking each and every one of my fingers. "I want to taste your skin, see if it tastes of toffee too." He says, voice husky. "Get your hands off me." I growl but he only draws his smirk larger. "A girl with a fighting spirit, I like that."
I need to do something. And I need to do it fast. I grab my free hand and knock him forward, sending him flying into the air and knocking the back wall of the veranda. He lays there, unconscious with blood flowing down his nose.
"Oh dear, I think you've broken him." I voice purred in my ear from behind me, his hot breath tickling my neck. I turn around to face the man from the bathroom. He was a lot better looking than the last one, yet his eyes glowed red, scaring me. "Let me go." I ordered him. "Hmm..I can do it, but it's gonna cost you." He replies. "What?"
"I want to taste you, just like he did. I'll savour every bit. That way, you can be mine and your life wouldn't have to be spared. You agree and I won't tell the royal court about your deeds." He offers. "I don't even know you! How could you even think this was normal?" I scream, kicking my legs but they've been tied to the chair, restricting my movements.
"Khai. Now you know me. Maybe this will change your mind." He said, lunging forward and crushing his hard lips against mine. I froze on the spot, taken back by his actions. This stranger's wet mouth on mine, wriggling against my lips and chin like a slimy eel. It was gross and offensive.
I pushed him back and he broke out laughing. "Oh dear, I see that your husband hasn't been satisfying you. I could do way more than that if you just agree." I open my mouth to say something but his hands grip my waist, pulling me and the chair closer to him. "Come on dear, let's get you out of these ropes and into my bedroom." he says, untying the ropes behind me as his lips find my neck, seeping his teeth into my skin.
My eyes shut closed in pain as I scream, "CHASE!"