In the ALPHA'S CLAWS

The nature of fear.

Fear is not always bad; sometimes it serves as a warning. Fear alerts us to stay away from danger.

But in Abby's case, the fear she felt in his presence didn't push her away; instead, it encouraged her to stay by his side.

Abby feared that werewolf with her whole being, yet she couldn't distance herself from him, and she wouldn't even try. Right now, she belonged to him. And for some twisted reason, she didn't dislike that.

"What's your name?" Abby asked, but she received silence as a response. She was tired of sitting in front of the fire, waiting for something to happen. The beast didn't speak to her; he simply ignored her. She was perplexed, not knowing what was happening and how long he would keep her captive.

"If you take me to my family, will you set me free?" she insisted, even though she knew the answer. She just wanted the werewolf to acknowledge her. She wanted his attention. She was so bored that she didn't feel afraid to communicate anymore. They had spoken so well just a few hours ago, but now he had shut himself off again.

Samael continued to remain silent.

"I know why you want to seek revenge on my family, but I had nothing to do with it," she said. She was about to continue speaking, but she couldn't because the alpha werewolf turned his gaze towards her. He was finally looking at her, but she wished he hadn't. His eyes were turning red, and that scared her. Abby noticed that as long as his eyes remained brown, he would stay human, but if they changed, he would transform into a beast, or rather, a werewolf.

"Stop talking," he ordered grumpily. The young woman remained silent for the rest of the day, but her gaze still lingered towards what she believed to be the cave's exit.

"The night is approaching; soon we must leave," the man announced. His eyes had returned to brown, which reassured Abby.

"Where are we going?" she asked, standing up. She was about to walk towards the exit, but Samael stood in her way.

"That's none of your business," he replied. His voice was rough, yet it sounded beautiful. Abby couldn't stop looking at him, especially at his bare chest. She had seen others before, but none intimidated her like that beast.

"Will you take me home?" she asked nervously.

"No," he answered.

"Where are we going then?" she continued asking.

"I said it's none of your business," he repeated, annoyed. She wasn't surprised by his temper; she was used to mistreatment.

"If we go to the forest, they will find us," Abby commented, lowering her gaze.

Samael put his hand on the girl's chin and lifted her gaze.

"I hope they do. Rest assured, if I encounter your father, I will kill him," he commented, annoyed. He thought those words would scare the young woman, but instead, she almost smiled.

"You're just one person. If they find us, they will win," she tried to reason. The girl wanted to distance him from her family since it would be a lost battle, and if the werewolf failed, she would have to return home. But Samael took those words as an attack, so he gripped her chin tightly and looked at her disdainfully.

"Your father managed to defeat me in the forest that night, just because he set a trap for me. A member of my pack, an omega, betrayed me, and you damn humans interfered in my path just to harm me," he said, bringing his face closer to the girl's. She could sense the pain in his words just by looking at him, as his eyes conveyed it.

She felt sorry for him, even though that beast was currently hurting her. She was about to tell him how much pain her family had caused him, but before she could speak, Samael suddenly let go of her and moved away, disappearing into the darkness of the cave. She watched him leave until the figure of that man simply vanished. After that, she looked toward the cave entrance, and the idea of escaping crossed her mind for a few seconds, but it quickly faded. She couldn't help but wonder where she would go if she fled from that alpha. Besides, as he had said, she wouldn't get very far before he caught her. Abby's feet were restless. On one hand, she wanted to run as fast as she could, trying to get away from him, knowing that the only ending she would have by the side of that beast would be tragic. But on the other hand, she was scared to run now; she had nowhere to go back to, no home to turn to. And even though it hurt to admit it, she felt much safer here with the enemy than out there in the open.

After a few minutes, the alpha returned, and she lamented not having had the courage to flee when she had the chance.

"We're leaving," Samael ordered, grabbing Abby's attention. She looked into his eyes, just to make sure they were still brown, as that made her feel much safer. She was glad to see that they were still that color, and she got lost in them for a few seconds before he extinguished the fire, leaving them in darkness.

"I said we're leaving," he said again, only this time sounding more annoyed than before. That man had little patience.

"Where to?" she asked, looking around. The alpha's voice reverberated through the cave walls, causing their voices to echo.

"I said it's none of your business, and I don't like repeating myself," he said, annoyed. But she quickly interrupted, as she hadn't understood what she was really referring to.

"I mean, I don't know where I should walk because I can't see anything. It's all dark. Not all of us have your night vision, at least not humans," she commented, hearing Samael sigh as he grew tired of the young woman.

"Forgot that humans are useless," he remarked, and now it was her turn to sigh.

"If you had kept the fire lit, maybe I could have seen where I should walk," she said, turning her body in search of the voice she was currently talking to. An uncomfortable silence reigned for a few seconds. Abby thought she was alone now and began to panic, trying to walk somewhere but almost stumbling as she collided with the wall.

"Are you there?" she asked again in the darkness, reaching out her hands in an attempt to find him, but failing. "Hello, is anyone there?" she asked again, her voice echoing without receiving a response.

She started to walk slowly in one direction, and suddenly her hands collided with a body. Her fingers caressed the abs of that man. She was glad she had found him, but she also regretted touching him right now, as she couldn't help but feel her heart race as she felt his skin against hers. The warmth emanating from Samael was incredibly gratifying in the cold climate of Vermont.

Samael's hand took hold of the girl's and began guiding her in the opposite direction from where she was. After a few minutes, they finally left the cave.

Abby's heart continued to race. She didn't understand why, but she couldn't help feeling nervous about the contact between their hands, and she deeply regretted it when he let go of her upon leaving the cave.

"Walk at my pace and don't fall behind," he said, catching Abby's attention, who was now lost in gazing at Samael's abs, now that there was more light to see them better. Suddenly, the man started to walk quickly, so much so that it seemed like he had started to run, or at least she had to run to keep up with him.

Abby looked around, observing the dry, snow-covered trees that she had seen so many times during her visits with her family. Then she looked up at the cloudy sky, devoid of the moon, with only a few stars visible due to the gray clouds covering the nighttime landscape. The sounds of the forest were terrifying, but for the first time, she didn't feel too much fear, as who could attack them when she was with one of the most feared alphas of the forest? No one would dare confront them. However, she couldn't help but wonder where her pack was, as it was rare for a werewolf to be away from them for long, especially if you were an alpha like he was—at least that's what she understood and what Abby had been studying. She knew a lot about the forest and the beasts that surrounded it. For years, her family had been preparing her to become a hunter and help them capture them, just like all the other members did, but she ended up failing.

Abby's stomach growled loudly; she couldn't remember the last time she had eaten, and the long hours of walking were making her even hungrier. Suddenly, she collapsed to the ground and looked towards Samael, who continued walking without noticing what had happened. Abby forced herself to get up and run after him, but she could only go a few short steps before falling to the ground again. Her breathing was heavy, and her stomach continued to growl.

"Keep walking," ordered the male voice beside her.

"I can't anymore," she said, exhausted. Her knees began to feel the coldness of the ground, but she felt so weak that she couldn't stand up.

"Keep walking," the alpha ordered again, seemingly not good at listening.

"I can't, can't you see that I can't go on?" she asked, on the verge of tears. He clenched his fist and looked in the direction they were heading.

"What's wrong with you? Did you hurt yourself?" he asked, approaching her. Abby looked at him astounded, thinking she saw a glimmer of concern in the eyes of that beast, but she was mistaken.

"No, it's just that I have no strength left," Abby replied with her sweet voice, but the alpha didn't even pay attention to her.

"That means you can still keep walking," he commented, taking her by the arm and forcing her to stand up. "Unless you want to stay here in the middle of nowhere, where someone even crazier than me could find you. Believe me, you'd rather keep walking even if you think you can't, because I doubt you're as weak as you feel," he said, and though he didn't intend to encourage her, she took those words and found strength in them. At home, she used to be called "weak," but here she wouldn't be.

"We're close," Samael said, catching the young woman's attention. She began to walk; she had no idea where she found the strength to do so, but she continued nonetheless. She had decided that tonight she wouldn't be as weak as everyone thought, and she wouldn't stay in the middle of the forest waiting to be found by her family.

After a few more meters, they stopped in front of a small cabin in the middle of nowhere. Samael was about to walk in that direction, but Abby's hand stopped him.

"It's the house of a witch," she said, pointing to the circular sculpture hanging from the door of the house. She had studied about those creatures in this part of the forest and knew they were not only dangerous but also untrustworthy, especially to approach. Once, a villager fell into a witch's trap and ended up being brutally murdered because those women would deceive you until they had you in their power. Once enchanted, they would do with you whatever they pleased. They usually used humans as toys for their amusement, and that terrified Abby so much that she began to tremble without realizing it.

Samael observed her grip on his arm and then looked towards the young woman, who was now scared and staring at the house. Abby's heart pounded in her head so loudly that it quickly annoyed her.

"Don't touch me again," he said, releasing himself from her grip and then starting to walk towards the cabin. It took Abby a few seconds to walk behind him, but she eventually did.

Was she afraid? Of course, she was. But she had decided a few minutes ago that she would be brave, or at least she would try. And although she didn't trust witches, something told her that this alpha had a plan to bring her here. He always seemed so sure of his decisions that she ended up trusting that he knew what he was doing right now. Even though they might both be walking into a trap.

Naturally, a sheep should fear a wolf, as they only represent danger. But would it be unnatural not only to not fear them but also to come to trust them?