The Alpha's Unusual Mate

Chapter 6

***Rose POV***

Black was leaning against the wall by the door, arms crossed over his chest, looking at me. I had no idea how he had entered the bedroom without me noticing it and I blamed the delicious food for my lack of concentration on my surroundings. I was, after all, behind enemy lines.

He didn’t say anything at first and neither did I. I was acutely aware that I was completely naked underneath the towel and, by the dark look Black gave me, so was he. Despite my best efforts, I could feel a slight flush spread over my cheeks.

Sticky fingers forgotten, I grabbed onto my towel with both hands, ensuring there was no chance of it accidentally falling. Black’s eyes skirted to where my fingers were clutching at the towel before he finally spoke.

"There are sweats in the drawers. Put some on and come to my office."

"And where is your office?" I tried to put as much malice into my voice as I possibly could, but even to my ears it sounded lame.

"Door to the left of this one," he vaguely motioned with his hand in the direction of his office, and I nodded.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why must I go to your office? Do you treat all your prisoners like this?"

I could tell these questions irked him. When I said the word prisoner, I could see him flinch. Did it bother him that he was keeping me here against my will? His actions up to this point led me to conclude the opposite, but looking at his face now, I was not so sure. If he didn't want to keep me here, why was I still here?

The longer I was there, the less convinced I became that he was going to kill me. Just as I was about to conclude that my life was not in danger, the memory of the terrified man, a gun aimed at his head, resurfaced.

"Do as you are told, and you will keep your head."

Black pushed away from the wall, turned and left, leaving the door open. I didn’t want to close the door even if I was not dressed, scared it would be locked again. Instead, I went to the drawers and pulled out gray sweats and a white t-shirt. There was no underwear and I realized I would have to go panty- and bra-less.

After dressing quickly in the bathroom, I scoured the vanity in search of a hairbrush. I found a comb instead and sighed at the prospect of untangling my long tresses with the small comb. Without any other options available, I had to make do.

In the cabinet beneath the basin I found a stack of new toothbrushes and some toothpaste. When I felt that my mouth’s cleanliness now matched the rest of me, I squared my shoulders and went back into the bedroom. I slipped some thick socks over my bare feet, knowing it would not provide my feet with any protection once I stepped outside the house.

The bedroom door was still ajar, and I slipped through the gap without touching it. I wanted to keep as quiet as possible as I had no intention of going to Black’s office. If they were stupid enough to leave the door open, I would definitely make use of the opportunity to try and escape.

It was still early enough in the day that I knew I would be able to cover a lot of ground before losing daylight. I just needed to get away and find a place to hide until morning and then hope I would find my way back to civilization.

Thanks to the socks, my footsteps were silent as I slowly crept down the stairs. When I neared the bottom, I could hear voices coming from the kitchen and living areas. Peering around a corner, my heart dropped as I saw multiple men. Some were standing by the entrances, chatting while others were lounging on the large plush sofas. There was no way I would be able to sneak past all these people unseen.

After weighing my options, I decided it would be best to go to Black’s office and try to stay in his good graces.

The door to the office was not completely closed, and I wondered if I was supposed to knock or just enter. Raising my hand to knock, I could hear the rumbling voice of Black coming from inside.

"Are you going to come in or are you going to go back downstairs, Rose?"

***Alpha Black POV***

Black would’ve known someone was in his corridor even if they weren’t Rose, but there was no mistaking her intoxicating scent. It made him restless. He knew the moment she stepped out of the bedroom and knew she was walking away from his office instead of towards it.

He didn't know for certain that she had gone downstairs, but there was no alternative if she had walked in that direction. Her sudden intake of breath confirmed it, and he couldn’t help but smile secretly. Rose had no idea who or what Black was, so it was relatively easy for him to play these games with her.

He enjoyed enticing her to see her reactions. Just when he thought she would react with fear, she would surprise him and, by the looks of it, herself too, and retort with her own snide remark.

This was unusual behavior for Black. Sure, he didn't particularly enjoy taking a life, but because of his wolf’s nature, he never hesitated to exact swift and extreme justice. Why his wolf was acting the way he was or why he was so quiet remained a mystery.

Black had to concentrate on keeping his wolf just beneath the surface more than he usually did. One moment the wolf wanted to break free, shift and act like the animal he was. The next moment he would go completely quiet, just pacing back and forth in Black’s mind.

Therefore, when Rose finally decided to push the door to his office fully open, he had no idea how his wolf would react. Holding his breath, Black lifted his eyes off the screen in front of him to take in the woman who now stood just inside the door.

The dull gray sweats she wore hung loosely on her hips and shoulders, but he could still discern the slight curves of her long body. Her face was scrubbed clean just as it had been when he snuck up on her earlier, and he took advantage of the moment to fully take in her features.

Her brows were furrowed over her dark green eyes, her full lips pulled into a tight line. It was clear that she was not happy. This bothered Black. He wanted to see her face light up from laughter. These thoughts scared him.

He had never wanted to make a woman happy before. Sure, he had enjoyed women writhing in pleasure beneath him as he pinned them down with his hips, buried deep within them. These memories disgusted him now, however.

"Please, have a seat." Black gestured to one of the chairs facing his desk. Rose walked to the chair, but remained standing. She was obviously reluctant to show any form of obedience.

"Why am I here, Black?"

It was not the first time she had asked this and not the first time he could not answer her either. Frowning, he looked at where his hands were resting on the desk and leaned forward.

"Please. Sit. I will try and explain. I don’t want to hurt you."

This was the truth. He didn't want to harm a single hair on her head, but rules were dictating him otherwise. Rose stared at him for a long moment. He could feel her gaze on his face, but he kept his downcast. Finally, she let out a breath and sat down.

"Well, I am seated. Now kindly inform me what the f**k I am doing here." She said quietly. Her eyes were cold as she glared at him.

"Unfortunately, you saw something you were not supposed to."

"All I saw was a bunch of cowards bullying a helpless man. Nothing else."

Black did not like being called a coward. He had after all never backed down from any fight or challenge.

"That helpless man deserved what he got. You know nothing!"

Black could feel his wolf pressing against his skin, making his features even more angular, as his anger started to boil over. He was not angry with Rose, even if it did bother him that she thought him to be a coward. He was livid at the man whose life he had ended less than twenty-four hours ago, even if he was already dead. He wanted to bring him back to life just so he could kill the bastard again.

"You are right. I know nothing. Now, please, enlighten me." Her voice was still steely but lost some of its earlier venom.

"Because of who we are, I cannot risk you going to the police."

"And who are you? By the look of your cells, you most likely have a dungeon as well. Are you some sort of mafia or something?"

Black wanted to laugh at this. If only that were the case, but no, they were not a mafia.

"No, we are not a mafia or crime syndicate. We live separate from the rest of society and keep to ourselves. Therefore, we cannot risk anyone giving the cops a reason to come snooping."

"And what would they find if they came snooping?"

Rose’s interest was clearly piqued, but Black knew he could not answer that. He had already said too much.

"I’ve already said too much. I’m sorry."