My Devil Alphas of Crimson Moon

Chapter Nine

-Damien’s POV-

I sat in my office, thinking about everything that had transpired now that Titanya was home. I was shocked to hear that she learned about the ranked members, but I couldn’t afford for her to find out about my world. The thought of her overthrowing me after all these years made my blood boil and I knew, at any cost, I had to do everything in my power to prevent that from happening. That’s the entire reason why I hadn’t marked her yet, and her gaining any knowledge of my world would put everything in jeopardy. She’s strictly for my pleasure and satisfaction, nothing more.

I’ve never needed a Luna to run this pack, and I wasn’t going to become weak now. Although I did regret hurting her as much as I did last night, I couldn’t help myself. After she said those disgusting, taunting remarks, I couldn’t hold myself back. I couldn’t even hold Aden back, and he felt the need to speak to her before I snapped. I was taking a significant gamble on keeping Alexander alive. If he told anyone about what happened between Titanya and me, I would be held responsible for breaking our laws. Thankfully, Alexander feels he is indebted to me for rescuing him from the rouges that killed his pack, and I promised that he could have Anya in secret if he helped me. The idea of sharing Titanya angered Aden, but honestly, I didn’t mind all that much. She was my plaything, and she would stay that way. One thing that baffled me was that she deliberately tried to get me to kill her.

I know that she enjoys our time together, whether she wants to admit it or not. Maybe she’s a kinky little vixen that loves playing hard to get. A smirk crossed my lips, thinking about her spunky fire, and I decided to pay her a quick visit before I attended the ranked member’s meeting. Hopefully, she was bandaged up enough that my fun wouldn’t kill her. I ordered the maids to tend to her wounds, and they better have treated her properly, or there would be hell to pay.

I walked out of my office, locking the door, and walked to the dungeons. I had to be discreet, so I didn’t raise suspicion among my pack members by visiting her frequently. I had a reputation to uphold, and I couldn’t allow anyone to know of my business dealings or the extracurricular activities that I took part in. Once I could get to the dungeons unnoticed, I quickly walked to Anya’s cell, and when I opened the door, a roar that shook the whole mansion erupted from my lips.

Within seconds, my Beta, Aries, was by my side. “Alpha, what’s going on?”

I turned to him; my eyes black as night. “WHERE. IS. SHE?!” I screamed, pointing to an empty cell.

The blood drained from Aries’ face when he saw the empty cell. “I have no idea, Alpha; she was here last night. All the prisoners were accounted for!”

“Search for her, and don’t come back till she’s found!” I roared, making Aries jump. He nodded his head and quickly ran from the dungeons.

I couldn’t afford to let anyone know that Titanya hadn’t committed those crimes I had accused her of because my Alpha title would be stripped. Not to mention, the Elders would have me sentenced to death if they found out about my illegal dealings in the slave trade as well as my assaults on her. The best course of action would be to hire a bounty hunter to capture her alive and deliver her to me. But I could only entrust one person with this task; even though he’s technically retired from taking contracts, he would still take new jobs if it pertained to our laws or the safety of ranked members. I walked to my office and quickly sent an email to the bounty hunter, also known as Bane.

Good evening Bane,  

I have a job for you that involves the capture of my Luna. She was recently brought back into custody after committing heinous crimes against me before running away from her Luna duties. She has managed to escape once again before being brought to council for the previously mentioned crimes. I need her brought back to me alive, and she will more than likely put up a fight, so use whatever means necessary to get her back. I’m offering $2,000,000 for the completion of this offer.  

Yours truly,  

Alpha Damien of the Ashland Pack.

I relaxed into my chair, knowing Bane is the best there is and Titanya would be back in the packhouse dungeons before the end of the week; all I had to do now was wait and determine her punishment for leaving me again.

-Unknown POV-

Deciding to run an additional five miles every day was really starting to improve my stamina, but it was a hard adjustment. I walked into my room, covered in sweat, and decided to take a shower before tackling my duties for today. I cranked the shower’s hot water and turned the fan on so the steam wouldn’t ruin any of the walls or fog up the mirror altogether. I stripped out of my shorts and entered the shower, feeling immediate relief in my muscles from the scorching hot water. After I cleaned the dirt and grime off my body, I couldn’t help but think about when I would meet my mate.

It’s been a few years now since I took the Alpha title from my father and figured I would find my mate soon after, but that was farthest from the truth. I didn’t just need a Luna to help run this pack; I wanted one more than anything. None of our ranking members had mates at the moment, and we were all more than ready to find them. I was tired of dating the she-wolves of this pack, and my wolf desperately wanted his mate.

I sighed in frustration and decided that I had taken long enough of a shower. I quickly toweled off and got dressed for the day when I heard my phone go off, which instantly grabbed my attention. My senses were on high alert when I realized the email’s nature since it came into my business account for pack-related bounties. Even though I retired from traditional bounty work when I became Alpha to my pack, I decided to keep my services available for any pack-related issues.

My eyes scanned the email and widened when I realized it was from Alpha Damien of the Ashland Pack in Sauvie Island. Most of the Alphas knew the situation where his Luna attempted to murder him and ran away from the pack and her Luna duties. I was shocked to hear that he had been able to find her, but she escaped before facing the council. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Damien, but I was more than glad to help, given his situation’s sensitive nature. I quickly responded to his email and groaned as I sat on the edge of my bed.

She was more than likely still in Washington, so I would have to take a short leave of absence from my pack in Arizona. My father would have no problems filling in for me while I was away, and I didn’t have to worry about my mate since I had yet to find her.

I got out of bed and headed to the closet, grabbing my usual black button-down shirt and dark-washed jeans paired with my tan redwing boots. I figured I would let my father know that I would be taking a leave of absence and headed down the stairs to the gym since he was in the middle of his morning workout.

I walked into the gym as he was finishing up his last set of incline presses. “Hey Dad, you got a minute to talk?” I said, sitting down on the bench next to him.

He put his plates back in their rightful places and sat down. “Of course, son, what’s going on?”

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair, which is my tell-tail sign that I’m stressed. “I have to leave the pack to go to Washington for a week for a bounty regarding the Ashland Pack and was hoping you would stand in for me while I’m gone.”

He smiled and gave me a pat on the back. “Of course, I can, son. Who’s the bounty for?”

I usually don’t share any of the details when I take a bounty, but because he would be standing in for me while I’m gone, I usually tell my dad the details. “It’s regarding the runaway Luna that attempted murder on Alpha Damien. Apparently, he had tracked her down and brought her back, but she escaped again and needs her back immediately to face the council for her crimes.”

His eyes widened, knowing the story and the severity of the crimes committed. “I understand, son. I’m assuming you won’t be gone longer than a week?”

I nodded my head. “She’s more than likely still in the immediate area in Sauvie Island, so it won’t take me long to find her at all and return her to Ashland Pack.

“Let’s call a meeting with your brother and the other ranked members to explain the situation so everyone is on the same page.” My father said while standing up and walked out of the gym. I smirked and shook my head, following him out of the room, and hoped this would be a quick trip so I could return to my pack and hopefully find my mate.

-Anya’s POV-

The GPS dinged at me, making me aware of the fact that I would be reaching the townhouse in about five minutes. I was relieved because my body was screaming at me; the pain became impossible to ignore from the long walk on uneven terrain, and it was starting to get dark. My jaw dropped when I walked up to the front of the multiple townhomes, which included the one Roxanne owned.

They were beautiful, laid with stone and dark siding, which brought out the lighter rock’s pigments and contrasted nicely against everything else. The lights outside nestled in a dark metal that brightly shined on the walkway. I looked around and didn’t see anyone, so I quickly walked up to unit 1024, which was carved into stone with black lettering, unlocked the door, and walked inside. Once again, my jaw found the floor, realizing that the inside was even more beautiful than the outside.

The townhouse had a large, open floor plan, and immediately I was brought into the living room, which had a plush, dark leather sofa and a large flatscreen TV on the wall. Following the layout, I walked into the kitchen with white and grey marble countertops, black cabinets, and white accents throughout, with a beautiful backsplash that brought everything together. The floors were lighter hardwood, and I couldn’t imagine how Roxanne could afford to have this as a safe house. Two doors were towards the back of the kitchen, one was a massive pantry with food of all sorts stocked, and the other led to a two-car garage that was currently empty.

I realized the stairs leading up to the second floor were by the front door, so I backtracked a bit and sighed in relief, feeling the soft, plush carpet on my feet. A small set of stairs turned right and had another set that led to a hallway with a guest bedroom and bathroom. That led to the master bedroom with a large bed with a dark slated headboard, a platform base, and a black dresser with another flatscreen above it mounted to the wall. There was a large walk-in closet to the left filled with a plethora of clothes, and I was very thankful that Roxanne and I are about the same size.

I walked back through the bedroom to the bathroom and audibly gasped, unable to contain my excitement, when I saw the enormous, tiled shower containing black, grey, and white tiles with flecks of gold. A colossal marble tub sat next to it, double sinks on the opposite side and the toilet in a separate space.

Whenever I saw Roxanne again, I just had to figure out how she could afford all of this and why she chose to live in a small, one-bedroom cottage when she could live like this. But for now, I was going to focus on what I would do moving forward and decided a nice, hot bath would be the best way to relax and determine that course of action.

I stripped off my disgusting clothes and recoiled at the sight of myself in the mirror. My bruises were dark. Black and blue splotches covered my entire body, along with deep scratches. I also noticed that Damien took it upon himself to leave bite marks across my thighs, breasts, and ass, which was no wonder I was in so much pain. I quickly looked away from the mirror before dwelling on it any longer and decided to take a shower to get rid of the dirt and grime before taking a steaming hot bath.

I turned the water on and stepped in, immediately moaning, and gasping as the hot water flooded my senses. My bruises and other awful marks began to sting from the water, but it soothed my aching muscles. I spent about thirty minutes washing my body and hair, shaving any undamaged areas, and exfoliating all the dead skin off as well. I realized it had been a while since I got in and was worried I wouldn’t have enough hot water for a bath, so I quickly shut the water off and exited the shower to turn the water on in the tub. Thankfully, there was still more than enough hot water left, and I lowered myself in, feeling the stinging once again, but ignored it and started to think about my next steps. I should probably get a job, so I wouldn't have to stay in this townhouse for too long. I didn’t want to take advantage of Roxanne and wanted to get my life back on track, away from Damien. I would have to work and save up money quickly to get out of Washington and move to a new state. I nodded to myself, drained the tub, grabbed a towel, and started drying off my sore body.

While toweling off, I got lost in my thoughts and started to process all the information Roxanne had given me before our time was cut short. I couldn’t believe that the gang I thought Alex and Damien were a part of was actually a pack of werewolves? I wouldn’t have believed her if she hadn’t shown me the proof, but even still, I was utterly shocked, and it was the last thing I had expected her to say.

The biggest shock was the information about me being the mate to Damien. That didn’t make sense either, though, because Roxanne said that our mates are like soul mates, those who are made for each other. If that was the case, why did Damien abuse me and assault me? That doesn’t sound like something a mate would do, but I am a human; after all, maybe I don’t understand. I realized I had been thinking aloud for about fifteen minutes when I started to get cold, realizing I was still in nothing but a towel.

Thankfully, Roxanne had a bunch of soft pajamas for me to choose from, so I grabbed a matching set that included a tank top and shorts, went downstairs to make sure the door was locked, and grabbed some water before heading back upstairs, leaving a bathroom light on, and got into bed. The bed was firm but still soft, and the sheets felt like butter, which caused me to fall asleep within minutes.

-Roxanne’s POV-

Blair was sprinting as fast as she could through the forest, heading back to my cottage in the hopes that Alpha Damien hadn’t discovered that I was the one who had helped the Luna escape. In my desperate hurry to conceal her scent, I completely forgot to drink a potion myself, which meant that he would know I was the maid that tended to the Luna’s wounds. As Blair neared the cottage, I could sense Alex’s scent and Blair’s ears perked up. Then I noticed it; the Alpha was with him.

I felt the tears in my eyes, knowing that there was no hope for me now. Blair walked to the front of the cottage, and the Alpha and Alex came into view. Knowing what the Alpha had done, Blair couldn’t help but snarl in his direction, and I was furious to see Alex acting as though nothing horrible had happened.

Alpha Damien walked towards Blair, who took a defensive stance against him. “Shift!” He commanded using his Alpha tone. Blair fought the command, and I was shocked to see that she could go against his orders.

He walked forward till he was right in front of me. “SHIFT BACK, NOW!” His voice boomed in Blair’s ears, and I knew she couldn’t keep disobeying him.

Within thirty seconds, Blair lost the battle against Alpha Damien’s command, and I found myself kneeling on the grass, completely naked in front of him. Alex threw me some clothes that I quickly changed into and continued to my kneeling position, not wanting to anger the Alpha even more. Alex came forward, stepping in front of the Alpha. The back of his hand collided with my cheek with such force that I fell backwards onto the grass. I held my pain-filled cheek and looked up at him, tears forming in my eyes.

“Where is she, Roxanne?” Alex’s unforgiving tone invaded my ears, and I couldn’t help but look at him in disgust.

The Alpha stepped forward, commanding Alex to stand down. “Roxanne, if you value your life, you will tell me where my Luna is.”

His eyes were black with anger, and I looked at Alex, seeing that he was just as furious with me. I took a deep breath and looked at them both. “You’ll never know. She’s long gone by now, and you will never find her.” The Alpha roared in rage, and the moment his fist collided with my temple, everything went black.

I continued to go in and out of consciousness and felt myself being dragged to the dungeons by Alex. Who was this version of Alex? It’s like my best friend was now a complete stranger. He held no regard for my wellbeing anymore as he continued to drag me across the floor, down the stairs, and across the concrete of the dungeon floors. I was able to open my eyes slightly and noticed they were putting me in a cell next to the Luna’s former cell.

My head was ringing, and my temple felt tender. I was honestly surprised that I was still even conscious. I heard the unlocking of the cell door, and the next thing I knew, I was being lifted into the air and fastened into place with silver chains. I gritted my teeth as the stinging from the silver began to course through my wrists and ankles. Once Alex had me secured in silver, he let me go, forcing gravity to pull me down by my bodyweight, making the silver dig deeper into my skin. This time I couldn’t help the scream that erupted from my lips.

“You’re going to stay here until you cooperate, Roxanne,” Alex snarled, making his way out of my cell until I was completely and utterly alone. I felt the tears falling down my cheeks, fear gripping my senses as I realized that I wouldn’t live to see next week.