Absolution

ELEVEN

Lexie

She shivered. Her joints ached and she was cold. She pulled and twisted at the restraints trying to get some movement into them. How did she get herself into this position? You fell in love with a f*****g werewolf! Love?! She scoffed at the thought. Yes she cared about him, but could she actually love James already?

She looked around the room. It was so cold and dark. Only a little bit of light streamed through the crack of the door in front of her. As her eyes adjusted, she could just barely see long deep scratches on the door and the walls. s**t. She's really in it now. Taking a deep breath, trying to calm her racing thoughts. Asses the situation. Lexie tried to move her arms. All she managed to do was get the metal chains to tighten around her wrists. Bolted to the floor. Smart.

Next she tried to see if she could free her legs somehow but they barely budged. f**k. f**k. f**k. The chair is metal too, so even if she could manage to move a little there's no way she could break it. The only way out is to get them to let her out. If they have a mate, you can use that to your advantage. Lexie shook her grandmother's voice out of her head. She should have left when she had the chance. The whole point of running away was to leave all this s**t behind and now she's in a werewolf's torture dungeon about to have her ass handed to her.

She hung her head and felt tears stream down her face. Why did he have to mark her? It made her both angry and happy at the same time. Fucker. Who in their right mind does something like that without talking to someone beforehand? Hasn't he ever heard about consent? He obviously didn't know she was a hunter, but he was fine biting a human? She pulled at the restraints again. She had to get out of there and punch him in the face at least once for that. Anger was building up inside her again when the door swung open, making her jump. Some guy she's never seen walks in with a tray in his hands.

"Where's your alpha? I want to see him." She bites out with anger. Gamma. He makes no eye contact. He moves quickly, checking her wrists, then her ankles and lastly the chain around her waist. The i***t made the mistake of checking the back of the restraint from the front. Her instincts kick in and without hesitation she bites his ear until she can taste blood.

He growled. "b***h!" His eyes were glowing and then she felt his fist make contact with her jaw. Now she could taste her own blood too. She was mentally preparing for another blow when she heard the loudest roar that reverberated through her right to her core and it felt like it was shaking the room. Looking up, she saw Dom run in and grab the gamma by the neck, dragging him out.

Lexie followed them out. That's when she saw James stand just inside the door frame. The only light source from the outside made his features seem more dangerous. He looked bigger. His shoulders were heaving up and down, but the most striking thing was his eyes. They were glowing a deep dark red.

It made her breath catch. Instead of feeling fear, she felt a mix of anger and arousal. His authority was palpable, it was turning her on. She swallowed hard, unsure if she should insult him or proposition him. What the f**k? Involuntarily, she tried to shift. She was aching in a way she wasn't expecting. The pull of the chains that was keeping her from moving made her ache even more and under his gaze she started breathing heavier.

James kept his eyes on her. Markus broke the spell when he stepped in and whispered something in his ear. Then, just like that, he was gone. Holy s**t! She had never felt anything like that before. Before she could think about it any further, the door swung open again and in walked Chelsea. Well played. Lexie could never hurt her.

Chelsea strolled in with a basket full of things. She placed a couple of candles around the room and lit them. It was literally a concrete block they kept her in. Lexie kept her eyes on Chelsea as much as she could. She had to stay alert. Chelsea moved behind her and the next moment she felt something cold and soothing on her wrists that seemed to be relieving the sting from the wounds Lexie made herself trying to wrestle free.

"Rinse and spit." Chelsea said holding up a cup to Lexie's mouth. She did exactly that and the sting made her wince. That gamma really whacked her hard. Next, she quickly cleaned the mix of gamma ear blood and her own that dribbled down her chin. "Drink" Lexie looked at her suspiciously.

Chelsea's eyes softened. "Don't worry, it's only water." Lexie took a gulp. She didn't realise she was thirsty. Chelsea's voice dropped down to almost a barely audible whisper. "Are you ok?" She asked with sincerity. Lexie had to fight the tears back hard. "Just. Thank You."

Chelsea lightly squeezed her arm and walked out. When she got to the door she turned and smiled at her before saying one last thing.

"Dom, please let Mr Richards know she's ready."

James

He was sitting in his office with Markus in front of him. The guy was stressed out and had every right to be. A hunter was currently tied up in their cellar that also happened to be his Alpha's mate. Once James filled him in on all that he knew, which wasn't much, he fired question after question at him.

"Did you know she was a hunter? Are there any more? So this mate fairytale is actually real? What does it feel like? s**t! The other hunters are going to come looking for her. f**k!" Markus fell back into his chair, running his hands through his hair. Markus looked at James. "Why are you just sitting there? What are we going to do?"

James was conflicted but his priority right now was all the lives on this estate and that included Lexie's. He needs to talk to her. "Send a gamma to check her restraints with strict orders that she is not to be touched." Markus huffs as he jumps up out of his chair and starts pacing again. Maybe he shouldn't have let Markus get so familiar with him. "Seriously?! You're not going to answer my question. You do realise that there are other lives at stake here?"

"ENOUGH!" James growls out, stopping Markus dead in his tracks and drops his head in submission. "You remember your place, Beta Markus. Now send a Gamma to check her restraints. Then increase patrols on the grounds as well as sending a few more into town to keep an eye out there. Everyone is to stay out of sight. Put a curfew in place for everyone on the estate. Understood?"

Markus acknowledges his command and disappears.

He'll talk to his friend later. James made his way down to the cellar. He passes Dom, steps into the room where Lexie is being held just as his Gamma hits her on the jaw. Some blood and flesh fall on the floor. A roar erupts from within him. My mate. All he sees is red. The fact that this gamma is in his pack is the only thing that is stopping him from killing him instantly. James felt Dom move past him so quickly but he couldn't care less. He needed to see that she was ok.

The light filtered in, making her features soft and warm. He was expecting to see fear in her eyes but all he saw was anger and something else, something familiar. She maintained eye contact. Not scared bunny? He smiled to himself and took note of how the air smelt, her scent was as strong as ever. His c**k twitched at the distinct aroma of her arousal.

He watched her carefully. Her cheeks were red and her chest was heaving up and down. With her tied down like that he could have his way with her. He was about to say something when he heard Markus' footsteps approach.

"Two gammas are back from the town, they have another hunter." As much as it killed him to walk away from her, he stepped out. He looked up at the sound of someone pacing and saw Chelsea hovering in the distance. James walked straight up to her. "Do you think Lexie would hurt you?" She shook her head with certainty. Good.

"Bring some light into that room, tend to her wounds and let me know when she's ready." Markus looked at him with that alarmed quizzical expression that is starting to wear thin. "Trust me"

Markus led the way to a room on the opposite side of the wine cellar. They had the other hunter kept in there. Upon entering the room, James was pleased to find him already bleeding and the smell of fear rolling off of him. Interestingly, he didn't find that with Lexie moments ago. A feisty bunny. His heart swelled a little with pride for his mate.

James pulls a chair across the room, spins it around and sits down on it. Straddling it and resting his arms on the back of the chair facing the bleeding, trembling poor excuse of a hunter. Lexie could easily run circles around this blockhead. Apparently, they found him rather easily at the diner on the outskirts of town mouthing off about being some strong warrior to a bunch of girls. i***t was too stupid to realise those girls were werewolves.

"So, what brings you here to our lovely town?" James studied his face. It's quiet and all James can hear is the drips of the guy's blood dropping out of his nose and the distinct sound of him trying to control his breathing. Failing miserably. The meathead's eyes keep darting everywhere and his heart is racing. He'll never get anything out of him when he is all over the place.

"Out" James commands with a little more authority than needed. Making sure to add a growl in there. Good. The boy heard it and if he was somewhat smart he would realise his position in the pack. "Let's try that again," James stated. Showing his wolf eyes to tip him over. "And tell the truth. I can hear when you lie."

The boy took a moment to consider. Clearly terrified.

"If I do will you let me go."

"Sure"

"I..I'm tracking a rogue hunter"

For the second time in twenty-four hours his blood ran cold. No. The rogue Veneur. The boy just stared at him waiting for the next question, but he didn't need another question, he had the answer already, but now he needed confirmation. Within a split second, the chair James was on was thrown across the room, the rope tying the kid down was off and James had him by the neck.

He was full of rage and fear. He flung the door open. Both Markus and a couple of Gammas jumped at the sudden noise. Markus looked at him questingly again while the gammas sprang to attention. James growled a warning to Markus. He pushed the kid down the hall, then to the left to the very end. His nails were digging into the kid's neck. Squirmy little s**t. He flung the door open and threw him at Lexie's feet. A moment passed.

"Mack?"

It was more of a statement than a question. Her eyes shot up to his. Full of fear.

"Dom."

James paused, waiting for his Delta to enter the room.

"Take this i***t back to his cell and close the door behind you."

His eyes never left Lexie's. She was breathing faster now and he could hear her heart racing. He waited until Mack's cries were distant. "Nice to properly meet you, Alexandra Veneur."