Enslaved To The Cruel Alpha

Not Welcome

The walk to the pack house is silent.

Alpha Lorcan does not so much as look at me, but wolves steal glances at me as we walk past, their eyes widening in surprise. People of my class don't get to walk side by side with the alpha, much less people with my history and background. Alpha Lorcan is right, it's a wonder my mother and I are alive. But we are.

And I plan to keep it that way.

Alpha walks away as soon as we step into the large and fancy house, and instinct tells me not to follow him. I gape at the grandness of the house, taking the many windows and intricate designs. My heightened hearing picks up murmuring from different places inside the house, but somehow I do not pick the footsteps coming towards me until someone shoves me hard. I go sprawling. When I look up, I see surprise flash across the eyes of a huge dark female with black hair packed lazily at the top of head.

"Stand up". She barks. I do so as quickly as I can, dusting myself down and ignoring the stinging scrapes. Her eyes rake over me quickly. "Follow me". She murmurs, turning away.

For someone so big, she moves fast, and I struggle hard to keep up. We walk past all the glitter to the dingy parts of the house, and we descend so many stairs I suspect we're underground when we eventually stop in front of a simple black door. "Your room" She says, gesturing at me to open it. I blink at the door, amd back at her. There's no handle. "You're meant to be able to open it". She says impatiently.

I blink at the door again. How am I meant to open a door without a handle? I reach out and touch the door hesitantly. It hums, startling me. Then it slides open. The inside is darker than the door. My heart falls.

"You're to have dinner with the alpha in two hours. There's food and clothes you should wear. Don't be late". She talks away.

"Um, excuse me". I say timidly. My voice echoes in the empty hall. She stops, but doesn't turn. "How do I find the light?"

There's a pause. "There's none". She says simply. She disappears round a bend and her footsteps are echoing on the stairs before I can say anything else.

"There's none?" I whisper to myself, nearly panicking. I'm not very used to my night vision yet. It makes my head ache terribly. My mother says it's because I'm not properly acquainted with my magic side. It wouldn't be a problem at all if I had a wolf.

The door slides shut as soon as I step inside, and I jump. The cold darkness is not as frightening as the presence I feel watching me. I ignite a flame on my left palm, raising it. The room is wider than I imagined, a lot wider for such a narrow door. I spot the fireplace, and I throw the flame into it. The room is immediately brighter. I proceed to study the contents of the room.

It feels like someone had lived there just yesterday. And the clothes left for me are just pieces of fabric that barely cover my essentials. The food is raw meat. I throw it in the fire. I consider ignoring the clothes too, but I think better of it. There isn't so much as a hourglass anywhere, so I decide to leave and find my way to wherever I'm supposed to be. The big woman is standing at the door when it slides open. I let out a small scream, startled.

She turns away wordlessly, unfazed. We wind up stairs again, and I'm beginning to wish I had at least roasted the disgusting meat when we stop in front of tall double doors. She pushes one open and looks at me. I walk past her, taking care to be focused and not gape.

It's a dining room, as I expected. There's a long table filled with food, and my mouth waters at the sight. I head towards it. I bow my head to the one female sitting at the first chair on the right of the head of the table. She watches me approach with an expression I can't read.

"What do you think you're doing?" She says when I touch a chair towards the end of the table, about to pull it out. I look up at her, surprised. "You're a slave, aren't you?" I remove my hand from the chair. "You haven't answered me. What are you doing?"

Someone shoves me out of the way again. "That's my seat, slave". A male sits in the chair. He smells like spices.

"We don't even have slaves, White". Another male says, taking a seat on the other side of the table.

"Then explain why she's dressed like that". White says, turning in his chair to look at me. His grey eyes slowly rakes my body, lingering on my curves. I take slow steps back, away from him.

"Why don't you ask her?" The male shoots back. He meets my eyes, but there's only disinterest there. I want to disappear.

The two males quiet suddenly, and I look up to see more males and females walk into the room. They give me looks from mild curiousity to surprise and disgust as they take seats at the table. The orderliness suggests that the seats already have owners. The alpha is not around yet, so the sole seat at the head of the table stays empty.

"Why is there a slave in the dining room, Rowan?" The first female asks.

"The alpha didn't tell you?" The male directly opposite her replies. He begins to eat, and everyone follows suit. The female looks back at me one more time before she begins to eat too.

Alpha Lorcan never shows up, so I stand as quietly as I can until the silent dinner is over and everyone leaves. Only the male called Rowan is left at the table. I'm terrible with names, and cannot remember my mother's teachings about the pack leaders. But I assume he's the beta.

"For a slave, you seem to always do things you're not told to do". His voice stops me from leaving the room. I turn around slowly, trying not to sigh.

"I'm sorry". I say, looking down.

"You're sorry..." I don't reply. "You don't know who I am?" Surprise tinges the disinterest in his voice. "Interesting". He says. He doesn't sound all that interested. "Do you have any education?" He asks. I nod.

"Home schooled".

"Not surprising". He says. "I know why you're here. And for someone with supposed... capabilities, you don't look like it at all".

I swallow.

"Your place is here". I look up, and he is pointing to the back of the seat at the head of the table. "I hope your memory isn't short. The alpha's temper is". He chuckles at his joke. "I'm Rowan, and I'm the alpha's right hand".

I was right.

A chair scrapes, and Beta Rowan footsteps bounces off the walls of the large room. His boots stop right in front of me, and he lifts my chin up till I'm staring into his eyes. They are a disturbing violet green and violet mix, and I feel jittery staring at them. I look away and he jerks my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. I begin to shake.

"You're shaking". He says it like it's the most hilarious thing ever. "What has brother brought in?" He releases my chin. "Little flower, you'd better be what you say you are. Alpha Lorcan is exactly as you've heard. Your mother will die". He chuckles lowly to himself as he walks away.

"My mother will not die". I say quietly, surprising myself.

I don't think Beta Rowan turns back. "Well, that's entirely up to you".