She's Human but Alpha Wants Her Back.

Chapter Sixteen.

Rea

Tears streaked down my burning face.

It felt like watching a tragic scene that I never asked for.

My instincts were right all along. Dad was worried and had sent some men in search of me. He was probably not considering his health or well-being anymore, but my safety. The men were obviously not here for wolfsbane, but for me—Rea.

How did we go from bad to worse—horribly worse.

It was like living my worst nightmare.

I couldn't help but blame myself for the tragedies that had happened to the men—five men whose families waited patiently for them—who were about to be wasted by Alpha Damien and his allies, all because of me. And worst? I was here watching, knowing there was nothing more I could do.

I wasn't even safe here I was hiding.

The same fate could happen to me anytime, since I never really knew what lay ahead for me.

Why Damien Remington was still harboring a human like me was a mystery. But alas, he could still discard me like he did others; it was just a matter of time and decision.

Seeing Andy in such a horrible situation, my chest ached in ways words couldn’t describe—and that wasn't all. The worst lay silently to come.

What unfolded in front of me felt like watching a torture scene in one of those horror movies I never liked to watch back then.

How the hell did they summon his wrath like that? That he didn't see them fit enough to be like one of his captives or slaves or laborers, but men he preferred to torture and kill at last if they failed to answer his questions.

The guys looked like they were having a brief interlude at the moment, affording Uncle Andy and the other unfamiliar man a little time to say the Lord's Prayer before having their little share of torture and then being eliminated by the Alpha's men just like the others.

One guy from Damien's camp walked around with a pack of cigars and a pocket lighter, grinning like a man who already knew the power belonged to them—at the little chatter the other guys were having. As for the Alpha, he was definitely not finding anything funny. As usual, he stayed cold as steel, like humor had no place in his heart as he paced about the space, wearing a now blood-smeared robe in the mid-morning winter air and a pair of caramel-brown UGG slip-ons, his hair now messy from his movements. The hard planes of his chest glistened with sweat under pale morning light pouring in from the only window in the space.

He didn't seem to care what their jesting was about; he looked deep in thought, restless as he paced about the place. This kind of restless demeanor, as he seethed from place to place, made me feel uneasy too.

What could the intruders have done to warrant his rage like this?

Oh, that was a very unnecessary question to ask. Invading the pack itself was already a very unforgivable offense, and now, with the look of things, that wasn't all. I knew there was more lurking behind it than I could imagine because Damien looked so pissed, eyes blazing with rage as he paced from one end of the room to another.

One guy, a werewolf, stepped in with drinks for everyone. He then turned to Alpha Damien, pouring him a glass of Stella Artois before gliding away with a polite nod. Damien, in return, tossed back the drink in one go—more a show of fury than appetite—before slamming the glass down on the table, not hard enough to c***k it, but enough to have me pissing in my shorts.

Chilled winter air grazed my exposed skin, reminding me of the need to coat up before it froze the hell out of me. But it was already too late. I couldn't risk leaving that spot and heading back to the mansion. If I was stopped by one of those women who hated my existence, they could seize the opportunity to devour me at once—or any of Alpha Damien's men. Then it would be clear that I had rebelled against him.

I couldn't afford to act recklessly at this point, so I remained rooted to the spot.

Sudden footsteps echoed behind the door, accompanied by faint whispers. In that moment, my heart pounded with pure dread. One step through that door and I'd be done for. I squeezed my eyes shut while my pulse pounded in my ears as the steps approached, each step terrifyingly loud, making me shiver with dread.

I paused, weighing my options: run quickly to the other side of the house and avoid being caught, or wait here and surrender to them. Either way, none was safe. I had already rebelled against the Alpha himself, and I could only hope it didn't get worse than it already was.

Relief washed over me like a flurry of snow when the footsteps stopped briefly behind the door before fading away.

I heaved a sigh and returned my gaze to the scene before me.

Damien, in his usual lethal composure, signaled the guys as if to say, let’s get down to business.

The men sprang onto their feet immediately, taking their previous stands and awaiting orders.

Andy, who was already shivering with fear, knowing he was next, started pleading and wailing all afresh. Sweat and tears streaked down from his temples to his T-shirt despite the chilled weather. It felt like seeing death with his own eyes, yet he wasn't able to help himself. At least the transparent bag was out of his face so he could finally breathe before leaving this world.

“Please...!” he begged as they pulled him onto the table.

Tears streamed down my face as I watched helplessly, with one hand over my mouth to suppress the screams threatening to explode.

Andy was going to be killed too, and I was just going to watch and cry helplessly because there was nothing more I could do.

His plea was ignored, but he pressed on. Even though he knew he would die, at least he probably thought he should still plead.

He was Dad’s friend and a hunter too. He was definitely aware of the dangers of intruding into Alpha Damien's pack.

The pain of having more people disappear into the wolves' territory must be very heavy for Dad and everyone else. Given Dad's condition, I couldn't help but feel pity for him.

“L…let the poor girl go, please!”

Andy shouted, sobbing, but a werewolf repeatedly hit him hard and mercilessly with a cudgel. “Shut the f**k up!”

The rest laughed, loud, like being in pain was funny.

Poor girl? That was me.

The realization hit me, and tears came faster.

Alpha Damien inched closer to Andy, leaning slightly on the table. The intensity of his eyes made my stomach knot with fresh dread—very palpable. My knees buckled, unable to keep the rest of me in place. How did I let this man have his way with me in the first place? A man who only considered mercy and warmth as foreigners to his personality.

He tilted his head, his gaze locking dead with Andy’s eyes. Then he spoke words I couldn't hear. Andy shook his head in refusal, then they hit him again.

Damien, like he was no longer interested in Andy, lifted his eyes slowly in my direction, making sure he met my gaze—and his expression shifted, morphing into a dangerous smirk. Knowing it was over.

The look on his face said it all. He had known all along that I was there, but probably wanted me to watch the scene for a moment, knowing he'd pull me out anyway.

I hadn't even breathed when his men stormed the place and pulled me out.

“Rea… Rea,” Damien chuckled low on seeing me in the space. “Uncle's here to take you home.”

I knew that was a lie. He would never hand me over to Andy for nothing. Never.

He yanked me into his hold, one hand on my waist, the other around my neck—not for protection, but as a warning to Andy!