Dark Before Dawn

“Chapter 7: Unspoken Bond,”

────── ☽ ⋅ D A W N ⋅ ☾──────

The sound of heated voices arguing back and forth pulled me from the depths of unconsciousness. A groan escaped my lips as I felt a sharp ache in my neck. I tried to lift my hand to rub the sore spot, but to my horror, I couldn't move my arms.

Slowly, my eyes fluttered open, and I discovered my wrists were bound tightly to the safety bar on the back of a passenger seat. Turning my head, I saw trees rushing by outside the window. My heart began to race as the gravity of my situation sank in.

River smiled at me, his eyes looking challenging. "Where I come from, we do what our alpha tells us. He said I should watch you, so that's what I'm going to do." He waited, like he wanted me to argue with him.

I curled my lip, disgusted. I kept trying to get free. "That's what's wrong with most of you. You never ask questions. You just follow orders like sheep instead of wolves. You get lazy, fat, and stupid." I could feel my wolf trying to come out as I got angrier and more stressed.

River leaned back in his seat, looking very relaxed. "Maybe your problem is that you've never had a real alpha. There are lots of fake alphas out there these days. You seem like someone who needs a real leader." His words made me think about my old alpha and my ex-mate, which made me feel sad and angry.

I frowned, feeling bitter. "I don't need anyone to lead me. I can lead myself just fine."

He laughed a little, looking at me like I was amusing. "Yeah, sure."

I got so frustrated that I started pulling at the ropes really hard, shaking the whole seat.

"Stop that!" one of the twins in the front seat yelled. "This car is my baby. If you break anything, I'll break you." I glared at the back of his head and pulled even harder just to make him mad.

The other twin in the front turned around and growled at me, his eyes narrow and angry. "Don't test me."

I pressed my lips together, wondering if I should keep pushing my luck.

"I wouldn't if I were you," River said calmly from beside me. "He's not as nice as I am."

I looked at him, feeling very frustrated. "Where's your alpha? I want to talk to him right now! This has to be against the law." I growled, sounding very angry.

"You'll see him soon," River said casually. "But be careful how you act. I might like feisty women, but I don't think he does." I bit my tongue, imagining how good it would feel to strangle their alpha for kidnapping me for no reason. Maybe I'd let my wolf eat what was left of him after I was done. My wolf seemed to like that idea.

"Let's start over," River said, leaning forward and talking to me like I was a child. "I'm River. What's your name?"

I growled a little, then spit right in his face. "Screw you, asshole!" I yelled, pulling at the ropes again.

I watched with both disgust and satisfaction as my spit ran down his cheek. He wiped it off and looked at it, then turned those dark eyes to me. "That wasn't very nice. I was trying to be friendly."

"Friendly?" I said sarcastically. "You tied me up and kidnapped me. That's against the law, by the way!" I yelled as loud as I could, hoping to hurt their ears.

"Did anyone see us kidnap you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

My angry face turned into a frown as I realized the truth. I didn't know if anyone had seen them take me. People probably saw me run out of the diner, and my truck was probably still in the parking lot. But these strange wolves had probably thought of all that and come up with a good story to tell the humans. Humans were always happy to explain away things, even things they saw with their own eyes.

"I'm curious, though," River said, sounding more serious. "Why is a female wolf out here alone? Isn't that dangerous? Do you have family waiting for you? Maybe a mate out there somewhere? Should we be expecting him?" I knew he was trying to get information from me. They still thought I was a rogue, or at least working with rogues. His question made my chest hurt as I thought about Beau, which just made me angrier.

"For both our sakes, I hope not," I said dryly, surprising him. Then I noticed the car had stopped moving. We were parked outside a huge house... or maybe mansion was a better word. It was way bigger than my old pack house. I couldn't hide how surprised I was as I looked at the impressive building.

The driver got out of the car as another man walked up, his feet crunching on the gravel driveway. This new guy had short blond hair, like Draco's. I wondered if all their warriors had the same haircut. He looked at me sitting in the back seat as the others started talking to each other quietly outside the car. I looked away from them and saw River watching me silently, looking thoughtful.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I snapped at him. My sharp words seemed to snap him out of his thoughts. He didn't say anything. He just opened the car door and got out, slamming it shut behind him.

When I was sure I was alone, I started working hard to get free. I leaned forward and used my sharp teeth to bite at the knots, trying to loosen them. When I heard people coming, I froze and looked out the window. The group was huddled together, probably talking about what to do with me. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but their serious faces made me feel scared.

I kept watching them as I pulled at the ropes, listening to the fabric stretch little by little. For a couple of minutes, I worked frantically, my heart pounding. The sound of tearing fabric was muffled by the car, and suddenly, with one hard pull, I fell back against the seat. I was free.

I smiled victoriously as I rubbed my sore wrists. I quickly reached for the door handle. To my surprise, it was unlocked. Either they were the worst kidnappers ever or they were way too confident. I ripped the door open and jumped out of the car, landing softly on the ground. I started running towards what I hoped was freedom without looking back.

As I ran across the big front yard, I started taking off my clothes. I left a trail of clothes behind me as I got ready to let my wolf take over. I knew clothes would only get in the way if she got tangled up in them when I changed. But suddenly, a loud growl that sounded more like a lion than a wolf made me stop dead in my tracks. I turned around slowly, unable to resist looking at the beast behind me.

My eyes got big when I saw a familiar man behind me. I should have guessed it was the alpha. His blue eyes were getting darker by the second, like a storm was brewing in them.

"Are you trying to run away from me?" His voice made me shiver with fear, and I quickly covered myself with my arms, suddenly feeling very exposed in my underwear.

"I asked you a question," he growled as he started walking towards me. His long, powerful steps were quickly closing the distance between us, each step bringing him closer to where I stood, frozen in place.

I snapped back to myself, standing up straighter, refusing to be scared. "No, you yelled a question at me, and I chose not to answer you. I think you're smart enough to figure that out yourself, Alpha." I knew I was caught trying to escape. I knew there was no way I could get away safely now.

I changed direction and started walking towards him, feeling less worried about being almost naked. A strange feeling of safety came over me as I got closer to him, preferring to keep him where I could see him. My wolf agreed deep inside me. She wanted to keep the alpha where she could see him. It was safer that way for both of us.

He watched me like a predator as I walked up to him, his eyes never leaving mine. "You must be the dumbest wolf I've ever met," he said in a low, growly voice.

I felt my wolf rush to the surface when he insulted me, her hackles rising. She was ready to show him who the real dumb one was between us. I stopped in front of him, glaring up at his tall form. "Is this how you usually handle things around here? Forget being diplomatic! You just tie up and kidnap people who wander onto your land without even asking questions? There have to be rules against treating people like this."

"Yes, but not for rogues," he said coldly, like it was just a fact.

My lips twisted in frustration, anger bubbling just under the surface. "You know I'm not a rogue," I spat the words at him, reminding him how sure he had been earlier.

"Do I?" he asked, crossing his arms over his broad chest, his muscles flexing as he moved.

I narrowed my eyes, getting really annoyed. Before I could think about what I was doing, my hand was flying through the air towards him, picking up speed. I slapped him hard across his face, the sound of skin hitting skin echoing in the quiet area. The force of my hit made his head snap to the side. I could feel the sting on my palm and also waves of something else, something electric and unexpected. I gasped as I pulled my hand back towards myself in surprise.

His body started shaking as he turned his face back to me. His eyes were completely black, like pools of midnight, as his wolf fought for control. I swallowed hard when I saw this, taking a step back as he reached out with both hands and grabbed my arms. His touch sent my senses into overdrive. Part of me wanted him to pull me closer, to feel the heat of his body against mine, and another part of me wanted to run away screaming.

"This isn't possible," I said out loud, my voice barely above a whisper. "I already found my mate."

He lifted me off the ground by a few inches, bringing his face closer to mine. His lips parted, showing the tips of his sharp canine teeth.

"So have I, but this is still happening. You are mine whether you want it or not," he said through his teeth, acknowledging our unspoken connection.

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TO BE CONTINUED.