chaptersix
1124 Words
Chapter 6
We were told to go through the doors without any explanation.
Captain Marco DeLuca did not say the same thing twice. At his signal, the girls who had been kneeling slowly got up, and the silk skirts whispered against the stone as we did what he said. No peace. No help. Lady Valeria's fingers only slightly pointed toward the next room, as if we were chess pieces moving forward instead of people crossing a threshold.
I could feel it as soon as I walked in.
Listen up.
Not loud. Not in a hurry. It settled on my skin like heat, heavy and on purpose. A pair of yellow eyes watched me from the far corner of the room. I hesitated for half a second, instinctively slowing down, and the line behind me got shorter.
A mistake.
The low sounds that came after were not voices. They were animals. Tightening jaws. Breath getting thicker. A warning that doesn't use words. I moved faster, my heart steady even though my wolf backed away, knowing what my mind already knew.
We were food in a room full of hungry predators.
The Alphas sat on leather couches and chairs around a big fireplace. The light from the fire made their shapes look like something carved and dangerous. As Livia Romano walked by, one of them stared at her with open hunger, his eyes following the sway of her hips. Another Alpha sat down next to him on the couch, which creaked under his weight. Power settled into the room like the pressure before a storm.
My wolf shook, not because he was scared, but because he knew. The Alphas were so dominant that it felt like waves of their power were rolling off of them. This was the tradition that was honored. The Chase of the Alpha. The holy ceremony we had been taught to accept.
I could finally see it clearly when I stood there.
It had all been polished. Made softer. We were romanticized so that we would bow our heads and move forward willingly.
Lady Valeria stayed by the door. As Lady Valeria shifted her weight, the black leather made a soft whispering sound. She was in charge without even trying. The Alphas also watched her, some openly and some with a restraint that seemed practiced rather than real. Their faces got sharper because they were hungry. She saw. Of course she did.
Her nails, which had claws on the ends, tapped once on the silver door handle. A slow, knowing smile spread across her lips before she raised her chin and looked around the room as if it were a game board that was already tilted in her favor.
She said calmly, "The rules are easy." "Don't touch the girls until the clock starts." You can watch them. Give them a smell. Get to know them. Maybe one smell will be strong enough to help you find your way on your hunt.
She looked at us.
"After the Chase, a girl is hers Alpha once she has been claimed and marked. Girls, keep this in mind: only one Alpha can claim you. If more than one catches you, they will fight until only one is left. There will never be two marks on one girl." This shows both power and desire."
Her eyes got hard.
"Girls, you are in charge in this first half."
The words fell softly. Not hard enough.
"You can touch, get close to, and tempt as you like. Pay attention to what interests you. If you make the right choice, he might be the one standing over you in the woods. And if you're lucky... Her smile got sharper. "His mark may be on your neck by dawn."
After that, she turned around and left us alone with them.
I didn't believe a word of it.
Power that could be taken away with one wrong move wasn't power. It was bait.
Silk moved around me, and people breathed faster. People pulled their dresses down. Changed necklines. Hands smoothed out curves with care. The girls acted like they were courting, not choosing. As if we weren't being judged on our obedience, endurance, and fear.
I thought about dolls. Dressed up nicely and easy to break.
The girls who left this room alone would be the luckiest. Not marked. They are still free to choose how to live their lives after this nightmare.
I looked over at the seating area by the fire.
Livia stood in front of one of the Alphas with her chin up and her lashes down just enough to make it look like she was promising something. He leaned back, spread his knees, and slowly curled one finger in a way that seemed to say "come here" before resting it on his lap.
A request.
Livia smiled. She didn't see what I saw.
She walked toward him like the path led to safety, not a trap. She ran her fingers over her collarbone. She moved her dress around to show more skin. I looked at his face to see if he was interested, if he liked something, or if he had the spark Lady Valeria had talked about.
There wasn't any.
He grabbed the hem of her dress with his fingers and pulled.
She fell into his lap and squealed in shock.
The room was quiet.
My head turned toward them, and other girls stopped in their tracks. He put his arm around her waist. The other one came up quickly, grabbed her hair, and pulled her head back so hard that my jaw hurt in sympathy.
He asked in a calm voice, "What is that on your lips?"
My heart sank.
"Nothing," Livia said, grinning too much.
Another Alpha said, "It looks like gloss," and leaned in to get a better look at her.
A thumb was pressed against her mouth and slowly dragged across her lips. His eyes got darker as he rubbed his fingers together.
"Gloss."
There was a low chuckle that went through the group.
"Gloss," the Alpha below her said again, this time with thought. He tightened his grip. "That's a break, isn't it?"
He moved her dress up her back.
"Such a bad rule follower."
All of a sudden, the room seemed smaller. He leaned forward and spit on her mouth on purpose, then rubbed it with his fingers until the gloss was gone.
He said quietly, pinching her lips between his fingers, "In case you didn't know, if you break the rules, we can stop being nice."
His voice got lower, rougher, and happier.
"Please nod if you understand."
I stayed still in my spot by the window. I didn't look away.
I learned.
The Hunt had already started.
- Writer
