Between the Angel and My Devilish Mate

My Saviour

The sound of fire crackling as it burns woke me from my sleep. I felt so warm, realizing that I was wrapped in a heavy fur blanket. It was so soft against my skin. I took the opportunity to peer around the room I was in. It was lit dimly by flickering firelight, giving the room a cosy appearance. There was a log burner, lit with colors of orange, red and yello as it burned away peacefully, heating the room I was in. I appeared to be on a wooden bed frame, woven together by leather straps. It wasn't much to look at, but I have to admit it was comfortable.

This room reminded me of something you would see in a magazine advertising a beautiful winter lodge, lit dimly on a peaceful night. A sweet mouth-watering fragrance pooled into the room as the door opened and there stood Dimitri in the doorway with handfuls of freshly cut logs for the fire. I admired the sight of him for a moment, lost in a trance at just how beautiful he was.

"You're awake." He said with slight surprise in his voice. I nodded, a little taken back by the fact that I now realized I was naked under the blanket. Had he undressed me? My cheeks blushed brightly as they burned with embers. I had an uneasy nervous feeling, twisting in my stomach as I opened my mouth to speak to him.

"You undressed me?" I asked a little hastily with shock clear in my voice. He remained pleasantly calm as he replied with a smile on his face, "I had to, your clothes had frozen to your body. It was the fastest way to get you warmed up." he paused, letting out a soft sigh before saying, "I thought you had frozen to death when we arrived." He seemed deeply saddened by the idea. I suppose if I was human I would have. I nodded in understanding, no longer annoyed by the fact he had seen my naked body.

"Hungry?" He asked, trying to break the awkward silence that had now fallen between us. I nodded again, watching as he left the room. I assume to bring some food in. What on Earth were we going to talk about? I couldn't believe my situation. Merely hours ago, I had been taken from my bed to be held captive by a psycho Alpha as a gift or a purchase? I am no longer sure. What I was certain of was that my father was probably sick with fear right now, losing his mind and pulling all of his men to track me down somehow. I needed to get out of here and get home.

"Celeste, your thoughts are so loud," my wolf remarked. I tutted at her, rolling my eyes inwardly. Before I could respond to her, our mate walked in with some food and my stomach growled at the sight of it. I eyed him carefully as he sat on the bed, placing the food between us. I didn't know which smelt better or looked more desirable at that point.

"Do you want to eat me, or the food?" He said seductively, causing me to blush again instantly.

"Was it that obvious?" I asked, wanting to hide my face under the covers with shame. He let out a soft chuckle, "I just have the same urges, I guess. But, you are looking at me the same way you are looking at that food." He muttered whilst chuckling, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. I wasn't going to lie to myself when I wanted to devour him, but I tucked into the food quickly to distract myself.

"How did you end up there?" He asked after I finished eating. I furrowed my brow as I didn't know how to answer the question, mostly because I didn't know myself, so I shrugged my shoulders.

"I went to bed at home and then I woke up cold in the boot of a car, chained up I might add." I finally answered. He furrowed his brows at my response this time.

"I wasn't aware that there would be a new arrival. He didn't touch you, did he?" He asked sympathetically and I could see the genuine sadness in his eyes as he feared the worst of my response. I shook my head no, to ease his nerves.

"Why didn't you let me kill him? I had it under control." I asked argumentatively.

"I'm loyal to my Alpha. Call it a lapse in judgment of the situation. I was struggling between loyalty to him and a woman that I had never met." I was angered by his answer.

"So, you have just watched him do something to girls that you haven't met before, but because I am your mate, I am different?" I had raised my voice in disgust.

"There is a way it's supposed to work; the girls he gets are offered out to members of the pack for a chance to find mates. If they aren't mated, they are taken for a vote." He calmly explained as if it was normal.

"What sort of f****d up, barbaric pack are you all running there?" I asked in anger.

"It's just the way it works here. Not all the girls are treated like you have seen. Only the Alpha's girls are so poorly treated," he explained.

"Why?" I asked, furrowing my brow. "Who took you to the cell?" He asked. I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know, some stuck up woman with a grudge." I scoffed.

He nodded his head in understanding, "Hasn't that explained enough? She is the alpha's chosen mate. Their understanding is that whatever sick urges he cannot do to her, he does to the girls he picks in that room. It's all he wants them for and he keeps them malnourished and filthy in a cell so that they are weak and cannot fight back." My stomach turned at the thought of Lilith being left back there.

"I need to go back to Lilith." I blurted.

"You can't. Half the pack at least will be out there looking for us right now. We need to lie low and get out of here at the first opportunity." I huffed at the thought, trying to process the outcome of every situation. If I invaded their pack I would be cold and weak by the time I got there. I needed help on this one and if I got home my father would send enough men to destroy them all.

"Plus, you said you'd never shifted before. Why is that?" He asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

"I turned 18 the morning I met you. I haven't had a chance yet and these shackles would break my wolf's legs." I said sarcastically.

"So, a fresh young adult with a superhero complex wants to save the Alpha's slave." He muttered under his breath.

"Excuse me?" I quipped in anger as I scowled at him, offended by his remark. Without hesitation, I flipped the blanket. Grabbing onto him in a surprise attack. I flipped him face down onto the bed, holding his arms tightly up against his back so he couldn't move, using the extent of my body weight on my knee as I knelt into the curve of his back. He groaned in pain as I held him there long enough to whisper into his ear.

"I do not think I have a 'super hero complex.' I simply know that I have spent my life training to take down bone-headed men such as yourself." With that said, I released my grip, clambering off of him quickly to wrap my naked body back under the fur cover. To my surprise, he chuckled with delight after the altercation.

"Sexy and a fighter." He remarked, to which I scoffed. Even though he had his ass handed to him by what he thought was a weaker younger female, he still had tried his charm on me.

"I like him." My wolf giggled in my mind childishly whilst she purred. I scoffed inwardly at her too. Love-sick puppy, I thought.

"So, Miss fighter. I have to apologise as I don't even know your name."

"It's Celeste," I said in a softer tone.

"And do you have a last name?" He asked.

"Obviously," I said sarcastically, "It's Salvatore," I answered.

"Wait, your not-" He paused and, for the first time since I met him, I saw fear pale over his face as he flustered without finishing his sentence fully. I arched a brow waiting eagerly for him to finish his sentence. "Surely your not Alpha Lorenzo Salvatore's daughter?" He asked. My stomach turned and I instantly felt sick.

How did he know my father? More importantly, what connections did my father have with my current situation?

My defensive self kicked in, angered by this new knowledge, and I wanted answers.

"How do you know my father?" I asked in an abrupt tone. I struggled to hide the obvious frustration.

"I've heard of him. My Alpha, Draco, does business with him. What I am wondering is how the hell he ended up with you?" He answered calmly, unfazed by my agitation.

"Draco?" My wolf chipped in my mind. "Draco, Alpha of the Columbo pack?" She growled menacingly.

"What is your pack called?" I asked with the same tone.

"Columbo Pack." He answered, to which my wolf growled through my chest. Is that really where I am? Why am I here? I had heard so many tales of this pack but I had never been there or seen the Alpha for myself. I bet my father would be outraged that I am here. I thought deeply for a moment, knowing now the full extent of the situation. I was dealing with a nasty Alpha with a terrible, well-known history of violent, despicable crimes. I was outnumbered and I needed help taking him down.

"I need to get back to my father now!" I snapped in desperation.

"Trust me, I want nothing more than to get you away from this place, but we need to lie low. Like I said, half the pack will be out there looking for you. Well, now that I know who you are, he may even be out there looking for you himself." He answered. My wolf began to growl menacingly, growing ever more furious at the thought.

"We should kill him ourselves if he is." She snapped. I wanted to agree, but now we knew who we were dealing with, we had to think carefully about this. Firstly, I needed these shackles off. If we don't shift soon, then I fear it would harm my bond with my wolf.

"Get these shackles off me now! I need to shift." I instructed him without room for argument.