Stolen Fates - Anna

Control

The door of the house rattled the nearby windows as Charlie entered and swung the door closed behind him. A heavy sigh permeated the air as he closed his eyes and just absorbed the familiar scents of home. Still, her lavender smell clung to him. It was faint but it was sure to torment him throughout the remainder of the night. Growling at the frustration in his chest, he started to move away from the entrance when a nasally, feminine voice called out to him.

"Rough night," the voice asked in a sickeningly sweet tone and he could hear her moving through the Great Room on his right and then in his direction.

I don't have the patience for this right now, he thought to himself as he pinched the bridge of his nose and began to move forward again, intending to ignore her.

He felt her tiny fingers wrap around his wrist to stop his movement and reluctantly complied. Another deep sigh released from his lungs as he slowly spun around to face her. She was a tiny Omega, standing no more than five feet tall and her body looked as if it was permanently stuck at twelve years old with no curves to speak of. She kept her ebony hair short in a spiky pixie cut that didn't suit her features.

"You could say that," he replied to her question in a deadpan tone, hoping she'd pick up on his disinterest in conversation. He couldn't get that lucky though.

"Aww," she cooed at him and moved her fingers teasingly up his arm from his wrist to let the palm of her hand rest against his chest. "How about we head upstairs and I'll help you forget all about it," she flirtatiously offered, biting her lower lip and moving closer to him.

"You know that isn't going to happen, Lexi. Just stop while you're ahead," he said with a shake of his head and pushed her hand from his chest while taking a step back and looking down at her more sternly.

Back in their teens they'd had a short fling but things were different now. Their places in the pack were firmly established and he wouldn't jeopardize his status for an Omega's feelings. He was an Alpha and it wouldn't be much longer before he became the Alpha of the Shadow Lake Pack. He had but two tasks to complete, finding and then, claiming his mate.

"I can smell her on you," Lexi growled as she jerked her hand away and crossed her arms over her chest. "Who is she," she demanded, her eyes shifting from their natural brown coloring to the brighter caramel hue of her wolf. "You'd rather have some random b***h than a wolf from your own pack," she continued, her tone growing louder and more angry with each word.

He couldn't control the snarl that came from his lips or the way he moved at Lexi and grabbed her by the shoulders, pushing her back against the wall. "She's none of your concern," he growled loudly into her face and bared his elongated canines at her. "I am not yours, Alexis. You will not attempt this again. Do I make myself clear," he continued to growl lowly at her and was relieved to see her submission. Her head lowered and tilted slightly, exposing her neck to him as she whimpered and whined.

"Y-yes, I-I understand," she stuttered out quietly and rubbed at her tender shoulders once he'd released her. She watched his back as he moved away from her and climbed the stairs to the upper floors of the house.

Charlie couldn't get up the steps fast enough, climbing them two at a time and all but running after he'd passed the second-story landing and continued up to the fourth and final floor. He was panting heavily when he finally reached his room, pressing his back against the closed door once inside.

"Calm down. Just...calm down," he chanted to himself quietly, attempting to lower his heart rate and body temperature with some deep breaths. He was dangerously close to losing control and that wasn't something he could afford to do. Pushing away from the door, he walked quickly to the private bathroom attached to his room. He stripped out of his clothes quickly, tossing them in no real direction onto the floor and with a flick of his wrist, the cold water of his shower began to pour down his back. It was a shock to the system and helped to bring his wolf back under control.

He stood under the icy spray for a few more moments and felt the tense muscles of his back slowly begin to relax and his breathing gradually returned to normal. He hadn't felt anything like that before. He'd not lost control of himself since he'd first discovered his wolf at thirteen. The first year was the worst. There was no control and the wolf would just come and go as he pleased. It was a painful process but became easier with time. Control came with time, as well and everyone's pace was different. While others his age would still lose control on occasion, Charlie had not lost control in ten years, not since that first year of transition.

Confident that he had himself in check once more, Charlie adjusted the water to a warmer temperature and scrubbed away the scents of the day. He felt a pang in his chest at the realization that Anna's scent would also be washed away but there was no avoiding it. I can't just not bathe, he thought to himself with a chuckle and went to work on his hair. 

Stepping from the shower after he was clean, he wrapped a towel around his hips and retrieved his clothes from the floor. He pulled his phone from the pocket of his jeans and then placed the clothes in the hamper in the corner of the bathroom. 

He unlocked the screen of his phone as he walked back into his bedroom, swiping through his contacts. He was confused for a moment before he suddenly remembered that he'd never asked Anna for her number. 

"You're an i***t," he grumbled to himself and tossed his phone on his bed in frustration. He scrubbed his hands over his face roughly and interlocked his fingers, placing his joined hands on top of his head. Simply standing there for a moment, he chewed on the inside of his cheek. "f**k," he cursed at himself and fell face first onto his bed, not bothering to put on any clothes or remove the towel, and spent the remainder of the night reminding himself how stupid he was.