The Alpha's Prisoner

GEMMA “Marry me.” The audacity of men never ceased to amaze me. I leaned back in my chair, my fingers drumming against the table as I watched Alpha Kane gesture with his hands as he spoke. He had been speaking for the past ten minutes, talking about strength and unity and the future of our packs. . “So, Gemma.” He leaned forward with what I assumed he thought was a charming smile. “What do you say? Think of what we would accomplish together.” I didn’t bother holding back the laughter that sneaked out of my lips even though it wiped off the smile off Kane’s face. “Oh my, I’m so sorry...” I pleaded, even though I wasn’t. “It’s just hilarious, you know? You walk into my territory, into my packhouse and propose a pitch as if I need saving.” I leaned forward. His jaw tightened, staring at me like I had just uttered an abomination of a word. “I’m offering you an alliance...” “You’re offering yourself a promotion.” I corrected, rising from my seat and pacing towards the window which was just about 6 foots from where he sat. “Frostfang has the strongest warriors and definitely, the most profitable trade routes in this region. Tell me, Kane, what exactly would you bring to this arrangement besides your name?” The temperature in the room dropped by ten degrees and his brows furrowed. “You’re making a mistake.” “Am i?”. “You think you can stand alone forever?” His voice became sharp and that sweet tone faded off pretty quickly. “You think the other Alphas respect you? They tolerate you, Gemma. A female Alpha without a mate is an anomaly, Gemma. A problem.” “Yet here you are, begging that problem to marry you.” Anger flashed in his eyes and he stepped closer, close enough to make most wolves cower in fear but not me. “You’re going to regret this.” His hands balled into fists. “I’ll make sure every Alpha in this region and beyond knows what you are, an arrogant b*tch who thinks she’s better than everyone else. I’ll turn them against you and this pack you cherish so much? I’ll watch it crumble. When you’re desperate and broken, don’t come crawling to me.” “Are you finished?” For a heartbeat, I thought he might actually try something stupid. Instead, he spun towards the door and slammed it hard enough to rattle the frame. I unclenched my own fists, letting out a slow breath. My wolf stirred beneath my skin with anger. He was just a man with an inflated ego. The door opened again, quite soft this time. “Please tell me you didn’t just bruise Alpha Kane’s ego.” He questioned, his tall frame filling the doorway and his arms crossed over his chest. With the look on his face, I could tell he heard every darn word. “Would you have preferred I accepted?” I sank back into my chair. “I’d have preferred you didn’t laugh in his face.” He stepped inside, closing the door. “He’s vindictive, Gemma.” “So am I when provoked.” I smiled. Kane had offered a meeting and I genuinely did think he was here for support for his pack. There had been two attacks on his pack in the past two weeks. Not in my wildest imagination had I thought he was here to ask for my hand in marriage. “Tell me, have I gotten prettier? Ever since I returned from the last regional meeting two weeks ago, I’ve gotten twenty new proposals.” “Well...” “That’s not meant for you to answer.” I grabbed my leather jacket from the back of my chair. “Is everything set for the border inspection?” “Team’s ready. We’ll cover the eastern boundary first and then swing north to check the disputed territory near Blackwater Creek.” The afternoon sun felt good on my face as we drove out. I’d bled for this pack after my mother’s death and rebuilt it from the ashes my father left behind. I wouldn’t let anyone take it from me. Not even Kane. Dontrell drove while I reviewed reports. Something about the rogues’ pattern nagged at me but I couldn’t place what. “We’re here.” Dontrell announced. Together, along with the team, we began to check for breaches or signs of intrusion. Everything seemed normal until we reached Blackwater Creek. The smell hit me first. Blood. Fresh blood, in fact. Dontrell growled low, his body going rigid. I moved forward cautiously, my senses on high alert. It could be a trap for all I cared. Then I saw him. A man lay crumpled at the creek’s edge; half submerged in shallow water. Blood stained the rocks around him and even from a distance, I could see the severity of his injuries. Deep gashes across his chest and back, like he’d been mauled by something with claws. “Don’t.” Dontrell caught my arm. I yanked my hands off his and moved closer, crouching beside the stranger and pressing two fingers to his neck. He was still alive. I brought out my dagger to stab him and end it but then, I saw the scars; visible signs of torture. “He’s alive. Get him into the cart.” “Are you insane?” Dontrell stared at me, like I’d lost my mind. “We don’t know who he is, what pack he belongs to or why he’s bleeding our on our border. This is clearly a trap.” “Does he look like he’s in any condition to be a threat?” “Currently, no. But when he heals....” “Then we’ll deal with it then.” I slid my arms under the stranger’s shoulders. “Are you going to help me or not?” Dontrell muttered some words under his breath but he grabbed the man’s legs and together, we carried the unconscious stranger back to the car. He didn’t stir once. I kept checking his pulse, and monitoring his shallow breathing. Whoever he was, he’d been through hell. The wounds were deep and so were the burns along his forearms. “Take him to the medical wing.” I instructed as we pulled up to the pack house. “And Dontrell, keep this quiet. I don’t want the pack panicking about an unknown wolf.” “You mean you don’t want words getting to Kane that you’ve taken in a strange wolf hours after rejecting his proposal?” “That too.” I responded. “This is a mistake, Gemma.” “Noted.” “I’m serious. We don’t know anything about him...” “Which is why I want him where I can watch him. If someone tortured him and left him at our border, there’s a reason and I intend to find out what it is.” Dontrell opened his mouth to argue but one of the guards rushed towards us in a frenzy, his face drained of color. “Alpha,” He stopped in front of me, struggling to catch his breath. “You need to come to the northern border now.” “What happened?” He swallowed hard and I watched his hands tremble. “It’s...you need to see it for yourself.” The way he said it made my blood run cold. Not out of anger or urgency but fear. My warriors had been trained to never show their fear but now that he was this way.... “Show me.” I was already moving before Dontrell joined me, close behind. The guard led us through the forest at a sprint, branches whipping past. “There.” He whispered, pointing ahead with a shaking hand. I followed his gaze to the oak tree; something hung from its branches. Someone. The distance made it impossible to see the details but I could make out the shape; human, motionless. “I need to find out who it is.” “Alpha, there’s something written...” “Stay. Back. ” I began to move forward but Dontrell caught my arm again. “Wait for backup.” “That’s one of mine, hanging from that tree.” I gritted my teeth. “Which is exactly why you shouldn’t rush in alone.” His grip tightened. “Whoever did this could still be there. This could be bait.” He was right. I hated that he was right but the thought of leaving one of my own made my skin crawl. I couldn’t stay back. This wasn’t just a murder. It was a message and whoever sent it wanted us to find out exactly like this. “Gemma, stop.” Dontrell suddenly held me. “Look at the ground.”