Enslaved by the Alpha

Chapter Ten: Werewolf Interrogations

"There are vampires here for you," she sneered in contempt, her voice hoarse from crying. "They said their names were Anna and Maximus, or whatever."

I sat upright and put my hand on Draven's arm to grab his attention. "That's my sister and her fiancé."

"Your sister and fiancé?" He expressed in shock, watching me nod then turned back to his mother. "You may leave now, thank you," he answered kindly despite her hateful stare. She glared at him, glancing at me with the same murderous glint before taking her leave with wisely sealed lips. There was something off about her.

Draven returned his undivided attention to me. "Just stay here for right now. I'm not sure I can trust them."

"What? What're you talking about 'you're not sure you trust them'? They're not with the King, they're the ones who let me go. My sister would never betray me, neither would Magnus," I defended, knitting my brows in slight offense.

"That's exactly why I don't trust them. Out of all the places they could've taken you, they left you on the border of my territory knowing my men would notify me of a trespasser and that I'd look into it," he answered firmly. I let his words sink in and frowned, unfamiliar with this stern Alpha side of him.

"What are you trying to say?" I asked. He scanned my expression and contemplated his next words carefully, almost as if he was afraid to upset me.

"Valentino seems to be an extremely thorough man. He didn't strike me as someone who'd slip up, especially not when it involves losing his only shot at getting what he wants. They wouldn't have been able to sneak you past him so easily, not unless he wanted them to. He wanted us to reconnect, and they're here to see if we did."

A lump formed in my throat and my stomach clenched with uneasiness. "They wouldn't choose him over me, they're family. Annette wouldn't—"

"That doesn't matter, Scarlett, don't you know that?" He furrowed his eyebrows as confusion filled his face.

"Know what?" I questioned faintly.

"Vampire's have undying loyalty to their maker. And since they can't reproduce, they only have one true maker—the King. It doesn't matter who turned you, it only matters that they couldn't have if it weren't for him. The main difference between werewolves and vampire's is free will. We choose how we live our lives, your King chooses how you live yours," he explained, recoiling slowly in preparation for an explosive response.

I simply stared in disbelief, utterly speechless. How can a young werewolf know so much more about my species than me? As much as I wanted to believe otherwise because of that, I couldn't help but think back on my life only to realize he's right. All I've done, all anyone has done, was for Cyprian. Whether he asked, demanded, or forced, he got what he wanted and never anything less.

"I'll be here when you get back," I faltered, too stunned to find my confidence. He flashed a half smile then slid out of bed, leaving me sitting alone in the weirdly familiar room. Then it finally hit me.

I'm in the Alpha's house, and this is the Alpha's room.

When it came to the title transition, I never understood how it worked. All I knew was that the retiring Alpha and his mate moved into the pack house so the new Alpha and Luna could move into their own home, repeating that cycle until the house became inhabitable after hundreds of years. From there, they'd build another and continue on.

This room is the first place Alpha Zeek took me after my arrival. How could I not forget? It'll forever be the worst memory of mine, even if there were other days that were so much worse. That was the first worst night of my life and nothing could ever beat that. I can't imagine anything worse than realizing you're about to be a puppet to your enemy for however long you're permitted to live.

I closed my eyes and clenched the blankets, fighting the terrible resurfacing memories. Everything I had forced myself to forget came back to me like a blow to the gut and I began to feel overwhelmed, breathing heavily to hold down the tears from the emotional pain that accompanied.

"You may have already wrapped my son around that cold little finger of yours, but I see right through you."

I looked up with haste, startled by Draven's mother's silent entry. She hadn't left?

Confused, my frown deepened and she continued. "You'll always be a powerless defect your own King wanted gone. The only decent thing you have is a body that'll never age. You knew that, didn't you? It's clear you just love to use it to try and weasel your way into a position of power. Yeah, Alpha's are fun, but have you ever had a Beta? What about a Delta?"

The hairs all across my body stood when two familiar men walked in the room. I remembered how they were glued to Alpha Aston's side whenever they weren't taking order's from him, which was more often than not because of his constant need to feel me up.

"They know exactly how it feels to be under someone's thumb, and today I'm giving them back their power." She smiled snidely. "Show this little conniving b***h that she'll forever be an impotent parasite."

I watched the Beta's hand begin to shift, stopping when his claws extended and hairs sprouted from his every pore. He proceeded to s***h down the entirety of his forearm, blood instantly oozing out, pooling along the massive cut.

My eyes averted and I swallowed repeatedly, clutching the blankets until my knuckles became a shade whiter.

"She thinks she will be the new Luna? The Luna's a respected leader, a leader with power to selflessly protect. Look at her—powerless, controlled by little blood—that's no Luna," she taunted, each belittling remark gave me more strength to prove her wrong.

My gums itched and my body was consumed with a feeling of malaise. Blood was the only thing I could think about and it felt like every muscle in my body tore in half trying to ignore it.

I'll never let a wolf hold power over me, not ever again.

My self-restraint seemed to irritate her, and the smirk on her face slowly fell into a distasteful scowl. "Make her taste it," she demanded.

I snapped my gaze onto the approaching man and hissed warningly, the scent of blood growing stronger with every nearing step he took. My heart raced and I jumped up, running toward the door, but he managed to snatch me before I could slip by and smeared the drying blood across my face. The warm liquid crossed my mouth and a pinch of tang hit my tongue, making me clench my teeth and seal my lips in a tight line, preventing myself from licking it off.

"What the hell is going on in here?" A man's voice filled the room and tension circulated the atmosphere, everyone turning to the doorway.

I saw the man I pushed into a tree earlier standing with another man I've never seen before. One thing I couldn't miss was the power radiating from them, Beta and Delta power that hastily took over the scent of everyone else in this room.

The new Beta and Delta.

Their narrowed eyes scanned over the scene before them. Draven's crazed mother stood next to the former Delta, her eyes wide like a deer in headlights as he stood stiff and expressionless, fearless of them. The former Beta had a large chunk of my hair clenched tightly in his fist, allowing his healed, blood covered arm to hang by his side.

I instantly regretted what I did earlier, fully anticipating him to walk away for it, yet his eyes suddenly darkened at the man holding me.

"Release her," he ordered.

Without hesitation, the tightness on my scalp eased and he pushed me onto the floor as a distraction. I winced, frantically wiping at my mouth while they took off.

Gentle hands soon touched my shoulder and I jumped, lifting my head to see three random women bent down at my level, their eyes full of concern. The blonde had her hand on me and rubbed my back.

"You don't think she went after them, do you?" The redhead in the middle asked, her voice ethereal.

"It was quite the opposite actually," the man from outside said, standing behind the girls with his friend next to him. Everyone turned their attention to him for an explanation and our eyes locked. Except I wasn't curious, I was surprised.

"Jon cut himself. If it were her, there wouldn't have been any mess. He was purposely tempting her, what I don't get is why," he explained, furrowing his brows and narrowing his eyes as if trying to read me. This shifted everyone's attention back to me.

Discomfort formed and I suddenly felt cornered, my gaze darting to each person to find them already staring. My throat constricted and I curled my hands, clawing at the carpet to refrain from lashing out in defense.

"Her eyes are glowing," the redhead breathed in awe.

"Onalee, stop touching her." The brunette to my right frowned nervously, her voice high-pitched, and the blonde drew back her hand. The hasty action earned a hiss from me and I glared at her, thinking she was aiming to hit me rather than reel back by how fast she moved.

"What the f**k are you guys doing? I told you to keep her company, not whatever the hell this is!"

At his voice, I whipped my head up and spotted Draven walking towards us. Relief filled me and I dashed for him, only feeling calm and comforted when his arms draped around my back and I laid the side of my face over his peck, listening to his steady heart beating a soothing song in my ears.

I find living hearts fascinating. Vampire heart's pump heat through our bodies so we don't freeze, but living hearts pump life.

"She felt threatened," the mid-length curly-haired man mumbled to himself. Draven lifted his head and glared at him.

"She is the only vampire in a room with five werewolf strangers. If roles were reversed, wouldn't you?" He questioned.

I turned in his hold to face them and saw the man humbly lower his head, the others sharing guilty looks except for the man from outside who wore a stoic expression.

"Then let's not be strangers. My name's Onalee," the blonde smiled toothily, her voice low and raspy. Her hair was straight and thin, cut into an angled bob that ran parallel with her defined jawline and complimented her diamond face shape, ending with the longest part next to her chin. Her skin's tan and smooth, not a mole, scar, hair, or pimple anywhere I could see. Her salmon pink lips were rounded and thin, but that only pulled my attention to her perfect white teeth and the small dimples in her cheeks. Her celestial nose led me to her thinly-arched blonde eyebrows and her long, natural black lashes on the top and bottom, bringing out her beautiful, bright orange eyes resembling those from the dirty-blonde wolf from the woods. She wore a wavy black skirt and a plain white cami top, showing off her toned, hourglass body.

"I'm Gia," the redhead chimed in. She wore blue jean shorts and a beige tank-top, revealing her curvy, chubbier figure while keeping it a little more conservative. Her thick, curly, shoulder length orange hair rested on her collar. Her skin was a bit lighter than Onalee's, but nowhere near the paleness of mine. Her jawline's soft, giving her freckle coated face more of an oval shape. She has small, cupid's bow lips and a small chiseled nose. Her medium, soft angled eyebrows and light copper lashes made her big, round dark-brown eyes pop out as the darkest feature on her. She, too, reminded me of one of the wolves from earlier.

"I guess if we're saying names, mine's Liane." The brunette answered carelessly, her voice crisp and powerful. Her skin was almond-brown and she had eyes of galaxy-purple under her short, naturally curled lashes and Cleopatrian eyebrows. Her long, shiny box braids ended just above her waistline, framing her square facial structure nicely. She has full heart-shaped lips and a small Nubian nose. Her features were held in by her oval facial structure. Her slim, athletic figure was covered with a skin tight black romper and a cropped denim jacket.

"I'm Quintin, Liane's mate," the curly-haired man added happily, pulling her closer by the waist. His narrow lips pulled into a smile reaching his grey eyes that his black hair accentuated. He had a diamond facial structure, enhancing his cheekbones, pointed nose, and jawline. His dark, thick eyebrows also stood out on his tanned skin, which shaped around his toned muscles, covered in a loose red cut-off tank-top and black basketball shorts.

My eyes then shifted onto the man from outside who stood silently in his spot, stubbornly refusing to introduce himself. Gia suddenly took his hand and stepped closer, lying her head on his arm.

"This is Elliot, my mate," she said, smiling like she was actually happy about that.

I raised a brow, totally unconvinced a sweetheart like her could be with someone like him until he pried his gaze away from me and onto her, his expression softening with love.

Opposites attract, as they say.

He has short dark-brown, spiked hair, a freshly shaved beard, and thick arched brows. His ocean-blue eyes gazed down at her with such softness and adoration. Between them, his straight nose lead me to his wide, slightly upturned lips. His facial structure was a mix between square and oval, but his jawline remained sharp and masculine. His medium skin was only covered by cargo shorts, exposing his wet, muscular torso.

"I'm Scarlett," I answered, hesitantly pulling my attention from Gia's unnerving mate, Elliot, to the crowd before me.

"And Scarlett needs her rest, so you will all be leaving now," Draven interjected, pressing me harder into his body with the arm he has draped around my back.

"I'm okay. I want to meet them." I turned my head to look at him and he met my stare, taking a moment to analyze my expression.

"You marked her?" A mans voice barked out and we snapped to meet eyes with Elliot who had his line of sight fixated on my neck. Everyone else's eyes followed intently.

"You have a problem with that?" Draven replied sharply, forcing Elliot's eyes on him. Everyone frowned, cowering back out of what seems to be forming fear.

They shared an intense, silent stare off and tension hung thick in the air. I reached up and covered the marking, a feeling of shame consuming me for having it after the way they all reacted. For werewolves, this mark is considered a marriage that cannot be broken. Even that is such an understatement. I understand that they can't accept me, and they're being forced to.

"Elliot," I intervened, most of my confidence draining once his cold blue eyes snapped onto me. Everyone watched in curious surprise.

He looked me over with a scowl, yet I didn't let that scare me into submission. "I get your frustration—I really do, but I'd never do anything to hurt anyone here. I owe my life to Draven."

The words flew out of my mouth before I could comprehend them and Elliot's scowl softened slightly. He nearly immediately turned his head to look away, unable to look me in the eyes.

"Now that the elephant in the room has been removed, we have so many questions!" Onalee butted, sharing looks with the other girls. "Does sunlight hurt you?"

Draven pulled me off to the side and leaned closer, speaking in a hushed tone. "I can make them leave if you don't feel comfortable answering. They come on really strong, I know."

"It's okay. I kind of like the attention, it's been awhile," I answered in the same hushed voice. He tilted his head with a look of uncertainty and I gave him a nod before twisting back to face them.

They stared expectantly and I threw a quick glance at Draven, smiling lightly to get rid of the concerned creases on his forehead and redirecting my attention onto the eagerly waiting ladies ahead of me.

"Direct sunlight hurts. Shady areas? No. That's one of the few things I always liked here, the trees act as one giant umbrella," I answered.

"Can you turn into a bat?" Gia asked.

"I can, but I haven't in a hundred years or more," I shrugged. Her eyes widened and Liane's full lips formed a massive grin.

"How old are you? You've got perfect skin for an old white lady," she remarked, shocking me with her blatancy.

"Okay, that's enough." Draven stepped away from his conversation with Elliot and Quintin to interject. I, however, shook off my shock and smiled in discomfort.

"I'm a hundred and six," I replied, purposely avoiding Draven's piercing gaze. The girls whispered incoherently back and forth with excitement while the two guys widened their eyes, now suddenly interested in our game of twenty questions after Draven chimed in.

"Turn into a bat!" Onalee exclaimed abruptly.

I frowned, the hairs on my body standing upright at her demand. It didn't feel like I had much of a choice and the comfort I was beginning to feel replaced with unease.

"We've never met a vampire, we want to see what you can do!" Liane aided her friend's command. The thought of fitting in was diminishing hastily from their harassment. I didn't feel liked and accepted, I was feeling used and mocked.

"I can't shift like you guys. It's a bit more complicated," I admitted, hoping they'll fire another question rather than continue to pry.

"Why? Do you need to be angry? Relaxed? What?" Onalee's grin faltered.

"I have to trick my mind into believing I'm dying and that the only way I'll survive is if I shift. We tend to avoid putting ourselves through that mental strain just to fly. It's not worth it," I explained.

"It's fight or flight in a literal sense, but it has to be taken to the extreme where you can't fight... so it's flight or die?" Quintin's face scrunched in confusion and everyone waited for my input. I was too uncomfortable to say anymore on the topic, simply averting my eyes to the floor.

Draven picked up on my unease immediately and wrapped his arm around me, soothing my nerves by pulling me close to his warm body. "She's answered enough of your silly questions. Her life is not your entertainment just because she lives by different means. Learn to respect her, all of you."

"We're sorry, Luna. We just got a little excited meeting a vampire for the first time," Gia said softly, a sorrowful smile finding her lips as she lowered her head in a bow.

The other's mirrored her actions except for Elliot, he analyzed me with narrowed eyes then concluded with a bow. They all remained lowered and the discomfort in me intensified.

"Arise," Draven ordered in a powerful, commanding voice which they listened to without hesitance. "You may see her tomorrow if she decides. Now leave, she needs proper rest."

Not another word was uttered as they began leaving the room one-by-one. Quintin closed the door being the last one out and a weight physically lifted off of me at their departure.

I liked the attention for only a moment, then I was beginning to feel overwhelmed and anxious. I still feel nervous around Draven sometimes, but they made me feel a thousand times worse.

I'm still getting accustomed to these wolves, it's hard to look past years and years of numerous accounts of different assaults. Draven is understanding—are they?

"If you were uncomfortable with their questions, you could've firmly said so. You're not obligated to say or do anything, Red."

Warmth flooded my veins and my face flushed at the sudden surge of heat. "I forget I'm not powerless anymore," I muttered, lifting my head to meet his gaze.

All because a werewolf fell for me.