Chapter 14
EZRA
I gasp for air and squeak out attempt at pleads to let go. I can barely see his fury filled eyes as they stare at me with hatred.
I squeeze his arm and my feet kick at the air.
He tilts his head. Pulling me closer, his snarled lips float around my face. I can feel him sniff me.
“Why?” He growls low.
My throat squeaks again. My mind goes white and my wolf is a full on army on my chest.
“P-Please…” I manage.
He looks me over one last time and lowers me to the ground.
I feel my air come back and I cough it out, hanging onto my knee.
I straighten up and my hair hangs like a curtain between us. That didn’t last for long.
He grips my hair pulls me into him. “I want answers.”
“I-I don’t...”
He grips harder and I wince. “Liar…Tell me.”
“I don’t know!” I cry.
“Don’t know what?” He asks.
My wolf spins and tears well in my eyes. “I don’t know me.” I start to shake and I lock my eyes with his. Fear fills me.
“You don’t know who you are?” He says.
My chin quivers. “I don’t know what I am.” I say quietly.
He looks away then back. “You don’t know you’re a rogue?”
I sniff. “What’s a rogue?”
He studies me a little longer. “What’s your name?”
I look away, not wanting to spoil my secret.
He pulls me to his lips. “What is your name?!!” He yells so close to my face, I start to cry.
My body is hot and cold. Shaking and still. My wolf is crying for blood and I’m crying for escape.
“Ezra.” I hitch.
He looks me over. “Ezra.” He looks around the trees. He grabs my wrist and pulls me down the trail where we came.
“Where?”
“You’re coming with me.” He growls.
“No! I can’t go! I can’t go back!...Please…Don’t make me go! Please…” I sob and pull on his hand. My feet pushing on the forest floor to stop him from pulling.
“ENOUGH!” He yanks me hard and I bounce off his chest. He points in my face. My eyes filled with terrified tears. “You are coming with me!”
“Please…” I choke. More tears flowed down my cheeks. “I can’t…” I whisper.
His face is an inch from mine as I tremble in fear.
He lifts his hand to me and I yelp, flinching back.
He stops and shows me his hand. His other hand still has a grip on my wrist. He slowly touches my cheek and wipes it. My eyes fill with confusion as I push my wolf down. He wipes my other cheek.
He grabs my chin and turns my face to his. He holds me still and stares into my eyes. His eyes are still dark, but his anger seems not there as much. He tilts his head to me. “I have questions. I need answers. You’re coming with me. You aren’t going anywhere.”
I look around, try to use my mind and then look back at him and nod.
“Alright.” He says softly.
“B-Bag?” I ask.
“Bag? What bag?” His brows come together.
“My bag.” I squeak. “The building.” I point to the trees.
He looks behind him then back at me. “You have a bag in the building?”
I nod.
He stands tall. He so much bigger than me. He eyes me. “You'll behave?”
I nod again.
He places a hand on my nape. It doesn’t hurt, but he has strength. “Let’s go. Don’t even think of running. I’ll hunt you down, understand?”
“Yes.” I choke.
We walk through the woods. My wolf wants to run, but I can’t. He knows me now. Where would I go? If I go out there, Michael will find me. The others will find me if they don’t eat me. I’m safer with the Alpha. I just hope he’s safe with me. I side eye him as the building comes into view.
He opens the door and we walk in.
As I walk to where my bag is, a sense of fear fills me again. “Are you gonna kill me?” My heart thumps in chest. My bag is in the corner of the room with the broken glass. I’m numb and don’t feel the glass under my feet as I walk over it. I grab my bag and shake the pieces of glass off it. I put it over my shoulder and walk back.
“No. Unless you give me a reason to.” He says darkly.
My eyes avoid his as I nod.
“I’m glad you agree.” He slides his hand on my nape again and he leads me out. I get a funny feeling every time he touches me and it makes my wolf even angrier. It’s like she doesn’t want it, but it makes me calm. It feels like he said. He takes fear. My wolf hates it. She likes me scared. It makes the battle easier until I fight her back.
He guides me to his truck and opens the door. “Get in.”
I nervously do as I’m told and climb into the seat. He shuts the door and I watch him through the window. He walks over to a piece of cloth and picks through it. He pulls something out of the torn fabric and comes back.
I stare straight ahead as he climbs into the driver’s seat.
He drops keys and a phone in the console and starts the truck which makes me wince and my wolf starts to howl.
‘Stop it.’
She growls at me.
‘I’m saving us. Stop it.’
She disappears into the darkness and I side eye him. He pulls out and drives away.
He’s monstrous behind the wheel. His face is angry. I can’t tell what this means. I see his large hands strangle the wheel as he watches the road. I know I’m in trouble here, but it might not be bad trouble. I think if it was bad he would have killed me.
We drive through the city and he turns down a road. I look out and at the end of it is a large, black house. It’s very square and doesn’t look like a house. It looks like a badly stacked bunch of blocks. The lights inside make it look like it has gold specks all over it.
He pulls into the huge driveway and parks.
I look out the window and up at the house. “I’m going to a cage?” I whisper.
“Not unless you give me reason to.” He grumbles as he opens the door.
He walks around and opens my door. I step out, hugging my bag like a safety blanket.
“This way.” He looks down on me and heads to the house.
As I follow, I think I could run, but he would kill me then. Better not give him reason to.
We walk in and as I step inside, I notice the inside is just as black as the outside, but prettier.
In the middle of the entrance is a tall white stone statue of a half naked woman. She’s pretty. I look over her body and think I could never be that.
He turns to me. “Do you have clothes?”
I nod and motion my bag to him.
“Good.” He turns around. “Follow.”
He takes me up the stairs and my head is on a swivel. The pictures on the walls are so beautiful with people in many rooms. The carpet is black up here and the walls are like dark blood.
He stops at a door and opens it. “In here.” He waves me in.
I walk into a room that has large square windows, dark walls and a black bed with black curtains.
I grow confused. Turning around, I find his eyes.
He stands with his arms crossed. “The bathroom’s over there. Get washed up and changed. I’ll be back.”
“Ok.” I say quietly.
He eyes me quickly and leaves, shutting the door behind him.
I look around the room. There’s a black door on one side and I walk over to it. I open it to find the bathroom he was talking about.
Closing the door, I lock it and set my bag on the black, marble counter.
My reflection in the wall sized mirror follows me. I glance up at her and see how dirty she is. My eye catches a shower and I walk over to it. There’s bottles in here like the last one I was in.
I start the water and clean myself. Once I’m done, I step out and grab a black, fluffy towel. I wrap it around me and open my bag. I take out my clothes and the vials of Croak clink. My head whips to the door then back to the Croak.
I look in the mirror. He can’t find this. He’ll take it away.
My eyes float to the toilet.
Without a second thought, I take out the baggie with the syringes and put all the Croak in it. I seal it tight and walk over to the tank. I lift the lid and place the Croak in it. I cover it back up quietly. I walk backwards, chewing my nail.
I get dressed quickly and walk out.
Dropping my bag on the floor, I walk to the windows. The outside is big. The forest is far away and the city sleeps beyond that.
I see my reflection and turn away.
I yelp and jump back when I see the huge body standing in the doorway.
His face is serious as he adjusts his sleeves. “Come with me.” He mumbles.
I follow behind him and we head downstairs. I pass the woman statue and her sad face follows me as I pass by her. We walk down a hallway to pair of sliding doors.
He opens them and waves me in.
The large space has more dark. Everything is so spooky and alone. I feel Oliver is not liking colors.
He points to a chair. “Sit.”
I sink into the chair and play with my fingers.
He puts a hand on his hip and scrubs his face. He walks around me and stops in front of me.
After an uncomfortable moment, he leans his hands on the arms of my chair, making me lean back. His face is inches from mine.
“Why are you here?” He growls.
Outside of the noise of the bar, his voice hits my chest even more.
My lips turn down and my body heats. He wants my secret, but I’m afraid of what he’ll do with it.
He leans closer. “Tell me.”
“H-Hiding.” I whisper.
“From what?” He tilts his head to the side.
I sniff and swallow. “From him.”
“Him who?” He asks.
My eyes well again as Michael’s face enters my mind. “Him.” I squeak.
He studies my eyes. “Michael.” He whispers.
I slowly nod as a tear falls.
“Why?”
My lip trembles. “He hurts.” I choke.
“He hurt you.” He looks deeper into my eyes.
Again, I quickly nod and look down.
He lifts my chin. “Look at me.”
“OK.”
My wolf is screaming in my body to run. To fight. To not take Alpha direction. I understand, but there’s something that says stay. Listen. Don’t do it.
I don’t want to be alone.
She fights me and I feel her build.
“Where is he?” He asks.
I shake my head no.
“Tell me.”
I press my lips together and shake my head no again. My hands start to shake and my heart races.
He places a hand on the back of my neck. “Tell me, now.” He grits.
I grip my thighs and close my eyes.
In the dark, my world boils.
‘DON'T TELL HIM! HE'LL END US!’
My wolfs voice echoes up out of the boils as he grabs my chin.
“I said look at me!!” He clenches in anger.
“NO!!” I kick him back, toppling the chair backwards and rolling onto my knees.
He stops himself and I whip my head up.
My wolf surfaces and I see him through a red lens. She growls and her canines descend.
He picks up the chair and throws it. “I don’t want to treat you like a bitch, but I will if I have to.”
I lift a hand and my claws come out.
He lifts a finger. “Ezra, last warning.” He eyes me with a cautionary glare.
My wolf fills me with her confusion and turmoil. My mind mixed up and run at him.
I jump at him preparing to hit him with my claws when he grabs my arm and throws me. I hit a wall and hit the floor.
I lift my head and my eyes glow even more. I snarl at him as he rolls up his sleeves.
“Michael messed you up. I see that. But baby, this isn’t what you want.” He says as he lowers his hands to the floor. He braces his feet as I do the same. “Challenging me will not change anything.” He grinds.
The two of us crouch on opposite sides of the room. Glares fire back and forth and the tension thickens. My wolf intensifies her position. Her chest vibrates and her claws dig into the carpet.
I see Oliver get bigger and his eyes glow gold. He opens his mouth and his canines are out. “Just remember, baby bird. I’ll defend myself to the fullest. I won’t hold back.”
“You don’t rule.” My wolf growls. “We don’t need Alpha scum.”
She lunges and he rolls. He lifts his legs, catches my chest and kicks me into the air.
My head hits the stone of the wall and I land on the floor.
I can’t see. I can’t feel. He talks, but it’s a million miles away.
‘I don’t want to hurt you…’
His voice trails off as my wolf dies in the dark.
Before everything fades, another voice comes through.
‘Help me…’
My wolfs open jaws strike out of the void, her teeth grab me and pull me into the black.
‘NO!’