Born For The Alpha

Karina whimpered with pain. She was tied to a post in a different prison cell. Her arms and legs were secured to the post and she was in the middle of the room, her back, covered in welts clearly formed by a whip.

The penance guard who was standing behind her with a whip was looking at Gillow for further instruction.

"Mercy...Mercy..." she kept muttering weakly.

"Let her go." Gillow ordered the man. He was reclining against the bars of the penance cell. And now he walked over to Karina and circled over to face her. She had her eyes on the ground, her skin, sweaty, her breathing, unsteady.

Gillow was still mad at her. He had trusted her to guide his mate and report to him any danger that might affect her. In fact, she was supposed to report everything to him right from what she ate to her school results.

So far, she had done that but he wasn't built to tolerate laxity. It wasn't in him to be gentle. It was those kind of traits in a leader that weakened a pack and he was glad he possessed none of it.

"Karina."

She quickly raised her weary eyes to meet his gray ones.

"Now, I'm all ears and you better talk fast."

"There's this competition that was...was advertised for people with unique birthmarks and she...she participated."

Gillow was shocked. "What? And you didn't think for a moment that it was fishy?"

The penance guard glowered at her and it seemed like he would have increased her torture if he had this information earlier.

"I...I thought it was harmless." She sputtered.

Gillow grunted, his teeth gritted together in anger.

"Where is the venue of this show?" he demanded.

"It is online. She already sent pictures of her mark to them. I believe that the result is supposed to be out today."

"So, you didn't think that the enemy pack could have been behind this?" he thundered. "That even Jacob could be in on this?' "I swear, I didn't."

"Since when did Jacob know about her mark?

"Two years ago."

"Damn it!" He swore.

"I'm sorry but...he is nice."

"I'm sure he is when he's inside you."

"Please, he...he has a good heart. He has always kept her safe too."

"Or perhaps he is just bidding his time."

The words came out as a statement of fact.

"I'm sorry."

"If her safety is compromised, you will be."

Gillow retrieved his phone from his pocket and dialed Arda's line as he stormed off the cell. At the same time, he left instructions to the penance guard. "Release her and send her to the healer briefly. She will fix her error right about now and Karina!" He paused in his strides and turned in her direction.

"Alpha." She answered wearily.

"Do not return without her."

***

Arda was still standing in the living room. The fear of leaving the house was overwhelming. She could not reach Jacob and Karina. Should she call her parents? She didn't want them to be worried. Maybe she was overreacting. Was she? She really didn't want to raise a false alarm by calling the police. Somehow, she was inclined to listen to Jacob's words about that.

Her phone rang and she almost jumped out of her skin. In her fright, the phone slipped off her hand and fell down on the rug. Thankfully, no damage came to the phone.

The number that flashed across her screen was not familiar but she was drawn to pick the call and she rescued the phone from the ground and answered the call. If the caller was fishy, she would call the police, false alarm be dammed.

"Hello." She said, her heart beat pumping faster than it already was.

"I trust you're home?"

Arda recognized his voice. Always so authoritative, she thought. At this point, she didn't understand it but she was not too scared. Any familiar voice will do, even one from a somewhat familiar stalker. "Do you know who's on the line?"

"How can I forget?" she did not bother to hide her sarcasm.

"I'm flattered." He said and Arda couldn't hear a trace of humor in his voice. "Now, what is the result of that birthmark show of yours?"

Arda could not mask her shock. "How on earth did you know about that?"

"What is the result of this...competition of yours?" he demanded, ignoring her question.

"I...I..." Arda stammered in her confusion.

"Calm down and speak clearly."

"I'm...I'm expecting my present tonight?" The statement came out as a question because Arda was no longer sure but the last time she checked, that was the case. "Goddamn it!" he swore. "Listen to me, do not let anyone inside the house. Karina will be coming for you with...friends."

"What?"

The line went dead. Karina? She thought. God, what was going on? This was not how she expected her day to be. How did this man know Karina? She felt as though her head was expanding. It seemed like she was going to faint at any moment. With shaky limbs, she shuffled over to the nearest couch and sat down.

She took deep breaths in an effort to calm herself. She tried to think positively in order to try and make sense out of the situation. If Karina was coming for her, then she guessed being on his side would be safe.

A knock sounded at the door and she panicked, almost jumping to her feet. She knew that she needed to be careful in her current situation.

Arda hastened to the television and switched it off. She didn't want any domestic noise in the air, giving away her presence so easily. She quickly put her phone on silence. Then she tiptoed to the window and peeked through an opening at the end of the window.

It gave her a direct view of the apartment's frontage. A black truck with tinted glass was parked there. Arda swallowed hard and backed away from the window. Her phone started buzzing and she saw that it was Karina. She crouched on the ground and received the call.

"Karina what is going on?" she whispered.

"I'm at the door. You'll get answers later."

Arda went to the door and opened it. Karina was there and they both ended the call and rushed into each other's arms.

"You don't look too good." Arda observed as soon as they broke it off. Karina was not looking her usual diva self. Her eyes were puffy, her face plain and her lips dry.

"I know." She answered. "Where is Jacob?"

"He left in quite a hurry and he was acting all weird. Are you guys in some kind of cult or what? And how do you know that...that..." Arda couldn't find a befitting word for the Alpha. "Stalker?" She finally decided "Now is not the time. Please let's just..."

An impatient horn blared from the truck outside, interrupting her. "We have to go." She said urgently.

"Am I in danger?"

"Let's go, Arda please. If anything happens to you, I'm dead."

"Jesus, Karina." Arda yelped as Karina grabbed her hand. "I'm not moving an inch. Jacob said I should stay inside."

"Trust me, he would want you to come with me."

Another horn blared from the truck.

"Listen to me. You're not safe."

Arda hesitated, her heart pounding.

"Look, I know I've not been so straight with you but if there's any time to act now and ask questions later, this is..."

A black SUV approached madly and the window was rolled down. The glass was also tinted. A man poked his head through the window, his eyes hidden behind dark glasses.

The man thrust out his hand and on it was a pistol. He aimed it at Arda and she opened her mouth to scream. Her scream was cut off as Karina pushed her down and shielded her with her body.

A couple of silent bullets hit the porch stairs. Karina crouched beside her, retrieved a gun tucked in her waist in one swift move and aimed it at their assailant. She took a shot at him but he was already rolling up his window. The car did a quick reverse, turned and left as swiftly as it had arrived.

Karina pulled Arda up to her feet. "They probably didn't expect company."

"Why would anyone want me dead?" Arda whined, hysterical and the door to the waiting truck was swung open. Two huge men in black suits alighted. One was the driver but the other one alighted from the passenger side. They were the guards that had arrested Karina at the forest. "What the hell is going on over there?" the driver demanded. "Those guys might be back. We need to leave."

"We have to go now." Karina told Arda.

"Oh God, I'm going crazy." Arda said, finding that she could not move because of fear.

"We need to be patient with her." Karina responded.

"I think you should get her." The driver said to the other guard.

"Certainly." He responded and marched towards Arda. Karina threw her hands up, exasperated and confused.

"Don't touch me." Arda began to protest as the guard reached her. He moved so fast, Arda didn't know when she found herself on his shoulder.

"You brute." Arda cursed and began pounding his back with blows, her hands, balls of fists. The guard seemed to feel nothing as he carried her unceremoniously towards the truck. The driver was already inside and Karina followed behind them.

When they reached the truck, he put Arda into the backseat and shut the door. "Brute." She cursed at him as Karina joined her in the back seat.

Ignoring her, the guard returned to his seat and shut the door. "Brute." Arda cursed again and started crying. Karina put an arm around her in an attempt to try and calm her down.

The driver who had already started the car, backed it off the curb and drove into the night as Arda lay her head on Karina's shoulder and cried.☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐