Selena slowly opened her eyes, her mind moving at a snail's pace. In her groggy state, she did not know how long she had been asleep. She looked around the spherical room, taking in the several oil paintings, the roaring fire in the fireplace, the sofa and chairs set up in front of the hearth, and the table laden with food in the far corner.
Selena slid from the plush bed and walked barefoot and naked over the plush carpet to the bowl of bread and some meat, where she took a huge, delicious bite and the juice dripped down her chin and throat. She ate another five chunks of meat before noticing the pile of clothes at the bed's end. She dabbed her lips with the back of her fingers and walked over to the bed to open the package. She held up the sheer white gown to the fire and studied the fabric, which glistened like a thousand little lights. There didn't appear to be any spare underwear for her. The Alpha's twisted notion, she scoffed. She knew she had to accept the outfit, and while it irritated her to accept it, she didn't care for the alternative, so she put it on. Fitting snugly, it stressed her shape and made her look stunning.
Selena's rumbling stomach broke the grip of her thoughts, and she returned her attention to the food on the table. For the first time in a long time, she ate and drank to the point of fullness. After finishing her surprise feast, she felt exhausted once more. She did not go back to bed, however. She moved to the wooden door instead, pressing her ear against it. She gave the brass knob a light tug but still got nothing.
Her breath caught as she heard the key turn in the lock. How incredibly naïve of her to seek a fight when she was unprepared, unarmed, and in danger. Her common sense lagged her compulsions even after she had rested and eaten a little. She looked around the room for a weapon, but it was designed with the assumption that someone would look for one. The empty tray caught her attention, and she picked it up. She stood at the doorway, arms aloft, and waited.
The door opened with a groan, and a wolf she didn't recognise stepped inside, scanning the room with his eyes. As soon as he turned to face Selena, she slammed the silver tray down on his head. The hit was thunderous and sent jarring tremors up her arms. With a sigh, the wolf covered his head with his hands.
With renewed resolve, Selena raised her arms to dominate the wolf. She raised her hand, and just as she was about to take a swing at the man's face, a voice rang through the room.
"PUT THAT DOWN, NOW!".
Selena looked for the source of the voice, spotting another wolf. He was with Cayden earlier. She knew a tray was no match for him, so she slowly lowered her arms and tossed the tray aside.
"Ramon, pick up the plate." He ordered.
While still protecting his head with his free hand, the wolf complied.
With her adrenaline still pumping, Selena staggered backward as he took a few measured steps toward her. To show her submission, Selena leaned back against the loveseat and put her hands on her head. She said, "Please... I'm sorry I won't," but he wrapped his fingers around her throat and squeezed, cutting off the rest of her speech. The silver collar burned her skin. Her fists clawed at his iron grip instinctively as she struggled for air, and tears welled in her eyes.
As he stooped over, his brown eyes met hers. He snarled, "Do... not... do... that... again." A little short of breath, Selena nodded swiftly. He let her go and motioned for the other omega to depart. When he reached the door, he turned around and looked back at Selena, content that she was avoiding eye contact with him. With a turn of the key, the ominous chime of the lock reverberated through the room as he crossed the threshold and the door closed behind him.
*********************
Cayden had sat down in one armchair in front of the dwindling fire. His mind went back to his talk with Ray, the second beta, from earlier. He told him that there was a problem between Selena and a security guard.
He recalled his annoyance at the idea that, despite how well she has been treated as a prisoner of war, she still had the nerve to damage, or possibly kill, a member of his pack.
The problem was that after Ray concluded his story; it didn't quite add up.
"What did you do once she backed down?" He questioned Ray.
He responded evasively, "I... err... I instructed her not to do that again, sir."
In a similar vein, Cayden said, "Hmmm, advised her not to do that again."
Ray said in a trembling voice, "Uh sure, sir," after realizing that something was off-putting to the Alpha.
"This is my last question to you. As you well know, I am an excellent character judge, and I can tell that you are concealing something from me."
"I'm sorry, Sir, but I think my emotions got the best of me." The beta stammered, "Um, I...."
"Yes... and what exactly did you get carried away with?" Cayden questioned in his fake, upbeat tone, which was just as threatening as his bellow of rage.
"She tried to harm one man, and I was unhappy about it, so I believed the girl needed to be reminded of her place," he explained.
The Alpha asked Ray, "How did you remind her of her place?" with a growl.
"I just kind of, grab — I mean - hold, I gripped her by her neck," he murmured. "I left no mark on her, my Alpha. She is not blemished," he added hurriedly, hoping to calm the Alpha's anger.
"That was smart, for if you hadn't," he roared, "I would have run you through with this claw. Tell your men that no one is to lay a hand on MY woman, or they will meet their maker far sooner than they would have liked," he screamed.
Beta croaked, "Yes sir!" as the repositioned claw travelled across his face and press against his cheek. The alpha made a slight cut on the beta's face with a flick of his wrist, eliciting a scream of pain.
As an afterthought, he said, "Let that be a reminder to you, and your guys, too."
Cayden dismissed Ray with a wave of his hand, and the latter bowed brusquely before leaving the room.
Cayden was perplexed; he couldn't place the source of his rage. Before now, he had never felt justifiable outrage at seeing or taking part in the violent treatment of other prisoners. He forced himself to rise from the seat, hoping to rid himself of the conflicting feelings. He took her hostage during a conflict. There was no need to show mercy.
He walked out of his office and back to his room. Because the women he had been with always left his bed once their sexual interlude had run its course, he realised he had never genuinely watched a woman sleep. When he thought about it, he realised they didn't so much sleep together as lay together.
Her dark hair splayed across the pillow, and her large, supple lips parted ever-so-slightly to breathe, adding to her stunning appearance. His interest in a woman had never been so heightened.
When he heard her scream, "Please let me go!" he jumped, turned around to talk to her, and then stopped himself.
Contrary to his expectations, she was neither sitting up in bed nor standing defiantly. She remained where she had been resting a minute before, eyes closed, and hands clenched over the blankets as she cried.
She began silently sobbing and her body shook as the tears fell. Cayden was perplexed; he wasn't sure if he should wake her up. From one nightmare to the next? She hugged herself in her sleep, and he just stared at her. Afraid to wake her with an abrupt shift in weight, he crossed to the other side of the bed and climbed up on the mattress cautiously. He crept up behind her trembling figure and pressed his length against hers, finally encircling her with muscular arms. He noticed a slowing in her whimpering and shallow breathing.
She mumbled something under her breath as she drifted off to sleep.
He cuddled her close, taking in the enticing scent of her hair and skin. The fabric of her dress was almost as lovely as the smooth skin of her neck when he pressed his lips to it, and he cursed himself for not taking his clothing off. He didn't remember her. He tried to recall something from those dark memories of when he was taken hostage by Alpha Hawk. He was mostly confined in the dungeon and barely saw any of his family, but he recalled a few brats running around, and the little omega who had helped him escape. He wondered what had happened to her.
She moved slightly in her sleep, brushing her bottom against Cayden's hips. This caused him to make a deep, guttural sound, his member hardening within his pants and pressing up against her behind.
Since Cayden was an Alpha, he never had to wait to satisfy his sexual needs, but since he was venturing into unexplored terrain, he didn't think it was a good idea to do it when a lady was asleep. He closed his eyes and leaned back, letting his thoughts drift into a lustful slumber.
