Trapped

"Love, that's enough," Harris scolded. His grip never so much as lessened.

"I have to go to him. Something is wrong."

"Nothing is wrong. Things are going exactly as they should." Harris kissed her forehead as she glared at him. His cock rose inside of her at the glare. "Alice, don't look at me like that," he whispered with a groan.

Alice pushed at him again, harder this time. "Let me go," she ordered.

"Alice, you smell so much better now," he breathed a sigh of relief. "When I met my mate and she had the stench of a human I wasn't sure what to do. I need to confess something to you, love."

"Let me go," she growled as she pushed against him once more.

But just like before Harris held her close to his body as he spoke and continued to stroke her hair.

When had she become the pet?

"Are you going to calm down and listen to me, love?" he questioned.

Even after being treated like this, her wolf was still anxious to obey him. Alice wanted to strangle the animal. "Just spit it out."

"You're so feisty. You'll be perfect for me. In any case. My confession is that I am on a mission from the Goddess herself. And to fulfill this mission she's given me many powers and abilities."

"What mission?"

He smiled. "I'm glad to hear of your interest. She wants me to exterminate the vermin known as humans from this earth."

Alice's heart skipped a beat. "I'll never allow it," she growled at him.

"Ah, you're worried about your pet, right?" Harris smiled at her as he continued to stroke her head. "I'll let him live, as long as he knows his place and never touches you again. He can even live with us if you wish. But the rest? The rest must be razed from this world."

Alice glanced away. What he was saying made sense in a way. The humans had brought so much harm. But then again, did all of them deserve to die?

Justa had taught her that not all of them were the same. Maybe others were like him.

"I still can't allow you to do that." She growled at him.

"Why is that? Why would you want to go against the will of the Goddess? These humans have done nothing for us. When they find us they slaughter us. You know this as well as I do."

"But not all of them are brutal, not all of them are killers. I could understand attacking those that encroach in our territory but going beyond that?"

"Why let them come to us? They swarm over the Earth like the parasites they are. It's only a matter of time before they end up here anyway. Only a matter of time before more of our brothers and sisters are slaughtered."

"But, the women and children have never raised a hand against us."

Harris kissed her nose. "My dear, Alice. I didn't know you had such a tender heart beating inside your chest. The women you worry about are the ones that raise the killers. The children are the ones that grow into that mantle. We kill them and everything stops."

He paused. "Though, perhaps we could leave a few of them alive. We could train some of the children as pets. Your own pet could teach them the ways to be obedient and useful to us. I have heard something about how your pet made your house smell of the most intense things."

"He cooked for me and Mark," she confessed. "But, Harris, we can't kill them like that. There's no way the Goddess wants that. She's not a God of murder and destruction."

"Her heart cries out as we are killed. She's a mother to us all. Are you really so surprised that she seeks to save her children by any means necessary? I know you are scared, but the humans will never hunt us our are relatives again. This is necessary."

Harris's index finger brushed against Alice's neck and as it lifted a heavy weight was left. "What is this?" Alice demanded as she reached up to touch the steel collar around her neck.

A long chain was attached and as she followed it with her eyes she saw the end firmly implanted in the cave wall.

"My beautiful love. My sweet Alice. I worry that you will balk at what must be done and that the humans have poisoned your mind. I want to keep you safe from their devious ways. You will stay here until I return. I promise that you will be kept safe."

"You think this will stop me?" Alice demanded as she slapped his hand away. A new kind of fire raged through her now.

"Yes, you won't be able to shift with this metal on you. Just wait here. I'll handle the humans, and make sure your pet is caged and brought back to you, alive. The rest though, I'm eradicating as the Goddess has begged me to."

"The Goddess would never ask someone like you to do anything for her. You claim to love me and yet you chain me?"

How could she ever have let this beast touch her? Stupid Alice!

Her wolf didn't seem to care though. That part of her was still perfectly content to have been with their mate.

Alice hated her wolf for once in her life.

"I will be back soon. I know that you will forgive me for this and understand why it's necessary." His eyes trailed to her stomach. "If you do happen to have cubs of his, we will take care of them as if they were our own. Do not worry, love. I'm always on your side."

Harris leaned forward and kissed her forehead before turning to leave. Alice watched him go as her wolf whimpered. She ignored the beast. Once he was out of sight her hand went to the collar and she tugged.

It didn't budge from her flesh as if it was glued there. She pulled again, harder this time using some of her wind power to add weight to her struggles.

But again, nothing happened.

She used both hands now, channeling fire into her very fingertips. The metal against her skin didn't even change temperature. It was still cool against her neck.

What had he used against her?

Alice growled and shook her head. No, she wasn't about to let Harris pull this off. She shifted.

Or at least she tried to shift.

As soon as her human form rippled, she screamed as giant steel spikes ripped through her body. Her transformation faded and she fell to the ground on her hands and knees as she panted.

Harris was going to kill all the humans and put Justa in danger.

She couldn't allow that, she wouldn't.

Alice closed her eyes as she prepared herself. This was going to hurt, but she had to catch up with Harris and stop him. She didn't care if he thought he was on a holy mission from the Goddess.

The screams bubbled from her lips one to the other as she forced the change. As she hit the ground as a wolf she panted hard and looked around.

Odd.

There were no remnants of the collar anywhere. Her shifting should have destroyed it.

With a shrug, she turned to leave and ran after Harris but a sharp tug on her throat made her fall to the ground. Her attention was turned to the wall where the chain was attached to the wall and then followed the links right back to her.

No.

The collar was still there even after the transformation. Her body was drained from the forced transformation. What magic she usually had access to was blocked completely now.

Mark's howl echoed from far away and her ears perked. She knew that howl. It wasn't one of him searching for her, which is what she needed at the moment. But it was the call to battle for her pack.

Harris was trying to take over.

She lunged and tried to break the chain from stress over and over but she was dragged back each and every time. Alice growled and grabbed the chain in her mouth, snapping her muzzle shut.

The chains didn't break, they didn't as much as crack from the force. Instead, she only managed to make her teeth sore.

Magic didn't work, strength didn't work, she was trapped in a cave, like some animal while the real monster was free doing who knew what.

Alice howled. This time instead of the screams she put all the focus she had into that one action. Someone, anyone had to be around. She had to save Mark and Justa.

And from the mouth of the cave, a small wolf howled back.

Alice's howl died off mid chorus and she studied the stranger for a moment. She was one of Harris's animals. "You're Sucrose, aren't you?" she demanded as she crouched to the ground.

If this wolf was prepared to attack her, she'd see what kind of Alpha Alice was. She'd rip that little wolf to pieces.

Sucrose bobbed her head in a nod and continued to come forward. Her head was held low as she approached.

Alice growled a warning but Sucrose didn't stop. The little wolf drew near and then she pounced.

**

Author Note: This book will remain free, but Patreons for Maria Warren Writes will be able to pick up a digital copy of it to keep when it is finished as well.