Challenge

Danica

I groaned and rubbed my eyes, it was feeling so heavy. And why was I feeling so dizzy. I sat up and sighed, since when was my bed so comfortable, I slowly opened my eyes, I looked around feeling shocked for a moment. Where was I. I sniffed the bed and groaned low, what smelled so sweet, spring rain and cedar wood. I inhaled deeply. But there was something wrong with the scent. I gasped as everything came rushing back.

He found me, he fucking found me and then knocked me out.

I groaned low in my throat and tried to stand up, one feet..two feet...three feet.

Thud, I tripped on my own two legs, and that was when I noticed my hands were chained to the fucking headboard...what the actual fuck,.... and my legs were chained to the bottom of the bed.

"What the hell is this!," I screamed. "Is this the way you treat your mates?, You fucking chain them to the bed?!!".

I heard someone chuckle behind the brown iron door before it screeched open. In walked the Beta.

"I was starting to think you'd never wake up." I noticed he carried a tray of food with him, I eyed the spaghetti and meatballs and orange juice while my stomach growled, I licked my lips. It's belong I had the opportunity to eat normal food.

He laid the tray beside my legs, clearly avoiding coming near me.

"What?Are you scared of me now?." I asked. "Are you scared I might use my powers against you?."

He laughed, like I said something funny. "No I'm not," He answered. "I just don't want your mate to get worked up when he smells me on you, you're unmarked, you don't smell like him yet, so he views other men as threats."

I rolled my eyes, he said it like I was planning on mating with his Alpha.

"So am I going to be a prisoner here?." I nudged the chain.

"Of course not," he scoffed. "As soon as you agree you're his mate, and you give your word that you're not going to try and escape, agree to mate with him, you'll be free to roam around as you like."

"So I'm basically a prisoner until I agree to your terms?."

"Yes, that's right, but I won't exactly call you a prisoner, let's just say you are mentally ill, so we chained you to keep you from endangering yourself and acting out."

I'm pretty sure I paled at his words. I lunged at him, but of course I got nowhere because the chains dragged me back.

"Come here frog head!, And I'll show you what a mentally unstable person can do!."

He smirked and turned to walk away. "Are you scared Beta, scared your Alpha's Mate is stronger than you!?." He didn't stop walking.

"Why are you ignoring me!Don't ignore me damnit!!." He pushed the door closed.

I sighed and looked down at the food, almost kicking it away, but the rumbling of my stomach stopped me.

Well, I might as well enjoy my stay here.

Jerome

I walked into the hall, feeling so angry I could almost see the smoke coming out of my ears. People whined, others groaned in pain. They could feel my anger and it was affecting them. The council already sat waiting for me. I reached my seat and sat down.

"Who started the rumor?." My voice came out growly.

Piper stood up trembling. "I did." Piper was twenty three, finished college last year, came back home and declared herself the barbie of the pack, she dyed her hair blonde, her nails pink, clothes...pink or purple, practically a living barbie doll. sure I've fucked her, she practically threw herself at me, I knew she saw herself as the Alpha's bitch or something, but I sure as hell didn't know who gave her the right to start rumours for me.

"Would you repeat exactly what you told your friends?" She paled and tried to stop her hands from trembling.

"I….I...I said you imp... imprisoned your mate and locked her in your room because she was weak and submissive, and you didn't want anyone challenging her because you were scared she'd be humiliated which in turn would make you look w...weak and embarrassed." She stopped.

"Was that really all you said?." I asked desperately, trying to even my breath.

"I..I said she was ugly and sour to the eyes and that was why she covered herself up and also one of the reasons you locked her up."

I laughed in my mind... ugly?.

"Was that all?." Piper nodded.

I stood up from my chair which made Piper flinch and move backward.

"To all of you who believed the rumors, added your own, laughed about it, took it to the other pack!," I stopped for a dramatic pause. "I am disappointed in you.

"I know it's my fault for not telling you exactly what had been happening for the past three weeks, but it came as a shock to see exactly how far my pack members could go to gossip.

"You all think she's weak, ugly, submissive and the rest, I won't caution you, I'd rather let the person who the rumors are about decide how she wants to go about it."

I walked down the hall, ignoring the looks of confusion and disbelief.

"I am very sure many of you would like to know if she's weak and submissive like you all think, and I'm pretty sure my mate would like to prove otherwise

"Who would like to challenge her place as the Alpha's Mate!?Talk now or forever hold your peace!."

I turned back to them and was surprised to see more than five women stand.

"I am deeply surprised. The challenges will be held every Wednesday for seven weeks."

With that said, I exited the hall, More angry than I was when I first entered. Vincent met me midway to my room.

"She already woke up," I didn't need to ask who. "You think she'll agree to fight them, think she'll accept their challenge?."

I smirked. "Sure she would, I know exactly how to make her."

Danica

I sat on the bed, whaling in my misery when the door opened and the Alpha male walked in.

"Wow what a surprise, a visit from the Alpha himself." I tried to make my voice sound less sarcastic.

"You're in my bed, so don't act out." He actually came so close that I had to bend my neck so our face wouldn't touch. And then he actually followed my neck and practically shoved his nose down my neck and inhaled.

"Hmm, Honeysuckle and vanilla." He muttered. I cringed and tried not to breathe in his scent too.

"You should let me go, I'm not going to be your mate."

"Hmm." He muttered.

"I'll take the first chance of escape I see."

"Hmmm." He joined our foreheads together, I tried to move but he held me still.

"You have no idea how much I've fantasized about you in my bed."

"Enjoy it while it lasts."

"Hmm." Okay the word was starting to annoy me.

"Am I going to be your prisoner?." I asked when he released my head and moved back.

"No you're not, if you give me your word right now that you're not going to use your powers against us, or try to escape, I'll release you."

I knew the moment my eye color changed, he had that look of amazement.

I looked him in the eye and whispered.

"You are going to release me, you'll let me go and forget you ever found me."

"Hmm." He answered. I was really close to hating the word.

"Release me." I whispered again.

"Hmm." When he didn't move to do any of the things I said, I got confused. Why wasn't my compulsion working?

He must have noticed my confusion because he chuckled and actually kissed my cheek.

I almost swooned... almost.

"Your compulsion won't work on me."

"Why." It sounded like a stupid but accurate question to me.

He smiled. "I won't tell you my secret."

I scoffed. "Please release me."

"Give me your word." He growled out.

I scowled at him, he sighed,"You really want to go?."

"Yes." I answered, even though it seemed like a stupid question.

"Tell you what, I'll release you, I won't do anything to you against your will, I won't force you to accept, but only if you give me your word that you won't run away."

I stared at him, wondering why the sudden change. "Why the sudden change of mind?."

"Don't get me wrong, I still want you as a mate, and it's an ache I can't get over, but I won't pressurize you again."

"You won't make me do what you want?, I get my own say?."

"Absolutely, as far as it's within reason."

If I stay here and not mate with him, just stay. Will it be safe?, Won't I put the pack in danger?.

No you won't. I heard Mylo's voice in my head. I jumped, making Jerome frown at me, his hazel eyes narrowing in confusion.

I looked around the room, wondering where Mylo was talking to me from.

Under the bed. That was Berry. Oh great, they were under the bed.

Should I agree? I asked.

Yes. The four voices answered.

We'll get free food...real food. Jerry said.

"I'll agree on one condition." I told Jerome.

"I'm listening."

"You let me keep my pets." I mentally pictured the rabbits scowling at me, they hated when I called them pets.

"What pets?We didn't see any pets when we took you."

"Right." Come out.

Jerome jumped as they came out from under the bed.

"Shit, how did they come in?."

"They are my pets, would you let them stay?."

"The four of them?How the hell did they get in without anybody seeing them? You know what?Forget it."

"They're magicians?." I answered sarcastically.

Maybe he didn't hear the sarcasm or he chose to ignore it. "Yeah, sure they could stay," I knew the moment he put the pieces together. "But if they try to tear my room apart, I'll make them pay for it."

I nodded. "So what do Alpha mates do?."

"For starters, try to get familiar with everybody, and stake your claim and your dominance. Rumors are going around that you're weak and submissive and we don't want that. You'll be challenged."

"I can reject the challenge right?."

"If you do, then you'll just be proving them right in thinking you're weak?."

"Ugh, fine."

"But you can't use your powers, you'll have to fight fair."

I nodded.

"Give me your word you won't run away."

I sighed. "I give you my word I won't run away."

"And I give you my word I won't coerce you to do anything you don't want."

He leaned in closed and kissed me before I could react. He held my hand from moving and kissed me softly. My heartbeat sort of accelerated. He moved back and smiled. "You have no idea how much I want to claim you." I felt panic.

"You'll be challenged tomorrow, I'll send your dinner and I'll be back by Eight thirty."

He left. I inhaled and exhaled when the door closed.

Kylo hopped into my lap. I sighed. "He forgot to release me."

Kylo snickered and pointed to my side. I looked and saw a key.

"Well, I might as well unlock myself."

When are you going to stop being afraid?. Jerry asked.

"When I'm sure I'm safe and everyone with me is safe for him."

He might have stopped looking, or even been dead. Kylo said.

"He's not dead, and he hasn't stopped looking, he'll never stop looking for me, I'm his ticket to power Ville... remember."

Maybe you should tell the Alpha, he's your mate, he'll protect you. Mylo said.

I turned to Mylo. "My parents died protecting me, I won't let anyone die because of me again."

They all whimpered and crowded me. Berry cuddled my leg and Jerry the other. Mylo laid his head on my lap, while Kylo tried to straighten my hair.

"I won't let anyone die because of me again." I whispered

You won't. They all whispered back.

Koala

There was something about not knowing what was going to happen next, something about being stalked in the middle of the night, finding your self taking the wrong turn into an alley while the hair on your neck stood on end, knowing any moment your stalker could come out of the shadows and kill you just for the fun of it. Something about not knowing where to turn to, either to run or stay and fight, something about not knowing what could come out of the shadows, the adrenaline rush, the trickle of fear that crawls up your spine, the accelerated beating of your heart as you wait for the strike that could end your life. The feeling of helplessness that makes you feel hopeless.

But not me, I didn't feel those things, I've seen and know what it was like on my victims well enough to know how to fake it. I stretched my senses far and wide until I picked up the soft beating of my stalker's heart. I could make out his frame in the darkness, I could almost make out the expression he wore on his face. It was almost hilarious. A predator, being cautious of his prey.

I swallowed, massaging my throat in preparation for what I was about to do. I needed to make him think I was helpless,needed to make him think I was easy.

"Who's it, come out!What do you want from me!?" I made sure there was an edge of fear in my voice, I wouldn't want my attacker thinking I wasn't scared.

He chuckled and I physically shuddered in fear while I mentally smirked.

"What do you want from me?I have no money."

"Wouldn't that have been a little more interesting if you did, I want something from you and you're going to be giving it."

"I don't know anything please, I don't know anything." I was running out of patience, usually they stopped hiding and showed themselves.

"Or….would you trade information for something else, something like a key to a certain safe."

I stopped all pretense, "come out before I make you."

He chuckled again, "I'm not stupid, I know what you can do to me, I'm not here to fight, I want information and you want a key, we both benefit."

"I could just take the key from you."

"You think I'm stupid?" He laughed,"you think I'd keep it on me?Tell me what I want to know and I'll tell you where you could find the key."

"I could torture it out of you." I was starting to get really irritated.

I felt him shrug. "You could, but what's to say I'll tell you?"

"What do you want to know?"

"The Hortensius family." I tensed,"I got information that one was still alive." He stopped, clearly trying to read my reaction. "What do you know about the person that killed them?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"It's none of your business, I'm the one asking the questions here."

I concentrated on getting into his mind but found it blocked, I smiled mentally, he came prepared, but still not that prepared.

I backed all my power to my next question.

"What current information do you know about the Hortensius family?"

"I know that the lost one is with my pack." He blurted out.

"What's the name of your pack?"

"Woodlands California."

"What's your name?"

"Octavian Vesper." He answered.

I released my hold from him, he blinked repeatedly before his eyes came into focus, all the blood drained from his face when he realized what I had done.

"Didn't your mama tell you never to make a deal with the devil?."

I could tell the moment he decided to run, but before his feet could move, my tentacles came out and latched onto his head, he screamed and tried to free himself while my tentacles sucked the life out of him, a few moments later he finally stopped squirming, I dropped him and walked towards where he lay.

Such a beautiful young man, but now a dried husk.

I bent down to search his body and found only his wallet and phone.

I sighed when the phone rang.

MOM flashed across the screen and I decided to answer it.

"When the fuck are you coming home Octavian?, I can't keep making up excuses for you, I'm telling you kid, I don't want you to loose your position in the pack."

I smiled into the darkness. "I'll be home by midnight, mum." I answered and cut the call.

I looked down at the body, then back at the phone, and then at the night. I couldn't help but laugh.

Master was going to be so proud of me.