Chapter 2 - Franco
The Forsaken Shadows pack had done an exceptional job setting the trap that captured the creature we had brought back to our territory. My wolves had done my bidding well. I was glad that I had allowed them to help me instead of doing everything on my own. It had taken far less time with their assistance.
If I had been forced to bring her in on my own, it would have been possible, but the logistics went so much more smoothly this way. She had been forced into submission, tied up in a sack, and tossed into the trunk of her own car within moments. All that remained was for me to change her tire and drive her back to my cabin as my wolves followed on foot behind us.
There weren’t many times that I felt successful in life anymore, but the feeling of taking down this woman had lit a fire within me that I refused to have quenched. But my fear of failure was strong. A part of me worried that even though my plan had already been put in place, something would go wrong. Some strange circumstance would halt the progress I had made tonight and make my goals untenable.
After the fight with the Pinedale packs a few months ago, I had begun to lose hope. The loss of my beta had been tough. Even though I had known going into the night that his sacrifice might be necessary, I hadn’t been fully prepared for the work that would follow his death. My pack was loyal to me, of course, but a beta needed to be in sync with their alpha in all aspects. Training a replacement wasn’t something any alpha ever wanted to do.
And it was all because of my uppity half-brother Killian and his so-called “allies.”
I scoffed at the word. It was ridiculous for werewolf packs to join forces. Alphas were meant to be alone at the top of the pecking order, not subservient to the whims and wishes of other alphas. The packs of Pinedale and Sparkle Hollow were skating on thin ice by going against the conventions of our kind. Nothing but bad luck followed them. It spelled doom for anyone who crossed their paths.
Unfortunately, we had crossed their paths. But I intended to change my fate and that of my pack, even if it was the last thing I did.
Kidnapping this dark being was the first step toward making things right.
I lifted the sack out of the trunk and slung the limp form over my shoulder, carrying it inside my cabin. The sun had nearly set, and a hush had fallen over the forest around us. The only sounds were those made by the pack as they went about their usual pursuits.
“Make sure no one bothers me,” I ordered my second, Dylan, as I shut the door.
After setting the bag roughly on the floor, I pulled a long knife from my pocket, cut the burlap with one quick stroke, and dumped its contents onto the floor.
During the capture, I hadn’t paid much attention to our quarry’s features, and I was shocked at what was before me. I had expected to see a feral, evil enchantress. Instead, I found a completely normal-looking woman. The only strange thing about her was the long, straight, bright red hair that had spilled out onto the floor around her head.
I bent down and brushed away the strands that covered her face, revealing her rather attractive features. Her supple, pearly skin was unmarked, aside from a large scratch on her forehead that was blossoming into a bruise.
She hit the ground harder than I thought, said my wolf, Blizzard. I’m sure she’ll fix it as soon as she wakes up.
My fingers had continued running through her hair as I examined her face, but as soon as Blizzard spoke, I became aware of my actions. I whipped my hand away from her and stood, staring at her prone form below me. A look of disgust pulled my lips down as I chided myself for my straying thoughts. She may be conventionally attractive, but she didn’t deserve my admiration or pity for her predicament.
I grabbed a chair and positioned it a few feet away from the woman, watching her for signs of movement. No matter how long it took for her to wake from her injury, I would be there waiting.
Luckily, it didn’t take long at all. After only a few minutes of observation, her eyes fluttered open and a look of confusion crossed her face. Her slender hand moved to her head as she winced, holding her injury. She sat up and looked around the cabin as she tried to get her bearings.
I didn’t speak as I watched her, choosing instead to stare as she took in the view of her prison. Her eyes landed on the torn bag next to her, and she rubbed her hand across it as she pieced together how she had come to be in this place. An evil grin spread across my face as her eyes settled on me. This was what I had been working toward for years. The moment was finally here.
“You,” she hissed.
She crouched in a defensive position as we locked eyes. I had been expecting brown, but her eyes were a luminous green. They reminded me of sunlight filtering through thick oak leaves.
Focus, Blizzard growled at me.
“Hello, Sienna. Do you know who I am?” I asked.
“Of course,” she spat. “You look like Killian—if he were an evil monster who enjoyed hurting innocent people.”
My eyes narrowed menacingly at her statement while the corner of my mouth turned up in a smirk. If I had learned anything about throwing my enemies off guard, it was to never let them know what you were feeling. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I must have confused you with the other evil psychopath who imprisoned all the werewolf children in Pinedale,” Sienna responded.
I jumped to my feet and took a step toward her before I realized what I was doing. Her anger and defiance had ignited my rage, but now wasn’t the time for a fight. I had a bigger purpose for her than death.
She hadn’t reacted to my sudden movement, either, which gave me pause. Surprising people was one of my favorite moves. I loved to see the way their pupils narrowed in fear as their eyes widened. But this creature hadn’t moved a muscle. Wasn’t she afraid of me? Didn’t she know what I could do to her— would do to her—if I felt like it?
She is afraid, Blizzard assured me. I can hear her heart racing from here.
Good , I replied .
“If you’ve heard of me, then you know what I’m capable of,” I said to Sienna. “You’re in my territory now. I suggest you cooperate if you want things to go well for you.”
“I’m not a part of Killian’s pack, so your whole plan to kidnap me and get some kind of retribution on him is stupid and pointless. You won’t hurt him by hurting me,” she said spitefully.
I laughed maniacally at her statement, even though there was nothing funny about what she’d said. My goal was to unbalance her thought process. I could see from the fear and disgust on her face that it was working.
“I didn’t bring you here to hurt my brother,” I told her quietly.
“Why, then?”
I narrowed my eyes at her. This was it. I finally would get to tell my story and fix the evil that I had been cursed with.
“I’ll tell you a little story.”