14. Vivianna
VIVIANNA
Ifelt a pang of loss when the scent of fresh mountain air and pine trees disappeared, but I wasn’t ready to deal with the world just yet. I hid deep in my mind, curled up next to my wolf’s essence.
You’re going to have to face this at some point, my wolf pointed out pragmatically.
I’m aware, but I don’t have to right now. I hurt all over, I can’t remember when I last ate, and this bed is sinfully soft, I said, snuggling deeper into the covers.
Some wolf you are, letting your abuser off the hook so easily.
That’s not what I’m doing, I snapped, pulling the pillow over my head like that would make her go away.
If what happened to me was real, then I was going to be living with this voice in my head for the rest of my life.
I was never going to be alone. Part of me loved the idea of that, but the other was used to being a self-sufficient loner.
I knew that the only person that would have missed me thus far would be Chief Mitchell.
Even then, that would be because I didn’t show up to meet him about the escape supplies he was going to help me with.
Harrold, the owner of my gym, was dead, so he wouldn’t notice when I didn’t come in for a week.
Come to think of it, I really had no idea how long I’d been MIA.
Seeing as my wolf was quiet, it didn’t seem like she had any answers either.
My mind wandered to the events of the day.
Had I almost ripped Vadik’s hand off? I know for sure I broke his wrist in half—that would be a nasty recovery if they could save it at all.
I might have made him unable to use his left hand ever again.
Come to think of it, when he came back, it was bandaged, but he still had full use of it.
Don’t forget that you tried to bleed him out through the artery in his leg. Can we not do that again? He tasted awful.
Thank you for adding to the list of atrocities that I’ve committed.
No problem.
Those were in self-defense though. What I did to that other man, the gray wolf, was monstrous.
Tavas, that’s what the other alpha called him. You had no way of knowing he wouldn’t hurt you. It’s always better to strike first.
I nodded to her, absently reliving the attack. He hadn’t fought back when I pounced. No, he’d changed and let me gnaw on his throat, then pet my face, trying to calm me down. Who in their right mind would do that?
I could feel my wolf readying an answer.
No, please, I just want to process without your thoughts.
You’re the reason why I attacked him in the first place.
I was perfectly fine to hide out and let him pass, but you pushed me!
Internally, I could feel her cower back at my anger and frustration.
She didn’t say anything in her defense and honored my request, curling up and giving me back my mind.
I felt a little bad about yelling at her; I knew she was just trying to keep us alive.
Without her help through all this, I wouldn’t have been able to free myself.
My wolf had protected my brain, closing it off to my emotions and feelings.
Her calculating personality was much stronger than my human mind.
I could see how a guy like Vadik could turn into a monster. Letting your wolf rule over your emotions made you feel superhuman. It was addictive.
Speaking of addictive, is that coffee?
Oh… are we talking now?
I rolled my eyes, sighing. I’m sorry I asked you to back off, but I just needed to work through some things without you adding your two cents.
My wolf huffed but accepted my apology. Yes, someone just made coffee, and it smells like it’s a dark roast—our favorite.
I decided that coffee was worth getting out of this bed for.
I could just get the coffee and run without anyone else noticing.
I tossed back the covers… then remembered that I wasn’t wearing anything but an army-green blanket.
I looked around the room and spotted a stack of clothing at the foot of the bed.
When I went to investigate, I found a pair of soft gray sweats and a T-shirt.
I picked them up and headed towards a door that was half ajar, hoping it would be a bathroom.
I set the clothes on the toilet while I turned on the water for the shower.
I was filthy, covered in dirt and blood.
Not to mention, I didn’t smell very good after my whole ordeal.
Surprised, I found the shower stocked with the necessities along with options for body wash.
One was more manly; the other was a light jasmine scent that I gravitated towards.
A shower could do wonders for the soul, and I felt much more human after rinsing the remnants of my nightmare off. The cuts and bruises still served as a vivid reminder of the ordeal, but those would fade eventually. Unable to find a blow dryer, I just toweled my hair as well as I could manage.
Clean and ready, I walked to the bedroom door.
I paused, looking at the door handle. Would it be unlocked?
Was I still a prisoner, just in a finer cage?
Taking a deep breath, I turned the handle.
The door swung open, revealing a hallway with four other doors.
I waited a heartbeat, listening, my wolf helping me tune into my enhanced hearing.
The rooms were empty, but I could hear muffled voices downstairs—the men who’d brought me here—and others that were in a room below me with a hum of technology in the background.
Deciding that I wasn’t going into an obvious trap, I padded down the hall barefoot.
As I made it down the steps and opened the door, I felt the tension rising in the kitchen.
Unsure, I almost turned around to go back to my room and avoid the inevitable blow up.
My presence caught the attention of the alpha who was getting ready to pounce, and the tension faded instantly.
I watched each of them carefully, ready to bolt if I needed to.
I still had no idea who they were and what they wanted from me.
The wolf from the alley, Rikkart, stood and walked over to me. He kept his body language neutral as he approached, but I could still feel my hackles rise. The last time we talked, he’d tried to control the situation, and I was not in the mood to be bossed around.
“Hello, Vivianna, it’s nice to see you again,” he said, smiling.
“It’s Viv,” I snapped without thinking.
Playing nice with others is a thing, you know, my wolf chided.
I know, I’m working on it. We don’t even know if we want to play nice just yet.
Oh, trust me, you want to play nice with a man like that. All—night—long.
I cleared my throat and tried again, ignoring her racy comments. “My father is the only one who calls me Vivianna. I like to go by Viv.”
Rik nodded, his eyes warm with humor. “Viv. It suits you. Would you like some coffee?”
“Oh, god, yes,” I said, my shoulders slumping in relief.
“Anything in it?” Rik asked, chuckling as he headed over to the pot.
I shook my head vigorously. “No way, why ruin perfection?”
The others in the room chuckled, drawing me back to the table where they sat.
The guy who’d carried me from the field—the one who’d been about to pounce—was closest to where I stood.
Past him, I was surprised to see the man that I’d stitched up lounging with his feet up, grinning at me.
I blinked a few times before he dropped his feet and walked over to me.
“We haven’t officially met yet. I’m Koit,” he said, extending his hand to me. “I also wanted to thank you for saving my life that night in the alley.”
My hand fit perfectly in his as he gripped it with both of his. He raised it up and kissed the back of my hand lightly, then rubbed his cheek against it like a cat. My wolf jumped to her feet from where she had been curled up in my subconscious, growling and pacing at the border of my mind.
Who does this beta think he is, putting his scent on us? she snapped as my chest rumbled, and I realized I was growling out loud.
I snatched my hand out of his hold before I could understand why. Wait, why are we mad? What did I miss?
“Koit,” Rikkart barked, a low rumble in his voice. “Back off now.”
Koit lowered his eyes and backed away from me, retreating to his spot at the end of the long table. Rikkart walked back over and handed me a mug full of the only thing I cared about at the moment.
“He didn’t mean anything by it. Having an alpha female around is something that we’re all going to need to adjust to,” Rikkart said, motioning for me to sit at the table.
I picked a spot where I could keep them all in view but wasn’t too close to any of them. “I don’t understand what just happened.”
“Dipshit decided to try and mark you with his scent,” the other male at the head of the table said.
“You’re going to need to explain that further, but first, who are you guys?” I asked, feeling frustrated at not understanding what was going on.
“I’m Darius, Alpha to the Moonlake Pack,” Darius said, bowing his head slightly in greeting.
“I’m Rikkart—Rik, if you like—Alpha to the Silver Mountain Pack. Koit is a beta; he’s my second in command—an enforcer, if you will,” Rik said, sipping from his own coffee mug.
“There is also Tavas, he’s the Alpha in Waiting of the Scarred Forest Pack. His father is still leading the pack, but when he steps down, Tavas will be in charge,” Darius explained.
“For the sake of my brain, let’s pretend I know nothing about being a werewolf or that they even existed until—wait. Do you guys know how long I’ve been missing from London?” I asked.
“You were taken three—no, sorry, four days ago now,” Rik said, looking at his watch. “As for werewolves, that will take time to adjust to. All of us are happy to answer any questions that you might have and to help you through this change.”
Well, isn’t he charming, my wolf said, practically purring with delight.
Wait, can wolves purr?