Under The Alpha's Claws

Chapter 7

He takes a step into the room. I want to run. I can't. He takes another. His eyes never leave mine and my eyes remain glued to him. I've been gone for four months, yet it's as if we were never apart. The familiar fear trembles my body. Under his gaze, I shrink down; feeling like an bug under a shoe.

Just when his intense stare starts to feel as though it might kill me, he moves his gaze from me to Luca. "Your orders were to find her and bring her back to me," he growls. "Not find her and stick your tongue down her throat!" With his next step, my heart plummets.

Luca's lack of reply makes me nervous. He's as terror-stricken as I am.

I encouraged Luca to stay, told him that we would be able to do it, and reassured him about his doubts. He comforted me and gave me the confidence to believe I could deal with Cassian. But now that he's standing in front of us, all of that courage and certainty becomes smothered by fear and panic. Neither of us are brave enough to say or do anything.

I lose even more courage when he looks back at me, his stare dark and intimidating. "We're going home."

With the lump in my throat and terror in my veins, I'm unable to find my voice as closes the distance between us. I don't fight back or argue when he grabs my wrist and pulls me towards the door, almost pulling my arm from its socket.

I glance back at a pale-faced, wide-eyed Luca before I'm dragged from the room and out his sight. We make it outside into the sunshine when I'm yanked back by my other wrist.

Despite Cassian's tight hold, and because he doesn't expect resistance, my hand slips free. Luca pulls me back and doesn't let me go until I'm behind him.

I peer over his shoulder to look at Cassian. His eyes wide with surprise yet sharp with pure rage. "What do you think you are doing?"

I hear Luca swallow hard. "We're- we're not going back," he says, trying hard to keep his voice steady.

"Excuse me?" Cassian steps forward, standing in Luca's face. My heartbeat pauses.

Luca hesitates. "We're. Not. Going. Back." He manages to force more confidence into his voice but I don't think it fools Cassian.

Without warning, Cassian grabs Luca's arm. In one swift movement, he pulls him forward, throws him behind him, and lets him go; flinging him like a ragdoll.

Luca slides across the grassy ground.

Cassian waits to watch Luca come to a stop and then flicks his angry stare back to me. My blood runs cold.

I break eye contact for a moment to check Luca who lies on the ground. My heart leaps at the movement of his arm.

Cassian take my attention when he approaches me to stand in front of me, blocking my sight of Luca. Before he can grab my arm, I say, "I'm sorry." He stops, staring at me with a scowl on his face and a lightness appearing in his eyes. "I shouldn't have left," I continue. "I didn't know how good I had it. I've struggled to survive during my time without you."

His body relaxes. A satisfied look softens his sharp features.

Hurry up, I think. Please hurry.

"Please, can you forgive me?" I plead. "Take me back to the pack with you."

"I don't know," he says, sneering down at me. "How could I trust you after this?"

Hurry! "I promise," I say, lowering my head to show my loyalty and submission. "I will never leave you again."

"I will never betray you again," he orders me to repeat.

I do. "I will never betray you again." My eyes never leave the ground between our feet.

"I will do as you tell me," he instructs.

I repeat that too, but I don't know how long I can keep this going, and I have no idea if he even believes me.

His fingers grip my chin to pull my head up to look at him. "I will love you forever."

"I will love you forever."

He closes in, pressing his body against mine and leaning his head down until our foreheads touch. The darkness in his eyes steals the breath from my lungs. "You belong to me."

"I- I belong to you."

He tightens his grip, crushing my jaw between his fingers. "I will not be so stupid," he hisses.

I furrow my brow but prepare to recite his words. Before I can get the first word out, he shoves me to the side and whips around as a black wolf pounces on him. Without the necessary element of surprise, Luca's attack fails.

Cassian wraps his arms around the wolf's ribs and throws him over his shoulder to land with a thud on the earth. Luca has no time to get up before Cassian delivers a powerful kick to his stomach.

He takes several more blows to his ribs and stomach until Cassian decides it's enough to keep him down.

While standing, Cassian begins his shift. He manages to stay on his feet through half the transformation, but ends up collapsing towards the end. Over the years, he's somehow perfected shifting to the point where he does it with ease. He can shift with less pain, without falling, and in record time.

Back on his four feet, a large white wolf stands at Luca's side; almost as tall as me in human form. The biggest wolf in the pack.

I blink and miss the lunge Cassian makes down to the black wolf. Luca releases an agonising cry through a howl with enough emotion to make my chest hurt.

Cassian rips at his skin and fur, tearing off pieces in his mouth.

Luca can do nothing but, whimper, yelp, and howl.

I want to do something, but my feet refuse to move. I'm thankful when Cassian stops and pulls up.

Luca's chest rises and falls at a fast yet even pace despite the wound against his ribcage. His head rests on the ground, facing away from me. Blood sticks his dark fur into clumps. He makes no attempt to move.

"You will never breathe again," Cassian says to Luca, purposely letting me hear it in my head too. He lowers his head down to Luca's throat, bares his teeth and opens his mouth.

"Stop!" I scream into their heads.

He listens. Keeping his mouth over his throat and teeth out, but freezing and glancing up at me.

"Don't kill him. Please," I beg.

With one quick jump, he leaps over Luca and stalks towards me as if he's sneaking up on prey.

My lungs close off. The slow approach makes my blood run cold and turns my stomach. My head swirls like an image in a kaleidoscope. I think I might pass out.

I step backwards to keep distance between us, but my back hits the side of the house and I have nowhere to go. Luca's blood drips off of his jaw and onto my feet. His hot breath blows into my face.

"You have no right to tell me what to do," he growls over my panicked thoughts.

"I won't let you kill him," I say, my voice shaking.

He snaps at me, his long fangs just missing my face. I flinch. "You can't stop me." He snarls and bares his teeth.

Gathering as much courage as I can muster, I reply, "I can and I will."