The Wolf Within

Four

            I groan as the fog clears from my head and I slowly come out of the darkness that surrounds me. I feel cool silk sheets against my wet skin and shift in the bed I currently reside in. Opening my eyes, I take in my surroundings noticing I am in one of my father's guest rooms. I sit up in the huge king-sized bed and find I am not alone. I turn my head to see a light emitting from the bathroom. Standing, I swing my legs over the bed and freeze as the door to the bathroom opens to reveal Eric in nothing but a towel. His eyes lock with my own. "You are awake," he breathes out.
"What am I doing here?" I ask.
     "I thought it would be best to bring you back here, so we could talk about a few things," he answers and crosses the room to the far closet. I remain sitting on the bed and breathe out, remembering I need to behave as best I can. I hear the rustle of clothes and soon Eric is pulling up a chair to sit across from me. He is in a white t-shirt and black boxers now. " I don't like the way you speak to me nor can tolerate you running away from me, defying me. I cannot tolerate the way you ignore me as if I am invisible. I cannot handle you being so disobedient," he says sternly, his voice becoming deep and a bit angry. I gaze at him, studying him as his emotions play across his face. I stand up from the bed and am aware of how I wear nothing but the strapless bra and white lace panties. I know my auburn hair is a mess and hangs down in waves just a few inches above my breasts. Eric's eyes follow me as I go around the bed. "Unfortunately, I do not give a damn about you being frustrated with me. Ask my father how disobedient  I can be," I answer curtly and watch as his hazel eyes become inflamed with anger. He rises so fast from the chair that it is thrown back against the wall; he comes towards me, but I do not let him become close. I back away and stand adjacent from him. "You may be disobedient with your father and disrespect him, but you will not do so with me. When we are mated Elena, you will  do as you are told and you will  not defy me," he threatens and lashes out, grabbing onto my wrist and jerking me into his solid chest. My blood boils at his words and I make sure we are standing toe to toe. "You don't scare me Alpha," I stare right into his enraged eyes at my response, "and if you think for one second you can tame me, you are mistaken. I will fight you until my last breath and make you so miserable you will think you are living in hell," I spit and jerk away from him. 

          Eric comes at me and grabs me by both wrists holding them in his grasp. He backs me up into the far wall and traps me there between it and his body. "You are making it so hard, Elena," he whispers into my ear, his voice shaking. He keeps his vice like grip on my wrists and squeezes, "You have no idea how hard you are making this for me, no idea how painful it is becoming to hold him back." His voice shakes even more. That voice I do not recognize comes back, stop pushing him before his other side comes out. The voice inside my head hisses at me and I wince. Eric's eyes widen for a moment and he suddenly releases me. I slump against the wall and grab my head in between my hands. "Elena, are you alright?" he asks and I feel his hand on my arm. I jerk away and stumble sideways. I fall against the door to the room and hurry to get it open, to get away from Eric. My head pounds and those two bright silver eyes stare at me, blinding me so I cannot see. I grab my head again as the voice speaks to me. Stop fighting me or the process will be so much worse for you, the words pound the front lobe of my brain and swirl around inside my head. "Stop!" I cry out and stumble down the hallway. I grasp the wall for help as I struggle to keep my footing. "Elena!" Eric calls out and I hear him coming after me. Hurrying as best I can, I find my way painstakingly to the stairs and try to go down them. Those two silver eyes pierce me and make me cry out in absolute pain as my body seizes and I go tumbling down the staircase. "ELENA!!!" Eric screams and somewhere in the back of all the commotion, I hear my father scream as well. I slam into the far wall as I come to a stop and cannot help but scream as a gripping pain seizes my body, making it impossible for me to breathe. Tears flow down my cheeks and my cries do not cease. My father's face comes within my vision and I cry out again. "Elena, oh god, what's going on? What's happening to you?" he questions and picks me up in his arms, his face wet with his tears. "Help me," I whisper out as pain grips my body again and makes me scream. My father carries me through the house and into the medical room my mother stayed in before she died. He lays me on the bed and I curl up into a tight little ball, squeezing my eyes shut as the pain racks my body. I plead with whomever to make it all go away, but the voice tells me I must go through the pain; I must be able to tolerate it or I will die and cease to exist. I find myself beginning to spiral down into darkness and welcome the black tendrils that wrap around me, that dull the pain and help me to find peace.