Chase the Moon (On Hold)

Nine

A gasp ripped me from unconsciousness, and it didn't take me long to realize someone had drenched me in ice water.

"What the Hell," I muttered as I wiped water away from my eyes. I looked up to see one of the rouges smirking down at me.

"Rise and shine, Marky. Alpha wants to see you."

"Your Alpha can go to Hell," I growled out as I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to stop the dripping.

"Fine," the man dropped his bucket and turned to the cell door opposite me. He only made it a few steps before I stopped him.

"Where are you going?"

"I've got orders to get the boy if you don't cooperate."

I clenched by teeth together as he continued walking. "Wait."

He smirked as he spun around, expecting that reaction.

I sighed, running a hand over my face, "I'll go."

"Excellent!" The rouge clapped his hands together once. "You don't mind if I bind you then, do you?"

It wasn't a question, so I didn't answer as he stepped closer and tied my wrists together. I stood, trying my best to ignore the thundering pain in my temples. Usually captives were administered heavy sedatives and metal restraints in these situations, but it's not my wolf they're trying to contain. It's me. These people knew I wouldn't shift, and that if I did I wouldn't be in control. They were using that knowledge to taunt me.

I tried to observe my surroundings as the rouge dragged me through empty hallways. From what I could tell, this used to be a pack house. Something happened here though. Whether they had been wiped out, or had gone under due to financial instability, the previous owners were gone. Now this place provided a well equipped hideout for a pack of rouges. 

I had to find Jesse. I had to find him and get him out of here before they tried anything. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to him. 

"In here," the man pushed me towards a large oak door. After a swift knock, he turned the handle and forced me inside. The door closed behind me, leaving the rouge stationed just outside. 

I turned to see Donovan sitting in the previous Alpha's office chair with his feet up on the desk. It was such a blatant show of disrespect to whoever had lived here last, but no one was around to stop him.

"I trust you understand why you're here, Mark?" he finally broke the silence.

"Yeah," I said with sarcasm laced in my tone, "I'm here because I was woken up with a bucket of ice water and dragged here by one of your men."

"No," Donovan stood and walked around the desk to stand before me. "You're here because ten years ago my Beta was dying. Instead of losing his irreplaceable skill and loyalty, I transferred his wolf into you."

"You ruined my life," I growled.

"I gave you a better one," he said, truly believing his words, "I gave you strength. I gave you power. And you've spent all these years resisting it. Why?"

"That thing murdered the people I loved. My parents. My family. Why would I ever give it control after that?"

"Love isn't real, Mark. The sooner you know that, the better," Donovan said as he picked up something on the desk. It was a picture frame with a little girl in its center. With a frown, he dropped it into the waste basket beside him before he turned back to me, leaning casually against the desk. "Here's the deal, Mark. I want my Beta back, and you're the only thing standing in my way. So either you do as I tell you, or the pup dies."

I felt my breath hitch in panic, but quickly pushed it back down before he could see it.

"You won't kill him," I tried to call out his bluff, "If you do then you won't have anything left to use as leverage."

Donovan smirked, "Would you like to test that?"

I stayed silent, keeping my features carefully passive as he walked to the window.

"You have strong analytical skills, something I would welcome in a Beta," he said, looking out at the evening sky, "But you've forgotten one factor."

"And what would that be?" I asked, keeping my voice as steady as possible.

"My brutality," Donovan grinned wickedly, "I never specified when the boy would die, only that he would. But first we would stretch his body to its maximum limits. How far would his skin flay before it fell? How deep would a drill go before it found bone? How many fingers could he lose before he lost consciousness?"

I felt myself paling at his words. Jesse was just a child, barely sixteen. I couldn't let that happen.

"You will do as I say."

I found myself nodding, even though I knew I wouldn't be able to do half of the things they'd ask of me. I just had to buy myself time. Time to find Jesse and get him away from here.

"Excellent! Then we've come to an understanding."

In all honesty, I felt like throwing up, but I pushed that thought to the back of my mind and stood a little straighter. He could control me, but he couldn't own me.

"So it would seem."