The Pet🐾 (Completed)

Chapter 8

Jasper

I looked at the wolves—they were from my pack. I shifted into human form and raised my hands in surrender.
"Yo, guys, it's just me," I said.

Then I saw what they were looking at. I shouldn't say what... more like who. Sophia—Ashley's friend—was peering from behind a tree, wide-eyed. Did she see?

"Holy shit, you're a man wolf," she said, still shocked and processing what had happened.

"Yes," I said to her. I looked back at the others. "Well, she already knows, but hey, I was going to tell her sooner or later," I added.

The wolf in the middle walked forward and shifted, covering himself as best he could. I recognized him—Cole. He's, I think, second in command of the guards. He looked over at Sophia, then back at me.
"Is she your... you know?" he asked with a stern face.

I nodded. "Yeah, she is, and she doesn't know about it yet." I glanced at her perfect face and those eyes. I could stare at them for the rest of my life and be completely content if she was only by my side. Realizing I'd been staring too long, I turned back to see Cole's smug, still-angry face.
"Take her back to my room. I need to talk to my brother—it's urgent," I said, using my power.

Cole nodded and shifted back into a wolf. I looked again at Sophia. She was staring at me... well, more at my a-s-s, but it was okay. She saw I noticed and started blushing.
"Go with Cole," I gestured. He puffed up his chest. "He'll take you to my room. And don't do anything stupid," I warned.

She stepped forward, reaching out a hand.
"And where's my friend, Ashley?" she asked, looking deeply into my eyes.

I couldn't meet her gaze and feel okay saying this. I looked in Cole's direction.
"She was kidnapped, but I'm getting her back."

I quickly shifted, not needing to see her hurt face. If I did, I'd have to hold her and console her for eternity. But I needed to focus on the task at hand: finding Ashley. And to do that, I needed to talk to my brother...

Sophia

As I saw the wolf run away, I started following him. But on my first step, Cole jumped in front of me, growling. I stopped. He nodded to his friends, who started walking in the other direction. I obeyed and followed them.

Hugging my chest, I started thinking. Could she really be kidnapped? Why would anyone do that? I know she's hot and all, but enough to kidnap her?

I wasn't sure. Then I started hearing voices and other sounds. Looking up, I saw a town—just houses, though. There were lots of people, and wolves carrying children on their backs, giving them rides.

As we walked, the group surrounded me again. Cole moved to the front; I had one wolf on every side. Did they really think I was going to run? This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience—I'm not missing it. But at the cost of my best friend getting kidnapped, I needed answers fast.

We reached a huge mansion. I had to take it all in: the pillars with wolf statues, the dark wooden roof... it was a masterpiece. Suddenly, something tapped my foot. I looked down and saw a small round ball.

I picked it up and looked around. The wolves surrounded me, but I also noticed a small group of children watching. I raised the ball.
"Is this yours?" I asked.

A boy in the middle nodded. I looked at the wolf to my left, who moved out of the way. I walked over to the children, knelt in front of the boy, and smiled.
"Better watch this, or you might lose it."

I stood and returned to the group of wolves. We climbed the stairs. I looked back at the children, smiled, and waved.

The mansion's inside was even more impressive. Antique furniture, warm tones—it felt homey. Cole led me to a fancy chair and nudged me to sit. I looked around, almost missing when three of the four wolves transformed into humans. Two minutes later, they came out fully clothed.

There were now five humans: Cole, the original three, and the boy. I stood, meeting Cole halfway. I smiled, but he didn't return it.
"Follow me," he said.

We went up spiral stairs, surrounded again: Cole in front, one man to my left and right, two behind me, and the boy trailing. I realized I could ask questions now. The boy seemed like the weakest link.

"So... what's this place called?" I asked.

He didn't notice until the man behind him nudged him. "Oh... um... uh..." he stammered nervously.

"What's this place called?" I pressed.

"It's called the Pack House," he said, looking me in the eye.

We reached the top of the stairs. I walked backward so I could see him fully.
"What do you mean by 'pack'? And how do you use this house?"

The boy looked confused until his friend whispered, "Human," in his ear.

I gave him a dirty look. What did "human" mean—lesser or below them? Finally, the boy answered:
"The pack is a group of wolves that follow one alpha. We use this house for people without homes and for office work. If bad people come, everyone goes inside—it's easier to defend them."

"Hmm... and this 'alpha' person? Who are they?"

"They're the leader of the pack—the king, if you think about it."

"Okay, I get it. But how do you know who's alpha? Couldn't I just bust in and say I wanted to be one?" The boy looked serious, but when I looked around, everyone stared at me the same way.
"Uh... was that something I said?"

We stopped in front of a door. I backed into Cole. He grabbed my arms and turned me toward it. One of the men opened the door. Cole pushed me inside. I stumbled but caught my balance quickly. I stood with hands on my hips, giving the men—especially Cole—a dirty look.

"Guard her. Don't let her out. Stay out here," he told the boy.

"Yes, sir," the boy replied.

"This is your easiest first mission," Cole said as he closed the door.

Oh, it's his first mission... this is going to be fun. And with that, I started devising a way to leave the bedroom...