Rogue Wolf

Ch 3 claimed

I'm adding different parkour videos as I go. Enjoy!

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They pulled me around, dragging me when I stumbled. I tried to keep my feet under me as much as I could. I didn't struggle or try to fight. There were times it was worth it, like when I could run, and times it wasn't worth fighting, like now.

When they came to a stop they shoved me to my knees. I could hear the guys who brought me here ranging to the sides and behind me. I could hear quiet shuffling further back. When they pulled the cover off my head, I wasn't surprised to find one guy in front of me and the rest behind me.

I took the measure of the guy. I'd encountered all types from my mom's varied visitors. This guy was big, but not huge, and older than the teens that ran the roof. Arrogant, self-assured, in control. He was the kind of man who loved to give commands to prove he had power; the kind who got drunk on the idea of his own power. Yeah, I knew how to deal with this dude.

I kept quiet, not making direct eye contact. Direct looks were often taken as challenges. I didn't bow my head down though, that spoke of weakness. I didn't want to come across as weak. I didn't squirm. Squirms would be taken as fear, and fear fed the desire for power. Better to start letting the guy believe he had all the power, after all, he had me trussed up in front of him. Better to act submissive enough to avoid being a challenge. The opportunity to run would come later.

I was surprised when the guy started in on the teens that brought me here. That was cool, I was being ignored. I was good with being ignored.

I looked carefully around as much as I could without moving, trying to get a feel for the place. There was a door with multiple locks on it. One of them was a double deadbolt. A key was required to unlock that door. No exit there. Where did they bring me in from?

"You drag this runt in here like he's some grand prize? This is what makes you think you're worthy to be my warriors?"

"He's the one that's been invading our territory. You commanded us to capture him, Alpha."

"This? This is what you let running lose in MY territory for the past six months?"

The guy moved back among the group surrounding me. There were grunts from blows landing. I could tell they didn't try to defend themselves. Mr Power Hungry there was exerting his dominance. Fighting back would only feed the guy's anger. I prepared myself to take a few blows. Wouldn't be the first time. Taking the blows would gain this guy's respect to some degree. I knew the blows would come.

One of the guys spoke while blows were still landing.

"I think he would make a good scout, Alpha. I will claim him as my personal beta, with your permission. I've followed his scent around the city trying to capture him. You spoke of needing a good scout..."

Whatever else the guy was going to say was cut off. There were no more blows. The one who spoke up had the leader's attention. He had mine. They'd been trying to find me for six months? I was getting claimed? The guy had said "following his scent". That part didn't make sense. The news that they might have a use for me gave me hope.

"Our room." The words were snapped out, a viscous command. Two went down a hall off to the side.

Some of other guys came closer to me. Hands landed on both of my shoulders. One of them moved foot to foot nervously.

"I think it's better to stay where you were," one of them advised the others.

The guys who had grabbed my shoulders decided to move back. I carefully glanced behind me. They were all on one knee now, heads bowed, waiting for the big shot to come back. I risked another look around. The place was grungy. There was a grey sectional couch. I could hear those few fear-filled people on the other side of it, on the floor. It sounded like two or three people squirming slightly.

Everything I saw reinforced my evaluation that the main guy liked power and he liked fear. I didn't plan on being one of the fear-filled people. The guys who brought me here were granted some level of freedom, of power. The more people that the leader granted power to would increase the leader's feeling of power. That was my target group to belong to, until I could run.

There was noise and a bit of pounding from down the hall. I couldn't make out what was said. It was quiet for a good while, then more yelling and the sound of someone being thrown against the wall. Someone from the frightened group whimpered. I took a few deep steadying breaths, maintaining my calm. I tried to relax. I was good at patient waiting.

I already decided this guy was a psycho. I wondered if everyone here had been kidnapped, and if so, how long they'd been here. I thought about what risks I faced. I still wore my tattered backpack. It was clean of contraband, the last of the drugs either stashed away or sold. Odds are they wouldn't find all my money, and what I had on me that they would find wouldn't raise big alarms.

They wanted me to scout. I had no idea what all that entailed but I was betting it meant not being locked in this apartment. I would get my chance to run. I just had to play my cards right and be patient. Getting nabbed by these guys just might be the best thing that ever happened to me. I had the best reason ever to walk away from the crappy parts of my life.

I knew that once I got away I couldn't go back to Mom. I'd call her, tell her I'd found a place of my own, or maybe that I was staying with a friend for a bit. She would put up token resistance but would let it go. She didn't want to get busted for anything. I figured how much cash I had squirreled away in different parts of the city. Going to a different city was beginning to sound like a plan. Heck, a different state sounded good.

The sound of a door opening and feet walking meant the wait was over. The guy that had been a guard came to stand in front of me, but back behind where Mr Power Hungry had stood and off to the side some.

Mr Power Hungry himself was playing with his so-called warriors. I could picture what was happening just from the sounds. He was manhandling them. Hair, face, arms, maybe lower. Gentle strokes to feed their fear of him. Loving strokes that reinforced his possession of them.

As each one met his approval he pulled them to their feet. They kept their heads bowed before him. I figured there would be one he would end up disapproving of. I wondered how bad and in what way he would abuse the poor scapegoat.

As long as it wasn't me I didn't care.