Bronze

Chapter 3

^Leah!^
This is how I imagine her, but feel free to envision her how you like!

Leah

I woke up the next morning famished.

There weren't a lot of clothing options, but I found an oversized shirt in the closet and some basketball shorts in the dresser. When my stomach growled painfully, I knew I had to find some food somewhere.

Here goes nothing...

I tried opening the door and was surprised that it wasn't locked. And then I was face to face with a solid chest. The scent alone told me who it was that stood before me, but I was too afraid to actually look up.

"Hello Alpha," I whimpered, bowing my head in submission.

It was only customary that one bow before an alpha and doesn't give direct eye contact unless stated otherwise. At least, that was how Markus was with his pack. Whether that was true here or not, it was best to keep my head down and not risk getting hurt. 

"Hello, rogue," he said in a cold, emotionless voice. "I would like to know your name."

What an odd thing to ask.

I closed my eyes, willing the shivers to go away. "Leah," I whispered. My bottom lip went between my teeth as I concentrated. The bond was growing. The need to be closer, the yearning to have him kiss me, it was all too much.

"You'll have to speak louder when talking to me," he said, and I was surprised at the raspiness in his tone.

"My name is Leah, Alpha Kane." I straightened my back, looking dead ahead at the buttons on his shirt. Alpha Kane slowly reached out and lifted my chin with his index finger, a gesture I wasn't sure I knew how to handle, and peered into my eyes.

"Leah." He seemed to test my name on his tongue, and it was glorious to hear him say it. "How old are you?"

"I-um." I cleared my throat, trying to look away. "I'm eighteen." He grasped my chin lightly and forced my eyes to stay on him.

"And why did you leave your pack?"

Shit, I couldn't answer that.

The fear spiked in me and I ripped my gaze away.

"Tell me," he urged.

No, this was my fight. I didn't need him telling Markus where I was. What if he just turned me in himself?

I shook my head, successfully making him release me.

He growled annoyedly. "That is all," he grumbled, walking away.

I stood there wondering what had just happened.

After what felt like an hour of just standing in shock, I made my way down the hall to look for a kitchen. I had hoped the shirt I was wearing was long enough, but I wasn't quite sure of the house rules yet. Markus was always strict about the amount of skin allowed to be shown, especially the skin of his future bride.

The halls were lined with beige wallpaper, trimmed in dark oak on both the bottom and the top. Paintings of different landscapes adorned the spaces in between pillars, some looking to be older and others appearing to be recently commissioned.

I traveled down the hall until I came upon a set of stairs. Going down, I could hear the district sounds of animalistic grunting and what sounded like a punching bag being punched repeatedly. The next thing I knew, there was a loud, sudden crash that shook the walls, and then it was dead silent.

There was no point in staying where I was, so I ventured back up the stairs and into an open parlor. I went into the nearest door and slammed it shut.