Hideout

T W E L V E

C H A P T E R 

T W E L V E 

A D E L A I D E 

I stood in the biggest bathroom stall, rubbing my hands over my face and trying to calm myself down. I was on the end of my rope again, much like the day I was taken from my apartment. But hopefully this time, I wouldn't get stabbed with a needle. What I needed was space and time to sort my thoughts before I exploded or worse, cried like a baby.

I pulled on the shirt, and went to grab my pants when the stall door was kicked open, the metal lock shattering and spraying onto the ground. The violently swinging door nearly hit me, causing me to flinch back "Leo, what the hell-"

He instantly pinned me to the wall, his hands cupping my bum and lifting me to sit on his hips. "You infuriate me, kitten," he hissed, his mouth latching onto my throat. "Little tigress."

For the first time, his kisses were leaving sparks. My body refused to move the way I wanted it to, wanting to surrender to Leo's touches. Of its own accord, my head tipped backwards and allowed the Alpha complete access to the skin of my neck. All I could do was sit frozen with my legs hooked around him, my arms resting on his shoulders as my brain short-circuited to the sudden submission to him and his claiming mark on me. "Finally, finally you feel something too," Leo hummed desperately. "I've waited for a long time."

"I... I-I-I..." I stuttered dumbly. "L-Leo, this isn't..."

"What? This isn't what? This is exactly what it feels like."

I huffed in annoyance, my eyes closing as he buried his head into his Mark, forcing open mouthed kisses there that had my thighs trembling, so much so that if I was standing on my own feet, I would have probably fallen over. "Put me down so I can think."

"You're mine," he growled. "I'm keeping you forever." He nipped at his mark softly, just enough to send unwelcome shivers down to my toes, goosebumps erupting over my skin. "Stop threatening to leave me."

"Leo, Leo, stop," I snapped at him, finally managing to shove him off of me. "Don't you get it? We've been over this hundreds of times. Once the Elders release me from your name, I'm gone. You can have Big Sur, but I'm not staying."

His fists clenched tightly as his body started to tremble. "No." He pinned me against the wall, but this time it was so he could get my full attention, to intimidate me into submission. "I will not let you get away from me. The Elders won't release you until I give a healthy report. That means I give the word for your freedom and if I don't think you're healthy enough..."

I bared my teeth at him. "You wouldn't."

A demanding voice echoed through my head. Everybody get out, Leo ordered in the pack link.

My eyes narrowed at his intentions, examining how his body was still shaking, and how his eyes were glowing now. Leo was close to shifting from the powerful emotions he was feeling, and I wasn't just talking about anger. It was no secret that he was releasing aroused pheromones, but I was choosing to ignore them. "Whatever," I grumbled, attempting to shove past him.

"I didn't mean you."

I rolled my eyes. "I know. But I'm leaving anyways. I can't stand to be around you any longer."

And then Leo lost it. Just as I knew he would, but thought I didn't care. With a fearful squeak, I threw the door open and tried to run, hearing him shift immediately behind me. When I got into a sprint, my feet slipped on a puddle in the bathroom and fell onto my tailbone. I whimpered in pain, but still scrambled to try and get back up before the wolf smashed into me. His paws also slid across the wet floor, and sure enough, I was thrown against and underneath him, with Leo trying to get his jaws near my throat to force me into submission. Again. We hit the tile wall hard, and I whined in pain, my back taking most of the brutal hit.