Forged in Fire (Forgotten Series, #2)

Chapter Nine

I lingered in the shower, the hot water felt like heaven despite the fact I knew I was trapped in a prison. If I hadn't been so exhausted I would have been seething with anger and panic. He had refused to reject me and then mocked me, telling me to reject him. Both my wolf and I were pissed to all hell about it. I was never supposed to have a mate, especially one that was an arrogant, puffed up Alpha who was now going to keep me locked up in his territory.

The thought nearly sent me into a full blown panic attack. I didn't do well with being trapped. I needed to be able to roam around free and knowing that I was probably under lockdown to an Alpha who was being contrary simply because he didn't like being told what to do. I swallowed hard, scrubbing at my face as I tried to breathe through the sudden panic that felt like it was crushing my throat.

I nearly wheezed as I breathed in and out slowly, trying to fight back the panic I was feeling. I had to work through it, it did me no good to lose control when I was stuck in a place I didn't know with strangers all around me. I needed to calm down, emotions did nothing but make the world worse for everyone involved. When emotions ruled, everything went to shit.

I inhaled deeply, exhaling in a rush. I needed to be rational and think things through. I knew I needed to escape but I also knew I needed to know my enemy in order to appropriately handle what was going to happen. I did know I had been surprised to know he was an Alpha at all. A leaner male wearing glasses and lacking power. I had though the older male in the room had been the Alpha at first but that was until Jackass addressed him, the male leaning casually against the large wooden desk. The male with grey eyes are hard as stone but were more watchful than a hawk's.

The thought made me grit my teeth. He wasn't supposed to have a face or a body or any characteristics. He was supposed to be number thirty on my rejection tally list but instead he had essentially kidnapped me and was holding me hostage because he said he needed a mate. It was all bullshit. No one needed a mate like me. I was too weak, a muddie in most eyes but the memory of his overly warm body pressed against my back as he laid claim to me in front of the three others, made me question that. I could still feel the surprisingly dominating growls rumbling through my back. From an Alpha that seemingly lacked power, they were very dominating growls. It was odd. I shivered as the feeling of the vibrations ran through my once more.

I cursed heavily and I scrubbed at my skin with a wash cloth. I needed to get the feeling of him off of my skin. My hormones were everywhere and that was not a good thing. I was so used to dealing with new mating bonds, the ones that were brittle and fragile and easy to break, that I hadn't remembered what it was like to actually feed a bond. I wasn't sure if I liked remembering it.

The stronger the bond grew the less inclined I would be to reject it but the thought of him not actually accepting the rejection held me back. He seemed like the person who would be contrary enough to let the bond remain intact just to spite me. In fact that was exactly what he was like. I was fairly positive that was the reason he had stated he wanted to keep me.

I honestly hated him. I truly did. I hated him for not taking the easy way out of the situation. He had to be difficult and let his pride rule his better judgment. I knew it was pride because no Alpha in their right mind would ever want me as a mate. My wolf protested faintly and I felt a ping of sadness. I wanted her back so badly that it ached at times. Even though she was still there it was different from when I had grown up. She had always been there for me and I knew I would never truly be alone with her. Now I wasn't too sure.

I shivered with cold and turned the heat up. I was thankful for the chance at a shower, despite how much i did not appreciate being stuck in this place. I had been freezing and the summer night had done nothing to protect me from the iciness of the water. I rubbed my arms and let my body shudder. My legs trembled and I slowly sat down under the spray. The shower stall wasn't entirely exactly large but I was able to sit down somewhat comfortably. I drew my knees up to my chest and sighed.