Trapped

Cassie awoke with a low, pitiful groan. Her whole body ached, but her head especially was pounding, not surprising with how many times she was thrown against the floor as she was dragged from the festival…

The festival! She sat up with a start, immediately regretting it as dizziness overwhelmed her again and she laid back down. She settled for slowly opening her eyes and taking in her dimly lit surroundings. She was alive, that was good, but everything else was very troubling. She was lying on a bed in an unfamiliar room. There weren’t any windows, and the room was stark except for the bed. Also, she was naked. Normally this wouldn’t be much cause for concern - wolves were often bare around each other as they can’t transform back into their human form and immediately have clothes on. However, given her current circumstances, closed up in a space she didn’t know, having just watched her father perish coupled with not knowing the fate of her two sisters…it was just one more thing to put her on edge. Their father…how could he be dead? If she hadn’t seen it for herself, she’d never have believed it to be true. So many years of peace gone in a flash, his blue eyes turning vacant, as his lifeless body fell to the ground. Cassie shuddered and wiped a tear from her swollen face. Looking around, she spotted a set of gray pants and a shirt, placed neatly at the end of the bed. She stood up with a sigh, making her way over and pulling them on. They were fairly nondescript, much like everything else about her current predicament, but at least they were comfortable.

She decided to explore her surroundings, walking slowly around the room, running her small hands gently over the walls, looking for anything that would either help her escape, or give her some idea as to where the hell she was. Frustrated, there wasn’t much to go on. There wasn’t any furniture aside from the bed. There were 2 doors, one that presumably led out of this room into Goddess knows where, and the other opened up to a small bathroom. The bathroom was clean and bright compared to the muted bedroom. It held soap and a towel, but nothing else. Cassie swore in frustration at the lack of possibilities before her. What was she going to do? How was she going to escape - what was there even left to escape too? Her rumination was cut short, however, with the sound of the other door scraping across the hard floor. She whipped around and exited the bathroom, keeping herself close to the wall, not knowing who or what to expect.

Nothing that she could’ve come up with would prepare her for the sight in front of her, though. James, with that stupid smirk on his face, just like the one he wore the night of the festival. Flooded with anger and a million questions, she crossed her arms over her chest and stared him down. He chuckled. “Dressed already? Pity, thought I could’ve snuck a peak. You’re not particularly intriguing, although I can admit you possess certain…assets that one can appreciate.”

Cassie scowled. “Like I’d let someone as disgusting as you anywhere near me,” her previous begrudging appreciation of his good looks was completely gone. There was no way that she could find someone as loathsome as him attractive. Laughing again, James walked towards her slowly. “It’s not as though you’re in much of a position to argue. I am, as they say, the one in charge. I’m not so abhorrent though, I would never force you, if I would I could’ve done so many times since I brought you here. No, when our time comes you’ll be begging me for it.”

Now it was Cassie’s turn to laugh. “Beg you? Never in a million years. You’re not even really in charge. I don’t know what kind of dangers your brother has you running over here, but Titan is in charge of Wintercrown, not you, or have you forgotten your ranking here,” she mused. She thought she detected a slight tick near his eyebrow, but James was obviously skilled at masking his true feelings, as his face belied nothing but a glint in his eye and indifference at her remarks. “My brother has nothing to do with this little venture, I am, as they say, branching out from the family firm. Titan didn’t even arrive to that stupid festival until the fighting had already broken out. Granted, I wasn’t accounting for Brokenmane to take your sister for their own, but when the opportunity to snatch you presented itself, who was I to shrug off my destiny unfolding before me.”

She furrowed her brows, “What the hell are you talking about? What destiny? Your pitiful future has nothing to do with me, unless it involves me ripping out your throat and dragging your broken body back to my pack.” James sneered, “What makes you think that your pack even wants you back as anything more than my prisoner? Without that pitiful excuse for an Alpha, I’m sure they’re practically desperate for some new leadership.” “From who?” she asked. “Surely not you.”

Something behind his carefully crafted demeanor shifted, and James’ eyes went unnaturally dark. He stalked towards her slowly at first, and then sprinted at her until she was effectively pinned against the wall. Angry at herself for being in this position to begin with, Cassie looked up at James with as much defiance as she could muster. “What! What do you want? Why am I here?” A sadistic grin spread across his face, “What do I want? Power, of course. And you’ll do nicely on the side as well.” “Don’t count on it,” she spat back at him. The cruel smile never left him, as he slowly dragged a single finger down her neck, from below her right ear to where it meets her shoulder. He looked down at her like he wanted to devour her right there. “Like I said, princess, when our time comes it’ll be you throwing yourself at me. I am, however, magnanimous enough to take care of your needs.”

With one last look, he turned around and stalked out of the room, leaving Cassie breathless and furious against the wall. She listened to the locks slide into place as she was completely, and effectively trapped.