2. Crescent Pack

Once inside the large house, Daryl explain's that it was the packhouse and that they had done a lot of renovations recently “Your pack” I murmur

He smiles at me again “Welcome to the Crescents pack” he finally puts me on my feet and steadies me as I wobble.

“Alpha?” he nods, I don’t know if its because I had used all my energy or because my mate was an Alpha, but I burst out laughing and he raises an eyebrow at me.

“Do you not think of me as a suitable Alpha?” he was looking serious now

“It’s not that, its, well, all my life I have been a slave and now here you are a wolf in shining armour like my very own fairy tale” I was still laughing but spots were forming in front of my eyes as I was struggling to catch my breath.

I feel him step towards me, afraid, I take a step back, but the spots had become too big in my vision and I fall forward directly into his solid body. Daryl lifts me again and as my vision comes back, he is carrying me up a flight of stairs and comes to a stop in front of a door “This is your room”.

Pushing the door open, he lowers me to my feet, the carpet is cream and feels amazing beneath my bare feet and as I take a few steps towards the large bed I ask him if it was for me

“Yes” and the door behind me closes. I was half expecting him to still be stood there but he was gone and then I heard it, the familiar sound of a key clicking around in a lock. Racing to the door I try the handle a few times but it was no good, I was locked in. Why did I expect anything less? It was how my life had always been.

Rushing to the windows I try to open them but they move no further than a couple of inches, I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream and run to the door, pounding on it only for no one to come. How had I got myself in this position again?!

Climbing on the large bed, I let my body sink into the mattress, it was so comfortable but then anything would be better than a concrete floor like I had had to sleep on at Black night.

Eventually I got myself up and had a look through the cupboard, it was full of clothes, mainly sweats and work out gear, I grab a pair of black joggers and pull them on. They are ridiculously big on me and no matter how much I tightened the drawstring they still hang off my tiny frame. Opening a door to the side of the room, I was surprised to see my own bathroom and became a little too excited that I would be able to bath in fresh, clean water.

Looking between the bedroom door and the shower, I decide to jump in the shower. Carefully removing my clothes and the joggers I had pulled on, I step into the hot water and oh my goddess it was the best thing I had ever felt in my life.

For a few minutes I stood and just let the water run down my body, after what seemed like an age, I grabbed a bottle that said shampoo and washed it into my hair, my hair had never felt so clean. Who knows how long I was in that shower but I didn’t care, Daryl had said it was my room and I was going to make the most of being locked in. Taking a moment to look in the large mirror at my reflection, it was funny to see how clean I was, not a speck of dirt on me. My amber eyes looked brighter too.

Stepping back into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around me and admiring my clean skin. I had honestly never felt so good when Daryl makes me jump. He is sat on the edge of the bed with a grin on his face “So a shower makes you happy”

I didn’t know what to say, this man had locked me in this room, the same man that had helped me escape from the other idiots, the very same man that was supposed to be my mate and now he is just sat here making sarcastic comments. “I wasn’t allowed a shower”, it was the truth.

Daryl frowns “You were not allowed a shower”. I shake my head “You were only able to bathe?”. Again, I shake my head and Daryl rises to his feet “What were you allowed?” he over pronounces the final word

“A bucket and a cloth”

He looks furious “Get dressed”, he was becoming scary and I take a step back, he repeats himself, this time throwing some clothes at me. I start to move towards the bathroom when he growls, tears form in my eyes and I silently pull the clothes on.

Glancing towards him, he isn’t even looking at me and I am grateful, who wants to see this body that’s covered in scars and bruises. I’m surprised to find the clothes he gave me fit, its only a pair of joggers, a tshirt and a pair of trainers but everything fits perfectly and hides everything.

“Okay” I whisper and his head snaps up to face me

“Come on, its time we pay that pack a visit”. I couldn’t move, was he taking me back is that why he locked me up, I finally let out the tears that I had been fighting, he moves across the room and wraps his arms around me, I was tiny against his body. “I am not giving you back, they do not treat people this way”

I push away from him “You…. You locked me in”

He scratches the back of his head “I had too, you are my mate and until we complete the mate bond other men in my pack will seek you out” his hand reaches out and cups my face, thumbing away the tears. “Now come, my men are waiting”.

Wait, what did he mean by complete the mate bond, did he mean sex? I was a virgin, a complete novice I was eighteen and I had never been kissed. Whilst these thoughts are running through my head, I hadn’t even noticed that I was being led back down the stairs and out the door.

There are easily twenty large men on motorbikes and Daryl climbs on to the one at the front, extending a hand to me. I don’t hesitate this time and as I climb on I hold on to him tightly, breathing in his heavenly scent as we sped off down the tracks, the others following close behind.

Again I enjoy the scenery, I had no idea what direction we were going in or where we were too until we started up the road towards Black nights pack, my grip must have tightened because Daryl tells me to relax. “I am not going to let them hurt you”

I didn’t believe it, he had already locked me in one room

As we rode in, the men on the gate waved us through and everyone pulled up in front of the packhouse, Maddox and his son Hayden were stood out the front, they didn’t recognise me at first, probably because I was so clean and in fresh clothes. Maddox greets them all, “Welcome to the Black night pack, who is your Alpha?”

Daryl climbs off his bike, revealing me “I am Alpha Daryl from the Crescents pack, I believe you know my mate” he spoke powerfully and possessively whilst Maddox and Hayden stare at me

“Never seen her before” Maddox shrugged

“Well, if that is the case, then I must have been mistaken when I beat the shit out of your son and his friends”

Maddox was an older Alpha whilst Hayden and Daryl looked similar ages. Maddox glares at his son who saunters back into the house “What do you want?” he snarls at Daryl

“Ashley has come to collect her things”, I had no idea that was why he was bringing me here but I had nothing, literally nothing except what I was wearing when I ran away.

Maddox snorts and rubs his greying beard, “You will need to replace her”

“We do not have slaves, we have moved on with the world and so should you” Daryl offers a hand to me so I could get down off the bike, once again the electricity from his touch sending a shock through me. I knew he felt it too as he winks at me

Daryl stepped towards Maddox “Show me her room”, Daryl was much bigger than Maddox, it was the first time seeing Maddox look smaller than other Alphas.

“That bitch doesn’t have a room” he was snarling still and I could see that Maddox was getting angry, he shifted, his clothes tearing into tiny pieces as his body took the shape of a wolf, a large brown wolf and I shuddered.