3 - My Mark, your protection

"Do as I say if you want to live," a stern female voice muttered in her ears, sending her nervous shivers. The hand on her mouth felt masculine, which meant whoever this female was, must be tough. Catching sight of some of the men in black chasing her earlier, her heart sunk. It was over. She was going to pay her father's debt.

Somehow, she was still clinging to the paper shopping bag and the black card given to her by the cashier. Gently, she was shoved by the woman into the back of a jeep wrangler. At the moment, all she thought about was the creeping man. Comparing him to this team, it was rather safer with him but why did he leave? He didn't even take his card and why would he pay for the items she purchased? She wished she had mastered the courage to ask for his name.

She was joined by the woman who still held a gun to her head. She looked amazing and ferocious. The car sped out of the parking lot of the boutique but didn't cover much distance when a loud bump was heard from the back, jerking the car forward. Impulsively, Godiva turned around to see the SUV she rode with the creepy man. Hope found her in the most remarkable way when the car in which she sat halted.

The doors unlocked, the woman alighted with a brutal aura with the driver and one other man in front with a gun. By the time Godiva realized, they laid lifelessly on the floor without as much as a scratch. The creepy man was nowhere in sight, making her wonder what just happened. Since the door to his car was left ajar, she thought of dropping his black card before finding a way to escape. At least he saved her life and the tiniest she could do would be to not steal his card. As soon as she dropped the card in the driver seat, the creepy man appeared beside the door, holding her shopping bags in one hand.

She didn't understand what she was feeling and didn't know what to do. Recalling her first experience with him, she couldn't bear to run when he told her to sit after dropping her items in the back. It wasn't hard to realize that when you found yourself in a place of death, even your enemy would become your best friend. She could feel the dangers around this man but she also felt that she couldn't run away from him. She moved to the passenger seat without throwing any tantrums, just waiting for her death. He didn't kill her now but might do so later.

Immediately after she buckled her seat belt, the car reversed, turning around and veering off the main road into some unauthorized road. "What happened to them?" Godiva asked in a shaky voice. Fearful bites marked her but somehow, she felt she would soon be like the lifeless bodies they left on the floor. 

There was silence. She didn't see the man in action or anything but couldn't help the strong conviction that he was responsible for those lives on the floor. Did he have some magic powers? She wasn't going to get any answers from him. Now the raging question was, where was he taking her?

Since the routes were unknown, it seemed like a boring journey towards the mountains. Despite how Godiva's eyes felt heavy, she never allowed sleep to have dominion. She needed to know her surroundings to make her escape easier. Suddenly, she began to worry about her sisters. Were they still in the house? The temptation to call Theresa was intense but somehow, she didn't allow it to overcome her curiosity to know the stranger that sat beside her.

"Do you have a name?" she pushed her luck again, her voice subtly minced with fear. She was amazed when she had a response, "Rock." She wondered the kind of parents who named their child so perfectly. If there was a way to describe him, that was it but strangely, he didn't ask of her name which made it all quirky.

Something bellowed inside her, making her recall the names of the seven Alphas and he wasn't one of them, which was a great relief. Perhaps she was reading him all wrong. What if he just wanted to help her? Yet something still didn't add up. Why did he forcefully help her even when she was rude to him? Help didn't have to be forced right?

Two hours down the line, Rock stopped in front of a huge gate, instantly gliding open to welcome him. Godiva's eyes narrowed. The environment seemed like a chain of luxury estate houses. The men at the gate carried the same cold appearance as Rock but their lips curled, as they bowed slightly to Rock. Driving through the gate, the mens' eyes narrowed on Godiva but they never uttered a word, just exchanging glances.

Rock drove for another ten minutes, passing one house to the other till he got to a house that stood out from the rest and stopped in front of it.

A man came out of the front door, slightly identical to Rock except he had dark brown hair in contrast to Rock's charcoal black one but they had the same walnut brown eye colour. Rock stepped out, carrying her shopping bags. "Home sweet home," he lifted the items slightly and chorused in a flat tone.

Climbing the stairs at the frontage of the door, he casually patted the man coming out of the house on the back before entering. The man gave him no attention, his excited gaze not leaving Godiva when she stepped down from the car with a bed of confusion.

"Wow, you look amazing, welcome home, I'm Beta Steel, Alpha Rock's junior brother," he said all at once. Godiva in a daze, gawked like he was an alien. She looked around, everywhere serene till her eyes landed on a swing at the frontage. A smile climbed her cheeks for the first time. She liked swings.

"I'm Godiva," she responded.

"I already know that, come, let go inside," Steel pulled her into the large room. Everything inside had an exotic wooden finish, except the windows, which were of a French design. Godiva felt like a fish out of water. Something was extremely wrong somewhere and she had to do something about it.

"Awwww, I knew it. You are just gorgeous," a teenage girl, who looked like the female version of Rock descended the stairs, wrapping Godiva in her arms. She was too stupefied to react. Were they mistaking her for somebody else? She had to make the correction soon enough before things went out of hand.

"I…" She wanted to say that she wasn't who they thought she was but was silenced by the girl's voice.

"You must be tired. I'm Xena, kid sister to these hunks. I'll show you to your room to freshen up, then get you something to eat," Xena didn't allow her to speak. Godiva swallowed tightly, still lost to her environment. She needed to speak with Rock but Xena was all over her. Something told her that perhaps, Rock mistook her for somebody else, for which reason he picked her up. She would have convinced herself that he was one of those Alphas but his name wasn't on the list. What should she do? She was already breaking out in cold sweats.

"How was your trip? How is your father? Xena asked, ushering her into a room twice the size she slept in her late father's house. The bed was a queen size, with a comforting appeal.

Now Godiva was dazed. "You know my father?" She was almost certain that she was the only lost one among them.

"Of course, he…." Xena's voice was instantly shut but a domineering one.

"Out." Godiva turned to see Rock at the doorway. Her heart rate instantly increased. He gave her a frightful scare. She would have this conversation with Xena again but she felt the one she needed to speak to for explanation was right there. Xena made no resistance. "I'll get your food," she smiled and closed the door behind her.

Suddenly, everything was tense. She saw Rock stiff, his head turned to the back, his eyes closed, seeming he was trying to muffle some words as he approached her. He seemed so domineering, she felt intimidated.

She took steps back, as he was getting closer. Her back was tight against the door of the closet, leaving no room for any manoeuvring. His tall form towered her, trapping her between his arms.

Godiva never felt like this before. His presence gave her a fear she couldn't explain but it was different from the other people who wanted to capture her. When his eyes met hers, they were unreadable. His face closed up on hers, making her shiver when it was a few inches apart. His body didn't touch hers, his face moving towards her exposed neck. He stayed that way for a while, sniffing her scent.

When she thought it was going to get worse, he pulled away slowly, turning around and began to walk towards the door.

Godiva's mind was in a jumble. What just happened? "Wait!" She called out before he reached the door. Surprisingly, he halted, still facing the door.

"I don't know what all this is but thanks for saving me from those men." She swallowed tightly, her mind in search of the right words to say. Everything that happened today was too much for her but if Rock wasn't among the seven Alphas, then they could put their differences aside and work together. "I have a proposition for you," she said thoughtfully.

"What?" He asked. It was hard to determine his emotions as he appeared like a blank page.

"I want you to be my bodyguard," she said in one word, only breathing after completing her sentence.

The corner of Rock's lips curled but it was so fast that she missed it. His response took her breath away. "Payment?" He asked. Rock found her funny and naive.

"Ehmm, ehm," she hadn't thought of that and stammered. "And?" His voice contained urgency.

"My father's house. It wasn't too far from where you abducted me."

"Abduct?" Rock asked, his eyes dark. She couldn't understand what caused the sudden change. She didn't come here by her own will so it was definitely an abduction. With the little courage she had left, she continued, "he no longer lives so use it for payment. We can sign a contract it." Godiva knew the house belonged to all of them but Theresa would understand if she explained it was for her protection. She waited for his response, which was rather disappointing. "No."

Godiva wanted to weep. What could he want from her then? He walked back towards her. Godiva trembled trying to get away from him, she fell over the bed, rolling to her side and back on her feet. He did not attempt to get closer but his voice emitted clarity.

"My mark, your protection."