Chapter 2

He yanked her through a door into his office, the wooden cladded walls held a single painting of woodland over the fireplace. Wolf heads guarded the door facing the large oak desk which lay central. Alpha Cain let go of her, leaving her standing behind the chairs used to hold audiences. Alissa had never sat in the chairs even as a pup she’d never needed to see Alpha Cain in a formal sense. She remained stock still as he sat behind the lavish desk. He swept his mocha hair streaked with grey from his face before stating, “My son is arriving during full moon. You will ensure the house is pristine for the ceremony and him, other packs will be arriving throughout the day. As my last day of Alpha, it would be unfortunate for you to embarrass me.” Alissa’s eyes drew upwards from the floor. He was leaving? Hope warmed her, if only a little. 

“I have told my son all about you, don’t get any ideas. He has agreed your status will remain. A parent murderer; a beta murderer has no claim to the Wuffaman pack.” Alissa readjusted her gaze to the floor. There was no point arguing with him, she clasped her hands in front of her and remained silent. Alpha Cain liked silence from her. “If I hear anything but what is expected of you I will return. I don’t think I need to remind you that as High Lykos your treatment can and will grow worse,” he growled in warning. Alissa repressed the squeak of fear and apprehension. She couldn’t imagine her life worse than it was, but knowing Alpha Cain, she believed his words. 

He shifted in his seat, glowering at the top of her head with icy blue eyes. He softened his voice to say, “I saved you from the council, they would have tried you and found you guilty. Your death would not have been fast for your crimes.” Alissa nodded, Alpha Cain had always shown her that mercy. Although sometimes death sounded a little more pleasant than what she had to endure. 

“Thank you, Alpha,” she squeaked. She wanted to leave but knew better than to move until dismissed. 

“Ensure there is enough food for the ceremony, we are expecting fifty guests minimum,” he announced. “Ensure my son is well fed, he has become accustomed to the finer things in life, I don’t wish for him to be disappointed with coming back home.” Alissa noted a hint of displeasure in Alpha Cain’s voice and she wondered what Luca had been doing all the years he’d been away. 

“Yes, Alpha.” Alpha Cain continued the demands he had of Alissa over the next few days on top of her existing chores. She agreed as what was expected of her to avoid extra bruises or broken bones. 

“Oh and mutt?” Alpha Cain called before Alissa could leave.

“Yes Alpha?” She turned to show she was listening.

“The pack may not be allowed to bruise your extremities, but a lot can be hidden by clothing.” His blue eyes glittered in menace, she gulped and scarpered from the room as quickly as she could. She entered the games room, her heart sank. It was a mess. 

She sighed to herself in frustration. It wasn't like they didn’t know how to clean up after themselves, they’d only had Alissa cleaning and doing their every wish for three years. Not like it was all their lives. She silently grumbled to herself as she collected alcohol bottles and plates ready to go into the kitchen as soon as she heard everyone leave. She tidied the cards that were discarded on the table, remnants of poker evident with the hands of cards on the table. 

As she put the cards away she stumbled over an item of clothing, picking it up she rolled her eyes and blushed slightly at the Natalie sized bra, then her blouse. The lack of any other clothing suggested a number of things but Alissa huffed at the idea of Natalie trying to get into one of her brother’s pants again. As far as she was aware they had rebuffed her advances which gave Alissa a small sense of pride, their parents had taught them well and they knew sex was to be between mates. Natalie’s parents’ obviously didn’t instil the same premise. Or they did and that was why Natalie kept moving packs. 

Alissa remembered when Natalie arrived, she’d had a transfer from Vilkman, before that Lupus, which was where her parents’ resided. It was a few months before Alissa’s parents died, well were murdered, when Natalie arrived wanting to find the pack she belonged to, a desire to find her mate. Alissa hadn’t paid her much attention, too busy with Kristen debating who would transform first, who would take on which patrols and who would go into the human town first. Neither of them had ever left packland, not even to go to other packs. They were the laws they abided by, not that that ever stopped the pair stealing the car and daring to go just beyond the border, just entering the human world before they’d chicken out and turn back around.

Alissa chuckled to herself when her mum had asked where they’d been for such big grins to be plastered on their faces. Their story had been solid, they’d been hiking and stumbled upon a waterfall. She finished tidying and cleaning a few sticky spills, still reminiscing within her head about times before, the times she was happy and accepted, the times everyone treated her as a soon to be member of the pack. Well, now she was a never to be member of the pack. 

She knew she would never be accepted, she may still have a few people that didn’t treat her with the disdain the others did, but they couldn’t help her, she was alone. Even her wolf was gone and she worried she would be gone forever unless she was allowed to transform again. Alpha Cain may be unable to control her with his voice like the others but he sure could beat her wolf into submission. 

Fear is a powerful thing that Alissa never truly knew until her parents died. Sure she’d been terrified on nights of Samhain, she’d been scared of the many tales and fables that were told to her about humans and their depravity towards their kind. But then her fear had been accompanied with safety, the safety that her siblings were near, the security that her dad would come running if she yelled in the night. But no-one was there for her anymore, her fear was accompanied with pain and threats of more pain if she didn’t toe the line set out for her. Her line was different to the others, her isolation increased as much as Alpha Cain could ensure. 

Fortunately for Alissa, there were two people she still had. Two who still spoke to her when alone, one had full knowledge of everything she’d been through, the other, merely suspected. If she didn’t have them she didn’t know what she’d do. Although they couldn’t help her. There was no way to help her out of her situation. Alissa was trapped, a new alpha meant nothing for her. He was his father’s son, he would keep her locked away and chained to her mop for eternity. He would be controlled by High Lykos Cain, the ruler of all packs, the leader of the council that ensured all laws were abided by or punishment was inevitable. Luca was to be the next Wuffaman Alpha, a man Alissa barely remembered.