Two

The cool dawn air once again nipped at Thalia’s skin as she dragged herself out of the warm confines of the old SUV, pressing herself against the closed door as Marcus and no-name clambered out and stood in front of the vehicle, Marcus’s displeasure at being there coming off of him in waves while the other male seemed much more relaxed, bored even.

For nearly a minute nothing happened. No one stepped out of the dark sedan across from them. The windows were too tinted to make anything out and Thalia could sense what kind of creature was hidden within the confines of the vehicle. Who were these people? They appeared to have money so why were they mixing with the likes of rogues who made their money from kidnapping little girls and selling them on to whoever. Thalia could still vividly remember her own abduction yet for whatever reason, Lars didn’t sell her on like the rest. He had kept her like some dog in a cage, only letting her out to clean and cook or to be someone’s punching bag.

One of the car’s doors opening snatched Thalia back from her thoughts and she watched as a tall woman stepped out gracefully. Piercing blue eyes, the colour of the arctic seas, were settled against creamy skin. Her Nordic blonde hair had been scraped back against her scalp into a tight bun and post-box red lips had been set in her a firm line giving away her obvious distaste for the men in front of her. Black stilettos gave way to long shapely legs that disappeared under a black pencil skirt that started just above the knees and ended high on the waist. A cream blouse with a pussy-bow hid under a fitted houndstooth jacket finished with brass buttons and black trim.

She looked like she was dripping in money and yet at the same time harsh like a catholic school headmistress. Her energy instantly made Thalia shrink back like a shy child who wanted to hide from those hard scrutinizing eyes.

The woman wasted no time in crossing the dirt clearing, the sharp pebbles underneath her shoes never once slowing her seamless gait.

“Ms Thorton, how nice to see you again.” Marcus spoke up but his words belied his true feelings.

“Do you have what he requested?” Ms Thorton’s tone was sharp and firm, leaving no room for time wasting.

“Yeah.” The old wolf grunted, glancing over his shoulder. “Get over here, girl.”

Thalia thought at first that she had misheard the man. There was no practical reason that she should be needed to show herself to this intimidating woman. It was bizarre enough that she had been made to go along on this trip. However, when the silence stretched on, Thalia realised she was indeed being summoned and she took hesitant steps forward until she was standing next to Marcus, keeping her gaze down and her hands folded in front of her.

“Her?” The woman barked, unimpressed. “She looks like she hasn’t seen the inside of a bathroom in years. He won’t accept her. We said we wanted one that was in good health. This girl looks like she is about to drop down dead at any moment.”

“Yeah well, she’s the best we can do at short notice.” No-name spoke up, his voice clearly mocking Marcus’s earlier words.

“Shut it, Mason.” Marcus growled.

Thalia felt her pulse jump. Confusion had settled in a long time ago but now dread poured into her veins like ice as it dawned on her that they were talking about her as if she was an object to be traded. Lars had never made any efforts to rid himself of Thalia even though she was really no use to him except for money. So why now? Why was he palming her off now? And also, to who?

“Our mutual friend was very clear about his requirements.” Ms Thorton spoke up, giving nothing away with her expression but her eyes were sharp, digging into the old wolf. “Surely men of your experience wouldn’t have struggled with meeting those expectations.”

“Yeah well, perhaps your client should lower his expectations a little.” Marcus sneered.

The silence felt intense, and Thalia could practically taste the animosity between the male and female before her. Perhaps this was some cruel joke or perhaps Lars made a mistake.

“Unfortunately, the deal is off gentlemen.” Ms Thorton was the first to speak. “We will have to take our business elsewhere.”

“She’s untouched.” Marcus countered.

“Maybe so but that isn’t the point…”

“And she has Alpha’s blood.” Marcus blurted out.

This time, the silence that stretched out between the four of them was filled with desperation and even surprise. Thalia felt eyes boring into her and glanced subtly to the side to see the male called Mason staring at her curiously as if now seeing something that he hadn't noticed before. Thalia wasn't sure why her being from an Alpha background was so surprising and so important. It wasn't like it could help her in any way. It had been so long since she had last been allowed to shift or be trained like other young wolves were. Couple that with exhaustion and having lost a lot of weight from the poor diet she was subjected to, it was any wonder Thalia had the strength to lift her head let alone defend herself.

"Wait here." Ms Thorton's clipped voice warned before she turned on her heel and stalked back to the car.

"An Alpha's daughter?" Mason directed his question to Marcus who had lit another cigarette. "Lars kept that quiet."

"He kept her just in case a situation like this cropped up." Marcus replied, shifting from foot to foot.

Ms Thorton was back only a few minutes later however this time she wasn't alone as a giant hulk of a male followed behind her, serious dark eyes glaring at Marcus and Mason and a black suit stretched over thick muscles.

In the back of Thalia's mind, Maeve, her wolf, stirred. She hardly felt the wolf's presence anymore, but the sense of impending danger had Maeve pushing forward, preparing to fight if she needed to.

"Today is your lucky day, gentlemen." Ms Thorton spoke. "Rafi, take the girl to the car while I pay the gentlemen."

Fear spiked in Thalia’s veins like hot lava, her dark eyes widening in horror as the goliath of a man stalked towards her. She tried to duck away but, despite the man’s size, he was surprisingly nimble and grabbed her arm easily. A terrified scream burst past Thalia’s lips as thick muscled arms wrapped around her arms, pinning them to her waist as she was dragged towards the waiting sedan. Her struggling was futile like a kitten fighting a lion and she found herself practically thrown into the back of the car, her face making contact with the cool black leather seats as the door was slammed shut. Thalia’s natural instinct was to try and open the door which is exactly what she did only to find it locked.

“Let me out!” She screamed as she banged on the window, her body trembling.

She was aware that sticking with the rogues was hardly ideal but at least she knew her place. The foreboding sense of terror she was getting from this situation was a million times worse and she couldn’t help but feel that wherever it was she was going now was just another level of fear and hardship.

The car door opening on the opposite side of her had Thalia jumping and she quickly spun around to watch with tear-stained cheeks as the blonde woman climbed in elegantly, as if completely oblivious to the fact she was kidnapping someone.

“You have to let me go.” Thalia begged.

“I don’t have to do anything.” Ms Thorton replied with a hard tone. “Except deliver you to my employer. Now you can sit there and be good or we can do this the hard way but either way, you are coming with me.”

“You can’t do this!” Thalia yelled, lunging at the older woman only to find herself stopped by a hand around her throat, manicured nails digging into her skin.

“The hard way it is then.” Ms Thorton sighed and reached into the breast pocket of her jacket with her free hand.

Thalia wanted to scream but she couldn’t get any air in, much less than any air out. The sharp pinch on her thigh made her look down, watching in horror as Ms Thorton pressed the plunger down on the syringe with clinical precision. With the syringe empty, Thorton released her hold on Thalia's neck, depositing the used needle in a small plastic bag marked 'medical waste' and tucked it into the depths of her bag. Thalia watched the entire scene with her heart going like a jackhammer and espresso eyes wide.

"What did you just inject me with?" Thalia's voice trembled.

"A sedative." Ms Thorton replied, her icy eyes now scanning her phone as if it was just another day in the office. "It should be kicking in right about now."

As if on cue, Thalia felt her limbs begin to feel heavy and her sight blurred. Her racing heart had no doubt pumped the sedative around her system quickly and now she was beginning to feel the medication drag her down into the deep abyss. Whimpering, she tried to move in a futile attempt at trying the car door once more, but her fingers wouldn't grip the handle nor hold the strength to pull it.

Just as the car engine started Thalia slumped in her seat, her last memory being Ms Thorton leaning over to pull the seat belt over Thalia's body before the darkness consumed her.