Chapter 1

Anna's POV

The forest was dark and scary.

I could hear the wolves behind us, their howls tearing through the night air.

I gathered my dress up in the air as I turned to my stepfather impatiently. "Father, we need to hurry!"

"Don't worry, girl. Keep moving, we'll get there soon." My father replied. Even though his voice was friendly enough, his reply was clipped and short, leaving no room for further questions.

Something in his voice made me halt in my steps. "Father?" I asked quietly. "Is anything the matter?"

"Of course not, Anna." My father let out a sigh, before walking away, not waiting for me. "We still have quite a way to go, Anna. Be hasty, please."

Standing in that spot, with the lantern swinging in my arms, I stared at my step father's retreating back. My skin crawled with the notion that something was amiss. Something was up, but I had no idea what it was.

When my father noticed that I wasn't following him, he stopped and turned to me. "Hurry up, please Anna! We do not have all night!"

A slow and chilling realisation fell upon me as I stared at my step father's familiar face. I knew it now, knew why he was so slow to answer all my questions. I knew why he had stopped short when I had mentioned my mother.

We were never going back home.

"Where are you taking me, father?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper in the silence of the forest. "Tell me now."

My father began to advance towards me, and I stumbled backwards. "Come on now, Anna." He implored. "Don't be a difficult child."

Without hesitation, I turned and made to run into the woods, my heart thundering against my ribcage. I hadn't moved far when I heard a grunt behind me, and a sharp pain blossomed at the back of my head.

Letting out a huge cry, I collapsed to the ground and turned, but my vision had been made blurry. I couldn't see much, only the silhouette of a person as he advanced on me, raising a large stick for a second strike.

"No!" I screamed, but it was too late. The stick came down on my head again, and this time I drifted off into unconsciousness.

********

The pain was unbearable the next time I opened my eyes.

My vision was still swimming, and there was a dull, throbbing pain in my head to accompany it. I squirmed uncomfortably, and realised that I had been tied up.

But that was the least of my pain....for now. I needed water.

Peeling my parched lips open, I whispered hoarsely. "Water....I need water!"

I waited, but nobody answered me. Wriggling against the chair I was tied to, I tried again. "Water, please!"

Again, no response. 

At this point, the fear in my heart was building to a fever pitch, and my breaths started to come in panicked gasps.

"Mother!" I screamed. "Mother! Help!"

Then suddenly, I heard someone shift beside me. And a cold, hard voice spoke up.

"You're awake."

I froze in fear, turning my head to find the source of the voice. However, all around me, pitch-blackness pressed against me like a suffocating blanket.

The man chuckled, the sound instilling even more fear in my heart. Then I heard a snap of fingers, and a bright light came on.

Instinctively, I flinched, my eyes watering as they came in contact with the light. I shrank away from it like a terrified animal from the glare of a hunter's torch.

I heard footsteps approach where I was tied to, and slowly, I lifted my head to stare into the eyes of my captive.

And the sight of him forced a horrified gasp from my lips.

"Alpha Jasper!" I whispered.

The man gave me a cold smile, revealing pearly white, almost perfect teeth. It was Alpha Jasper alright. I would never be able to mistake that legendary, handsome face, or his obsidian-black hair, or his icy, dead blue eyes, or that scar that ran diagonally from his left eyebrow down to his right ear. He stood before me, hands buried deep in his pockets, towering above me like a scary giant.

How could I not recognize him? This was one of the most dangerous alpha in all the packs around!

Finally, when it felt as though the sight of him would choke me to death, I finally blurted. "Where is my stepfather? What did you do to him? You killed him, didn't you?"

His thick dark eyebrows shot up, an amused look on his face. "Oh, your stepfather is long gone, dear Anna."

"Please....I whispered, as tears gathered in my eyes. "Please, let me go. Free me, Alpha Jasper. Please."

But my pleas only made him grin even wider, as though he was enjoying my suffering. "I cannot free you, Anna. You are mine now. Mine!"

"Yours?" I whispered in confusion.

Ignoring me, he stepped even closer, mere inches from me. My breath hitched in my chest as he reached out and touched my face. Shivers coursed through my body at that single point of contact.

Slowly, his fingers moved round to the back of my head and began to feel through my hair for Goddess knew what.

Then he touched a spot that felt tender and sore, and I flinched in pain.

Alpha Jasper froze.

"Who hit her on her head?" He asked the entire room. A few guards in one corner of the room shuffled their feets and exchanged confused looks. Silence fell, heavy and dangerous, on everyone gathered.

"I am not talking to stone men, am I?" Alpha Jasper growled. 

Still, the silence persisted. Then, slowly, he withdrew his hand from the back of my head and signalled to one of the guards to move forward.

The guard hesitated, fear etched into every corner of his face, before hobbling over to the Alpha. I watched in apprehension as Alpha Jasper slowly pulled out a knife from his belt.

And before I could react, the knife moved upwards and sank into the guard's chest.

"Alpha Jasper...." The guard whispered, before falling to the ground.

A startled gasp escaped my lips. I stared, wide-eyed with horror as he wiped the bloody knife against a rag. There was a look of disinterest on his face, as though he didn't just end the life of a man.

Alpha Jasper turned to an obscure corner of the room and nodded once. Two maids walked forward, heads bowed in reverence as they curtseyed before the Alpha.

"Wash, dress and get her ready." He ordered the maids. "I would love to have dinner with my Luna."