Welcome to the Vermillion Kingdom

Amanda

The monster behind me faded out of hearing range and I twisted around, trying to get a better look at where we were going. I'd figure out this whole Luna thing later.

"We're almost there," Zale grunted at me, squeezing my ass again. "You'll get to meet everyone soon enough." He chuckled, the sound vibrating through all of him.

I don't know how much longer he ran in silence, this Alpha wasn't much of a talker but I do remember exactly when we stopped.

He set me down and I wobbled for a moment, trying to get my balance back. Zale's arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me flush against his body. I turned toward him but a flash of color in the corner of my eyes made me crane my neck farther and turn completely to the side. What was going on? It was like the forest had been divided in two. On one side, was us with the summery trees and the dark greens that I knew so well. But on the other side, the other half? It was all white like there had been a fresh snow.

"Come on," Zale demanded, dragging me toward the whiteness.

The closer we got, I noticed a strange film like substance that shimmered between the two halves. Zale was marching straight toward it.

Fear rooted in my heart and I struggled against him. Whatever was going on, when I crossed that barrier, there would be no going back. "No!" I gasped, tugging to break free.

Zale grunted, picking me up and slinging me over his shoulder again. His heavy hand slammed into the flesh of my ass twice until the screams faded from me. "Looks like I'm going to have to teach you how to properly behave," he growled at me before striding through the barrier.

I tensed. I was prepared for an electric shock to travel through me, or maybe even a fire to roll through my veins, but nothing happened besides a strangle tingle over my body. I stilled my fighting and looked around the snowy landscape. "What is this?" I whimpered.

Zale laughed. "I told you, no one will find you again, Amanda. You will be mine in every sense of the word, and you will not get away from me, ever." He grabbed my hand in his and pushed it against the barrier we'd just strolled on through. I yelped as fire surged through me and my muscles clenched in place. His eyes searched my face and they darkened with lust.

"Yeah, that's the kind of look you're going to be wearing a lot around here." He let my hand go and I cradled it to my chest.

"I don't understand any of this," I cried. I couldn't stop the tears welling up in my eyes. I'd signed up to join a pack, to get away from the one hunting me. I never would have imagined my running away would have led to this.

Zale leaned close before sticking out his tongue and licking away my tears. "All you have to know is you're mine, well mine and the pack's." He smirked. "Nothing else matters in your life but making your Alpha happy."

I shuddered. Was this really any better than the incubator that the other wanted me as? "Why is this place so different? Why is it winter over here and why does it hurt to touch that wall?" I didn't care if he got mad at me over all the questions, I had to make this entire scenario make sense. "And why were you even out there if your territory is way over here?"

"You want answers?" Zale's grin spread across his lips, and he licked them, finally blessedly letting me on the ground again.

I welcomed the chill from the snow at this point. Anything to get away from him for a second. "Yes!"

"Let's see how well you follow orders, my little mate. Take your panties off."

I stared at him, numb. "What?" I demanded.

He cocked his head to the side and crossed his arms over his broad chest. The black tanktop he wore was barely holding on over his muscles. It was only a matter of time before the thing got ripped. "Three seconds, if you don't have them off, I'm going to rip them off you."

He could not be serious. It was insanely cold on this side of the barrier.

"One."

He was, he was deathly serious. I grabbed at the pants I wore, pushing them down and left them in a snow drift.

"Two," he continued.

I grabbed the sides of my lacy white panties and thrust them down, baring myself before I grabbed my pants back and pulled them on. He hadn't said I couldn't do that at least. But maybe it was because he hadn't thought about it. I took the sheer cloth and tossed it at his chest.

Zale grabbed it and smiling at me, he ripped it in two, letting the wind take the pieces to who knew where. "I'm no mere Alpha, I'm what is known as a Prime, and you're in my kingdom, lil wolf. The barrier is upheld with magic, only the blood of a prime could ever pull it down, and only a Prime can pass through it unharmed."

I shivered. Even though I had my pants on, I still felt exposed to him. It never got this cold in the forest even during winter. It was all I could do to keep my teeth from chattering. "What's next?" I demanded.

"We're going to meet my brother," he paused. "Well, adopted brother. Bo is a bastard, but he's good at one thing."

I knew I shouldn't ask, every single word that came out of his mouth only made me fear for my life that much more. "What's that?"

Zale grinned, advancing on me again and picking me back up. His hand slipped into the back of my pants and he grabbed a handful of flesh his lips at my ear. "Training my pets to be exactly what I want them to be."