Chapter 8

Sophie P.O.V

Darkness that’s all there was. I couldn’t see anything. I screamed out but there was nothing. My scream just echoed around my head. I couldn’t feel anything. I couldn’t move.

“Dove.” I tried calling out. There was no response.

Infront of me two large eyes appeared. They were obsidian in colour and glowed. I tried looking away, but the eyes followed my gaze. Were they real? What was happening? Where was Dove? I let out another scream. A snarl of white teeth appeared with the eyes as if they were pleased I was scared.

Without warning the eyes and teeth suddenly vanished and I returned to my dark surroundings. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t understand what was happening.

It felt like I had been left here for ages before my body became weightless and a strange calming warmth radiated over me followed by a pulsing electrical buzz. Was this what it was like to die? Had someone killed me? Maybe the noise I heard yesterday meant someone was watching me. Poor Gary and Mary.

The warmth felt amazing. I wanted more. Pushing into it I could have sworn I heard someone say something, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. Darkness shrouded me again.

***

I awoke in the darkness again. I had no sense of time, but I could feel someone holding my hand. That had to be a good thing, right? Their warmth filled me with happiness and the buzz of the electricity in our hands spread over me in waves. I could hear two voices, both male. I pushed against the darkness trying to make out what they were saying. I tried to call out to let them know I was awake, but it only made me fall back into the darkness. I focused firmly on the warmth from my hand and pushed as hard as I could towards the voices.  

“Can you keep this to yourself?” said a warm male voice. Was he talking to me?

“Of course.” Came another voice. This one sounded drained of energy.

Were they friends? Maybe my captors? Perhaps these were the people Mary and Gary warned me about? Deciding I should be cautious, I kept as still as I could. I didn’t want them to know I was conscious.

“Go get some sleep.” The warm voice told the other. The other moved away through what sounded like something flapping. It was just me and the warm-voiced man holding my hand.

I heard him softly chuckle to himself. He let go of my hand and the warmth and buzzing disappeared. I felt empty without it and I craved more. I almost gave myself away wishing he would hold my hand again. I wanted to see who this guy was. He sounded nice, but what if he did kidnap me?  Was my life in danger?

I tried calling out to Dove again. There was still no sound from her and I couldn’t sense her presence. What had happened to my wolf? Without the warmth I could feel the darkness creeping back over me. I fought it as hard as I could, struggling with it mentally. Finally, it fell away and I was left to my thoughts.

***

Sun broke through my troubled dreams and I rolled onto my back. I opened my eyes to see the apex of the tent. For a moment I didn’t register the tent wasn’t mine and a closed my eyes to doze a little.

Suddenly, yesterday’s events came flooding back and a sat bolt upright in a strange bed. I looked down and saw I was wearing a very large jumper. I had nothing on underneath. A soft snore sounded next to me. I screamed at the sight of a man lying next to me, his mouth slightly open. He jolted upright and looked at me with dark penetrating eyes. I could have got lost in those eyes, but I was more concerned with who this man was and why we were sharing a tent.

“Please don’t hurt me.” I cried.

He put his hands up and I instinctively pulled the odd-looking sleeping bag over my chest. The man had been ripped from his sleep and he was trying to assess the situation. Then another man charged into the tent and I screamed again.

“No, No, No.” My sleeping partner called out reaching out towards me. I scurried back into the corner of the tent. “Shh. It’s ok. We’re not going to hurt you.”

The man was tall, his head nearly touching the top of the tent. He had a strong jaw line, dark blue eyes and chocolate brown hair. His broad shoulders and chest were naked, and he had a tattoo of a wolf on his left peck. His friend had a curly mop of tight curls and stunningly bright green eyes. He was bent over but I could tell he wasn’t as tall as the other. I could smell they were werewolves, and I could make out the scent of blueberry cheesecake which relaxed me a little.

“What’s going on?” I asked looking from one man to the other. Had I unknowingly slept with the tall man? He smiled at me and melted.

“It’s a long story. I’m Eric.” He extended his hand and I reluctantly shook it. The intense warmth and electrical current began again, and I looked at our hands with a puzzled look on my face. I didn’t understand what was going on. I snatched my hand away and his smile faded.

“What’s your name?” Curly hair guy asked. I felt at ease with him.

“I’m Sophie.” I replied with a smile.

“How old are you Sophie.” The tall guy named Eric asked, his hands balled up into fists.

“I’ve just turned 18.” I replied.

“And what pack do you belong to Sophie?” Eric was glaring at me now. What was this guy’s problem? One minute he was all nice and reassuring and now he was acting like I was the enemy.

“I don’t belong to a pack.” I answered without looking at him.

“You’re a rouge?” Curly hair guy asked, shocked at my response.

“A what?” I had no idea what a rouge was, but I could tell they didn’t like them.

“Whose pack were you banished from?” Eric sounded angry now.

“Banished? I was never in a pack so how could I be banished.” I snapped back

“Eric, something isn’t right.” Curly hair guy said with concern in his eyes.

Eric leaned forward towards me. A heat rose inside me and I wanted to make a break for it, but Curly hair guy was in my way. Eric was intimidating, but at the same time so incredibly sexy.

“You’re not human and you smell like a werewolf but you don’t belong to a pack and you aren’t a rouge? That makes no sense.” He leaned back shaking his head. His eye glued to mine.

“Yes I’m a werewolf but I only just found out a few days ago. Yesterday was the first day I met my…” I stopped remembering I met my wolf Dove. I tried calling for her mentally but there was no response. A tear fell down my cheek and I looked away.

“Hey, what’s the matter?” Curly haired guy started to come towards me but stopped halfway when Eric’s gaze fixated on him.

“My wolf.” I sob. “I can’t hear my wolf.”

Both men looked at each other in horror. “I’ll call my Dad.” Curly hair guy said. I looked at Eric who looked like he was about to rip my throat out.

“No. Please don’t leave me.” I panicked. I didn’t want to be left alone with Eric.

Eric’s gaze was boring into me, but I couldn’t look at him. His hands were still clenched tight and I was scared he would kill me if we were left alone. Curly hair guy grabbed his phone from his pocket and began dialling, all the while Eric never took his eyes off me.

“Hey Dad…Yep she’s awake…Yep she’s doing fine….no Dad…Wait……DAD!” He yelled into the phone.

“Speaker.” Eric growled through gritted teeth.

“Hello? Alpha? What seems to be the problem?” a voice sounded through the phone.

I couldn’t believe it. Eric was an Alpha? I should have guessed he was so dominating and powerful looking which was probably why I was so drawn to him. But there was something else about him to, something that made me want to get up and put my arms around him. My train of thought was broken when Eric mentioned the disappearance of my wolf.

“Has she knocked her head? The voice asked. “I would highly recommend bringing her here so I can examine her.”

Next thing I knew Eric jumps up and rushes out of the tent taking the phone with him. I’m speechless and shocked at how fast he moved and how rude he was behaving.

“Don’t worry about him.”

“Is he always like that? So intense?” I blushed.

“He’s got a lot going on right now. But it’s really not my place to say. I’m Gavin by the way” Curly hair guy smiles at me as he extended his hand.

I returned his handshake with a smile. I notice that there aren’t any sparks jolting down my arm as we shake hands and I start to wonder if that is an Alpha thing. There is something about Gavin that makes me feel safe, almost homely feeling. It’s really weird. Was this the mate bond? I wished Dove were here to help me.

The flaps opens and Eric storms back in. His gaze notices our handshake and I quickly withdraw my hand. He moves to his bag and pulls out a pair of tracksuit pants which he throws at me while pulling a black tank top on.

“Get dressed.” He ordered. “We’re leaving in five minutes.”

Before I can protest, he’s vanished.