Marked by the Alpha

by Adaline Raine

  Dani said nothing as she straightened another set of glass bottles.

  “Take it off or you’ll pass out with how tight it is,” Alisha said, and tugged at the ends.

  Dani ducked out of her reach. “I like it, so please just leave it alone.” She moved to the next shelf and Alisha followed her.

  Alisha tugged at the scarf again and it came unwrapped and slipped down over Dani’s neck. Alisha giggled at what she thought at first was a love bite from some playful necking, but then the full picture came into view.

  Dani had studied the mark in the mirror for almost an hour last night. Even now, it was a wicked dark rainbow of blues, purples, and yellows that extended from the sweet spot in her neck and ran into the hollow of her collarbone. It was not some high school hickey like a girl might get behind the school bleachers during a football game; it was truly the mark of an alpha, a mark that promised that Mason was going to make claim to her, it was just a matter of when.

  Dani moved back from her reach and shrugged. “I should have shown you. I know you weren’t thinking. You thought I had some silly childish hickeys perhaps?”

  Alisha looked down and set to dusting again. “I’m sorry, Dani,” she mumbled.

  “Mason Daniels took it upon himself to mark me,” she said, trying to put heat behind her words.

  “Someone stopped by yesterday from his pack.”

  Dani snapped her head up. “Who and how do you know?”

  “It was his second-in-command. He knew way too much information to just be some Joe Schmo from down the street. He showed me his driver’s license and it was from Mason’s town.”

  “How would you know where Mason’s town is?” Dani snapped, feeling a surge of anger.

  Alisha jumped away from her in horror, dropping the piece she had been holding. “Please, Dani! Don’t be upset at me!” She threw herself at Dani’s feet and began to cry.

  “Oh fuck, Ali, stop. This isn’t me.” Dani pulled her up and set her on the counter. She had knelt on the glass and Dani shook her head. “I’m so sorry.” She went into the back and found the first aid kit. Why was she acting like such a freaking bitch to her best friend? Dani walked back up front. She brushed the glass off and looked to see if any had stuck to the cuts. They weren't deep, but Dani still felt horrible.

  Alisha was crying. “I wanted him to claim you, Dani, I really did!” She wiped at her eyes and rubbed her arms.

  Dani said nothing as she continued to clean the glass out of her wounds. Of course Alisha would feel that way, though Dani had had no idea how worried her friend was for her until that very moment. She rubbed anti-bacterial ointment on each cut as the smaller woman continued to cry.

  “I told his second-in-command that. I told him that you haven't been acting normally. I told him how worried I was.” Alisha wiped at her eyes again. “I have never seen you like this. I can’t stand it!”

  Dani focused on placing Band-Aids of several sizes and shapes over the cuts. “I’m scared, Alisha, and I don’t know what to do.”

  “What are you afraid of?” Alisha slid off the counter. “What is it? Is it the hunters?”

  “I don’t want to be part of his pack,” Dani said, then turned away from her.

  “What are you really afraid of, Dani? I have the right to know!” Alisha moved around her.

  “I am afraid of Mason. I am afraid that I will let him do whatever he wants to me… That I will obey every order that he gives.” Dani began to cry. “I want him to claim me because I know that I will never willingly give myself to him.”

  Alisha wrapped her arms around Dani. “Hey, Dani, don’t be afraid of Mason.” She squeezed Dani tightly. “I think that he cares about you already.”

  Dani shook her head and continued to cry. “I’m so sorry that I snapped at you. You are my very best friend.”

  Alisha laughed then. “I believe that I am your only friend.”

  Dani had to laugh as well. “Yes, you are my only friend.” She wiped her eyes and pulled herself back together. “You really believe that he will be good to me?”

  “Without a doubt I believe it. If he didn't want to be good to you, he wouldn't have come all the way here and asked to see you. If he was as awful as you originally thought he would have simply carried you off.”

  Dani blinked. “Did I really make him sound like that?” She knew the answer, of course, but it was so hard to share with Alisha the thoughts that had been barreling through her head last night.

  Alisha nodded. “He’s strong enough to carry off a horse, I believe.”

  Dani laughed again. “Actually, I believe that a horse would put up less of a fight.”

  Alisha smirked and poked Dani’s arm. “Okay, that I believe!”

  Dani poked back playfully and then turned serious again. “So, who is this second-in-command you are talking about?”

  “His name is Phil. He's around my height but he is all muscle. Short, dark brown hair with come-fuck-me blue eyes.” Alisha put her hand over her mouth. “I don’t know where that came from. Honest, I’m not usually attracted to those pretty-boy types.”

  “Yeah, well if he's second-in-command, he's not your typical pretty-boy. I'd bet he could bench-press a pickup truck.” Dani rolled her eyes and for a moment they were just two women gossiping over two ordinary men.

  “I just want you to be safe.” Alisha let go of her and they went to work cleaning up the mess.

  “I know and I appreciate it. I just don't want to get in over my head.” Dani swept the smaller fragments into a dust pan as Alisha carefully picked up the bigger pieces.

  “I'd imagine that you were in over your head the moment you laid eyes on Mason,” Alisha said softly.

  “I'd imagine you are right,” Dani agreed, and then set to cleaning the rest of the store.

  * * *

  Dani checked the back door of the store again. It had been almost three days since she had kicked Mason out of her house, and she wanted to call him up and tell him that he was right, but truthfully she was sure he had other things to worry about.

  Dani looked around again as something just felt off. She had sent Alisha home, despite her protests, and strapped on her second knife. If someone wanted to fight, she would be ready.

  Suddenly there was a noise outside and Dani decided to turn off all the lights and go out the seldom used side door. She could easily walk home, and it would be easier to avoid being followed home that way. Dani looked down at her phone and pondered calling Mason for the second time, but if it turned out to be nothing she would feel stupid for bothering him.

  Dani was halfway home when she began to smell something. It was something awful. Dani looked down. There were various dead varmints littering the woods towards her house. Damn it. What was going on? Dani took a few breaths and increased her speed. Whoever was responsible for this would be the sorriest son of a bitch that ever lived. Dani reached the outer woods, and as she came closer she saw that every light in her house was on. “What the fuck?” she mumbled.

  “Heya Red!”

  Dani growled and spun towards the voice. How had someone snuck up on her? She pulled her knife when she heard something whizzing behind her. In seconds she felt an awful sting down her body and knew immediately that she had been shot by a tranquilizer gun. From the feel of it several darts had hit home.

  “I’ll fucking kill you!” Dani shouted, but as she spun around she was met with a dozen more. She growled and went down to all fours before tipping over to the side. She blinked as her breathing started to slow. No! I will not go down like this. Dani tried to pick her legs up but found them useless. “I will kill you all!” she tried to yell, but her voice had dropped to a whisper.

  “Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?”

  That same voice mocked her and she felt the night slowly closing in over her head. With her last bit of strength Dani pitched her phone into the woods. Please, Alisha, please call Mason, she thought before her eyes closed again and she tumbled into a deep,
dark, sleep.

  * * *

  Alisha was shaking and terrified. She had gone to the store to open and had found Dani’s truck still parked outside. She had immediately headed towards Dani’s house, and on the way she had seen dead animals all over the woods. There were raccoons, possums, a fox, and some other small creatures. She poked at one of them and saw one neat shot. Her stomach retched as she dialed Dani’s phone and listened. “No, no, no,” she began to mutter as she walked closer to the house. As if caught in a nightmare, she turned towards the sound of Dani’s phone ringing. After following the sound a few feet into the woods, Alisha leaned down and picked up Dani’s phone from the ground. “Aw, fuck, Dani.”

  Her pulse quickened and she began to run back towards the shop. Whatever had happened Alisha knew that Dani was no longer at the house. She made it back to the store in record time and locked all three doors. She touched Dani’s cell phone and firmly clicked on Mason’s name. He was the only one that would believe her.

  “Hello?” Mason answered on the second ring.

  “It’s Alisha. I work with Dani at her store.” She trailed off then. What could she possibly say that would convince him that something was horribly wrong?

  “Is everything alright?”

  Alisha took a deep breath. “No.” She sat down on floor and tried to calm her frantic heart.

  “What is it?”

  Alisha blinked back tears. “Dani and I created a code a few years ago. In case she was ever in trouble, you know?” She continued without waiting for his answer, “I told her if she was ever in trouble to throw her phone. To just throw it in the woods and I would find it and I would know what it meant.” Alisha took another big breath.

  “Is that where you found the phone?”

  “Yes,” she breathed out, still caught in a panic. What if she never saw Dani again? Why had she left her alone at the store? She should have called Mason earlier.

  “Just stay there. Listen to me, just close the shop and stay inside. I’ll send Phil to come and sit with you. Don’t let anyone else in.”

  “I locked all the doors. I just didn’t…” she trailed off again. “I didn’t know who else to call.”

  “It’s alright. Just try to calm down. I’ll find Dani.” Mason ended the call and Alisha pulled her knees to her chest. She had to believe that he would do everything in his power to find Dani.

  She blinked away a fresh round of tears. Had he said that Phil was coming to sit with her? What on earth for? Alisha brushed at her cheeks. Of all the wolves this man had at his beck and call why would he send his second-in-command to come and sit with her? She was not that important. Alisha wiped at her cheeks. Poor Dani, where was she?

  * * *

  Mason growled and threw his phone across the room.

  Phil caught it. “What is it?” he asked, concerned.

  Mason shook his head and continued to growl as he paced along the length of the room. Whoever took Dani was dead. He would pull him apart with his bare hands. Mason looked up when he saw that Phil had purposely stood directly in his way. He reared back and punched him in the chest without thinking.

  Phil fell against the floor with a thud. “Damn it!” Mason stopped and pulled him up and onto the couch. “Why in the hell would you do something so stupid?” Mason was glaring down at him.

  “Your mind was off somewhere, and I needed you back in the moment.” Phil shrugged innocently.

  Mason growled again. “Dani is missing.”

  “Was it a hunter?” Phil groaned, still catching his breath after the punch.

  Mason sat down. “Who else could it be?”

  “Well let’s go sniff out where they took Dani and kill those sons of bitches.”

  “I told Dani’s friend that I would send you over to the store to sit with her.”

  Phil nodded his acquiescence, and he didn’t even look disappointed. He really had taken an interest in Alisha, Mason thought.

  Mason called the pack together, then looked around and pointed out ten of his strongest males. “We need to go find my future mate right now. Hunters have her. Follow me,” Mason ordered, then took off toward the cars. His plan was to go to Dani’s house and sniff around. There should be some clues there that would lead to the hunters.

  “Should I bring Alisha back here?” Phil asked, nearly running to keep up with Mason.

  Mason stopped. “Yes. Do that.” He gave a shadow of a smile. “Sometimes you do have good ideas.”

  Phil shrugged. “I’m not as stupid as people think I am.” He touched Mason’s shoulder. “Please let me know when you find her.”

  Mason nodded. “Of course I will.”

  * * *

  Dani tried to open her eyes but she did not have the strength. They kept plunging needles into her thighs every time she started to come to. Dani focused on keeping her breath and pulse steady as she assessed the situation. Her hands were bound in chains and her legs were bound by ropes. She had felt hands on her body but her clothes remained in place. What were they planning on doing to her? She had heard that hunters usually raped and tortured their prey before forcing a shift and literally hunting the wolf down. Or was she a bargaining chip for some unsavory deal? Dani kept her eyes closed and tried to slow the panic that was seeping into her brain. What if Alisha didn’t find her phone? How would anyone know where she was? She knew that her car in the parking lot would alert Ali but who would she reach out to? Did she even hope that Mason would be told?

  “I don’t like that bite on her neck. It oughta be healed,” a gruff voice spoke up from somewhere in front of her.

  “Quit it. We were told that this one was a loner.” That voice was the mocking one from the woods.

  “Did you see it? Only an alpha can leave a mark that long,” said another gruff voice.

  “You’re an idiot. She probably bit herself.” Yup, Mr. Mockery seemed to be the ring leader.

  “What are you, a dumbass? No other wolf has ever had a hickey the size of my head on her—” a new, slightly more intelligent-sounding voice piped up.

  “We were told this bitch didn’t have no pack!” said yet another voice. How many were there?

  “Well, she must have some pack cause that bite didn’t appear by itself.” This man could be a professor compared to the other ones. Dani nicknamed them in her head.

  “I ain’t never seen a bite like that,” came from still another new voice.

  “It’s an alpha’s bite, and that means that someone is going to come for her.” After those words from the professor, Dani could feel the tension build in the room.

  “Will you two shut the hell up?” the ring leader spoke up again, and the rest quieted.

  Dani kept her pulse steady. If they thought that she belonged to Mason maybe they would let her go? Then suddenly someone was smacking her face. She could smell tobacco and whiskey on his breath and she gagged.

  “Come on, Red, we gots some questions for ya.” He was standing in front of her; she could feel his legs pressed dangerously close to hers.

  Dani gave a groan as her blindfold was torn away and the small room came into view. It was not as small as she had originally imagined and the ring leader was now cupping her chin. His breath smelled like tobacco and whiskey mixed with dirty socks, and she gagged.

  “You belong to an alpha, bitch? Do ya?”

  Dani closed her eyes and opened them again. The raw feeling was all over her body and she tried to pull away from his touch. “Go to hell,” she whispered.

  “An alpha isn’t just going to abandon his mate, Lou.” The professor must have seen that type of mark before. How else would he know what one looked like?

  One of them, presumably Lou, smacked her across the face. “That true? You got some wolf on your trail?”

  Dani’s head lolled backwards and it took a lot of energy to raise it again. “You better hope not.”

  “Aw, she’s playing, she’s just playing, Lou. She ain’t got no alpha!” One of the others was laughing out
loud and Dani wondered how he ever got past grade school.

  “I’m telling you, if that bite was caused by anything other than an alpha it would be healed over,” countered the professor.

  Dani swallowed and grimaced. Her throat was dry and irritated and the little amusement she got from the idiots around her was fading. “Water,” she said, then looked around without moving her head. Something smelled familiar to her and she inhaled deeply. Was she at her own house? Her senses were numb from the drugs.

  Lou, as disgusting as he was, brought a cup up to her lips. “You better tell us the truth.”

  Dani let the water drip down her throat. It tasted awful but it took away some of the pain. He took the cup away and squeezed her cheeks together.

  “We got you drugged four ways to Sunday, bitch, so you better tell me right now. Do you belong to an alpha?”

  One of the men shifted from foot to foot. “Did ya hear that? Something’s happening outside, Lou.”

  Lou let go of Dani’s cheeks. “What, yer paranoid now? Go check it out and come back here.”

  Dani closed her eyes again. Could Mason really have found her that fast? She struggled against the chains.

  “Lou, you stupid fuck! She’s got an alpha and he’s headed straight for us,” a voice cried out.

  Dani opened her eyes and for the first time she realized for certain where she was. If she were not hurting so badly she would have laughed. She was chained in her own basement. She smiled slowly.

  Lou began to take the chains off from her legs and suddenly Dani grew scared again. She was still too drugged to shift into her wolf form. Dani tried to move her legs but she could do nothing more than groan as they gave way and she fell to the floor. He started on her arms then as the sound of fighting and screaming began to filter through the basement window. His men were not holding up well. Some hunters they were. Her arms came free then and she fell on top of Lou. She glared down at him.

  Lou pushed her off of him and stood up. “You stupid bitch, ya ruined everything.”

  There was a deep growl from the stairway and Dani finally sighed in relief. She knew without a doubt that it was Mason.