by Marilynn Fae
She is in the middle of reading the literature textbook by under the dim light when the door to the basement is suddenly yanked open and Alpha Franklin barks down the stairs for her to come up. She picks up the leash and bends a little, presenting the handle to him.
"There's someone who wants to see you," Alpha Franklin says, tugging her towards the living room. Even now, she feels like a child and he's walking too quickly for her. There's something wrong with him, though. He usually takes great pleasure in clipping her collar, pinching her chin and making some tasteless comment about how pretty she's growing up to be. He's walking with a limp that is obvious despite his effort to hide it.
When they reach the living room, she sees their visitors. Her upper lip pulls back immediately, scenting the air. There're a group of men in the large space, men who smell like earth and danger, like metal and blood. She sees the blood on their hands, the bright gleam in their eyes and suddenly, she understands what's happened.
Alpha Franklin has lost in a fight.
She finds the leader of the new pack instantly just because of how impressive he looks. How impressive they both look. She's never seen twins before. It's a little weird. The two men are identical in every way, like they're doing to confuse people on purpose. She knows they're wolf even without having to see their shifts. Their features are sharp and solid, muscles sinewy and perfectly visible even through their dark clothing. She doesn't know if it's black or if it's stained black from blood.
Alpha Franklin stands at the front of the room and she takes her position without prompting, kneeling by his feet with her head bowed, showing the back of her neck.
"Is that her, then?" One of the men asks. His voice is deep and gravelly, half a growl like he can't keep his animal completely contained.
"Yes," Alpha Franklin says.
"Do you make her kneel at your feet all the time?" he asks.
She doesn't look up even though she feels him stiffen. People don't normally ask questions about her. "It's where she belongs," Alpha Franklin says.
She doesn't mean being here so much. Her pack keeps her safe. They take care of her.
"Should I have you kneel by my feet then?"
Her cousins and family snarls, moving forward the same time the wolves do. A loud roar stops all of them in their tracks and she can't help but look up, mesmerized by the power in the roar. The Werewolf Alpha isn't even shifted and yet she can feel the raw power he's oozing, she sheer danger coming from his every pore. There isn't a doubt in her mind that he can take Alpha Franklin down.
Well, down again, it seems, since apparently it's happened already. His twin brother grins, careless and slightly feral. "That's quite enough now," he says. "Come then, Darius beat you fair and square. We'd like out collateral now."
To her surprise, she sees that Alpha Franklin is bowing his head too, though he looks beyond incensed. She scents blood in the air and sees her Alpha clutching her leash tightly enough that his nails are digging into the palms of his hand.
She watches in surprise when Alpha Franklin throws the handle of her leash to one of the men. "You belong to them now, kit," Alpha Franklin growls with a terrible snarl.
Her blood runs cold and she looks back at her Alpha, her pack, her family. "Alpha Franklin?" she whispers.
"You're collateral," he says with barely concealed anger. She knows he's not upset about giving her up. Alpha Franklin doesn't love her even though he's her uncle. He thinks of her as a burden he was saddled with when her parents died. She doesn't love him that much either, but she didn't think he would give her up so easily. She hopes it's a cruel joke. It must be.
But the Alpha holding her leash tugs her towards him and she is forced to turn to him instead.
"Will you come here, Aria?" he asks and there is something oddly familiar about his voice that makes her heart beat a little less erratically.
She frowns at him and closes the distance between them warily.
He is so very tall and she doesn't dare to look up. She bows her head when she is standing in front of him, trying desperately to regulate her breathing so she doesn't panic. Her ears are swiveled back, the fur on her tail bristling, but curled up around her inner thigh where they can't see under her flowing dress.
She grimaces when he pinches her chin and tips her head up. His eyes are so beautiful and she suddenly remembers when she had seen them before with a soft, "Oh." And then. "I know you."
His grin is kind, the corners of his eyes wrinkling with a sincerity that makes the pain she's feeling from being abandoned by her pack so easily a little more bearable. "We've met before, yes," he says. "How would you like me to call you?" he asks.
She thinks for a moment, recalling how her Alpha would call her 'pet' or 'kit' depending on his mood and how her cousins have all started calling her pet instead of her name now. It would be nice if he would call her by her actual name. She decides to be a little brave and says, "My name's Aria."
"Aria is a beautiful name," he says. "Aria, you'll be coming to stay with me from now on, okay?"
She tries to turn back and look at her Alpha, her pack, but his grip on her chin tightens, keeping her from moving her head.
"Don't do that, darling- ah, Aria," he corrects, still smiling, though it looks slightly strained now that her eyes have begun to burn and fill with tears.
"With you?" she whispers.
"Yes," he says.
Beside him, his twin brother stiffens. "Are you sure that's a good idea, Darius? We have a place for shifters like her," he says and she freezes, her heartbeat speeding up until it's rabbit fast. She remembers that day in the streets, with the rabbit shifter and how she was treated. She wonders if they're going to do the same to her.
"Ethan," the werewolf Alpha's voice is harsh, biting. He turns to him with eyes that flash red for a split second and his brother bows his head.
"Right, right. Just do whatever you want," he rolls his eyes and even though they sound the same, the way he intones his words is different, less like he's giving out orders.
There's no question who's in charge here.
"You belong to me now," he says and her eyes widen, scared but not terrified, not now that she remembers him from all those years ago, telling her why she has to be careful, not when she recalls the articles she reads about him in the papers and books, all the good he had done for shifters all over the world. Shifters like her.
The rabbit shifter - Kayla - had gone on a news site afterwards and gotten an interview about how much her life had changed after Alpha Darius saved her, how good everything is for her now.
Nevermind the fact that she had taken up work as a high-end escort.
Aria doesn't like to think about it.
"I belong to you?" she whispers. She considers calling him Alpha Darius, but she can't make herself do it, not when her Alpha is right there. Instead, she asks, "Where will you take me?"
"Home," he says. "Go get your stuff. We're leaving now."
She stands in front of him without moving for a few stunned seconds. Her stuff? Right now? It all seems to be moving too quickly and she's not sure what she's expected to do. She doesn't own anything in the house. Everything in the basement is 'pack property', so when Darius- Master Darius, her mind corrects automatically - tells her that she should go to her room and bring what she wants to take with her, she comes back with just a plastic bag of books that her cousins had gotten for her from the library. She hasn't finished reading them yet.
Ethan looks as though he wants to ask something, but a stern look from Master Darius makes him pause.
Master Darius helps her with the small bag of her borrowed possessions with a weak smile. "Is that all, Aria?" he asks.
She nods and manages a weak smile in his general direction before looking firmly at her feet again.
"Would you like to say goodbye?" he asks.
She hesitates, wondering if it's some sort of test. She doesn't know what the right answer is. In the end, she shakes her head. A
untie Darla and her cousins might miss her a little, but Alpha Franklin is right. She's a burden. She bets they'd be happy to get rid of her.
"Come then," he says and instead of taking her leash, he offers her a hand.
She frowns. That's not the right way to do it. He should be taking her leash. She doesn't want to correct him though. She doesn't like being dragged by her leash. She takes his hand, marveling at how large and firm his grip is when he closes his fingers around her much smaller hand.
"Come on, Aria. Let's bring you home," he says and his voice is so soft, so soothing.
She can't help but feel a swell of hope that things will be better when he tugs her forward until they're walking side by side, his pack members trailing a little behind them as they leave.
Chapter Two: Pets, Master
The black sedan waiting for them outside of the house is impressively big. Very long, she thinks quietly, and wonders how it's going to manage turns. She climbs up into the backseat and is momentarily jarred by how much space there is inside of the car. To her surprise, Ethan is the only one joining them in the car. He closes the door behind them, and she sees through the tinted windows the rest of the werewolves climbing into their own cars.
When Master Darius sits down, she finds it easy to fold her legs under herself and sit by his feet because of how much space there is.
"Aria, you don't need to do that," he says, expression pained.
Her heartbeat stutters. Has she done something wrong already? "Do what, Master Darius?" she asks.
Behind her, she hears Ethan snort. "Master Darius, eh?" he asks.
She grimaces, hoping he wouldn't order her to call him Alpha. She already has an Alpha. She feels as though something had grabbed her gut and clenched at the thought. She had an Alpha, she corrects sadly.
"You don't have to sit by my feet. Come up," he says.
She hesitates, afraid of doing something wrong, and then asks in a tentative voice, "For pets, Master Darius?"
"Pets?" he asks, voice low.
She nods. She misses getting pets from Auntie Darla. Alpha Franklin says she shouldn't ask for them anymore since she's grown up. "Pets," she repeats slowly, bringing her palm up to her head, fingers curled inwards as she brushes her hand over her ears.
"Do you want pets?" he asks.
She nods and climbs up onto the seat on her hands and knees. She leans her head to his thighs, cheeks pressed against his hard stomach, and lets out a rumbling purr.
"Jesus," Ethan growls.
"Please, Master Darius," she whines when he takes too long, wriggling a little to capture his attention.
"I'm not- you don't have to call me Master Darius, Aria," he says and combs his hands from her forehead to the spot between her ears, and then down to cradle the base of her neck. She pushes her head closer to his palm, chasing after the sensation of his fingers on her skin. He's warm and his touch is kind. He doesn't grip too tightly or use his claws and he's not trying to demean or humiliate her.
She relaxes in his lap, liking him more and more.
"She's a sweet little thing, isn't she?" Ethan murmurs. "How human do you think she is?"
"She's right here, Ethan. You can ask her yourself."
She would much rather if he didn't. She likes getting touched like this, soft and gentle and not at all with the intention to cause pain. Her tail sways from side to side behind her, pleasure causing her to purr a little harder. She wonders if she should be sadder about leaving her family, but she can't muster up the tears and she's not really sad. And it's nice that he's touching her so kindly. She likes it.
Feeling brave, she crawls up and into his lap, fitting herself on top of him with continuous, content purrs. He's a big man, muscles on his thighs sturdy as she shifts and makes herself comfortable on top of him. Her skirt pools er skirt pooling at her thighs and hiking up when she straddles him and rubs the top of her head to his chin. It's prickly and he smells a little bit like blood, but mostly she feels very warm and safe and it's important that he likes her. If she puts more of her scent on him, he would recognize her as his and he wouldn't hurt her. He's her new Master now and maybe if she does her best to be good, he will be a kind to her.
Master Darius startles, fingers in her hair stopping for a second before he continues, combing his fingers down her hair and over her furry ears again and again.
"Do you get pets like this at home, Aria?" Ethan asks carefully, enunciating every word like he's afraid of the answer.
She pauses. "Yes," she lies because she doesn't want Master Darius to stop. And then, softly, she amends, "I used to."
The answer seems to satisfy him because he doesn't ask her to elaborate. She smiles and melts a little more in his lap, rubbing her cheeks to the front of his shirt.
"May I see your tail?" Ethan asks suddenly.
She's aware that her tail has been swaying from side to side underneath her skirt and it's probably the movement that caught Master Darius's twin's attention, but she's a little reluctant to show him her tail nevertheless. She's used to hiding it when she's outside. She remembers the punishment she would get if she disobeys and bites her lower lip in hesitation. Maybe Master Darius is different, and he doesn't have a basement to lock her in. Maybe-
"You don't have to if you don't want to," Master Darius whispers, breaking into her thoughts. His grip on the back of her neck is calm and soothing. The collar gets in the way somewhat, but she's not too bothered about that. The collar is leather with the metal bits locking in so she can't take it off. She's used to having it on.
Permission from Master Darius to not show her tail only makes her feel like she should. "I- I can, Master Darius," she says and lets the tip of her tail peek from underneath her long dress. The fur is a little messy because she had curled it so tightly around herself earlier and she wishes she can groom it better, but her Master Darius's hands are on the small of her back, keeping her steady as the car rumbles onward. The skirt hikes up a little more and her tail curls up, showing off the bristling, fluffy fur.
"It's a lovely tail, Aria," Master Darius praises.
She preens and doesn't pull away like she usually does when Ethan grabs the end of her tail and tugs a little. She does grimace, though. It stings when people do that.
"Don't be a brat, Ethan," Master Darius scolds, teeth bared as though he's ready to fight her brother for her and Ethan lets go immediately.
"It's so soft," Ethan says.
Master Darius doesn't say anything when she curls her tail back underneath her skirt and she mewls happily, rubbing her ears to his chin to get his attention back on her.
"Aria, I want to ask you a few questions and I want you to answer honestly, okay?" he says.
"Of course, Master Darius."
"Not gonna get used to that anytime soon," Ethan chuckles.
"Shut up, Ethan," he fixes his brother with a stern glare. His tone is softer when he talks to her. "Aria, were you unhappy at home?" he asks.
She frowns. "I'm- I'm happy," she says.
"You dropped everything and followed us out too quickly to be happy with your old life, princess," Ethan says and Master Darius lets out a deep, rumbling growl of displeasure so loud that the metal frames in the car vibrates. Ethan holds up both his hands, "Alright, alright. I'm shutting up."
"Did you pack members hurt you?" Master Darius questions.
She shakes her head.
"Why don't you have any of your own clothes? Don't you have more things than this?"
"I- I wear what Auntie Darla gives me. And um... everything belongs to pack. I don't- " have anything. "I shouldn't be greedy."
His fingers cradle the back of her head, firm and calming. "Tell me about how your day is like, what you usually do."
That one's easy. "I read," she says and when it's clear that he's waiting for more, she adds hesitantly. "Sometimes my cousins come to the basement and keep me company?"
"Do they pet you like this too?" he asks.
She shakes he
r head. "They like to pull my tail and chase me around the house in their full shift. It's fun." Until it's not. She doesn't like it when they have her pinned down. Auntie Darla makes sure she doesn't get hurt during their play fights though. Her scent sours when she remembers the last few times her older cousins had her pinned. They yanked her tail up and hiked her dress up to her waist. If Auntie Darla hadn't shown up when she did, she doesn't know what they would've done.
She wonders if Master Darius would touch her like they had. If he would force himself on her. She knows enough about the world to know that some people like to fuck shifters like her. She hopes he's different, though. He smells kind.
"It's alright, darling," Master Darius says, his touch soothing as he combs down her head with one hand and rubs soothing circles on her back with the other. "You're mine now. I take care of what's mine."
Chapter Three: Chains
He rushes towards the police station with his heart in his throat, his wolf so close to the surface on his skin that he almost pulls the door off it's hinges in his haste to get to his young half-cat charge.
None of the officers at the desk stop him. They know why he's here. Aria is hardly a secret. It had been all over the news when he took down the Lion Shifter pack, the last pack in town, and stole their youngest kit, their little half-shift whom they keep locked up in the basement. She had imprinted on him with remarkable speed, though the therapist insists this is normal for Shifters like her, and it's highly possible her previous environment had not been good for her and it only makes sense for her to want to please him as much as she can so she'll stay with him.
He thought she was happy with him. She hasn't done or said anything to prove otherwise.
He doesn't know where he went wrong with her. Apparently the security at their apartment had found her standing on a ledge and they had to call in firemen to get her down.
Alex, his third in command, right after his brother, is already there, his scent stormy and displeased. "Is that really necessary?" Darius hears him before entering the room. His little Aria smells like tears and anxiousness.
