Chapter 4
Ema's
The man in front of me didn't say a word at first. He just tilted his head back and finished his drink in one long, slow swallow. I watched his throat move as he downed the whiskey. When the glass was empty, the ice cubes shifted and clicked softly against the side. It was a small sound, but in the quiet of that big room, those clicks sounded like little warnings meant only for me. Without even taking his eyes off my face, he stretched his arm out to the side. A shadow seemed to move in the corner of my vision. Someone I hadn't even noticed before stepped forward from the darkness. They took the empty glass from his hand and disappeared back into the shadows just as quickly.
His gaze never left me for a single second. It felt heavy, like a physical weight pressing down on my skin.
Then, he began to walk. He didn't come toward me right away. Instead, he started to move in a slow circle around me. I stayed on my knees, too afraid to move. I heard the sound of his heavy boots scraping against the cold concrete floor with every step he took. It was a rhythmic, terrifying sound. As he moved, his eyes traveled over every part of me. He looked at my face, then my neck, and then my shaking shoulders. He stared down at my knees where they were pressed painfully into the hard floor. The way he looked at me made my skin crawl. It was a heavy, hungry look. It made me feel like I was just a piece of meat laid out on a table for him to inspect before he decided what to do with me.
My heart was pounding so hard against my ribs that it actually started to hurt. I wondered if he could hear it. I wondered if everyone in the room could hear how terrified I was.
He stopped walking when he was directly behind me. I couldn't see him anymore, which was even worse. I froze, holding my breath. I felt the warmth of his breath move the loose hairs at the back of my neck. It sent a shiver straight down my spine that had nothing to do with the cold air in the warehouse.
Then, he finally spoke.
"Get her up," he ordered.
As soon as the words left his mouth, strong hands grabbed my upper arms. I was hauled roughly to my feet. My legs were so shaky that I could barely stand on my own. I had to lean my weight against the men holding me just to stay upright. The ropes around my wrists were tight, and they cut deep into my skin as my arms were pulled. A sharp, stinging pain burned through my shoulders, but I tried not to cry out.
Now that I was standing and the sack was gone, I could finally see him clearly under the bright, harsh lights of the ceiling.
He was striking, but in a way that made me want to run. He had dark, messy hair and eyes so dark they looked almost black. His jaw was sharp and set in a hard line. His lips were pressed together, and it didn't look like he knew how to smile. It looked more like a permanent threat. He was still shirtless, and I could see how every single muscle in his chest and stomach was tight, as if he were ready to spring into action at any moment. Dark black tattoos covered his skin, wrapping around his arms and across his chest. They seemed to shift and move whenever he breathed.
He walked over to a metal chair that sat near the far wall. He sat down in it with a natural grace, looking like he owned every single thing in this room, including me. He lifted a hand and pointed a finger at me.
"Explain," he said.
It was just one word. It was cold and final. He didn't need to say anything else to show that he expected an answer immediately.
The man with the scar on his face stepped forward. He lowered his head slightly as he spoke, showing the man in the chair a lot of respect. "The woman paid her debt with the girl, Alpha," the scarred man explained. "She told us the girl was worth much more than the money she owed us."
The man in the chair let out a laugh. It wasn't a happy sound. It was short, rough, and felt completely empty.
"Stupid woman," he said, shaking his head. "Trading her own daughter's life just to save her own skin. It's pathetic."
Hearing him talk about my mother like that made something snap inside me. A sudden, hot rush of anger flooded through my chest. For a moment, the anger was actually stronger than the fear I felt. I couldn't believe my mother had done this. I couldn't believe she had just handed me over to these people like I was a bag of groceries.
"Who are you?" I shouted. My voice was shaking and high-pitched, but I didn't stop myself. "Why did you take me? I don't owe you anything! I didn't sign anything! You have to let me go right now!"
He didn't get angry at my shouting. He just tilted his head to the side, studying me as if I were a strange animal he had never seen before.
Then, he stood up.
He moved with a slow, controlled power. In just three long steps, he was standing directly in front of me. He was way too close. I could feel the heat coming off his body. I could smell the scent of whiskey and the faint smell of tobacco on him. There was something else underneath those smells, too—something darker and more animal-like that I couldn't name.
His hand reached out suddenly and caught my chin. He wasn't gentle about it. His grip was firm and unyielding as he forced my face up so that I had no choice but to look directly into his dark eyes.
I felt trapped. I felt like I couldn't breathe.
A very small smile appeared on his lips, but it didn't make him look any kinder.
"I think I like you," he whispered. His voice was very quiet now. "Most people in your position just sit there and cry. But you... you actually want to fight. That's interesting."
He moved his thumb, brushing it lightly over my bottom lip, right where it was split and sore. It was a tiny touch, but it sent a massive shock through my entire body. I felt a wave of fear, but there was also something else. A strange, warm sensation started to spread through my chest. It was confusing and it made me feel dizzy.
I tried to shake my head to get away from his hand. "Don't touch me," I bit out.
He didn't let go. If anything, his grip got a little tighter.
Suddenly, I saw his eyes change. They started to darken, and his pupils grew so wide that the dark color swallowed up everything else. He let go of my chin and pressed his other hand against his own chest, right over his heart. I saw his jaw tighten so hard that the muscles stood out.
A look of sudden pain crossed his face. His breathing became jagged and broken.
I stared at him, frozen in place. I watched as his eyes changed color completely. They weren't brown or black anymore. They turned a deep, glowing red. It wasn't a trick of the light or a shadow. They were red like blood.
A low growl started to rumble deep in his throat. It was a vibrating, heavy sound that didn't sound human at all. It sounded like a beast was trapped inside him and was trying to claw its way out.
My blood felt like it had turned to ice in my veins. I had never seen anything like this in my life.
The man with the scar rushed forward immediately. He looked panicked. "Everyone out!" he ordered the other men in the room. "Get out now!"
I heard the sound of boots moving fast across the concrete. I heard the heavy metal doors of the warehouse slamming shut. In just a matter of seconds, the room was empty except for the three of us.
The scarred man stayed a few feet back, speaking in a very soft voice. "Alpha? Are you okay? Can you hear me?"
The man in front of me took a deep, shuddering breath. He seemed to be fighting for control. Slowly, his hand dropped away from his chest. When he finally looked at me again, the red color was gone. His eyes were dark brown once more, but his entire body was still vibrating with tension.
"I'm fine," he said. His voice was tight and strained, as if he were speaking through gritted teeth.
He faced me again, but the small smile from before was completely gone. Something much darker and more dangerous had replaced it. He reached out and grabbed my throat. He didn't squeeze hard enough to stop my breathing, but he held me firmly. It felt like a gesture of possession, like he was claiming me.
He leaned in so close that I could feel his warm breath against my skin.
"A human mate," he whispered. He sounded like he couldn't believe the words he was saying. "That's impossible."
The word made no sense to me. Mate? Like a partner? Nothing about this situation made any sense. I was just a girl who wanted to go to school, and now I was being held by a man with red eyes who was talking about mates.
"Please," I cried out. I couldn't help it. The tears finally started to spill over. "I don't understand what's happening. I don't know who you are. Just let me go home. I promise I won't tell anyone about this place. I'll just disappear."
His fingers tightened for a split second, and I gasped for air.
Then, he suddenly shoved me away.
I wasn't ready for it. I fell backward, my tied hands making it impossible to catch myself. I hit the hard concrete floor, and a sharp pain shot through my hip and up my spine. I groaned, trying to roll onto my side.
He didn't even look down at me. He turned his back and spoke to the scarred man. "Lock her up," he said. His voice was cold again. "Put her somewhere where I don't have to see her. I don't want to feel her anywhere near me."
"Yes, Alpha," the man replied quickly.
The scarred man walked over and grabbed me by the arm. He didn't wait for me to get my balance. He started dragging me across the floor.
I tried to crawl backward, away from him. "No! Please! Don't do this!"
He didn't listen to my begging. He pulled me up and dragged me toward a heavy door at the back of the room. I kicked out at him. I tried to twist away, but he was too strong.
"I don't belong here!" I screamed. My voice echoed off the high ceilings.
The man didn't give me an answer. He just kept walking. We went through the door and into a narrow, dimly lit hallway that smelled like damp stone. We passed another heavy door, and then he stopped at a third one. He pulled out a ring of keys, unlocked it, and threw the door open.
It was a small, miserable room. The walls were bare concrete. There was a narrow cot with a thin mattress bolted to the floor. I saw heavy metal chains hanging from a hook on the wall. The metal looked cold and grey.
He pushed me inside the room. I stumbled and only stayed upright by catching the edge of the bed.
He reached down and removed the ropes from my wrists. For a second, I thought he was letting me go, but then I heard a metallic sound. Cold, heavy metal cuffs snapped around my wrists.
Click. Click.
They were locked tight. I was chained to the wall.
The man stepped back and looked at me one last time. He didn't say anything. He just turned around, walked out of the room, and slammed the heavy metal door shut behind him. I heard the sound of the lock turning.
Total silence filled the room.
I felt the strength leave my body. I slid down the wall until I was sitting on the cold floor. The chains rattled against the concrete with a lonely sound. My head hurt, my body ached from the falls and the kicks, and I felt more alone than I ever had in my life.
The tears started to fall down my face in earnest now. I curled my body into a small ball, pressing my forehead against my knees. I began to cry. It was a quiet, broken sound. I was more afraid than I had ever been. I didn't know what was going to happen to me, and I didn't know how I was ever going to get away from the man with the red eyes.