TANGLED BETWEEN TWO ALPHAS

CHLOE'S POV.

"Don't do this," I pleaded one more time hoping he would listen in his drunken state. But he looked so far gone in his madness that he wouldn't stop.

He forced me back against the table as he pressed himself into me, and all I could perceive was the stench of alcohol as he kissed down the nape of my neck.

"I have always wanted you, we could make it easy or hard either way I am going to have you."

Already I could see his hands trailing down like he owned my body, perhaps he did. Maybe I was his to take just as he had muttered.

When his hands fell on my bosom again, I jittered. It made it harder that I was backed up against the table unable to move as he pressed his hardness on me.

"Can you feel that—"

The rest of his words were interrupted by the sound of the door, we both turned to see the handle click with someone at the other end.

I looked on with bliss, my gaze glittered almost immediately to welcome whoever was behind the door, on the other end he had a look of disappointment and disdain on his.

Just as the door was about to open, he sent the contents of the table to the ground with a wave of his hand. I heard the clattering noise of the dishes I had been working tirelessly on and squeezed my eyes shut before fluttering them open again almost immediately.

I looked at him like he had gone insane just before turning to see Raven at the doorway.

Raven didn't look like she saw anything that happened, I was still in shock about my uncle's actions and the fact that he had acted insanely when I felt a sting on the side of my face.

I fell right to the ground, shocked at his action.

I looked around from the plates that were still right there on the floor broken and in shards to the look of disdain in both of their faces.

"Is this what you do now?" He wagged his finger at me, still trying to look at me steadily even while drunk. "You are going to pay for breaking those dishes."

"Yes, make her pay. '' Raven's voice echoed in support.

I looked on in disbelief as a tear rolled down my eyes. Somewhere in my heart, I wished to myself that all this would end.

Perhaps death was a better way out of my predicament.

He shared a look with his daughter. I could almost sense immediately what would happen. It was either two things: one was the fact that I would be beaten til I passed out and the other — I couldn't think about it.

I looked in the direction of the rat-infested tool room just adjacent to where we were standing, the room had been like a dungeon for many years. I couldn't remember how many nights I had spent in its cold bare ground but I certainly didn't want it tonight.

"He couldn't possibly do this," I thought. it was the night of the moon dance—

I had looked forward to this night all week and at the moment all hopes of attending were about to be deprived from me.

Already I could see the rats scurrying out of their holes, their little pebbled eyes peering from the dark corners of the room.

"Do it, father."

He dragged me by foot to the door of the room, ignoring my pleas. I could hear the sinister laughter from Raven as he pushed me in and bolted the door behind me.

***

Soon, my cries echoed within the four walls of the room. While my heart longed for freedom, it felt like something not forthcoming.

I could have sworn that I wanted a different life, one that I would understand, one that was free from torments and pain, but it didn't seem like I was going to have it anytime soon.

I curled myself against my knee listening as it rained softly outside. A cold air found itself Into the room, already I could hear the sound of howls and music from a distance.

I tried all I could to shut out the noise but the more I did, the more it felt like I could hear the sound from my subconscious mind mocking me and my inability to attend the dance.

The sounds grew louder and louder with each minute, making it even harder for me to shut it out. I got up and peered through the only window in the room that was a bit higher than it should have been. Looking around, I realized this room might have been built for this exact purpose; to keep people in.

The urge to escape grew stronger as I heard the drumming stop and the voice of an elder addressing the pack replaced it. The window looked just the right size for me to fit through so I looked around for anything that I could climb just to reach the height.

When my gaze found a metal bucket, my heart leaped with hope. Soon I was on the same level with the window, I looked in either direction before lifting myself fully up to the window and then it happened.

A deafening noise filled the room as the bucket tumbled over, my heart was prickling with fear as I expected that he'd come at any moment.

A moment passed and all I could hear was the sound of my heart beating heavily, When it seemed as though he had actually passed out from being too drunk and wouldn't show up at any moment, I continued with my antics.

With quick paces I made my way away from the house, running down the path that led to the dance.

Each time I looked behind to be certain he wasn't coming after me, I would probably be skinned alive if caught but what's the worst that could happen?

One more time, I looked over my shoulder while turning a bend ahead. I could see a bonfire and hear the voices not too far with a smile of victory crawling around my face.

The smile was short-lived however, I heard a twig break from behind and turned to look. Turning back again I bumped into a hard manly frame.

A strong grip crawled around my wrist holding me still and I looked up to an unexpected sight.

Chloe's POV.

With my heart beating lightly, I looked up at the man who stood a few inches taller than I was and was immediately smitten by his beauty. He was the most beautiful man I had seen, so much so that I had the strong urge to avert my gaze and focus on anything else instead.

I didn't want to look like a coward if I looked away so I held his stare. When he spoke, his tone was as polite as his face, it was the sweetest voice I had ever heard. My wolf growled inside me and screamed "MATE" but I was too scared to ask if he felt the same way. This was all new to me and I wasn't sure I could stomach a rejection, especially not from this handsome man that stood on front of me.

“Are you fine?" He asked, gripping me by the shoulders to steady me.

In a way his indifferent voice ran down my spine, leaving a strange thrill in its wake. I could feel that bolt of electricity crawling right from our point of contact to my heart. I stood there smitten by his beauty, unable to say a word.

"Chloe?"

My heartbeats collided with a crash at that fact, I could merely bring myself to nod my head in acceptance of a name I had thought I hated all my life.

He said my name in a way no one ever had, sparking life into it as it rolled off his tongue.

I stiffened beside where he stood, still with his hands clasped with mine and a smile plastered across his face.

"King… That's my name." He muttered.

"I've heard a lot of the famous Chloe but no one said anything about you being mute."

Heat rushed to my cheeks and I blinked, this man had actually found out about everything, rumors or not. I thought of what view he had of me even as anxiety clawed at my chest. Everybody knew me as an orphan and I couldn't start to think of what lies Raven had spread about me.

"I am not dumb." I said in a low tone not having enough guts to look into his eyes.

He pulled a hand out of his pocket and ran his hands through his hair, he looked impressed that he had my attention.

As he tightened his hands around me, a cold shiver ran through my bloodstream.

He looked back at that party. "Do you want to come for the dance or hang around here?" He asked.

I shrugged. "This is my first moon dance, it is why I snuck out. "

His fingers tightened as they fell on my lower back, and he spoke in my ear, “Then don't let me make you miss it. "

My heartbeat drummed as he led me through the path covering the distances left to the dance. He was like the devil stealing my soul away, if that made any sense at all, but the truth was I didn't mind.

There was something about him that felt so compelling, from his voice that had this peculiarity about it, to his personality, every bit of it stirred a reaction in my body.

"Damn that's my cousin, I don't want to see her." I said immediately my eyes came in contact with Raven who was flirting with two of the guys present, not surprisingly.

"Raven?" He asked with a look of shock.

"Yes?" Thought you did your findings.

"Well not really, never knew you two were close." He looked around again. "Do you still want to hang around or come with me?"

“We're not close and yes, I'd come with you." I said in a rather too strong view that earned me a confused look from him.

It was still a few hours till the moon passed in the lunar ritual, but I would rather have it with this man than have it get ruined by Raven.

I didn’t realize how tightly he’d been holding me until we stepped out of the fold and then he let go of me. We were standing directly away from the rest of the pack by now.

As the long-awaited moon approached, I watched as King's hands slipped out of his pockets and his gaze fell down my body. It was a movement that was hardly less observant, as he did it slowly as though watching if I was edible or if I would move.

His eyes narrowed on my dress as five words fell from his lips. "Do you feel it too? The mate bond, I mean."

My heart fluttered at his words, I was glad he felt it too and it made me feel less of a fool. I couldn't be more glad I snuck out tonight, meeting my mate was definitely not on my list. Hell! Meeting an alpha who was my mate was not on my to-do list in ten years to come.

"Do you?" He asked again.

I nodded, feeling strangely breathless under his scrutiny. I wouldn't deny that I could feel the whole energy, the scent that was oozing out of us both.

He didn’t say a word, but his expression confirmed what he wanted as his eyes traveled back up to my cleavages. I had seen that look many times and it brought back bad memories of my Uncle, but I pushed them out of my mind.

He looked deep into my eyes and I could see his gaze burning me as though I was upon a stake.

I didn’t get a chance to react as his palm laid on my body and left a warm sensation in my lower stomach as it glided up.

He kissed me softly, robbing me of the chance to breathe. It was my first kiss and I didn't exactly know what to do but I returned it, opening my mouth just wide enough for his tongue to slip through.

It took a moment to find any air again as we became more breathless and all that filled the silence was our moans. This went on for minutes until it was almost impossible to push away the thoughts and memories that gnawed at my every being.

"I think it's too early for this," I said amidst gasps, pulling my lips away from his.

My brows knitted as images of my uncle flashed across my face again, under the warm glow of the moonlight, I darted my eyes to the left and could see a couple of others doing the same thing —kissing or going all the way.

King's grip was soft but strong, and not forceful but still I had no idea what we were doing.

"What's wrong? Did I do something?" He asked.

More memories of my uncle's assaults flooded my brain and I couldn't shake it off any longer. The more he held on to me and tried to pull me close, the more I got scared and panicked.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this. Not right now," I told him, before pulling my hand away from his and running away.