"What?...hu?" I wake up groggy.
I can't move. When I look down at my body I see straps holding me to the bed. I am in a large white room with a few cots lined up. Large windows let in the sun and give me a view of a seemingly endless forest.
"Hay!" I yell as best I can with my dry throat.
"Here drink." Someone says putting a straw in my mouth. I suck down the water quickly.
"Thank you." I croak throat still dry.
"I need to get the king he wanted to know when you wake." The young girl scurries out.
I feel... weak... so very weak... my eyes slide closed and when I open them the room is dark... how long have I been in here? My eyes close again.
Next thing I see is a bright light as a doctor shines it in my eyes.
"Mornin' pup." He says as I try to move.
"Good Morning Doctor." I respond I'm drained but clearer mentally.
"How do you feel?" He asks. I try to touch my head only to remember I am strapped to the bed.
"Like I got run over by a truck... after running three marathons and falling out a window." I answer.
"So a normal Tuesday?" I look to see the owner of the voice.
"Good morning Alpha King." The doctor says bowing.
"You must be hungry... it's been over a week. We had to keep sedating you to help with the pain." The King tells me unstrapping one of my hands. He slides a table over me that has a tray of food on it that I hadn't previously noticed.
"Thank you, Alpha." I still don't like this Alpha thing but it's better than calling him my king I guess... plus I don't want to anger him... at least not until I'm sure I can escape.
I begin to eat. I don't like the way this man smiles at me. Why is he so happy? I'm a prisoner here.
"Not a problem boy... glad to see you feeling better..." he props his feet on the end of my bed and leans back crossing his arms. "Have you heard a voice in your head yet?" What the?
"I'm a genetic freak and a murderer but I'm not crazy." I tell him. Why would he think I hear voices?
"Let me know when you do... it doesn't make you crazy... all wolves hear a voice in their heads... now that that crap is out of your system... well your wolf should come back to you soon." He says.
"You're nuts!" I respond spitting some of my food.
"Just keep an open mind... listen to him when he comes back. he's been locked up for a long time... I think he can help you understand what I'm telling you... well pup." He stands up and puts a hand on my shoulder. "I need to get back to work... rest up we'll talk later." With that he turned and walked to the door. He stopped and started talking to a guard. He told him to strap me back down once I'd finished eating.
He acts so nice but he still doesn't trust me... I don't blame him but getting out of here would be easier if he did. I eat slowly trying to think of a way to escape. Having a hand free I could undo my binds but not with this guard watching.
"Do you smell that?" I ask him as a wonderful scent hits my nose. The guard looks around smelling the air. I quickly undo my other hand and one leg before he comes over to me trying to reestablish my confinement. I punch him in the face knocking him out cold and I undo my other leg.
What is that smell? I follow my nose out of this hospital room and down a hallway... where is it? Why do I want it so badly? I turn a corner and see a couple. A young girl and a man hugging her. I can't help the growl that shakes my chest. It is loud and causes the couple to turn and look at me.
Before I can even think of what I'm doing I charge at the man. He steps in front of the girl blocking her from me. That action sets me off even more and I punch him again... and again... and again... the man is bloody body on the ground under me.
[From this point on this book runs along side The First princess starting in chapter 6.]
"Titan!" A booming voice pulls me from my onslaught. I jump up and grab the girl pulling her to my chest. She is the smell. I could hold her like this all day. "Let her go boy." He tells me. I feel another growl reverberate within me.
"Mine!" What was that? I called her mine? What a creep move! I look down at the girl in my arms pushing my nose into her hair. Just that scent calms me and I hold her tight.
"Come on Meme." The king holds his hand out to the girl no longer talking to me. I pull her tighter to me. "Titan! Let her go! You're hurting her!" That made me loosen my grip. I can't hurt her! She turns around in my grip and places a hand on my face pulling my attention from the king forcing me to look at her.
"I'm ok." She whispers... "you can let me go." I let out another growl.
"Mine!" Wow I can't even control that word slipping from my mouth. The king reaches for the girl again and I pull her away. "Mine!" Its like that's the only word in my vocabulary.
"He's my dad, Titan... he won't hurt me." She is still whispering man I love her voice.
"Mine!" I growl softly, nuzzling my nose into her neck.
"Yours." She whispers pulling away so she can hold my face. "But I need to go to my dad right now... please Titan." I look over to the king who is silently watching us. I nod and release her.
"Take him!" The king orders and I am tackled by God knows how many men.
●○●○●
Back in a cell. I am so lost. All I can think about is that girl. Her dark brown hair... her melodic voice... her intoxicating scent... this is what they did to Odin! I get it now! They drugged me!
I hear a voice now just like the King said but it's not exactly talking to me. All I can hear is "mine, mine, mine, mine!" Being chanted in my ear.
I thought he may be a decent man. I thought I could use that against him but no... he was just trying to get me comfortable so he could drug me!
"We need to talk boy." The king says entering my cell.
"You drugged me! You sadistic bastard! My mind is as jacked up as Odin's was! What?! You expect me to kill myself too?" I yell at him.
"No one drugged you... and if this is what happened to your friend he wasn't drugged either." He tells me.
"Bull crap!" I growl. He sighs.
"Still aren't hearing a voice?" He asks.
"I am... I guess that's part of your drug!" I respond.
"Talk to him." He says.
"All the dang voice says is mine... an endless chant in my head! Mine mine mine mine! That's your doing! It had to be! You drugged me!" I accuse him.
"Titan..." the king sighs "... Mates." He simply states.
"Mate! Mate! Mate! Mine! Mate!" The chant changes once I hear that word.
"Talk to your wolf... Emily is your mate. No one drugged you." With that he left.
"Wolf?" I think. Just in case he is telling the truth.
"Mate! Go to mate!" The voice says.
"Who are you?... What are you?"
"I'm your wolf duh!... now go to mate!" The voice...I guess my wolf says.
"If you haven't noticed we are in a cell... what the crap is a mate?" I ask he seems irritated by me.
"Emily is mate... beautiful! amazing! mate!" He answers.
"The king said she was his daughter... what does this mean?" I ask.
"She is ours... made for us... our mate!" He says proudly.
"Ok... how is that possible?"
"Its how we are made... from birth we are destined for one other... our mate."
"That's why she makes me crazy?"
"Yup! Mate!"
"So everything this guy has told me is true?"
"Our king... and yes... we were taken by the man you call father... we are a werewolf and it has nothing to do with a drug... we were born this way."
"This is to much! My entire life! A lie..."
I am pulled from my mental conversation by the return of the king.
"Alpha King!" I feel my body fall forward as I take a knee in front of the man.
What's going on?
"I'm fixing your mess... I want my mate!" The answer rings in my head... He took over!
"So I see you spoke to him." The king says to me... or rather my wolf.
"Yes sir." My wolf responds looking at the ground. "My human is ignorant of our ways and very prideful but he is coming around."
You know, it's an odd feeling to be a passenger in your own body.
"Now you know how I feel human... shut up!"
"Glad to hear that... you know you must be a strong wolf to be dormant for so long and not go mad... and to take control of your human form... I'm impressed." The king says.
"Thank you my king... I would like to request time with my mate, please. I will not hurt her or your pack. I will keep my human in line. We will not run. I won't let him." My wolf pleads with him.
"You may have been dormant but you share Titan's memories. You know what he has done. You know the consequences for his actions. Is it fair to my daughter to become attached to you knowing the punishment that hangs over your head?" My wolf is saddened by the king's words
"No sir." He responds.
"Didn't think so... talk to him... make him understand who and what he is... show him some memories from before he was taken if you can." The king says.
"I'm sorry Alpha... I can't access those memories either." My wolf won't raise his head at all as he speaks to the king.
"Shame... it would have been helpful." He sighs.
"I will talk to him tho." My wolf tries to make the king happier with us.
"Thank you." He responds.
I begin to feel lightheaded and fall backwards onto the ground.
"What the crap!" I yell.
"Well Hello to you too Titan." The king chuckles at me.
"So your wolf can take over your body!" This freaks me out!
"Not usually as powerfully as yours just did but they influence us yes." He responds.
"Woh..."
"Rest now Titan. I will be back tomorrow. I have some things to discuss with you." He tells me.
"Why not tonight?" I ask. Sitting on the cot in my cell.
"That was the plan... but your wolf pretty well drained you to talk to me... go to sleep Titan.... here I brought you something." He tosses me a ball of fabric. I catch it and notice that it is a small fuzzy sweater. I give him a confused look. "Its Emily's"
I put my face in the cloth and breath deeply.
"Mate..." my wolf purs.
"Thank you Alpha." I say. He nods and leaves.
So I am a werewolf... the people I killed were too. They weren't hostile. They weren't terrorists. They were families... fathers... mothers... children... they were protecting themselves and I killed them...
"The consequences he spoke of... they are going to execute me aren't they?" I ask my wolf.
"That is the typical punishment Yes... you are considered a traitor to your people."
"Good."
"Good?! I don't want to die human!"
"I'm sorry... this isn't your fault but I deserve it."
"What about mate?"
"She deserves better."
"I don't want to die!"
"I know... I'm sorry but it's for the best. I can't live with myself. With all I've done. Everyone I've killed... I don't want to live."
"You are being selfish! People care about you! If you die they will hurt!"
"I'll give the King two days then I'll do it myself. I can't atone for what I've done. There's no making it right... it would be better if I were gone."
"Cut your pity party! You're just a selfish little..... Mate?"
I look up and my wolf was correct. There on the other side of the bars is my mate.
"I see my dad dropped by." She says gesturing to the shirt in my hands. I jump off of the bed.
"I'm sorry... here." I try to hand her the shirt.
"No! Keep it please... I want you to have it." She looks away and mumbles. "I wish I had something like that."
I look around the cell and realize I have nothing to give. All I have is the shirt and shorts I am wearing and technically they aren't even mine. It's what they put me in when I was brought here. I pull off the shirt.
"Here." I say handing it to her.
"I couldn't! It gets cold down here you'll need it." She argues.
"I'm a wolf I don't get cold!" I grin at her and she smiles.
"Liar."
"Shut up! Do you not want her to take it?!"
"Proceed."
"Thank you Titan." She takes the shirt and puts it on. Taking a deep breath she sighs with a grin.
"Mate likes our scent!" He is literally purring. I like to see her like this too tho.
"So why are you locked up?" She asks.
"Dont tell her!"
"Hay! Let's forget about me. I want to know about the beautiful Emily." I smile at her but she just crosses her arms.
"Now listen here boy! I want to know about my mate just as much as you want to know about yours! I asked a question first so you are going to answer me first."
"Our little mate is feisty... I like it... you still can't tell her."
"She will find out eventually. Isn't it better she hear it from us?"
"Fine."
"I'm waiting." She sounds irritated as she taps her foot.
"I murdered people." I tell her and her jaw drops.
"Why?" She asks.
"You said I get to know you too. My turn to ask a question... how old are you?" I ask.
"Not supposed to ask that."
"18" she answers "now why?"
"I thought I was doing the right thing... I was wrong... you should go." In my excitement to see her I almost forgot this will hurt her.
"I'm not going anywhere." She argues.
"Please I don't want to hurt you." I beg her.
"Then don't shut me out! That's what hurts me!" She says.
"Please leave."
"Do you not want me?" She asks.
"I want you more than you'll ever know... but you need to leave." I say.
"No! You don't get to decide if I get to spend time with MY mate!" She yells.
"LEAVE NOW!" I command her. Her jaw drops.
"Jerk!" She mumbles as she turns away from me. She disappears into an air vent answering the question of how she got in here.
I flop back onto the bed laying her sweater across my face... maybe the discussion the king wants to have tomorrow is my execution... it would all be over then... better.
Alpha King Alic's POV
I could tell the boy's wolf was in control as soon as I walked in due to his dark eyes. Well there goes talking to him tonight. I tell him we'll talk tomorrow and give him Emily's shirt. I know it will help him calm down but I still don't like the smile on his face as he smells it. I head back to my office.
Why did she have to get him? I believe he is good deep down. His wolf tells me that much. Temperaments seem to closely match between wolf and human. We argue yea but that's usually because we are so much alike. His wolf is respectful and loyal... those are good things for my baby's mate to be but he is so...broken... he needs to heal before he can be anything for anyone... I hope I don't have to kill him.
"It's not an option." My wolf says
"We have to consider it. If I'm wrong and we can't trust him. If he is to far gone. If he is truly a heartless murderer... We may have to."
"We can NOT kill our daughter's mate!... she will hate us."
"She hardly knows him she will get..." I hear the front door open and lean to see who it is.
I see Emily sneaking in wearing his shirt.
"You were saying?"
"I hope I'm right about him... I hope he is a good man... I hope I don't have to kill him."