Awakening from her sleep, her eyes fluttered open, and she was about to stretch her tensed muscles, but got startled when she realized that she had been sleeping on Alvin all this while.
Hypnotized by his exposed muscular torso, she couldn't help but stare drowsily, her breath hitching in her throat.
His six-pack was fully revealed, and his long golden hair was neatly arranged.
She tried to roll away, but he pulled her back to his chest, his eyes still closed.
She attempted to roll away again, but he held her in place.
"Alvin," she called, unsure if he was really sleeping or awake.
"Make yourself feel comfortable, Annabelle, because I have no plans on letting you go," he said, loosening his grip slightly.
"Seriously, Alvin, don't you have pack duties to do? Leave me alone and go to work," she tried to convince him.
When he didn't say a word, she tried getting up, only to be pulled back, her face falling into his nape, and she groaned, not knowing the effects it had on him.
"Annabelle, will you stay properly with me or will you continue talking?"
"So you won't let me go? Why aren't you going to work today?" She pouted, raising her head from him.
"Time's up," he said, but she stopped him from tightening his grip.
"Okay, but could you please wear your shirt?" she asked, ruffling her already messy hair.
"Annabelle?"
"Alright… whatever," she climbed on him but accidentally straddled him before resting properly on his chest.
"This is awkward," she complained, not realizing her unintentional action.
"You'll get used to it," he whispered into her ear.
"I don't think so," she grumbled inaudibly, but he heard and smiled secretly before covering them with the duvet.
…
The ringing of his phone made his eyes fly open, and he began searching for it with his hands, not wanting to wake up his sleeping mate.
Grasping his phone, he sighed when he felt her stir, knowing that the incoming call had interrupted the peaceful moment, waking the sleeping Annabelle up.
He glanced at her when she raised her head from his chest, her eyes dizzy as she stared down at him.
He began stroking her hair gently, before he answered his call.
"Lucas, what is it?" he asked coldly.
"It's the rogue, she had refused to say a word, so I think your presence is needed!" Lucas said through the phone.
"How can my presence be needed when I'm babysitting someone? Lucas, what has happened to you?" He asked, disappointed in his Beta.
"Nothing, Boss," Lucas replied.
"How is it possible that she didn't say a word to you, Lucas? You are becoming too soft as a Beta, and I won't tolerate it. Emily has influenced you a lot. There should be a distance between you and Emily," he scolded before ending the call.
"Annabelle, I'll be leaving for now."
Turning from his phone to him, she nodded before crawling away from him to the bed.
She lay on the bed, picked up the duvet, and covered herself, before snuggling into the cushion, closing her eyes to continue her interrupted sleep.
He remained silent, watching her before he spoke, "And you'll be coming with me?"
"Huh... Me?" Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked behind her, thinking he might be talking to someone else.
"If you can stay without my absence disturbing you, then you can continue sleeping. But if it would affect you, follow me before I leave the mansion. You aren't permitted to leave on your own."
She touched her nape, caressing the mark, before replying, "I'll go with you," but she still remained seated on the bed.
"Come over here and stop being dramatic," he complained and walked out of the room, while she climbed down the bed, and followed behind.
Walking out of the mansion, he held her hand as they walked into the dark woods, the crescent moon shining in the sky, while owls hooted, and crickets chirped.
She had been whimpering in fear while walking beside him, but the sounds of bats flying by made her flinch, hugging him and burying her face into his chest in fright.
When the noises died down, she peeked her eyes open and looked around, searching for any sign of danger.
She then looked up at Alvin who had been watching her all this while, and noticing their intimate closeness, she unwrapped her hands around him before shifting beside him, making way for them to continue walking.
"Why are we in the woods?" she asked in a whisper, uncomfortably, and shifted closer to him.
She didn't want to get kidnapped for the second time in the woods.
"Pack duties," he replied, covering her with his blue jacket since she was visibly shivering from the cold weather.
He pulled her to himself, and they continued walking until they reached a dungeon-like place.
Standing in what looked like a lift, she couldn't see clearly because it was dark, so she got startled when it started moving downward.
The door opened, revealing a dimly lit passage with bustling light.
Walking out of the lift, he was stopped when she held him back.
"It looks dangerous, what if there are wild wolves?" she whispered fearfully.
"Little mate, your mate is an Alpha of werewolves, so stop being scared and follow me!" he said, pulling her along, while she couldn't help the blush that crept onto her cheeks.
Indeed, Alvin is the wolf leader, so he could at least protect her, she thought to herself as she tried to keep up with his pace.
Walking through the passage, she held tight onto his hand as they walked towards an elegant, soundproof, metallic-looking door.
Pushing the door open, Annabelle couldn't help but shiver in fright due to the agonizing screams and cries coming from different directions.
She couldn't see what was happening because Alvin had covered her eyes with his hand.
Walking into another dark room, she couldn't help but yelp in fright when the door was closed behind her, and Alvin finally uncovered her eyes.
She could smell the metallic odor of blood all over the room.
All of a sudden, the stage lights switched on, making her flinch backward at the sight of a girl whose hands were spread apart and tied, but she bumped into Alvin, losing her balance.
He was quick to hold her by her waist, preventing her from falling and sustaining an additional injury to the one she already had.
Making her stand on her own, he left her and continued walking further.
Trailing behind Alpha Alvin, they climbed the stage where the girl was, and that was when she recognized who she was.
She was the girl she had fought with in school.
The girl who was facing downward suddenly raised her head, making it seem as though she had sensed their presence.
Gnashing her teeth and making a weird animal noise, Annabelle hid behind Alpha Alvin, peeking at the girl.
"She is indeed a scaredy-cat," he muttered under his breath, watching Annabelle peek at the rogue from behind him.
The looks of the she-wolf alone frightened her, making her wonder how she was able to fight with someone like her.
She had received help from Xavier; it was Xavier who had thrown the desk cover at the she-wolf that she became unconscious when she had evaded what she threw at her.
"Lucas!" Alpha Alvin called coldly, which made Annabelle shiver, and she quietly shifted away from him.
"Yes, boss," Lucas answered and came out of the dark shadowy part of the room.
It was a large room that looked like a torture room.
"Do the needful!" he ordered bluntly, staring coldly at Lucas who bowed slightly before walking toward the girl.
Two hefty soldiers carried out a chest box from the corner of the room and placed it in front of Lucas.
"Whatever you have to say, say it now!" Lucas commanded, staring coldly at her, which made her shiver visibly but didn't say a word.
"Good!" he said when she refused to utter a word.
Opening the chest, he brought out a knife that looked as though it had been heated on fire. It was red-hot.
"Speak!" he spewed out with disgust, and brought the knife close to her face, but she said nothing.
In a swift movement, the red-hot knife sliced the skin of her face, and the room was filled with her piercing cries.
After some minutes, he removed it from her face, and it had already removed the skin, leaving only her bare pinkish flesh which had already been affected by the hotness of the knife.
"Are you ready to talk?" he asked, staring blankly at her while she was healing herself.
When he didn't receive any response from her, he placed the knife back into the chest.
"Make her get stark naked! Let's get straight to the point. I have other issues to deal with," he said with a bored tone to the hefty men, cleaning his gloved hands.
The girl's eyes widened, while Annabelle choked on her saliva.
By this time, Annabelle was already standing behind the door, ready to run for her innocent life if anything goes wrong.