A while after entering the bathroom, I poke my head out the door, hoping that he's currently somewhere other than this room.
Of course I wanted him to claim me, isn't that what every werewolf girl wants? But now I realize that it was just in that moment that I'd wanted it.
Hell, I said I'd weighed all the options. But once I'd shut the bathroom door between us, I'd realized a few more.
If he claims me, not only will I want to be around him all the time, I'll be stuck hereâ foreverâ with a mate who sees me as nothing more than a burden. Jaxon doesn't want to be with meâhe just wants more power. And having a Luna will help him with that.
I enter the room, going straight to his dresser and rummaging through the top drawer for some pants. I eventually find a pair of black sweatpants, which don't fit me at all but will do for now. I tug the waistband up as I leave the room he's designated for us. I need to find him so I can see what's next on our 'mate' agenda. So, after going down a couple of flights of stairs and embarking through long hallways and rooms, I finally find humanity.
They're all sitting around in the living room, laughing, talking, bondingâ like a pack would do. Tears threaten to spill as I remember Jon and the rest of my pack. I quickly wipe my eyes with the back of my hand, strolling up confidently to the person closest to me.
I tap a blond haired man on the shoulder, causing him to turn around. I take a small step back and question, "Do you know where Jaxon's office is?" He raises a brow,
"Alpha Jaxon?"
"Yes," I answer quickly.
"Yeah... I'm the beta, Jason," He answers reluctantly.
"Isabelle," I say quietly, tucking my hair behind my ear.
"So Isabelle, why do you want to see Alpha Jaxon?" He asks suspiciously.
"I-Iâ" I start.
He cuts me off before I can finish, "Are you even a part of this pack?"
"Well, Iâ" I begin again, but he stops me once more.
"Since you're an intruder, you'll have to go see Alpha Jaxon anyway," He grabs my arm tightly, "Let's go, pup."
Pup. He must've learned some terms from Jaxon. He drags me through the house and back up the first flight of stairs to the very last room on the hallway. He knocks boldly, the grip on my arm loosening.
"Come in," is heard through the door, and as soon as Jason opens it, I bolt in, free of his grasp. He gradually comes in after me, shutting and locking the door behind him. I gulp and stare over to Jaxon for help. "Hello Jason," He says monotonously, flipping a page of his book.
"Alpha Jaxon, pardon the intrusion," He states, standing with his hands locked behind his back.
"Perfectly fine. Isabelle, why don't you come sit with me?" He questions. I nod, slowly making my way over to him. He yanks me onto his lap, locking his arm around my waist as if he believes that I'll run away if he doesn't. "What is it, Jason?" He flips another page, grasping me tightly while reading and addressing his Beta.
"You know her?" Jason verifies, not breaking his confidence at the prospect that he just forcefully dragged his Alpha's mate into the Alpha's office.
"Yes, Jason, Isabelle is my mate," Jaxon states as if it's obviousâwhich it kind of is. I'm locked tightly onto the heartless Alpha's lap; that should signal something to him, right?
Jason quickly bows his head in submission, "Pardon me, Alpha, Isabelle." He nods to us, then exits silently and quickly. I let out a long breath, my body slumping forward somewhat as I'm ready to be alone. All I needed was confirmation of where he wasâsI'm good now. I start to hop off, but he grabs my hips, halting all of my movement.
I wiggle a little, feeling very uncomfortable. "Stop moving," He says lowly, his grip nearly strangling the breath from me.
"Jaxon," I whine, "I wanna go back to my room."
"Your room?" He accentuates the your. "You mean our room? Don't forget, princess, we share a room, and it will never be different."
"Well, then I want to go to our room," I sass back, trying to free myself of his grip.
"Don't use that tone with me, pup," His voice becomes sinisterly dark. I groan and struggle to get up once more. He ignores me as usual and keeps on reading his book. After a while of me fighting him, I'm thrashing around on his lap, feeling very cramped and panicky as I'm being held in one place for too long.
"Jaxon," My breath comes out in short pants, "Please, let me go! Please!" I beg him, almost on the verge of crying.
"You know, Isabelle, I've been thinking," He talks as if I'm not about to have a panic attack in his lap. "Usually mates leave their mark the first night they meet. I've given you a night and half of a dayâwhich is a sufficient amount of time. I cannot have my pack believing that I'm not brave enough to mark my mate, ergo, I will be doing it now."
I freeze at his statement. "B-B-But y-you c-can't. I'm not-I'm not ready. I don't want to," I squeak out helplessly, trying to stall him the best I can.
"Correction, I can. And I will. And you will not fight me about this, understood?" He reprimands me.
"P-please don't," tears threaten to fall as I try to get free once more. "I don't want you to do this to me Jaxon!"
"Quiet child," He basically shouts at me, using my status against me. He stands, pulling me with him. When he releases me, I somehow find it in me to try and escape, but he catches me. "Don't ever try that again," He orders in his Alpha tone. A sass back is in order, but I can't find it in me to even blink. I'm frozen in fear and I can't will myself to move, scream, do anything. I'm just, there. He holds tightly to my upper arms, but removes one hand to brush the hair away from the right side of my neck. I'd always heard that claiming was painful at first, since they did rip their wolf teeth into your neck.
"Now, if you don't hold still I will tie you up, understood?" I nod, my eyes glassing over with tears. "Words, I need an answer!" He shouts at me, and I nearly jump out of my skin.
"Y-yes," I whisper, the first tear running down my face.
"Good girl," He snorts mockingly before baring his teeth. "Don't worry," He coos, the tone of voice not fitting him at all. "It will only hurt for a moment."
And in this second, I am terrified. I squeeze my eyes shut tight, tears spilling helplessly from my eyes. There's nothing worse than being forced to do something you don't want to. It's like being tied to a brick, unable to move anywhere without it.
Suddenly, the sharp sting of his teeth entering my neck startles me, causing me to jerk in pain. Sobs escape my lips as I finally find my courage to fight him.
"Stop!" I scream, punching his chest. "Get away from me!" I demand, throwing more blows. He clamps his fangs into me harder, making me submit easily. I whimper in pain, feeling the blood drip down my neck. "Plea-Please! Stop! No, Jaxon, stop, please! I'll do anything!"
I wail, my fists balling up his shirt as I try to regain my strength. After what seems like a century of me begging and crying, he releases me, my body slumping to the floor immediately after. I cry uncontrollably, my breathing getting ahead of me as I make myself into a ball, and rock back and forth. "I hate you," I whisper over and over again.
For a moment he avoids me, silently wiping his mouth off with a tissue. He kneels back down beside me and attempts to take me in his arms. My wolf is ecstatic at the contact, but I, on the other hand, am not. I shove him away with all of the strength I have left and will myself to stand. As soon as I'm up, I'm out. I bolt out of his office, down the stairs, past the people, out the door, and straight to the woods.
I run hard as red and black swirl through my vision, fatigue overtaking me every second.
â¾
Jaxon
"Alpha Jaxon," Jason's voice hits my ears and I growl in frustration.
Can I ever get any peace? "What?" I snap.
"It's your mateâ Isabelle. She just ran out of the house and into the woods somewhere. Should I do something?"
His voice rings with authority and steadfastness, the true attitude of a Beta. I'm too angry to compliment him on it though. She had the audacity to leave me? I'd assumed she'd just went to our room, but she left? Children these days. "Get a group of your strongest werewolves immediately," I order. "Find her."
â¾
Isabelle
I hold in another gag as my legs wobble beneath me. I've only been running for what? Two miles? And I can't even make it through them without wanting to vomit?
Werewolf of the fucking year!
My unleashed wolf speaks sarcastically, unhappy with my sickness. "Then why don't you come out and fix that, huh?" I yell at her, my voice echoing throughout the forest. I cough into my hand and immediately feel a warm substance pooling in my palm and down my chinâblood.
Am I dying? Did this entire ploy backfire on Jaxon and is going to end up killing me?
Unexpectedly, there are strong arms around me, hoisting me off of the ground.
Oh no.
â¾
Jason
"Then why don't you come out and fix that, huh?" She screams at absolutely nothing. What's wrong with her? Is she mentally ill? "Now, Jason?" Grant, Jaxon's third in command whispers.
I nod silently, his form immediately taking off to retrieve her. For a moment, she goes limp, as if she's glad someone will take her own weight off of her. But after she realizes what's happening, she starts to roughly fight, despite the bite wound on her neck.
Bite wound on her neck...
"Jaxon must've marked her," Neil, another strong wolf says, seeing what I'm also seeing.
"But why would she run away if he marked her?" I ask, confused by this whole situation.
"Unless heâ" Neil starts, but I cut him off abruptly before any rumors can get started.
"No, Neil. He wouldn't. She's just a childâhe wouldn't put her through that trauma." I try and refuse all I want, but we all know what happened. Jaxon claimed her by force.
But why would he do it? He isn't exactly known to be patient, but he would not intentionally harm anyone unless they deserved it. Especially not his young mate. I try to piece things together in my mind, while Grant carries her back over to me.
"P-Please," She begs through her sobs, "don't make m-me go back. I'm s-so scared of h-him."
I open my mouth to reply, when his voice comes through my thoughts, Have you found her yet? I stare at the young girl regretfully, feeling pity for her. Yes Alpha, I answer obediently. It's not my place to question him on his methods.
Hurry up and bring her back. I'm becoming impatient. He growls.
Of course. Be there soon. I answer respectfully before turning off my link. I stare at the girl before me, eyes shining with tears, face streaked with them, shirt soaked in blood; this will be hard to explain.
"Please," She pleads again, obviously trying to shift out of the arm locked around her waist.
"Quiet pup," I say, turning around before her cries get to me. She's Jaxon's business. What he does doesn't concern youâ
"He forced me," She breathes out. "He claimed me by force! There has to be some rule against that! J-just let me go."
"Alpha Jaxon has already been made aware of your location. We should be back to the pack house in a couple of minutes. No one will speak of this." My eyes flicker to the other wolves around me, who immediately look away.
"No," She whispers to herself, her breathing becoming erratic and fast. "No!" She screams as she writhes around in Grant's hold. "Somebody help me!" She screams even louder, her heartbeat killing my ears as it thumps uncannily fast.
"Panic attack," Grant states, holding her tightly to him. He sinks to the ground slowly, setting her on her backside. "She's having a panic attack," He clarifies, softly rubbing her shoulder as she flips her shit.
"What can we do?" I ask. If anything happens to her, Jaxon will murder me. She starts to tremble violently, the attack becoming worse.
Grant visibly ignores me, speaking to her in soft but firm tones, "Isabelle, why are you scared?"
"J-Jaxon, I'm scared of J-Jaxon," She stutters out frantically.
"Why?" He questions.
"H-he forced me-" She stops and heaves a breath.
"Alright," Grant takes over. "Can you do something for me?" She slowly nods, her eyes darting everywhere. "Will you breathe with me?" He asks, gaining her full attention.
He sucks in a large and slow breath, then blows it out. She tries to follow him, her heart beat still irregular. He repeats this many times until she's finally calmed down, and everything is back to normal.
"Can you stand?" She nods quickly, standing on her own and backing away a little. Grant steps with her, making sure she won't bolt.
"I'm not going back," She firmly states.
"Yes, you are," Neil speaks my mind.
"No. I refuse," She crosses her arms, playing the part of the rebellious teen.
"Look, little girl," I clench my teeth, "I don't have time for your games. Let alone your childish behavior. Either you walk or Grant here will carry you." I'm impressed with my comeback and she seems to notice my pride
Despite this, I don't really expect her next comment, "My feet hurt anyway."
â¾
Isabelle
After Grant carried me back to the house, much to my protest, Jaxon meets us at the door. The sun is already starting to set and he's in his pajamas.
Grant puts me on the ground and even though my senses are telling me to step back, I step forward, into Jaxon's arms. My fists ball up his shirt as his scent calms me down. I whimper and nestle my head further into his chest while his arms lock around me.
"Thank you, boys. You may go now," He says, his words vibrating through his chest. I hear the retreating footsteps of the others and I relax. Yes, I am angry with him, but for now, this is the only method of calming myself down. "We have much to discuss," He simply says, stroking my hair softly. I sniffle in response, clinging to him tighter. "But for now, let's get you changed and put to bed, yeah?" He actually asks, not demands.
I nod, my cheek rubbing the soft fabric of his sleep shirt. He picks me up and carries me up the stairs.
Let's just hope that his anger will dwindle overnight and I'll get off easy for fleeing.
A/N: Please comment and tell me what you think!
1. Do you like possessive/ mean Jaxon, sweet Jaxon, or a mixture?
2. Was it wrong for him to force-claim her?
3. How do you think she'll cope and develop to this new adjustment?
Please comment! I really need your opinions!
Thanks for reading!
Xoxo,
-I.C. Judah