Beauty and the Beast

Chapter 3

I opened my eyes slowly, looking up from my horizontal position to see a group of men standing a little ways from me in a circle as they talked. My dark hair fanned around me, hiding my face as I sat up.

I immediately spotted Kieran from the group, his form being the broadest and tallest of them all.

I looked around the room, unmoving from my position, my eyes landing on the sliding door that lead to a vast amount of greenery laden with snow.

I breathed in deeply and shot up, bolting for the door as quick as my legs could carry. I had just thrown it open when I felt a grip on my wrist and a man shut the door quickly, positioning himself in front of the door as he held me.

I grunted, pulling myself from the loosened grip and I fell back on the floor, looking up at a pair of hazel eyes that bore into mine and I sat in a low crouch.

"Where's my mother?" I growled.

"All you must know is that she's alive." Kieran said. 

I stood up slowly, putting my back towards the wall as to not be caught off guard. 

"What's your name?" He asked.

"All you must know is that I know yours, Kieran." I spat.

He frowned at my response.

"Tell me or I give the order to end your mothers life." He said.

I growled at him.

He rose his hand, snapping his fingers and the men began to move.

"Charlotte. I'm Charlotte." I said quickly.

He brought his hand down and the men paused, and then he suddenly snapped his fingers and they ran out the house.

I shouted, yelling for them to stop. I lunged at Kieran, managing to punch him in the face, and I had nearly struck him again when his loud roar silenced me and he gripped my wrist, pinning them at my side as he stared down at me.

I turned at the sound of my mother's voice as she walked inside the house, escorted by the men.

I ran past him and to her and she embraced me, her smile making me forget, momentarily, the hell we were in.

"You smile as if I'm going to let her live." I heard.

I turned around, Kieran standing right behind me.

"Please, don't kill her. She's all I have, please." I said truthfully. There was no reason to hide the truth. Clearly he wanted me alive, he would have killed me otherwise and he did not mark me without reason.

He snapped his fingers, and the men came forward, gripping my mom by her wrist and taking her out the house as she yelled and pleaded to stay with me.

"Please." I begged once again.

"Why should I do as you ask? You continue to defy me and you struck me. I am your Alpha before I am anything else to you now." He growled.

"I'm sorry. Just don't hurt her. I'll do anything. Please." I said looking up at him.

I stood in front of him quietly. My mother sacrificed herself nearly every day for Samuels to allow us to live. I hadn't been a child for some time now, so it was my turn to protect her.

I walked slowly until I stood right in front of him.

I lowered myself down until I was on my knees in front of him. I reached up slowly with shaking hands, unbuckling his belt and trying my best to not let my inexperience show, but I froze when his hands gripped mine, stopping me as I placed my hands on the waistline of his pants.

He brought me up quietly as he stared at me silently, and I nearly thought I saw sadness in his eyes but he stifled the emotion quickly.

I watched as my mother came back in, a fresh pair of clothes in hand and a sandwich wrapped in cling wrap was in her other, shock on her face as she stared between us and I quickly stepped away from the close proximity.

I breathed out a sigh, hoping she did not see my near act of desperation to keep her safe.

"There's a guest house out back she can stay in for now, but everything is here in the main house and you're welcome to help yourselves to anything here until dusk. As for you Charlotte, you will be staying here with me. You both can shower if you'd like, then please come down and eat " He said.

I didn't like it, but I didn't want him changing his mind and hurting either one of us, so I nodded quickly and went up the stairs with my mother without another word.

I assumed my mother had finished her shower because I could hear the shower from the room next door cut off just as I entered the one that clearly belonged to a man. Well, Kieran. It smelled of his strong scent, but a hint of spices and vanilla wafted as I entered the bathroom. After showering, I stood in an oversized grey satin robe I had taken from behind the door because I needed to figure out what to wear.

Surprisingly, when I got out the bathroom there was a pair of jeans and a knit sweater on the bed that I gladly put on.

I walked downstairs quietly, coming to the living room where about ten people stood talking, all turning my way as I entered, my mother sitting on the couch quietly as she waited for me, standing up at the sight of me.

I looked around for Kieran, and then I felt his familiar presence behind me and I turned.

Kieran beckoned me forward, but I held still, not wanting to move and irritated that my only option was to listen to this brute of a man.

He growled at me.

"Why are you doing this to me? Why me, of all people?" I asked.

Instead of responding, he suddenly threw me over his shoulder and began walking towards the small group of people as I struggled against him.

I growled when he simply released me and I hit the floor with an audible thud.

"Asshole." I growled as I stared up at him, my mother moving to my side as she helped me stand as I growled. I could feel the heat of my anger enticing me to shift, and I hated with everything in me that I couldn't without revealing myself or my mother.

I stood up, seeing the people in front of me watching me with interest.

They stood in front of a large mirror that was on a wall above the couch and I stared into the mirror that reflected the scene behind us, noticing no one was near the back door and it was wide open, a cool breeze floating in from behind us.

I had to do it. We had to get out of here. I couldn't take much more of imbecile men and their misogynistic ways.

I looked down at the table in front of me, noticing the silverware that littered the coffee table that had freshly diced fruit in a large bowl on it.

I reached for the fork and spun around, plunging it into Kieran's bicep then bolted for the door, gripping my mothers hand as I pulled her quickly behind me.

I shifted into my wolf without a second thought, feeling the heat of the change roll over my skin and seeing my mother as she ran alongside me, struggling to keep up.

I paused for just a moment, allowing her to jump on my back, leaping off the porch as my mother gripped the fur of my neck, when suddenly wolves sprang from the treeline and began circling me, enclosing me against the porch that was to my back. I had no idea where they had come from, it was nearly as if they were waiting for this very moment, but they were here and I was surrounded and I turned at the sound of booming laughter.

I growled as Kieran walked towards me with a grin, ripping the fork from his shoulder and tossing it to the side and I knew I was in deep now as he leapt from the porch and stood in front of my wolf.