Chapter 6: Ava

Pain was the first thing to greet me upon my wake. Every muscle in my body ached from intense fatigue, screaming in protest at the mere thought of moving, followed by the buzzing sensation of a painful migraine settling between my ears. Vision blurred, I could barely crack my eyes open as light poured into my pupils, assaulting my senses. The smell of smoky oak and pine sap gently tickled my nose, at first a welcoming scent until I realized something was utterly wrong. I shot up and looked around the room, first noticing the black bricked chimney whose belly was lit with a gently burning fire. The flames licked and flickered with grace, casting their dim light into the large room. Where am I? Searching the back of my mind, I nearly leaped out of my skin when a man raked his throat, pulling my attention to the far side of the room where he sat calmly on a wooden chair, elbows pressed onto his knees. As my knees pulled to my chest, he remained utterly silent, emerald eyes examining me from head to toe. The same emerald eyes I crossed gazes with earlier. "Do you know who I am?" Asked the man, his soft voice cold and emotionless, sending shivers down my spine as memories from earlier surfaced from the back of my mind. I swallowed thickly, fighting my urge to cower under the quilts of the bed as I blurted. "You, J-Jace- - Speak up!" He barked, leaning back on his chair with an exasperated sigh, green eyes ablaze. I bit my lip, and my wolf gave out a strange, seemingly disappointed growl. Unable to look in his direction, my eyes closed tightly as I spoke. "Jace Weston, son to Alpha Xavier!" His face remained as stone, eyes cold and full of hatred, as his words echoed equal animosity. "Do you know why you're here? - I... don't know, I can't remember exactly...'' I thought his features seemed to soften slightly at my words, encouraging me to continue. ''I felt this strange pull... when our eyes met... It was warm. Maybe I'm being delusional, did we-? - You suffered a heat stroke, nothing more.'' His words blurted out with such resentment, it took me a second to register them properly, hissed between clenched jaws like a snake. His gaze, however, never broke away from me, flushing my cheeks with embarrassment at every passing second. Anxiety at its peak, I became incredibly self-aware of the silk gown I was wearing; my hips and breasts were covered, but the fabric felt so light I feared he could see right through it. I shifted my gaze to Jace, forcing the words out. "C-can I have some clothes...? I don't feel com- - You don't get to ask questions here, girl." He sneered, clenching the wooden chair with his nails turned into sharp claws. I whimpered and clenched the sheets even harder, closing my eyes in fear of the idea that he could attack me at any moment. Every ounce of my body reeked of fear. I didn't know what to do, where I was... But I do know that I'm alone with one of the pack's most powerful and respected wolves. "And you'll address me as Alpha!!" His growl shook the room, rooting me to the bed. My body no longer responded, allowing me to give a simple nod in response. "Y-yes Alpha..'' Excruciatingly long and silent seconds dripped by. My head boomed with the sound of my terrified heartbeat, adrenaline rushing through every vein with such intensity, I had to fight the urge to shift and run away. His eyes would flicker from my thighs to my breasts, only to trail up to my neck and down again, seemingly assessing every inch of skin he could observe. Stomach twisting, I felt painful thorns of anxiety grasp my bowels like claws. "Take off your clothes." My heart skipped a beat as the implication of his words dawned on me. I swallowed thickly, at first uncertain whether I heard him correctly. "Wh-what...? - I said Take off YOUR CLOTHES!" His command stabbed through me like a knife. My stomach dropped, gripped by icy claws as I slowly stood up, unable to do anything but obey. Alphas could use their authority to control lower rank wolves, which allowed the Alpha to practically control his troops when needed, to a certain degree... At this moment, however, disobeying wasn't an option if I didn't want to risk getting my throat ripped out. With that in mind, I reluctantly guided my hand to my left shoulder, slowly removing the strap that held the dress. As it slipped from my shoulder, I felt the sting of incoming tears rise at the back of my eyes. I took off the second strap from my right shoulder, and the nightgown gently cascaded onto the ground, exposing my body to Alpha. His face, though, remained as stone. Even if I still had my underwear, I've never felt more exposed in my entire life. I've never shown my body to anyone but my mother, and even so, nothing could prepare me for the utter humiliation blooming in my chest. As my cheeks grew hot, a rogue tear slid down my cheeks. Alpha didn't utter a word. The chair creaked noisily as he stood up and approached, watching me like a predator stalks its prey. Fear thrummed my heart like a wild drum with every one of his steps, feeling my body tremble as he halted before me. His hand clasped around my face, nails digging into my cheek as he forced me to look into his eyes. I trembled at his touch, fighting the urge to close my eyes as he pulled me closer. His eyes never broke away, silent and unreadable with every blink. His breath brushed against my bare neck, causing shivers to ripple through my back. Then his lips crashed onto mine. A gasp escaped my throat at the gesture, disgusted and ultimately terrified. My body became ice, every muscle frozen and unresponsive, as a strange tingle rippled my lips and spread throughout my body. Gruelin,g long seconds slipped by, nd he didn't move as if he too had been paralyzed by some mysterious force. His lips parted mine, leaving behind a cold, numb feeling on my skin. At that, he turned heels and stormed out of the room. I was left alone, half naked and terrified, with not the slightest idea of what I'd just gone through. Tears stung at my eyes, threatening to spill once again before I wiped them away, shoving down my emotions. And yet, I couldn't help but feel so incredibly violated; deep down, I knew something had been stolen from me at that moment. My first kiss. Mother would always speak so fondly of hers, of the sparks she had felt while her lips touched my father's. Now mine had just been ripped away by a man I didn't even know... ''Oh dear...'' I jumped from my spot when a voice spoke from the doorframe, only then noticing the curly red-haired woman standing at the door, her cherry lips gaped in awe. ''What did that brute do now!? Are you alright, sweetheart?'' High heels stomped my way, clicking loudly onto the wooden floor in her wake. I couldn't do anything but stare intently at her face, debating how to even address her words as her hands gently grabbed my shoulders. ''What did he do to you? - I...'' My throat bobbed with every word as they died onto the dip of my tongue. ''He... He didn't do anything, I was... changing.'' I felt like a deer caught in headlights with how my eyes widened at the lie. The woman didn't seem to notice, however, continuing instead to examine me from head to toe like some worried mother. I flinched when her hand cupped my cheek, taken aback at how touchy she was being with me. "You look starved. Have you eaten anything?" I shook my head. "Not since I've left for the ceremony... How long ago was that exactly? - Oh, no more than a day ago, sweetheart. - Wh-what?! Shit, I need to go home! - Home?" The woman's head cocked to the side as she spoke, picking up my gown from the floor. "Home? Oh, is someone waiting for you there? - Yeah, my mother. She must be worried sick..." The red-haired lady's face melted into sympathy, seemingly shocked by my words. "Oh... I'm sorry, hun. I can ask to send a Scout to let her know you're okay, if you'd like. - No, I-I'd rather go home- I- - Alexandra?" Someone knocked at the door. I squeaked between tight lips, afraid the man wouldn't enter while I was still half naked, when Alexandra trotted to the door, shielding the view with her body. A few words were exchanged out of my ear shit, allowing me enough time to slip on the first T-shirt I could find in the nearby wardrobe. The piece was so big, it dangled down to my yin-yang thigh like some girlfriend stealing her other half's shirt. Not ideal, but at least I was covered. At that, I turned around to see Alexandra close the door. "Oh, that's cute, huhn but..." She bit her lower lip, averting her gaze from me. "I'm afraid you'll have to change into something more... Fancy?" I arched a brow, feeling my stomach drop once again; am I not going home? Alexandra has her head shoved inside the wardrobe, pulling out any clothing she could get her hands on, spreading chaos in her wake. She settled on a white tank top and black, molding jeans. She brought them to me, a sheepish smile crowning her lips. "I know you want to go home, and you will. But I was just informed that Xavier wishes to see you. - Alpha Xavier...? What does he want?" She paused, eyes briefly averting, before she gave a seemingly reassuring smile. "He needs to clear something with you before you can leave. I'm sure it's nothing, hun." Taking the clothes from her hands, I swallowed the knot blocking my throat. Meeting Alpha Xavier in person... It never meant anything good.