Trapped: By love (Book 3) - Complete

Chapter 5

~Selena~

I walk into my bedroom, where his scent still lingers heavily. I’ve been avoiding coming in here. Looking at my hand I see the ring he put there and for a moment wonder if I should remove it.

The bond, after all, has been broken and we are now on opposite sides of a border that divides us… A divide I started when I told the wolves to move to the house! If I hadn’t insisted, he probably wouldn’t have gone there to go through his parent’s things!!

I flop down on the bed, my hands over my face, tears start running uncontrollably. I was only trying to find myself and, in the process, broke up the family that took me so long to build! I stretch out my aura, looking for our mate bond.

~Azi~

Feeling the strongest pull, I realize it is the blood Queen’s mate call. Thomas reacts on instinct replying and I lose my temper! In that moment of his weakness, I grab the chance to take control. His weakness will be the death of us if other alpha's see us like this!

Thomas “NO!”

Azi “Your love for that Queen will be the death of us! We have a pack to pull together first!”

I walk into the pack grounds, seeing the finished packhouse. The wolves submit the moment they see me approach and I walk inside to do my inspection. There would be no use in building a proper outside and have no inside to live in!

I find the two Gamma’s Blaze and Mike just inside the door, submitting waiting for my orders.

On the ground floor, there is a modest kitchen, but there are no appliances. There is also a huge empty room on the other side with stairs leading up to the second floor. I walk up the stairs, to find small rooms with windows. The space enough for one person. Bed built out of wood and small bedside cupboards with the family crest on them.

Azi “Do you see what they are capable of when they work with fear Thomas! This is a packhouse to be proud of! Now we decide on our Beta’s.”

I walk downstairs content with the work that is completed.

Azi “The work is satisfactory. I will supply the appliances, electricity, and plumbing material you require as soon as my funds are released.”

I hear a small gasp from Thomas.

Azi “What? Did you think you would be able to hide our financial situation from me forever? Especially where it concerns the wellbeing of the pack Thomas, we share all information.”

I walk to my porch sending Blaze to bring me a drink.

Azi “Tonight we decide on our Beta. You will fight to prove your worth. Blaze, Mike, you will both have the chance to also join in. Once the Beta is chosen that will be it in rank. The rest of the pack will remain omegas. The only change in rank will happen when the Beta dies. Is that understood?”

I growl and they submit reluctantly.

Thomas “Azi! You can’t expect them to fight after all the work they did today!”

Azi “No Thomas, that is where you are mistaken! The one that is strong enough to last a fight after a day of working, will be strong enough to stand by our side. If he is cunning enough to have saved his energy, he is cunning enough to stand by our side.”

Thomas “Oh, and what if he is cunning enough to overthrow us? Did you think of that?”

Azi “Of course I did. I’m not an i***t. You will be able to see if he worked by checking his hands. Before they are allowed to fight their hands will be checked to ensure they did work. If I find that the did not… well… I haven’t decided on their punishment yet.”

Thomas “And when were you going to announce that part of your plan?”

Azi “Right now! Blaze, Mike, make them stand in two rows and check their front paws or hands. If there is no sign that they worked today send them to me. I won’t tolerate slacking off.”

I watch them check each pack member until the second last member when Blaze looks at me and then at the member. Blaze turns towards me shoving the member in my direction.

Blaze “Alpha, this one! His hands are clean, no scars.”

Azi “Let me see your hands!”

I grab them both and although there are scars, they are old and not from working on the packhouse today.

Azi “Did you think you would get away with not working? What were you doing that your hands look like this and everyone else is suffering?”

Member “I was keeping watch Alpha.”

Azi “You were doing what? I don’t remember giving orders for anyone to keep watch! Around here we earn our keep! We don’t sit around daydreaming!!”

I push him to the floor hearing Thomas growling at me and feeling him fighting to take control. I can’t let it happen. I can’t lose my concentration for one second and give him that opportunity.

Azi “Let the games begin!! Mike, you can take this sad excuse to the cells. He can work in my house so I can keep an eye on him for now.”

I sit back watching the wolves form a circle starting to fight.

Azi “See Thomas, they aren’t as feeble as you think. They seem to want this fight.”

I smile looking at them.

Thomas “They don’t want this! You forced it on them. How are they able to say no to your Alpha tone?!”

Azi “That is what being the Alpha King is about Thomas. You need to get used to… Never mind. Soon the witch will do the spell and I won’t have to deal with you any longer.”

Mike comes running down the passage making one hell of a noise, distracting me from the fight!

Mike “Alpha! Alpha, she is gone!!”

Azi “Who and stop making so much noise!?”

Mike “Alpha, the witch! She is gone!”

~Donella~

Donella “Hey! You, witch! Where do you come from?”

She doesn’t reply. Just stays in the darkness.

Donella “I’m Donella, Queen of the pixies. Speak and I may grant you favor.”

She laughs, infuriating me.

Ariel “Are you insane? You must be if you think you are a Queen that can grant favors.”

Chloe “Don’t mind her witch… she is insane.”

Donella “Shut up you!! I am a Queen and as soon as I get out of here, I will give you whatever you wish.”

She laughs again.

Ariel “What would make you think I would want for anything?”

Donella “You are a witch… I am a Queen…”

Ariel “You are behind bars… I am behind bars… what is the difference? Leave me be, you insane old woman!”

Silence falls from her side and I lose my temper throwing a rock in her direction hoping it would attract some kind of reaction from her, but it is as if she disappeared.

~Lucille~

These numbers are all over the place, but if you start following the code Thomas gave me, it makes sense. It also indicates where some of his family might be. Do I? After the entire Ariel episode… Brian returns from giving orders for the evening’s patrol giving me a fright when he walks in.

Brian “And that face? What are you doing that you aren’t supposed to be doing?”

Lucille “Huh? What are you talking about?”

For a split second, I feel lost.

Brian “I know you… you are up to something again. You looked guilty when I walked in. What are you up to?”

I put the book down and get off the bed walking over to him, sliding my arms around his neck, I start kissing his neck, down to his shoulder.

Brian “Lucille…”

Lucille “Brian…”

Brian “You aren’t going to distract me with…”

He gasps.

Lucille “Distract you from what?”

Brian “From what it was that you were up to?”

Lucille “I wasn’t…”

He drops me down on the bed.

Brian “You were! Now spill.”

Pinned I have no choice. He starts tickling me until I cry. I refuse to budge and he keeps tickling. Again, I refuse to give, making him keep on tickling.

Out of breath, he leaves a soft kiss on my lips.

Lucille “Now who is distracting who?”

I giggle. Sitting upright, I ponder telling him but decide against it. Thomas trusted me with it, and only me for a reason.

Lucille “I’ve decided to help Thomas, but I will have to spend some time traveling to get all his account information. Some of it is overseas. His family traveled all over the world.”

Brian “They did? Well, if that is what you need to do to help him, then my darling, that is what you do. I’m glad you decided to help him. I know he doesn’t seem like our friend Thomas at the moment, but I can promise you that if you look deep enough you will find him in there, fighting to stay in charge.”

He pulls me close and I hug him back.

Lucille “I know my love, I know.”

~Thomas~

Thomas “STOP!”

All the wolves ready to run and find the scent of the witch stop in their tracks.

Thomas “I didn’t say that you should look for her! I said you should fight!”

I have to choose between the lesser of two evils. Letting them go in search of Ariel, will lead them straight to the castle! I finally have the Alpha tone down and can order them without the pack noticing the difference between me and Azi. Grabbing the bottle from Mike, I sit down on the porch steps and push him in the direction of the fight.

Thomas “Remember we don’t want anyone killed or we will have no one left!”

That should at least keep them from killing each other and sound like an order given by Azi.

Azi “Unfortunately I have to agree with you! Although it pains me to say so, I didn’t think of the consequences of a fight that could kill my members if the instructions weren’t properly given.”

He growls at me, fighting to get through.

Thomas “See, we can agree on things. We don’t always have to fight for control over the other.”

He huffs, and I take a drink from the bottle to steady my nerves. Mike and Blaze start the fight wanting to prove their strength first. When one of them is thrown out of the circle another member jumps in to fight the wolf left standing. After a while, I find it entertaining to see them use the skills I taught them over the years.

Not being allowed to kill, certainly pushes them to strategize.

Thomas “I have to give it to you Azi. Looking at my pack, they are making me proud.”

Azi “Tsk. I don’t know what you are talking about. A winner should have been declared already! All this running around too scared to attack!”

Thomas “No, just take the time to look at them. Come on, you can’t tell me you don’t find the movement of an opponent interesting to learn from.”

I feel him relax slightly.

Azi “I don’t. The only thing I find interesting is ripping his throat out and winning the fight.”

Thomas “Azi, I don’t understand how you can feel that way. You are part of me aren’t you?”

Azi “Clearly I am the Alpha King and you are the human part!”

I see him in my mind's eye-rolling his eyes at me.

Thomas “Azi, that is where you have it wrong. We share a body. We are both the Alpha King and the human; the one can’t live without the other. Think about it. None of the other wolves have a human or a wolf separate, they are one. The only reason there are two of us in this one body is because of that spell. If it wasn’t for the spell… you wouldn’t have existed.”

Blaze swings a roundhouse kick, landing it right on Mike’s cheek. Brian and David were right in choosing them as Gammas. They have proven themselves worthy of their titles. Mike flies through the air falling on his side, his wind knocked out of him.

I get up from the porch, smiling, and walk up to Blaze. Taking his hand, I hold it in the air like a world champion.

Thomas “Your new Beta boys! Well done Blaze. You will have the first pick of the rooms; the rest is up to you. I want to see you in my office at six in the morning.”