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Chapter 4 – Hang

“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN THERE’S BEEN A SLIGHT MIX UP?” I heard an angry voice growl.

I opened my eyes and found myself in a cold dark room. I must be dreaming. I was just on a plane heading to Chicago. I could feel Cia stirring inside of me, urging me to wake up. I try pulling myself into a sitting position, but I just can’t. My head is very heavy, and I feel so weak.

“WHERE THE FUCK IS MY GUY NOW?” I hear the same thunderous growl demand. It was clearly coming from an Alpha wolf, I could feel the power in his voice. This dream sure seems pretty lucid.

“Alpha, just go in there and look at her. She has to be a LaRue, she looks just like the old man.” I hear another voice say.

“I DON’T SMELL A WOLF IN THERE. SHE’S FUCKING HUMAN, STRYKER. HOW COULD YOU MISS THAT?”

“Cia, what’s going on? What’s wrong with me?” I try and connect with my wolf but could hardly feel her. She was weak too. I try to feel out the elements around me but can’t connect. I blink my eyes and my vision is swimming. Could I have been drugged? Maybe that flight attendant, I think her name was Lora, put something in my food? She seemed to know that Delta on my flight. I remind myself this is just a dream, and I was likely still sleeping on the plane.

The door opened up and a strong Alpha aura entered the room. I heard a yip inside of me from Cia as I tried to focus my blurry gaze on the other wolf in the room. I took a few deep breaths and tried to sit up again. My eyes landed on the red headed driver from the airport holding the LaRue Enterprises sign.

“She’s awake.” He said and I realized that I wasn’t dreaming. He had somehow managed to take me captive and brought me here. But where was I and why don’t I remember putting up a fight?

I looked over at the wolf next to him. He was very tall and smoking hot. He had dark brown wavy hair that wanted to naturally curl, light brown eyes, a square jaw and a slightly rugged look that had an air of danger. I could feel his piercing eyes taking in every inch of me and my heart started racing. I had to remind myself to stay calm, I had taken the evvie tea so they wouldn’t be able to scent me. Besides, he thought I was human, right?

“What’s your name?” His husky voice rang out and I tried to focus on his handsome face, but my vision kept swimming around.

“Where … where am I?” I managed to ask and felt like my head had been split in half. What the hell is wrong with me?

“Say’s here, her name is Cassiopeia LaRue Theodorus.” Said the red head as he held up my passport. I made a mental note to kick his ass as soon as I was feeling better.

“Who are you?” I asked the Alpha with the fresh rain earthy scent that was overwhelming my senses. Fresh rain, I love fresh rain. I closed my eyes for a moment and felt my body slump over on the cold hard bench. I had no energy left and let the darkness take over.

The sound of silence was broken by a cell door clanking open and I opened my eyes. A she-wolf walked in with a plate of food and I sat up watching her. She was a few years older than me, long brown hair that was pulled up into a ponytail, sweeping bangs and exotic looking eyebrows with dark eyes. She was a ranked wolf, a Delta.

“Good morning. I’m sorry to have to bring you breakfast in this dark hole. But we’ll get you out of here soon. I believe there’s just been a slight case of mistaken identity.” She told me.

“Do you often kidnap people by mistake and keep a cage readily waiting?” I snarked back as I stood up and walked towards the opposite corner of the cell. I was getting a feel for my strength and wondered what kind of drug I had been given to keep my wolf and elements so weak.

“No one is going to hurt you. I promise. I brought you a ham and cheese omelet, toast and coffee.”

“Has it been laced with drugs because I’m pretty sure someone has drugged me.” Although I could feel the drugs wearing off, I was still not strong enough to bring Cia to the surface and break out of here.

“Chris, you’re dismissed.” Came the husky Alpha voice I remember from yesterday. Then he walked in.

Holy Hotness! Being from Greece, I’m used to seeing so many attractive wolves, but this Alpha was more of an Olympian God.

“Yes Sir.” Said the wolf named Chris, who I was certain was this Alpha’s Delta. Not the female mate to the Delta, but the actual Delta. She was a ranked wolf, and I could sense her. Many Alpha’s would never accept a female in the ranks and this Alpha intrigued me. I felt a little strange being in stealth mode amid wolves. I could scent and sense them as I walk amongst them invisible.

I stood alone in my cell with the Alpha and his scent hit me again. I looked up into his brown eyes with little flecks of gold, he had beautiful thick lashes. I heard Cia yipping again and the flutter in my stomach was uncontrollable. My heart started racing, and my mouth went dry. I stumbled back as I realized what was happening. The Alpha gave me a raised eyebrow and walked closer with an air of confidence and a chair in his hand.

“Sit down. I have a few questions for you.” He dropped the chair and I had to fight back the panic as Cia was trying to surface.

“You will let me go immediately. I will not tell you anything, because I do not know anything.” I said in a firm voice trying to hold my own Alpha back. Perhaps it was a little too much. There’s no mistaking the power and danger that radiates from him, however, that had no effect on me.

His eyes darkened and I could see his wolf at the surface. He looked confused and his nostrils flared. He was trying to scent me, but I knew he wouldn’t be able to because I had masked my scent. His wolf may have been sensing my wolf, but logic was telling this Alpha that I was human.

They say wolves are able to find their mates by scenting them, a scent alone is uniquely different and euphoric to your mate. A touch will send tingling sparks through your body as you connect with your other half. Souls will meet when you look into each other’s eyes. So far, we’ve not touched, and he cannot scent me. He’s only looked into my eyes, and it must be confusing the hell out of his wolf.

“I know what you are.” He sneered which caused my breath to hitch in my throat.

“You do?” I wondered if he recognized me as a wolf or his mate. As soon as the word mate crossed my mind, Cia howled in my head. She knew this wild and untamed Alpha was her mate. But I needed to know why he abducted me and why he was interested in the LaRue’s.

“You’re a witch. This must be a spell.” His voice was laced with venom.

“A witch? Is it Halloween in America already?” I tried to hold back a giggle as he struggled to control his wolf and ran his fingers through his hair.

“Something isn’t adding up here.” He practically growled and the sexy tendons in his neck flexed.

“Maybe you should sit down before you hurt yourself.” I said feeling amused and could see the rage in his eyes.

“What a great idea, Queen Cassiopeia!” He said with a devilish smile on his face. I saw his eyes glaze over and knew that he was mind linking with someone. I tried to act as any normal human would. How could I possibly be his mate? My life is on the other side of the world.

“Where am I? What do you want from me?” I demanded.

“Come in Stryker.” He said and the red head who picked me up from the airport walked through the door with rope in his hand.

“Sit down your Majesty.” He stalked towards me and I stepped back to avoid contact with him. One touch and he would certainly feel the mate bond sparks fly. One touch and I’d probably make a foolish decision and jump on him. His body leaned forward, and I couldn’t help falling back into the chair. Goddess he smells so right, and my mind won’t stop racing. My wolf is howling at me to just reach out and touch him.

Stryker had walked up behind the chair and quickly placed the rope around my torso, tying my entire body and arms down to the chair. Then he moved to my legs and tied my ankles to the wooden legs of the chair. I looked up into the eyes of my mate and he stood watching with his arms crossed over his big, muscled chest. He cocked his head sideways as if he were considering something mischievous.

I watched as Stryker took the remaining rope and tossed it up over the big metal beam across the top of the ceiling. I realized what he was about to do and struggled against the rope. They can’t be serious! My cousins in Greece used to tease and threaten to do this to me growing up and now it’s finally going to happen.

“Stryker, did you ever hear the story of Queen Cassiopeia?” The Alpha said as he pulled on the rope that lifted my chair, hanging me upside down.

“Is that the one about the vain Queen?” Stryker asked.

I could feel the blood rushing to my head as the chair lifted higher and higher from the ground. I tried to remain calm and unaffected by these grown ass wolves playing childish games with me. I wanted to stay quiet and learn more about my mate, but so far, I was annoyed.

“Much like this Cassiopeia, she was beautiful indeed.” He said as he reached for the wooden leg of the chair and then sent me spinning and swinging towards Stryker who caught the chair. It’s a good thing I didn’t eat breakfast because my entire world was swirling.

“But she insulted the Gods and was cast into the constellations to hang upside down, tied to her chair for eternity.”

“I’d hardly consider either of you Gods.” I managed to say, and Stryker sent my chair swinging back at the Alpha. I sure hope the rope doesn’t snap.

“Your name?” The Alpha growled.

“You already know my name, Alpha!” I snapped back and didn’t realize what I actually said until it was too late. I acknowledged him as an Alpha, something a human would have never been able to pick up on.

“Who are you?” He snarled and swung my chair back around to Stryker. I tried to fight the urge to vomit stomach bile.

“Beta, please tell your Alpha if he wishes to get to know me, it’s a give and take. He should be a gentlemen and also answer some of my questions.”

“How can a human sense our rank?” Stryker asked out loud to the Alpha and swung my chair spinning back.

“Because she’s not human. She’s a LaRue.” He snarled.

“LaRue is my middle name. Theodorus is my last name.”

“SAME FUCKING FAMILY.” He snarled again and spun my chair back to Stryker. The pressure from the blood pooling to my head was making my eyes feel like they were going to pop out of my head. My wolf was angry at the indignant treatment from her mate.

“Tell me, Queen Cassiopeia, is there really an Alpha of Alpha’s in your family?” Stryker asked and spun me back again. My vision was blurry, and my world was spinning. I was struggling to keep from passing out.

“What’s the name of this pack?” I managed to ask.

“Welcome to The Moon Realm, your Majesty.” The Alpha said.

“You’re … are you … the Rogue King?” I asked with an air of astonishment in my tone and could see his eyes widen for a moment in surprise.

“Her Majesty has heard of you, my Liege.” Stryker chuckled.

He lowered his head and took a deep breath. His scent also filled my lungs and my wolf whimpered. She wanted her mate, but he wasn’t treating us very well and he was a rogue. Not just any rogue, but The Rogue King himself. Why would the Moon Goddess pair me with him? How could she possibly think I could ever accept the feral creature?

“Why can’t I scent your wolf?” He demanded.

“Because she’s allergic to dogs.” I responded and he furiously spun my chair and swung me back towards Stryker who caught the chair and nearly fell over.

“Keep up the childish responses and I will throw you over my knee and spank you.” He growled.

“You’re the one playing childish games Alpha.” I snapped back before Stryker sent me into another spin cycle.

I heard the clanking of my pocketknife land on the floor beneath my head. It slipped out of my boot with all this spinning and swinging. The door opened and Chris, the Delta, walked in.

“Alpha, what are you doing to her?” She asked though I couldn’t see her. Everything was spinning and my vision was a complete blur.

He didn’t answer, he was focused on the little knife. He walked over and knelt down to pick it up. He held it in his big hand for a moment and looked it over. He stood up, his face was blurry and swimming in my vision, I could feel the anger radiating off his aura. He flipped the blade open and stood clenching it in his hand.

“WHERE DID YOU STEAL THIS FROM?” He growled at me.

My head wouldn’t stop spinning and a feeling of sickness washed over me. I tried to fight it, but I couldn’t.

“Alpha…” I managed to whisper before my eyes closed.