by Eva Harper
“Margo!” he said again, looking around. “I don’t like waiting.”
Human Condition
I sucked in my breath and took one step forward, breaking past the few wolves in front of me, but stopped once I saw his face. He stared at me, threatening me not to come forward as if it would give him a reason to snap my neck.
His entourage came towards me and grabbed me by my arms to drag my body forward. I stumbled to stand and walk with their large hands pulling me but failed, and they threw me at the feet of the Enforcer. I got onto my hands and knees and looked up to see his face in front of me. He squatted down and grabbed my chin in his hands.
My lip wobbled; I could feel it although I tried to look strong like the wolves I grew up with.
“A human girl,” the Enforcer mused. His light cerulean eyes bore into mine. I didn’t dare glance anywhere else. “I’ve never met one before.”
I stayed quiet. He grabbed me high on my right arm and forced me to stand along with him. He pushed me back towards Caddy, and I rushed to his side. Caddy looked livid, wanting nothing more than to smash the painting over the Enforcer’s head.
“What is she to you?” he asked Caddy.
“She’s an orphan, we allowed her to be a companion for young Cadence,” Dorian explained. The Enforcer turned his head slightly.
“I asked your nephew, Dorian,” he stated. He turned back to Caddy and took a step closer, the painting now out of the way. “What is she to you?”
Caddy lowered his eyes to look at me again.
“Is she your mate? I’ve never heard of a human mating with a strong wolf like yourself,” the Enforcer questioned further.
“No,” Caddy murmured.
“A servant, perhaps?”
“No.”
“Does she provide a service here for you?”
“She does her share like we all do,” Caddy said stronger, fighting for me.
“But she provides no purpose, being human. Why have you not turned her?” he asked, although he already knew the answer.
“Sir, only a mate could do that,” Caddy said, confused.
“So, she is of no further use to this pack,” the Enforcer said, staring at me, although my gaze remained at my feet. He was going to kill me; there was no other way out of it. I knew humans were nothing to wolves if they had no mate. “Girl,” he addressed me. I stiffened at his voice, which urged him to step closer to me, only a foot away now. “Do you not speak?”
I opened my mouth, but I didn’t know the words to say.
“Tell me why you should stay here.”
“I’ve lived here since I was four,” I whispered, not able to make my voice louder.
“And because you’ve lived here, that means you should continue to live here?”
I looked up at Caddy, wanting him to help me, but knowing he couldn’t. The punishment for disrespecting a wolf like him was death, no matter your ranking in your own pack.
“Don’t look at him, little girl, look at me and tell me why I should allow you to keep living here.” His voice was rough, sending shivers down my spine. I looked back at him, noticing for the first time how young he was for someone so entitled.
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. My mind was stricken with fear; there was nothing else to save me but honesty.
“You don’t know?” he scrutinized, eyebrows coming together, leaning down to study my face closer. I tried to remain as calm as I could.
“No, sir.”
He straightened himself and turned around.
“I really must be on my way,” he informed Dorian.
“You won’t stay for our festivities?” Dorian offered, hoping to make a bond with the Enforcer.
“I’m afraid I have a lot to do, the old Enforcer left me with my work cut out. You were my last pack in the area to visit.” The Enforcer turned to the men who traveled with him and gave them a curt nod, which propelled them to start the cars again.
“Well, you are certainly welcome in our territory, Theo. I hope to see you again soon.” Dorian stuck his arm out, and Theo grasped it strongly.
“Thank you, Dorian.”
The Enforcer turned slightly, nodding at the painting. His men came and gathered it, and loaded it into the back of a vehicle.
“Oh,” the Enforcer turned, looking smug. It was the first time his face changed from his stone exterior. “The human girl comes with me, as well.”
My hearing drowned out, one ear at a time. It sounded like ringing, like a loud siren going off right next to me, and my vision went out of focus. I looked to Caddy, shaking my head slightly, grabbing onto his forearm.
“Theo,” Dorian reasoned. “You would have no use for a human girl. Allow her to stay in our territory. We will care for her.” Caddy put his hand over mine, warming it slightly. He was always warm.
The Enforcer grinned. “No use for her,” he chuckled and wandered over towards me. He sauntered around my body and Caddy’s since I was latched to him. “I’ve never met a human girl before. She intrigues me.” He continued circling and stopped behind me, lifting, and sniffing my hair.
I ground my teeth together, cringing as his fingers skimmed my neck.
“I wonder how long it would take to make her scream.” His lips grazed the curve of my ear. I whipped my body around, wanting his hands off me and glared at him.
“Oh,” he purred. “She has a backbone after all.”
“I’m not going with you,” I ground out. I knew the consequences for what I was saying, but I would’ve rather died than allow him to take me back with him. I would surely be torn apart like my mother. I was too young then to do anything, but I was older now, and I wasn’t going to stand silent.
“You are.” He smiled back at me calmly.
“I’d rather die than go with you.”
Caddy cursed my name behind Theo. He was shaking.
“That’s enough, little one,” the Enforcer scolded and grabbed my arm again in his strong grip. He began walking us towards his cars. I jerked and fought against his grip; unlike Caddy, who was afraid to bruise me, this man wasn’t.
“Caddy!” I screamed, turning around to look at him. Caddy was shaking, his arms being held behind his back by Dorian and another guard as he screamed my name. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and my hair flew around violently.
The Enforcer grabbed my other arm and pushed me to the car door. I refused to go in willingly and threw my legs on either side of the door, pushing off the frame with my feet. Another man inside the car grabbed my ankles and pulled me in as the Enforcer shoved my body in the rest of the way.
He climbed in after me, and a moment later, the car jolted to life, and we rolled away from my home. I struggled out of the hold of the other wolf and climbed over the Enforcer to place my fists on the dark window and beat on it. The wolves looked shocked, not upset, apart from Caddy, who was mid-shift as we pulled out of the driveway.
The Enforcer’s hands came around my waist in front of him and pulled me back to sit in his lap. I wiggled and threw my body around aggressively, slamming the back of my head into his nose roughly.
“Little one,” he growled in my ear, grunting as he wiped the blood away from his nose. I froze, squeezing my eyes shut and allowing the tears to fall down my freckled cheeks. “You will be much happier here if you don’t fight me.”
I slumped my body over, trying to get off his lap. He allowed me to move freely in the spacious back. I curled myself in a corner, away from the Enforcer and the other wolf, and hid my face in my hands.
He stared at me for most of the ride. I think he expected me to lash out again, but I kept silent, wary of him and the other shifter. Once my crying stopped, I leaned my head against the seat and stared blankly at my shoes.
The once white sandals Caddy’s mother had given me were caked in dirt and grass and mud. I counted the blades of grass. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. That didn’t distract me long enough. The ride was long, hours long, and eventually,
we stopped and allowed the other wolf shifter to change cars, leaving the Enforcer and me alone in the separated cavern.
“Are you tired?” the Enforcer asked after some time. I glanced up at him confused, after all that time, that was the question he had wanted to ask? I shook my head and continued to play with the hem of my dress. “Hungry?” Again, I shook my head. I lost my appetite the moment I looked into his eyes.
Finally, we stopped, sometime in the morning near a large house in the forest. I didn’t move when the doors opened.
"Margo,” the Enforcer called out, his legs outside the car, but his head was looking back at me. “Come along.” I remained frozen. “I will drag you out of here if I have to. Just come inside, and I will explain everything to you,” he threatened. It didn’t faze me; if I was going to die, why did it matter where it happened?
His hand came around my ankle, and rapidly I was thrown on top of his lap once again. He sat me up the best he could and grabbed my jaw. “Don’t make me repeat myself,” he warned, and then pushed me out of the car towards the only house within view.
Thinly Veiled
I tumbled into the body of another wolf much larger than me; he stiffened but didn’t move. I scampered away from him, turning to look at the large building in front of me.
It was exquisite, much more lavish than the packhouse back home, although not as large. It was dark, fitting into the forest behind it, covered in polished wood, stacking stones, and windows that sprawled out across entire rooms. A frigid wind blew, sending a shiver up my arms. It was much colder here than back home.
The Enforcer stood beside me, allowing me to take notice of his mansion. I looked up at him, and he smirked back down at me. Even though I wasn’t short, he made me feel small. I was lanky, taller than some other human girls, but wolves tended to be larger than most humans.
He walked forward towards the front doors. I stayed back a moment until he turned and opened his eyes a little wider, beckoning me to come forward. A man opened the door for us, and we walked in slowly. He took a scan of his home, making eye contact with the other men inside, and then relaxed visibly.
He shrugged out of his suit jacket and placed it on a nearby gray couch. He walked forward again, grabbing arms with the two men who sat at a glass table along a light-colored wooden backdrop. I stayed back by the foyer, breathing nervously, not knowing what to do in the unfamiliar environment. He spoke for a few moments with the men, smiling and laughing, looking happy and relaxed. I glanced around nervously, looking at the muscular men who stood next to me, staring down at me blankly.
“Margo,” the Enforcer called for me, extending his arm to welcome me. I stumbled forward slowly, flattening my dress, and took my place a foot away from him. He smiled at me and reached a hand up to run it affectionately over my hair; I flinched.
“This is the human girl, Margo, from Dorian’s pack,” he introduced me. The men at the table looked me up and down, smiling at the Enforcer again. I shook under their gazes, desperately looking around the room for a door to escape through.
“She won’t last a day with you,” the fair, blond one smirked, laughing loudly. His counterpart smacked his arm and rolled his eyes.
“I’m sure you two will have a lot of fun together,” the dark-skinned one chuckled, trying to be less crass than his friend. It did little to comfort me, and tears formed in the corners of my eyes though I willed them not to drop.
The blond took notice of my tearful state and looked down sorrowfully. The Enforcer grabbed my arm again, wanting me to turn towards him, but I struggled to stay stationary.
“Hey,” he said softer, trying to gain my attention. My lip wavered once more. He sighed, put his arm around my back again, and began to lead me to a set of floating, wooden steps. I looked back as I took the first step, begging someone to save me. They all looked down as a whimper escaped my throat, and Theo pressed on my back more firmly.
When we reached the top of the steps, we went down a long hallway and turned right. There was a room at the end of the hall, glass covered with privacy shaded frost. He opened the door gently and held it until I walked in. The room was dark apart from the far wall, which was all glass and allowed light to enter the room. The walls kept with the smooth wood from the first level; a bed sat in front of us, large, white, and covered with gray and white pillows. On the opposite wall from the bed was a television on a large, slate gray, metal dresser. There were doors opening to a closet and a bathroom on either side of the television.
The Enforcer stood behind me, near the door, observing me as I looked around the room. I noticed him staring and turned back to him, bowing my head to show my submission.
“Margo,” he said lightly, stepping forward. I took a step back, and he stopped momentarily before stalking ahead. “You’re afraid of me,” he noted.
I glared accusingly but said nothing.
“Why?”
“You tore me away from my family,” I spat, the nervous fluctuation in my voice making my words appear less intimidating than I meant them to be.
“Those people were not your family,” he said back. “You’re an orphan, correct?”
“They were the closest thing I had. They cared for me.”
“I will care for you from now on, little one,” he said softer now, placing a hand on my shoulder, stroking the exposed skin with his thumb. I pulled my shoulder back, but he didn’t let go.
“I don’t want you to care for me in that way,” I growled.
“In what way?” he asked sincerely, dropping his hand.
“I know how you wolves are. You bring me up to your bedroom within five minutes of us being here,” I gestured around me.
“I wanted to give us some privacy, you seemed rather intimidated by my friends, and we need to have an important conversation,” he explained.
“They said I wouldn’t last a day with you,” I wailed, the emotional toll beginning to take over. “You said you wondered how long it would take to make me scream!”
He shook his head in regret, untucking his shirt from his slacks. “Margo,” he whispered.
“Don’t you dare say my name,” I told him, wrapping my arms around my stomach.
“I realize my words may have seemed a bit harsh, and I apologize for that, but I had a reason. I needed your Alpha to think I was going to kill you,” he said, sitting on the edge of the bed to undo the buttons around his wrists.
“You aren’t going to kill me?”
“No, Margo.”
“Then why say those things?” I asked, shaking my head in confusion, curls falling in my eyes at the movement.
“Because if the world around us knew I found my mate, they would use you against me,” he said, standing up and folding his shirt sleeves up to his elbows. I stepped back, trying to make sense of his words.
“What?” I breathed out.
“I knew you were my mate the first moment I stepped out of that car. If they saw me be gentle towards you, they would use you against me, hurt you, take you, and I couldn’t allow that to happen. Not until I have security measures in place, not until I know I can keep you safe.”
“I can’t be your mate,” I said accusingly. “You’re lying. You said you never heard of a human being mate to a powerful wolf like this.” I glanced around me, stumbling back towards the door.
“Margo, I know this must be confusing. I will explain everything to you, come sit on the bed. I’ll find something for you to wear other than that dress, it’s filthy.” He stood up and went over the closet, rifling through some clothes. I turned quickly and threw the door open again, running down the hallway, trying to find my way back to the stairs.
I heard him curse loudly, and his thunderous footsteps followed mine twice as fast. I saw the staircase and rushed down it, missing a step towards the bottom, which only propelled me faster. I didn’t care what the wolves on the main floor thought about me. This wasn’t about my reputation; this was about my life.
“Margo,” the Enfor
cer called, standing at the bottom of the stairs.
I raced to the front door and pulled it open. The same man who opened the door for us now stood outside, guarding it against intruders, or possibly escapees. He looked surprised when he saw me, and I took that moment to jump down the three steps and towards the open woods around us.
Someone grabbed my arm, another guard, who pulled me to a stop and held me until the Enforcer approached us. I begged the man to let me go, but he held me firmly, bruising my freckled arm.
The Enforcer nodded to the guard and took me from his grasp. I fell to the ground as they transferred me. I crumbled down, burying my head in my arms.
“Margo,” he whispered as he knelt next to me, his hands stroking my hair soothingly. I didn’t make any attempt to move, and he said my name more assertively.
“Enforcer, please,” I whimpered, the sound muffled by my arms.
“Theo,” he said softly, sounding pained. “My name is Theo.”
When I didn’t respond again, he gathered me in his arms and brought me back inside the house. My curly hair shielded me from the other wolves downstairs as the Enforcer brought me back upstairs and set me on the side of the bed. I pushed his arms away, and he set them right back on mine, forcing me to sit still.
He knelt in front of me, taking the dirty sandals off my feet, setting them next to the nightstand on the side of the bed. His hand lingered on my skin, taking notice of a bruise his hand created in the car. He gathered the clothes he pulled out from the closet and set them on the bed beside me. His hands parted my hair, pushing it back so he could see my red, tear-stained face.
“Would you like to have a bath? It might calm you down,” he offered. I looked up at him through my tears. I shook under his steady, sad gaze. “Come on.” He helped me stand and led me to the bathroom where there was a large, curved, soaking bathtub in the right corner. He drew the water, pouring some soap in it as it filled, so bubbles covered the surface of the water.
“Do you need help?” he asked, noticing I was still visibly shaking. I shook my head quickly, no. He nodded. “I’ll be back in a moment then.” He left the bathroom, shutting the door most of the way behind him. I pulled the string that held the back of the dress together and slid it down my body. I took my bra and underwear off and placed them under the dress, out of his view. The water was warm as I slid into it, sinking far enough down, so the bubbles covered everything up to my shoulders.