"Huh?"

"You heard right," he replied again.

"What the hell are you talking about? We're not mates? Not that I believe in love anyway, but I should have felt something. Last night when you touched me, I didn't feel a thing." I folded my arm across my chest.

"It doesn't matter now. All you need to know is that by this time next week you will be my wife, and let's see how you refuse to heal my people when you'll feel their pain," he grinned.

My lips parted when I understood what he was trying to do. I could see Aria shift nervously beside me.

"Oh no no sir," I shook my head. "You must be crazier than I thought to think I will up and marry a total, jackass stranger like you." I stomped my feet on the ground.

"Oh, you're right, my bad," I'm right? "I haven't properly introduced myself to you."

"I don't want to know who you are!" I snapped.

"Alpha Eli of silent howl pack," he said, ignoring my outburst.

"Silent howl, what sort of stupid name is that?" I snickered.

He didn't find the joke funny.

"You are getting married to me on the next full moon and that's final. Nothing you say or do will change that fact, okay?"

I sassed him. I could see him struggle to control himself. All I could do was laugh. Wolves are so predictable.

"Get her inside!" He yelled at the guards. They grabbed both my arm and Aria's and dragged us back to the house.

"Oh yes Aria, how you doing?" I yelled through all the struggling.

She rolled her eyes at me.

"Yeesh, sorry for asking. You know not everything is always only my fault, you know."

And now a death glare, just great.

After what seemed to be a long while, my room door opened. I sensed it whilst I was sleeping, but these were some pretty comfortable sheets.

"Iris," the voice was soft, and I felt the bed sink from where the person sat

I woke up and sat up and saw Alpha Eli by my side, sitting on the bed.

"You look very innocent when you sleep," he smiled.

"And you are insufferable," I smiled back. He ignored me.

"You must be hungry" he placed a large platter of meat, both raw and cooked on the same plate.

I scrunched my face. "What?" He looked worried. "You don't like it?"

"Of course, I don't like it. I have lived in the woods 90% of my life and you think I would still want to only eat meat?"

"Wha-"

"No, I'm not done. It feels like you are not even trying here," I snapped my fingers in front of his face. " I agree I am a lover of flesh but seriously where are the carbohydrates, and other stuff, I am tired of drinking water, something stronger if I am going to be stuck with you backward people I'm going to need a lot more than water, how bout some vodka or whiskey?"

He just looked lost.

I kept talking and talking. I could sense he was getting restless and angry. Wait for it...

"Shut up!" He yelled.

And pushed the tray to the floor.

"Actually, you know meat would have been just fine, but I guess I can't have that too," I huffed and folded my arms. He scanned my body and went back up to my eyes. I held his gaze for a bit.

"I'll send someone in here with some pizza," ooh I win, I win.

"Really? For me? I wasn't sure you guys even knew what pizza was. Do you have any money? Do you know the world now uses paper for exchange and ooh there is something even more exciting," veins on top of his eyebrow were already twitching, oh hey there what's your name? I think you and I are going to be friends.

"Pants."

I expected him to go off but instead, he grinned, no no don't do that "why? Are you uncomfortable with my clothes?"

And Like a fool, I fell into his trap. "Of course I am."

"Oh, so you're all hot and bothered by my body." He stated.

In all fairness, he did have a right to be cocky, but I am deciding to be the decent girl my Mama taught me (ha mama) to be and not look at his abs, his skin was pretty pale and there were small hairs playing around his chest same cloud as his platinum blond hair. My eyes unconsciously trailed lower to the animal skin that hung low around his waist. Wait, a minute! I coughed, blushed, and looked up at him, grinning annoyingly.

"Don't worry, very soon you would have a taste of this," I gagged.

"Don't deceive yourself."

"Oh, honey you should tell yourself that" he turned around, flexes his muscles, and walked out laughing.

Number one, that was gross, and number two, that was still gross.

What a jerk. I need to get out of this place.

***************************

"Can I please go see my friend?"

"No."

"Okay, then can I at least see the sun?"

"The window is right there."

This guy was impossible. The only thing I did for the last week was sleep, poop, bath, eat and fight with this asshole. I haven't seen another face apart from the gamma, Leonard, and madam Louis. It was infuriating.

I fought with him every time and it was like he was just getting worse. I was getting nowhere with this guy. He treated me like an egg. Well, one with a tough shell, because when my most prided weapon didn't work( which is obviously my tongue) I had to actually fight and he didn't go easy on me.

And then he would knock me out till the morning.

I hadn't seen Aria in almost two weeks, and I was worried. What if he actually killed her?

Gosh, I would literally die if that happened. I can't deal with that. Aria is the only person who has remained, the only person I haven't managed to kill. And I couldn't lose her.

"Crying won't help your case."

What?

I sniffled. I'm crying? Oh wow, wonders. Now I'm even crying, I touched my already wet face. I didn't want to look this weak in front of this monster.

"What. Sniff. Do. Sniff. You. Sniff, sniff. Care?"

He turned to look at me from his table.

I looked pathetic, like a helpless secretary begging an impossible boss for her job back. With this unnecessarily extensive study, and the massive desk to match. But not as if you could ever lose a big man like him. He looked just at home.

"What do you want?"

"What do I want? Haven't you been listening, I have been cooped up in this impossible house for the past one week, the only person I see is madam Louis and sometimes Leonard when he comes in, I can't be kept in here as a prisoner when every time you tell me am not? I am sick of your stupid rules. I am my own person and I prefer to be free. How do you even expect me to accept you when you treat me like property, not a person? And my friend? What happened to her? Have you killed her?!" I screamed.

"Leonard comes in here?" He asked and my lips parted, is he serious?

"I specifically gave him orders not to step into the house or come near you!"

"Is that all you heard from what I just said?"

He got up. "I have to teach him a lesson."

He stormed out of the study and I ran after him screaming, but he didn't pay any attention and it was like déjàvu. Suddenly it came to me, no time to waste. I ran into the kitchen, picked up a knife, and slit my wrist. He was by my side the moment he heard me scream, and frantic when he saw the blood.

"Are you mad?" he held my hand and dragged me to the tap to wash it off a bit, but it just kept bubbling and pouring out. It took a lot of energy from me because I had to concentrate really hard to stop myself from healing. I felt dizzy and faint, yet I wasn't sure if it was blood loss or just magic that was making me feel so weak.

"Why aren't you healing?" He yelled.

"I won't let myself," I snapped back, already feeling lightheaded because of all the blood loss.

"What? How is that possible? You can't do that." He growled.

"You really don't know who I am, do you?"

He looked panicked. It was so foreign. He was always so confident in himself that this was a look I never thought I would ever see.

"Why are you doing this?"

"You clearly don't want me here so."

"Fine, fine, you can go outside."

"And?" I held on to him for support. My body will soon give in and heal it itself. I am only been able to stop it for so long.

"You can see your friend," yay! "But only for ten minutes." The hell? I collapsed completely into his arms.

"You don't deserve me. I might as well just die!"

"Fine, you can see her. I'll even let her stay here. Please, just stop!"

And as if I was holding my breath, I let myself heal and in what felt like just a second we both watched the wound close up and the skin healed completely.

I stood up and dusted my jeans and started towards the door. He grabbed my hands and pulled me flush against his chest. "What the hell are you?"

***************************