Chapter 6: Chapter Five

"So this is Bea?" His voice is deep and full of authority. He says my name like it leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. I can't lie and say I'm not intimidated. He's frightening. He oozes power and masculinity. He doesn't look like anyone's uncle; he's just too young for that. I look at my bare feet because I can't meet his eyes. There's something cruel in them.

"Yes, uncle."

"Do you know why you're here, Bea?" He asks me. I look up, and I bet my face says it all. I don't have a clue why I'm here. I don't belong here because this has all been a huge mistake.

"No. I don't."

He smiles at my response. It's patronizing, his smile. I feel small next to him, and it has nothing to do with our height difference. I feel insignificant. "Well then, I believe we should enlighten you. Don't you think, Raphas?" He turns his back to me and takes a seat by the fire.

Raphas grabs my arm. "Go sit next to him."

I scowl. "No. Let go of me."

"Problem, Raphas?" Dantes asks, and there's an edge to his voice. I still instantly, and Raphas shoves me forward. "None at all, uncle. Bea's only having a hard time getting used to all of this."

"Is that so?" Dantes keeps peering into the fire. "What bothers you, Bea? Care to share?"

Raphas tightens his grip on my arm, and I feel his breath on my neck. "It isn't wise to disrespect the Alpha, Bea. Go." He shoves me, and I turn around to glare at him. I take a seat next to Dantes and try not to look at his...privates. I cross my legs and my arms. He has this dreamy expression on his face. He's gazing at the flames as if it's the best kind of entertainment. The same way one would look at a television. Do werewolves even watch television? Ugh, does it matter?

"This place," he begins without any introduction. "It's sickening. StoneMoon isn't like this. Our House is luxurious, comfortable. I was born in that House." His eyes glaze over. I look down at my hands because I don't know what to say. Or what he even expects from me. I don't even understand what he means entirely. It feels like I might wake up at any moment, and Gavin will be by my side, and we'll laugh about this terrible dream someday. But this is real. If anything, Raphas' uncle, this Alpha, confirmed everything. He isn't human. He's shaped like a man and talks like a man, but there's something amiss about him. Something feral.

"When those Rogues attacked StoneMoon and killed my brother and his wife, my whole world fell apart. I was lost without him. Most of the pack was killed during the attack, but by the grace of the Moon, my nephews were spared." He looks at Raphas. "Raphas and Reed were about three. I raised them as my own. I built a new StoneMoon from the ashes and made our pack strong and respectable. It's by no means like BlackFur," he chuckles. I don't get the joke. "But, it's getting there. That's before Reed took it from me." He hisses the last part. I inch away from him. "I raised him like a son, and how did that mutt thank me? He thanked me by taking my pack and my place. I'm the rightful Alpha. Me, and no one else. Who does he think he is?"

"Uncle," Raphas says. Like a warning.

"I'll tear out his throat the next time I get my paws on him. Mark my words, child. I should have whipped the envy and contempt out of him when he was a pup." His teeth are bared, and his fangs are protruding from his mouth. There's saliva slithering down his chin, and there's hair sprouting all over his body. I want to stand and run, but it's like I'm glued to the ground. Dantes turns to me, and I scream. His face is splitting apart, and it's a horrendous sight. Raphas comes up behind me and pulls me up. I cower behind him. I'm shaking.

Raphas puts his hands up. "Don't, uncle. Calm down." These four little words reverse the entire situation. Dantes composes himself, and the hair gradually disappears. He returns to normal, and he runs a hand down his face.

"Forgive me," he says. "I am not myself lately. These past few months have been torturous and unforgiving."

Raphas turns to look at me. He nods at me reassuringly. I don't know why I need his reassurance or why I'm even listening to him, but I sit next to Dantes. The heat from the fireplace is scalding. I'm not sure this is safe, considering that this entire cabin is made of wood. This place could burn down in the middle of the night.

None of us say a thing for the longest time. I obviously have nothing to say to either of them, and Raphas is standing behind us, so I can't see him.

"I'll have to ask you to leave, Raphas. I'm no longer in the mood to entertain." Dantes says. Raphas taps my arm, and I stand. I follow him out of the cabin and into my own. I guess I should call it my own. It's cold, and I rub my arms. Raphas enters and closes the door. I don't know what else he could possibly say to me.

"There's a lot you still don't know, Bea."

I spin around. "Can you read my mind?"

"It's not necessarily called mind-reading." He walks over to me. "Because I Marked you, I'm in a certain way connected to you. It's my blood rushing through your veins. I can feel your thoughts and your moods, but only vaguely. Only when you feel something intensely. You're afraid of Dantes."

"I'm not." My answer is automatic, but it's a complete lie. I can feel how dangerous he is, and I don't want to be near him.

"You should be," He warns. "My uncle is known for his unpredictability. He's dangerous and volatile, and you should steer clear of him. Do you understand?"

I nod my consent. Then I feel stupid for it.

We stare at each other in silence. Then, Raphas says, "We created this pack for the sole purpose of claiming StoneMoon back. Reed shouldn't have done this to us." He shakes his head. "Dantes is right. He raised us. Reed had no business challenging him and claiming his spot as Alpha. And telling lies. He's always been this way, always wanting what doesn't belong to him. What he can't have. I don't understand him, and I never will."

I don't know what he wants me to say. I take this opportunity to look at him, really look at him. He's handsome, without a doubt. He's tall and muscular. He has a cleft on his chin, and his eyebrows are thick and arched. His eyes are unnaturally green, and his lips are succulent and rosy. He smiles at me suddenly, and I blush against my will.

"Like what you see, Bea?"

"No," I huff indignantly. "Why should I?" There's something inside of me that does. Something that sings when he's near and wants to touch him. I suppress it. This irrationality needs to stop. He's a monster, and I hate him for turning me into a monster. He took me away from Gavin. From my life. I was working towards my degree in Economics. I had plans and a bright future ahead of me. He took all of this away from me. I need to focus on more important things, like getting out of here. He can't keep me here forever. I don't want to stay here.