Unfamiliar Place

Unfamiliar Place
Shanella Anderson

I woke up to the sound of dripping water and the sharp sting of ropes digging into my wrists. My head pounded, and for a moment, I couldn’t even remember where I was. My vision swam before it slowly cleared.

The room around me was dark, lit only by a small lantern in the corner. The walls were made of old wood, damp and moldy, like I was inside some kind of abandoned cabin. My heart raced.

Where the hell am I?

I struggled against the ropes, but they only bit deeper into my skin. Panic rose in my chest.

Shanella!

Gigi’s voice rang inside my head, my wolf instantly alert.

What happened? Where are we? she asked, her voice low but fierce.

“I—I don’t know,” I whispered, though no one else was in the room to hear me. “I was driving, then I saw Gwen at the coffee shop earlier… and then—” My memory hit me like a punch. Gwen. The spray bottle. The sting in my face before everything went black.

“Oh goddess,” I breathed out, my stomach twisting. “Gwen. She did this.”

Stay alert, Gigi warned. Don’t show fear if anyone comes in. We need to know where we are before we make our move.

I nodded even though she was in my head. My wolf was right. Panicking would only make this worse.

The door creaked open. My body stiffened, my heart hammering against my ribs.

A figure stepped inside, carrying a tray. The scent hit me first—wolf. Female. My stomach churned.

“Finally awake,” she said in a flat tone, setting the tray on the floor. Her face stayed in the shadows, but I saw her smirk. “Thought you’d be out longer.”

“Who are you?” I demanded, my voice shaking more with anger than fear. “Where am I? Where’s Gwen?”

She chuckled darkly. “Oh, Gwen’s around. Don’t worry about her. You should worry about yourself instead.”

I growled, baring my teeth. “Untie me right now. Do you have any idea who I am? I am the future Luna of Moon Crest Pack!”

The woman stepped closer, crouching so her face was finally visible. I didn’t recognize her. Her eyes glowed faintly gold as she tilted her head.

“Yeah,” she said softly, almost mockingly. “We know exactly who you are. That’s why you’re here.”

Shanella, Gigi growled in my mind. She’s not afraid of you. That means she’s not acting alone.

My throat tightened. “What do you want?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.

She stood and walked back to the door. “Eat the food before it gets cold,” she said, ignoring my question. “You’ll need your strength.”

My stomach turned as she left, locking the door behind her with a loud click.

Strength for what? Gigi asked, her tone tense.

I didn’t answer. I didn’t want to think about what that might mean.

I struggled again, twisting my wrists until the rope burned my skin, but it wouldn’t budge. I sat back against the wall, breathing hard, fighting the tears threatening to spill.

“No,” I whispered to myself. “I can’t break now. Brad will come for me. Alpha Ethan will send warriors. Someone will find me.”

But what if they don’t? Gigi asked softly, the doubt creeping in. What if Gwen made sure no one can trace you?

I clenched my jaw. “Then I’ll get out myself,” I muttered. “I’m not going to sit here like prey.”

I tried to focus on my surroundings. The cabin smelled old, but there was a faint scent of pine and wet earth—forest. Somewhere remote. I strained my ears, listening, but heard only the wind and the faint howl of a wolf far away.

The door creaked again, and this time, it wasn’t the woman.

It was him.

Alpha Terence.

My breath caught in my throat the moment his broad figure filled the doorway. His presence seemed to suck the air out of the room, and my heart slammed painfully against my ribs. His dark eyes gleamed as they landed on me, and then he grinned.

“Well, well,” he said, stepping inside, his boots heavy against the creaking floorboards. “Finally awake, little queen.”

I froze, my body tensing as his words sank in. Little queen. That was what Brad sometimes called me teasingly — but from Terence’s mouth, it sounded wrong, dangerous.

“What do you want from me?” I demanded, though my voice trembled.

Terence crouched down until we were almost face-to-face, his grin widening. “What do I want? Isn’t it obvious? You. I told you before, Shanella — one day you’d run away with me. I just got tired of waiting for you to make up your mind.”

Rage and terror crashed through me at once. I jerked against the ropes, ignoring the burn of the wolfsbane. “You’re insane! I will never go with you!”

His expression darkened for a moment, but then he chuckled lowly, a sound that made my skin crawl. “You’re feisty. I like that. But you don’t have a choice anymore. You’re mine now.”

“No!” I yelled, my voice breaking. “Please, let me go! I don’t belong to you — I have a mate!”

Terence’s grin faltered into a sneer. “You mean Brad or Billy? That weakling? He doesn’t deserve you. He let Gwen take you right from under his nose. Tell me, Shanella — does that sound like a wolf who can protect his mate?”

My throat tightened, but I glared at him through the tears threatening to fall. “Billy will find me. Brad will find me. My father will burn this whole place to the ground if he has to!”

He laughed, throwing his head back as if I had just told a joke. “Let them try. This is my territory now, and no one gets in or out without my say-so. You’ll see. In time, you’ll stop fighting me. You’ll see we’re meant to be.”

I shook my head furiously, my hair sticking to my damp face. “Never. I will never be yours!”

Terence leaned closer until I could feel his breath on my skin. “Oh, you will,” he said softly, almost gently, and that terrified me more than if he had shouted. “Because I don’t plan to let you go. Not now, not ever.”

He stood, towering over me again, his grin returning. “Rest, Shanella. Tomorrow, we start making you my Luna.”

“No!” I screamed, my voice echoing in the cabin. “Don’t you dare!”

But Terence only chuckled as he walked out, locking the door behind him.

I slumped against the ropes, my chest heaving. My wolf, Gigi, was silent — too angry even to speak.

We have to get out of here, I told her desperately. Before tomorrow.

And this time, she answered, her voice like a growl in my head. Then we fight.