The Tent in the Forest

**\[ALICE’s Point of View\]**

Someone violently grabbed away the fabric they used to cover my whole head. 

I kept myself calm and did my very best not to panic. But it was hard to deal with the fear when I knew it was the man who had been wanting me from the very first day he laid his eyes on me when he destroyed our home a couple of months ago. I will never forget that face. Maverick. All I knew about him was that he was a huge gambler and one of the notorious he-wolves who ruled most parts of the slum area like a Mafia boss.

He made the poor poorer, spreading despair in my fellow werewolves living in that destitute place.

I glared at the first wolf in front of me. He was smirking crazily at me, making me grimace in disgust and fear. He had sharp cheekbones, a huge forehead, and mohawk-styled hair. I had seen him once. He was with Maverick when they wrecked my father’s house.

“I never thought we would meet again, little Missy. And look at you now! No dirt smearing your pretty face! You look much better now than the last time I saw you crying, begging for us to stop beating the hell out of your drunken dad.”

I bared my teeth at him, threatening him with a piercing glare, “One more blurt of insult to my father and I will grab your eyes out of those f*cking sockets!”

The rest of the men behind him made an “OOhhhh” sound, laughing and jeering at the mohawk guy. He stood from me with an irritated look and scoffed, “You are lucky we are not allowed to touch an inch of you. Otherwise, I would gladly drag you inside the tent.” his eyes looked at me up and down with lust. “You know what I mean.”

I spat on the ground and looked daggers at him.

“Psshh!” His face crumpled in aggravation and left me sitting on a wooden chair outside their tent with the other men watching over me, ensuring I wouldn’t run away from them.

How the hell could I run away? They tied me nice and tight to that chair!

I tried to pull away, hoping the rope would somehow lose. But all the noise from the bandits surrounding me went silent when my eyes caught that huge guy who was stepping out of his tent. He was wearing a fitted white shirt and faded blue jeans. His wavy hair looked like fire under the silver moonlight, and his eyes were so blue like a calm azure sea.

I should be d*mned after thinking how attractive Maverick was when he was not wearing tattered dark clothes and a dirt-smeared face.

He glared at me through his nose, with his six-five-foot-tall height towering over me.

“Maverick.” I snarled under my breath, still pulling my hand from the rope. My skin felt like burning from the friction but I didn’t care. My hatred was more powerful than any pain I was feeling. “Where is my father?!”

He looked around his men and made a silent command to leave us alone. I got more nervous when he closed the gap between us and he squatted in front of me with his elbows resting on his thighs.

“Well, well, well… from a pauper now turned into a little princess. How’s the feeling, Alice? Do you enjoy living in a huge palace and flirting with the King and his henchman?” he mockingly uttered with a huge grin as he tilted his head while staring at me so intensely in the face. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, moron! Just tell me where my father is! I thought he already paid you all what he owed to you!”

He scoffed, laughing at me softly, “Wrong. He didn’t pay me, Alice. Your little king paid me. It was never his money.”

“So what if it’s not his!? He paid you! What more do you want from us!” I yelled at him desperately. I shouldn’t stay in that place for too long. I had to get away!

“You know what I want, Alice.” that creepy smile on his face turned soft, which made me more scared. My body trembled when he reached for my chin, wanting me to look closely into his eyes. “I want you, Alice Drakon. I already told your father about it. Actually, I set it all up. Your father’s huge loss to me in the casino so I could demand for you as payment—if only Bellamy didn’t interfere!”

I started to feel more scared seeing that anger on his face. “Just let me go, Maverick! I told you already! I don’t want to join your f*cking harem so just stop this!”

His blue eyes darkened and his brows deepened into a frown. “I am not giving you a choice, Alice Drakon. That’s why I am taking you to my den.”

All the blood on my face drained. “What are you saying? Don’t you realize it will mean waging war against the MoonClaw and NightShade Pack?

He laughed at me dryly. “So what?!” He blurted with a crazy smile. His eyes blazed with amusement and violence. “Let them come, Alice! Do you think I am scared of them? I already planned everything carefully. If they come after me, then I fight with all my might. I have wealth more than you can imagine.” his voice turned deep and dark, which made my stomach sick.

“Money you took from those poor, desperate people!” I snarled at him, cursing him. “You are making a huge mistake, Maverick! I don’t know why you want me this bad to wage war against those two huge packs!

“You will know eventually,” he shrugged his shoulder and I almost shrieked in horror when he lifted the chair with me on it.

“Put me down, you idiot!” I yelled at him, hysterical and in panic about what he might do to me.

“Relax, princess. I am just bringing you inside my tent. Do you want to stay here in the cold or what?”

“I would rather die than stay in there with you!” I growled at him.

“Yeah, whatever you say,” he ignored the anger in me and tears rolled down my face as he carried me inside.