Every Difference

It was strange being able to sense another person's presence long before they came into sight. At first I thought I was going mad. I convinced myself that the stress of being captured had finally tipped me over the edge. It wasn't until I actually thought about it that it occurred to me that a mad person wouldn't be able to sense such things and be correct, because as sure as clockwork when I got an impression of him he always appeared.

It was, to say the least, weird. I wondered if the same was happening to him. The urge to find out bit at me but the two of us were not on particularly good speaking terms, especially after I got into a shouting match with him the previous week in front of half the pack.

I felt a sneer tug at the corner of my mouth and fought to hide it, least anyone who was passing decided to take it as a challenge. What did he expect, grabbing me like he had? Touching me in a way he had no right to assume would be okay.

My fist clenched as I stood up, and at the same moment, like clockwork, Daniel appeared.

We stared at one another from across the room. I could tell me wanted to approach me. He always wanted to be near me. It was obvious why, but I still found his attention confusing.

His feet seemed to move him towards me on their own accord. I turned and walked away. He could have stopped me. He could have me punished for such obvious insolence. Unsurprisingly he did nothing.

I walked out into the gardens and felt a wave of warmth flow over my skin. I didn't think I would ever get used to the sweltering heat of Louisiana but I no longer wilted beneath the sun's rays. My eyes took in the high fence boarding the mansion and I felt the familiar, maddening sense of being caged. The animalistic part of me urged me to run away, to scale the fence and reach the tantalising freedom that lay beyond.

A pity they kept the fence electrified, a shame they surrounded the perimeter with guards. It was, my captors had explained, designed to keep their enemies out. How convenient for them that it also kept unwilling wares in.

"Frost?" Daniel's voice was discerningly close, but then his presence had lingered so I should not have been surprised. "I need to talk to you."

He most definitely did need to talk to me. Unfortunately I was unwilling to have this particular and much dreaded discussion with him. I shook my head but when I tried to walk away again he caught my arm in an unbreakable grip.

I scented his anger and determination beneath the underlying aroma of his arousal. I forced myself still, knowing that I would not free myself now unless he permitted it. My eyes focused on his chest, resolutely avoiding his eyes.

"You feel it, don't you?" His voice, usually so sure and confident now held a trace of confusion. "You have to feel it as well!"

I forced myself not to react to his closeness as I shot him a questioning look. "Feel what?" I asked patiently.

His grip tightened to the point of pain and an involuntary gasp escaped my lips. He let me go with a little jump, snatching his hands back as if I had burned them. "How are you doing it? How can you ignore the bond?"

I forced myself to look at him then, meeting his turbulent chocolate coloured eyes. "Because-" I said, slowly but with an assured confidence, "I do not want you."

He blinked at me, opened his mouth, closed it again and then took a threatening step towards me. "It is not something you get to decide."

"No?" I asked, not backing down at all. "Who does decide, you?"

"I am alpha."

"And I could care less!"

"I could just take you. It's well within my rights."

"You could rape me." I agreed. "You could force the mark on me and do whatever the hell you wanted. You're Alpha after all and I can't stop you."

He grabbed me again, twisting my shirt in his hands and raising me off the floor until we were looking into one another's eyes. "I am not trying to frighten you Frost, but I am telling you that I cannot continue to ignore the bond. It's unnatural."

"Let me go." I said, my voice quiet and soft.

"It's perverted what you're doing. We were meant to be together." He shook me, hard enough to make my teeth rattle. "Do you have any idea what you're doing to me?"

"I don't care." I said, or more likely shouted. "I don't want you Daniel! Why don't you get that? I -don't- want -you!"

He drew back his fist and I had a moment to really regret my stupidity pain exploded across my cheek.

He'd pulled back at the last moment, I was sure of it. Didn't mean it didn't hurt, he just hadn't broken my jaw. I realised I was on the floor, looking up at him through an eye full of stars.

He reached for me but flinched back before his hand reached my arm. I couldn't concentrate too much on his face because I was doing my damndest not to pass out, but he looked pretty shook up.

"Ouch." I eventually groaned out.

He gave me a really hard look before reaching down and hauling me to my feet."Why do you always say that?" He asked me, steadying me as I started to tip.

"Say what?"

"Ouch. Every time you're hurt you just say ouch. Doesn't matter how bad."

"The beta in the last pack I was in didn't like it when I cried out. He'd hurt me if I didn't say ouch in just the right way." I felt like I was on a ship as I swayed back and forth. "He wasn't an Alpha, not strong enough, but he had the right mentality. A real arsehole, if you know what I mean?"

Daniel let out a long suffering sigh as he started tugging me away from the balcony. "Come on."

"I don't want to go with you." I said quickly, digging my heels in.

He stopped, loosening my arm enough that it didn't hurt anymore. "Why do you always have to act like you're some sort of hard ass Nicholas? You act that way and it makes me want to rip your throat out, but it's not you. I know it isn't."

"How the hell would you know what is or isn't me?" I asked, pulling my arm free and putting some much needed room between us. "You don't know the first thing about me."

"It's not for lack of trying." Daniel snapped.

"Whatever." I said, cringing a little because I sounded like a petulant child. "My face hurts Daniel. I want to go back to my room."

"I want to take you to see the doctor-" He began gently.

"Back off!" I shouted and surprisingly he jumped back. "I'm going back to my room. Do me a favour and leave me alone for one night. I don't need any more bruises"

"I'm sorry." He said, somewhat desperately. "It's just when you talk to me the way you do, it just crosses that line. I can't let anyone speak down to me."

"Typical alpha." I sneered, wondering at my own stupidity for being so bold considering the consequences. "You talk down to whoever's weaker than you but god forbid they should treat you the same way."

He squared up to me and I stumbled back. "You know what Nicholas, you're right; you should go back to your room." He leant towards me with a predatory look on his eyes. "Don't come out again unless I say otherwise."

I debated arguing but it quickly occurred to me that I had already sorely pushed my luck. With a parting sneer I stomped off, falling into the cramped space of my room with an irritable sigh.

Truthfully it was the last place in the world I wanted to be and now that I was trapped here it became even more intolerable. After less than ten minutes I was practically bouncing off the walls. I debated disobeying and going out but the throbbing pain in my cheek dissuaded me.

With little else to occupy my time I lay on my back and fell asleep.

*******

As it turned out privacy wasn't exactly a given in the mansion. I had the shock of my life when an older naked female strolled nonchalantly into my shower cubicle and proceeded to nudge me aside so she could reach the spray. I stared gormlessly at her.

"See something you like?" She snarled.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I eventually managed to squeak. I tried to cover myself with my hands and she flashed a wicked grin at me.

"You've been in here for over thirty minutes. You're not the only person that needs to use the shower."

I wanted to punch her. "There must be over a dozen bathrooms in this place. Couldn't you have used another?"

"This is my bathroom." She stopped and took a minute to thoroughly look me up and down. "I'm sure Daniel wouldn't mind if you asked to share his bathroom." She actually wiggled her eyebrows at me.

I scrambled out of the shower, grabbed a towel and had just got in securely wrapped around my waist when I smacked into a solid, hot mass. I stumbled back, looked up and moaned softly. I thought at first that it must have been Daniel because that was the sort of luck I usually had. It wasn't him though, thank god! The guy was probably only a little older than me. He was tall and thin with flashing green eyes and smooth golden skin. His inky black hair was short and messy. He was gorgeous. He smiled at me and said the last thing I would have expected. "You've got shampoo in your hair."

"What?" I reached up automatically to feel my head. I could feel my face heating up and ducked my down a little, hoping he hadn't noticed. "Sorry." I mumbled, mortified as I tried to ease around him.

"My names Onatah." He said a little hastily but with a definite note of laughter in his voice.

Despite myself I stopped and looked back at him. A smile was tugging at the corner of my lips, reacting somehow to mirth in his open, handsome face. "Nicolas." I offered my hand and he took it easily in his own. His grip was firm and his palm rough with calluses. "I haven't seen you before, have I?"

He shrugged and released me. I wondered why I felt disappointed by that. "I don't live here, at least not all the time."

"Are you lone?" I asked, eager to find out how he had attained his freedom so easily.

"Sort of. I'm technically part of the pact but I don't stay here too often. Too many top dogs for my liking, if you catch my meaning."

I nodded my head absently, wondering if he'd be willing to share with me the secret of his independence.

"You're new, huh Nicholas?" His hand reached out and traced over my shoulder before I had the chance to flinch away. The grin he threw me sent my heart hammering. "You're unclaimed?"

I thought of Daniel and his lingering stares, the sizzling feeling on his skin against mine and the aura of an alpha that so thoroughly repulsed me. "Yeah." I said, grinning back despite myself. "I'm not mated."

The sharp buzzing in my chest was all the warning I got before a snarl rang down the hall, quickly followed by Daniel who caught my shoulder and jerked me back behind him. "He's not mated yet, not technically, but that doesn't mean he isn't claimed. Back the fuck off!"

Onatah's eyes grew wide as he retreated a few steps, bowing down instinctively to his alpha. His voice when he spoke though was strong and sure. "He doesn't have the mark and no one's scent on him but his own. How is he claimed?"

"He's mine!" Daniel roared. He turned back to me, baring his teeth like he intended to rip my throat out. "You! Why the fuck are you wondering around the halls practically naked? Go back to your room and stay there until I come to collect you."

I considered arguing for about two seconds before I decided I liked my throat where it was. I edged round Daniel, hurrying towards my room with my head down, wishing dearly that Daniel would leave me the hell alone.

I had to walk past Onatah to reach my bedroom and I headed towards him without thinking. The moment I came abreast of the handsome wolf I felt Daniel ram into me, knocking me back so hard that I rebounded of the corridor wall and fell in a huddle of the floor. His back was to me as he stood snarling at Onatah, obviously trying to keep himself between us.

"Fucking hell Daniel." Onatah shouted, pointing at me. "You've made him bleed! He's hurt."

I reached towards the back of my head and cringed a little when my hand came back sticky with blood. I edged up, holding on tightly to my towel.

When Daniel turned to look at me I flinched, pressing myself flat against the wall and instinctively tucking my chin into my chest to help hide my vulnerable throat. "I said to get to your ROOM!" He bellowed.

Abandoning all dignity I rocketed down the corridor, opened my door and instantly starting barricading it closed. I'd just finished when I felt that buzzing feeling in my chest again. The door shook as Daniel tried to push it open. He tried a few times before he obviously lost his temper. I could hear him yelling on the other side, demanding I open up, demanding I obey.

"Piss off!" I yelled, cringing a little from the pain in my head. I lay down, suddenly woozy as I considered the force he had used to keep me away from Onatah. I didn't even think he had done it to hurt me. It seemed he just wanted to keep us separated and I'd gotten in the way. It made me wonder what he would do to me if he was really angry.

I must have dozed off because one minute I was contemplating Daniels strength and the next moment he was looming above me. I flinched and he growled. "Little idiot, you're not supposed to sleep when you have a head injury."

I must have looked confused because he sighed and pulled me into a sitting position. "I'm really sorry." He whispered.

"Yeah, what for? Screaming at me, throwing me into a wall or attacking the first potential friend I've made in this prison?"

For a moment he looked like he might chew my head off. I braced myself, waiting for him to punish me when he abruptly pulled me into a hug. "I didn't mean to hurt you Frost. Honest to God, I would never want to hurt you. It was just seeing Onatah that close to you, when you were practically naked, touching you." I felt his shiver as he pressed his face into my hair. "I can't stand anyone else touching you."

My body had locked and I think he must have felt that because he let go of me suddenly and lent back so there was a little space between us. "I want you to get your head checked."

"I'm fine." I argued. Sure it hurt but I was a werewolf and even though I was small I was still pretty tough. "I just want to sleep."

"It wasn't a request." Daniel said in his alpha tone. "Come on." He grabbed my hand, hesitating as he seemed to take in my semi-nakedness. "Maybe you should get dressed first."

"I'm not changing with you in here." I said instantly.

"If I go outside will you try to barricade yourself in again?"

"If I don't do you promise not to throw me into any more walls?"

He flinched a little at that. "I'll be waiting outside."