Apprehended

To my fans. You have no idea how much your comments inspire me to continue. I'm so sorry that my chapters are taking long to come out. I am in college. I have a lot of homework. When I have free time, I think of you. All of you. Thank you for your patience. I will try to give you more when I can. I appreciate your understanding as well as your love for my work.

With love,

Annie

*****

Wolf.

Dear god, he said the word wolf. That couldn't be true...only...his eyes...the way that they glowed...the color...a gold that sparkled like diamonds.

I knew he was different. This entire place was something out of a science fiction novel. But this? I was

not

expecting to hear the word wolf come out of his mouth. I stared, my face bleak and emotionless. I had no words to describe my thoughts. To describe reason. My brain was trying to come up with ways to deny it. To deny his words. But then I thought of all the things that didn't add up.

His size. The way that he knew I was lying by mere scent. His eyes. The usage of the word Alpha-which still needed to be explained. The way he referred to his clan. Wasn't it considered a pack for wolves? Not a clan?

"Not here," he answered.

I blinked rapidly. "What?"

"Your question," he replied. "We do not refer to our packs as such. Due to our human side that we share with our wolves, we are considered clans. We must embrace both beings."

I didn't realize that I said that out loud. I was so lost in my own head, that I just sat there in relative silence. At least...I thought I was silent. My mind certainly wasn't.

Ethan waited patiently until the silence grew, bringing tension with it. Finally, he spoke, and I was thankful for it. "Won't you say something, love?"

I looked at him. His eyes were skimming my face in slow deliberation. It felt like he was scanning me, checking my emotions for any sign of fear. Or hesitance. Or...who knew what else. "There is a lot to say," I answered quickly.

"Then start with the easiest one."

"There is no easy one, Ethan."

"There always is. No matter how insignificant it seems. You can ask. I'll try to answer as best as I can. I cannot hide from you forever. Just like you cannot hide from me."

I wasn't sure how I felt about that yet. I decided to start off with a few easy questions. "Your last name. What is it?"

He smiled. A full-blown, genuine smile. "You want to get to know me?" he asked, like I was giving him the biggest gift in the world.

It made me blush. "Ummm...I haven't...I don't really...I just..." Great. I was stuttering again.

He chuckled. "You don't have to figure it all out at once. Especially not right now. But I'll take what I can get for the moment. My last name is Dune."

Dune? "That's an odd name," I mumbled.

He laughed. "It is, love. What about yours?"

I shrugged. I was just a mere human. That's assuming that I actually believed he was a wolf. Which I most definitely did. I wasn't going to tell him that though. Not yet at least. "Bell."

"Bell? That's lovely, my sweet."

I thought of another question. "Age?"

His smile faltered. "I don't think you're ready for that one yet, female."

Seriously? "You just told me you were a wolf. Yet you don't want to tell me how old you are?"

He considered that and seemed to battle it in his head; no doubt debating whether or not he should tell me. "Let's just say that I'm older than you."

I scoffed. "Fine."

He smiled again and tucked some more hair behind my ear. It made me shiver. "How old are you, baby?"

Baby? Shit. The way that he said it made me dizzy. My stomach was no better. He made me feel out of control. He also deftly changed the subject. Which was a good save on his part. "Umm...twenty-five."

He nodded. "A young one."

My turn. "Have you ever been with another female before?"

Crap.

I did

not

mean to blurt that out. At all. I was thinking of what I had felt in the bathroom; about the idea of him being with another. I felt my face get hot under his scrutiny, but he didn't get upset.

"I have been with other females before, yes."

Without meaning to, tears blurred my vision and I looked away. I had no right to feel anything other than detachment. Certainly not jealously. Which roared through my veins like an infectious disease. I reminded myself that he was not mine. A man like him would never be mine. Though I knew the bond was true, I also knew that if it didn't exist, he would never have chosen someone like me. He would've walked right by me if we passed in the street. He wouldn't have given me a second glance.

That hurt just as much as thinking of him with another woman. "I see."

He didn't like my reaction. "What's wrong, mea vita?"

I shook my head. "It's nothing."

He gently grabbed my chin and turned my head to face him. "Just because I've had other females doesn't mean that they were my mate. You are my only one. My true mate. The minute I knew what you were to me; I knew that no other would exist for me in my world. Not like that. Never like that. Only a mate can be bonded with a specific wolf. No other would ever do. Sex is simply that-sex. There was no emotion involved. No bond. No connections. You have nothing to worry about. You are my sole purpose for being now. You will always be my sole purpose."

I nodded, unsure of what to say to that.

"Can I?" he whispered.

I focused on his eyes. "What?" I asked, confused.

"Can I?" he repeated, his golden gaze languid and filled with desire.

"Can you what?"

He looked at my lips. "Kiss you, baby. Can I kiss you?"

I opened my mouth to answer but he lowered his head and took my lips, anyway, catching me off guard. I gasped at the contact and he cupped my face to press my head closer to him and give him better access to my mouth.

Where he gloriously slipped his tongue inside of my depths in one, long, devastating stroke. My eyes fell closed swiftly; lost to the taste and feel of him. He licked the top of my tongue and flicked my palette, moving to the side of my mouth as he explored. Never had I been kissed so thoroughly. He slid along the spaces between my upper and lower lips, ending when he shoved his tongue underneath mine to dance with his.

We kissed like that for a while. With him guiding my head and holding me. When he finally pulled away, he made it a point to nip my lower lip and suck it gently into his mouth before moving away...panting with need.

Desire.

He pressed his forehead to mine and closed his eyes. "You are the sweetest of honey, my precious female. Delicious," he whispered. "But that doesn't explain why you were crying earlier. Tell me."

Smooth. He waited until he had me willing and in a time of need to ask again. I gave in, melting into him even though I knew I shouldn't. "I've never been treated that way before," I too whispered.

"Like what?" he asked, softly.

"Like a human being. I don't even remember when I last had my favorite tea. Or cookies."

He made a low sound in the back of his throat. "You should always be treated as such. With me, you will be treated as Sol Luna. Your rightful place...by my side. I won't have it any other way."

I pulled my forehead away from his, suddenly feeling cold without his heat. "What is that? Sol Luna?"

He hesitated. "My mate," was all he said.

"The doctor called me that. But what does it mean specifically?" I pressed.

He released his hold on me entirely to grab my hands again. He rubbed his thumb along my knuckles. "I am Alpha. Do you know what that means, Annie?"

I thought about that. "Like, from wolf folklore?"

"Yes."

I shrugged. "I know a little."

He moved on the bed and pressed his side into mine. "Tell me."

I sighed, thinking of how to word the little that I knew from storybooks and tales. "Just that Alpha means leader. Leader of a pack."

"That's accurate, love."

"Does it mean anything else?" I asked.

It took him a few seconds to answer. He ran a hand through his hair. "I am the leader. You're correct. But in being the leader, whomever is my mate becomes a leader too."

I froze. "What?"

He didn't hold back. "Queen, Annie. Think of it like a queen. I am king here. You automatically take the title of queen. Even the responsibilities that come with it."

I nearly jumped out of my skin. "No, Ethan! I don't know a thing about this!"

"Relax, female," he said, releasing his hold on my hand to place it on my shoulder. He gave it a light squeeze. "You are not here to play leader; though my clan will look to you as such. You are here as my mate. My equal. You are my balance. You keep me calm. You keep me at bay. I need you. So fucking much."

"I don't know what that means," I said, feeling my heart race anew. This was too much.

He sighed deeply. "How about we stop. We've talked enough for now. It will have to do. You need rest. You need medicine. I forgot to give you the salts Baldridge gave me. You can soak in them tonight instead."

My brain hurt from all of the things racing through it. "Alright...okay..."

He smiled warmly and pressed a kiss to the top of my head as he got up. "Come. I'll take you downstairs to watch a movie with me on the couch. Yes?"

"Really?" I squeaked.

"Yes. Really."

He carried me out of the room. Once we were downstairs, he placed me on the soft couch and wrapped me up in several, fluffy blankets. When he was satisfied that I was warm and comfortable, he turned on a television above the fireplace and activated his gaming console.

I couldn't help it. I laughed.

He smiled. "What's so funny?"

I pointed to his system that I didn't even realize was there before. "You play video games?"

"Yes. Don't you?"

"No. I can't afford it," I said, calming down after laughing.

He handed me the remote. "You can use mine anytime you want, love."

I took it with trembling fingers. "You have games?"

He snorted. "Tons. The males come in here and we play together on the weekends. Now that you're here, we'll throw a party of it."

He moved to the kitchen and began heating up some popcorn. It smelled amazing. I moved through the controls on the screen and waited for him to come back and pick out a BLURAY from a shelf he had by the fireplace. He slipped it into the system, and it started.

He went back to the kitchen and finished, arriving as the menu came up. He plopped down on the couch beside me and it was so hard that I bounced.

I tried to suppress a giggle, but failed.

He smiled. "I like that sound, my sweet."

I felt my face grow hot again. He offered me a drink, a big bowl of buttery popcorn and some pain medication. I popped the pills into my mouth-throwing out a mental prayer that it wasn't poison-and tried to relax on the couch while I munched on popcorn with Ethan; who was too close. His presence alone dominated the space, which didn't seem large when he was in the room.

He slowly and deliberately lifted a thick arm and placed it behind my head and shoulders on the couch- not touching me but letting me know he was there too. We watched the movie in silence. I felt Ethan's eyes on me throughout it, and it made me a little uncomfortable. Mostly nervous. He had a presence about him. One that demanded acknowledgement. His scent kept drifting over, tickling my nose and making me melt a little into his side. Eventually, I focused on the movie, not realizing several things.

One, Ethan effectively draped his arm over me. Two, he pulled me into his side. Three, I was at complete ease with it. Four, I forgot about the fact that I was kidnapped. And five, I actually felt content to be here.-even if it was only for a moment. Never had I felt like this with another man.

"Playing house, are we?"

I turned around, noticing Dina come in from the back door by the kitchen.

Ethan kept his eyes on the movie. "What do you want, Dina?" he asked in a clipped tone. She plopped on the couch beside Ethan and he growled. "Get out."

She glanced at me before refocusing on him. "What? I've sat with you on this couch many times before. You didn't have a problem with it then. We even watched movies together."

His eyes seemed to ignite brighter, gleaming golden in what I assumed was anger. "Watch it, female."

She forced a smile and looked right at me. "Though, we didn't really look at too many movies. He always had me straddling him as he buried himself inside of me."

I gasped and she laughed. Hard.

"That's it!" snapped Ethan, getting up and grabbing her upper arm in a bruising grip. "Get the fuck out!" He pulled her towards the back door, her bare feet skipping across the floor. "One more out of you and I'll banish you, Rodina. Now leave!"

She continued to speak until she was thrown out of the cabin. "Does she know about you? About us? Did you tell her that you took me almost every night until she arrived? That you made love to me the day before yesterday?" she said to Ethan. "Does she know that in order to claim her, you have to bite her? To mate her fully, you have to bond?"

He snarled and tossed her out, slamming the sliding glass door so hard, a deep, reverberating crack erupted and the sound echoed in the kitchen and living room.

I stood staring in silence, my heart beating a mile a minute. What?

It took him a good two minutes to turn around and face me. When he finally did, his face was full of pain and sorrow. "I'm so sorry, Annie. So fucking sorry."

I licked my suddenly dry lips. He was not mine. Why did it matter that he fucked her? I wasn't in love with him.

Yet!

Ugh. I told my brain to STFU. There was no way this bond between us was going to work. I was just too broken, and he was too...too...I don't know...inhuman?

Yes. Inhuman. And everything that she said...was she joking? Shit. This was too much. Way too much.

"Won't you let me leave?" I asked, tossing the bowl of remaining popcorn on the floor. It bounced and scattered along the hardwood.

"What?" he asked, frowning.

"Won't you let me leave?" I repeated. "It's obvious that this isn't going to work anyway. First, you're not human. I am. That alone is a problem. Second, it looks like I'd have some competition if I stayed. Thanks, but I'm tired of feeling oppressed. Like I'm a nobody. A piece of meat."

"You are

not

a piece of meat," he clarified. "Not to me. Never. And I'm assuming that this discussion means you believe me?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes. Of course it does. I was expecting you to ask me to show you my wolf."

I shook my head vigorously. "No!"

"Why not?" he snapped in irritation. "It's part of me. It's who I am."

"But that doesn't mean I want to be a part of it."

This time, he shook his head. He walked over to me, his bare feet patting across the floor. "You are stuck here, Annie. Whether you like it or not. Whether you agree to it or not. You're mine. My. Mate. I cannot live without you. I don't plan on it either."

"You've got the wrong girl," I said.

"No. You're just right."

I wanted to slap him. "I have rights!"

"Not here. My domain, princess."

I scowled. "Don't call me that." Jerry called me that. I hated it. It was a complete contradiction to what he inflicted on me.

"I can call you whatever I want," he said, kneeling right in front of me. "You know why?"

He didn't let me answer.

"Because you're mine. I don't know how many times I have to tell you, princess, you are my mate. My fucking mate. Bonded. No turning back."

"Deemed by whom? You?"

"My wolf," he specified. "Which is more than enough for me."

I scoffed. "Well, you can tell your wolf that I said to go fuc-"

He reached out and tucked a thick wave of my hair behind my ear abruptly, catching me off guard. I hitched in a breath and flinched. He noticed. "Tell my wolf what?" he asked, his voice deep and resonating. "You can tell him yourself. All seven feet of him."

I gulped loudly. "N-n-no."

"Why not, princess? He likes to play." He leaned into me, his scent enveloping me. He whispered, "as a matter of fact, he wants you. Just as much as I do. He's relentless. He's sure. He's strong... and steadfast. He knows what he wants...you...his mate. Our mate. He'll do anything to have you. He'll kill for you. He'll follow you. He'll stalk you if he has to. He'll do anything to make sure you stay right beside him. He'll do anything to protect you..."

What he said next made my blood run cold.

"He'll even tie you to my bed just to make sure you don't run away from us." He chuckled lowly. "No, wait.

I'll

do that. Not him."

I gasped and moved away from him. He didn't like that and reached out again to wrap a strong hand around the back of my neck to bring my head closer to his. "Where are you going, my princess, hmm?"

Tears clouded my eyes and my lower lip trembled. "P-please, Ethan. L-let me g-go," I stuttered.

"No. Never." He inched closer and I whimpered. He froze momentarily; his eyes scanning my trembling form. He slipped his fingers into my hair at my nape. "You are frightened of me, love. I can smell it." A tear slipped free. He caught it with his free hand, putting his index finger up to his mouth to taste the tear that he captured. "I won't hurt you, Annie. I will never hurt you."

Without meaning to, I whispered, "you promise?" I don't know why I said it. I don't know why I needed confirmation. I only know that I did. I desperately did.

He gently removed his hand from my hair and slipped both of them to my cheeks to cup my face, holding me in place to look at him. "On my life, Luna. Just because I'm claiming you doesn't mean I'd hurt you. I take care of what's mine. I will never cause you any type of harm. I wouldn't even think of it. Don't you see?" he asked, brushing away more tears. "Your life always comes before mine. Always. Why would my wolf and I go against that? Against you? We need you. I need you. You are everything to me. I'll die without you. I wouldn't hurt my mate. I protect her at all costs. You know that, don't you, princess?"

I flinched again. "Please don't call me that," I whispered. He must have registered the pain on my face and in my voice.

"I won't, sweetheart," he said without hesitation. "You have my word. Now, come here." He pulled me into him, and I melted into his embrace, breaking out into nasty sobs again. Though these were not as powerful as my previous breakdown, they were still bad.

When I was done, I sniffled and pulled away from him to ask, "what do you mean when you said you'll die? I don't understand."

He stiffened. "Let's not talk about that now."

"I want to."

He shook his head lightly. "No, female. Not tonight. This is too much as it is."

I wanted to argue. To tell him that I had a right to know. He took me after all. He kidnapped me. Yet, despite my sudden loss of freedom, I felt a sense of trust with Ethan. One that was difficult to explicate. One that had me befuddled and feeling unlike myself. It was almost like a loss of control; my life now in the hands of another.

Almost like Jerry.

I swallowed loudly and forced a small smile in what he thought was acquiescence. I would let it go...for now. But this was nowhere near done. I wanted answers. I wanted to know my captor-the man behind the so-called mask. Though he was gentle and promised me hope, there was still that danger that lurked within.

The one I could sense even now. I wondered if that was part of his inhumanity...his wolf. It was tamed, but barely. His eyes gave him away, expressing a small quantity of the beast within. It frightened me. The secrets frightened me. The not-knowing frightened me. The loss of free-will frightened me.

I was trapped. I was stuck in this cabin with a man I knew I could never outrun or fight against. It was surreal; an awakening. I was now dependent on someone else. Another man. Even though he did not harm me, the danger lurked in the unknown.