Apprehended

I awoke to the sound of male voices. Voices I recognized. Voices I grew to trust despite the lack of time it took to trust any stranger.

"Why is she at the bottom?"

"She must have passed out." There was an urgency in his voice. One of panic.

A beat of silence.

"Was there enough air in there?"

"I would never leave her in here if it wasn't safe. I want her out. Now."

"Alright."

"Good. Don't fucking hurt her."

"I nearly died defending her, Ethan."

"She's your Luna."

Richen muttered under his breath and I felt my body being tugged. A moan escaped my lips and I felt my head lull to the side of its own accord. I was heavy and uncoordinated; obviously not in control of my own body. My brain was fuzzy, like I was drinking, and I was getting over a hangover.

"Watch her head," Ethan snarled.

"I got it," snapped Richen.

"Easy. Easy."

Cold air brushed against my skin and I coughed involuntarily. The wind was a welcome for my lungs, which had previously felt constricted.

"That's a good girl. Breathe."

Strong arms enveloped me, and I breathed in Ethan's scent. His warm skin pressed against my cheek and I shivered, snuggling closer to him for warmth. He was breathing heavily, and his skin felt moist. I opened my eyes slowly and blinked lazily as I gained awareness.

"Hey there, mea vita. You alright?" Ethan smiled, revealing the sharp, white fangs I was accustomed to. He brushed wet strands of hair away from my face. I wasn't sure if that was snow, sweat, ice or blood.

I opened my mouth to reply but coughed again. My mouth felt dry.

"Get me some water, Richen."

I heard Richen leave, his footfalls becoming distant. I sat up a little and lifted my head to look around.

Dead wolves lay on the snow, their bodies covered in blood. I inhaled sharply and spoke, my voice raspy and thick. "What happened?"

Ethan didn't bother looking at the carnage. He was focusing on me. "They're not going to hurt you. You're safe. Look at me." He grabbed my chin and turned my head to face him. "Are you hurt?"

I did a quick assessment. Aside from feeling nauseous and a bit woozy, I was fine. "I'm okay," I said, coughing some more.

Richen returned, his arm tucked into his side as he approached with a glass of water. "Luna." He kneeled in the snow, his body naked and gleaming with sweat and blood. "Drink."

Ethan thanked him and grabbed the glass, putting it to my lips where I drank it greedily. A few drops fell and drizzled down the side of my chin, landing on Ethan's open coat, which I was still wearing.

"Alright, easy," said Ethan, pulling the glass away.

He handed Richen the glass, who polished the rest of it off. "Going to visit the Doc really quick, boss. I think I broke my arm."

Ethan nodded in understanding, his eyes still on me. "Go. Meet me at the cabin when you're done."

Richen muttered under his breath again and left us alone.

Ethan's hand was still under my chin, holding me in place. I looked up at him, at his golden eyes that made me shiver. They ran along the length of my face and stopped at my lips. Where he lowered his head and took my mouth with reckless abandon.

The kiss was hot, wet and powerful. It was desperation. It was concern. It was tongues clashing, teeth colliding and lips smacking. His scent overwhelmed me, and his body smelled of forest, sweat, blood and pure Ethan. It was raw. It was untamed and wild. The world around us faded and all I knew was Ethan. All I saw was Ethan. All I felt was Ethan.

I grabbed his arm for support, unable to hold myself against the tide of pleasure and passion rippling through me as he kissed me into oblivion. As if knowing what I needed, Ethan released his hold on my chin and grabbed my arms, guiding them to encircle his neck. I wrapped them around him like a vise, holding on for dear life as I lost myself to the man and beast that was willing to die for me.

I wasn't sure how long he sat on the cold snow, my body on his lap and glued to him, but it wasn't nearly enough. He was the first to break the kiss; our parting a loud, moist release of flesh and tongue. I whimpered, not wanting him to stop. Not wanting even the smallest distance between us.

Ethan's chest rumbled in satisfaction. He lowered his head and pressed his forehead against mine, his breathing just as erratic. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, his warm breath tickling my nose and lips.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"When I saw you leave with Richen..." he said, his voice thick and deep. "And the wolves followed...all I saw was red." He inhaled sharply; his eyes closed while he recounted the events of the attack. "I've never been so afraid in all of my life," he admitted.

The look on his face was not only genuine, but one of fear. That look alone was enough to make me shiver. It was enough for reality to come crashing down like the weight of a thousand knives-striking and piercing through the veil of guises and false safety.

The truth was: we were nearly killed.

I

was nearly killed. If Richen hadn't defended me...if Ethan hadn't arrived when he did...I would've been dead.

Ethan's next words made me wince. "We need to leave."

"What?" I asked, even though I heard every word clearly.

He got up with me in his arms and I finally noticed that we were no longer alone. Jared and Edwin had entered-along with the rest of the battered clan-quietly waiting for Ethan. I gasped lowly when they approached, blood and fur on their bare-slicked skin.

Ethan spoke, his voice loud and booming amongst the trees-which had gone quiet, like the rest of the forest. No owls sang. No wind danced. It seemed as if the forest itself bore the pain of death amongst her, silently absorbing the blood on the snow, the moans of fallen logs and scratched bark. The air was thick and cold, like a bite of warning that all was not well. No one was safe.

"Gather your things," said Ethan. "We're leaving."

No one questioned this. No one protested the idea of uprooting the entire clan and leaving everything behind. No one asked where we were going. I briefly wondered why that was. I knew that they obeyed Ethan and that he was their Alpha. I also assumed that this had to have happened before. Sudden attack. Sudden uprooting.

I still needed to know. "Where are we going?"

Ethan didn't answer. Instead, he walked over to Jared. "Take her to my cabin. Pack all clothing, cell phones and as much food as possible. Feed her. Make sure she has everything she needs before we leave."

Jared nodded in understanding and opened his arms, where Ethan gently handed me over with a quick kiss to my temple.

"Stay with Jared," he said, lowering his head so he could look at me clearly. "Take what you think you'll need for a long trip. Eat something. Drink water. Pack your medicines. Doc Baldrige is coming with us, but we'll have to disconnect from Hubert for a while. At least until things cool down."

With that said, Jared straightened and turned. I watched as Ethan faced his clan, began to talk and bark orders. Slowly, the group dissipated, and Ethan followed, becoming a small figure in the darkness.

It didn't take long for Jared to enter Ethan's cabin with me in tow. Noiselessly, he padded across the hardwood and placed me on the couch while he got on some clothes. So shaken by what took place, I barely registered that the entire clan had been naked. Even Ethan was bare.

"Stay here," said Jared. "I'll be right back."

I sat on the couch, trying to gain some heat from the fire, its dying embers struggling to reignite. Although, no amount of heat was going to warm my bones. I was replaying the events in my head, going over every little action and reaction. Questions swirled around, spiraling out of control until I began to lose focus.

Did this kind of thing happen before? Where were we going? Did anyone else get hurt? What was goin-

"Luna?"

I turned, seeing Jared fully clothed in Ethan's attire. "Huh?"

He gave me a look. "I asked you if you're hungry."

"Uh...no. Not really. I could really use a shower though."

He nodded and walked over to the kitchen. "Just make sure you eat something after. Alpha would kill me if he found out I didn't feed you."

I wanted to argue that eating was not at the top of my list of things to do right now, but it was pointless. I shrugged and got up slowly. "I just feel so dirty." And shaken. I didn't voice that, however.

Jared walked over to me briskly. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Ummm...going to the shower?"

He picked me up, my body flying high due to his height. "You're certainly not walking up the stairs in your current condition."

I pegged him with a glare. "Don't go all Ethan on me."

"That's not a bad thing."

"I never said it was. It's just a little much sometimes."

He began walking up the stairs to the shower in Ethan's room. "Yeah, well I can't really blame him."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He's bonded to you. All males of our kind have that kind of instinct over our mates. It isn't something we choose. It isn't something we mind either."

I thought about that. Did

I

mind it? Deep down, the voice inside my head said no. Hell fucking no. But the rational part? It was debating. It was choosing freedom over ownership. But could it really be labeled as ownership?

No. Not exactly. Or could it? My mind had become a befuddled mess. What was once a bid for freedom had become debatable. It was no longer singular in context, with the main goal to leave. It was something else. Something mentally and emotionally tangible. Something that was beyond the realm of escape. Time had altered it; twisted it into my veins so that leaving would not only have implications but leave searing scars ingrained into my being. Fear of repercussions had turned into fear of leaving the familiar.

I wasn't sure when that happened. But time was to blame. Integration within the clan was to blame.

I wasn't sure how to feel about that. I wasn't even sure how to express it, let alone repress it. And not just from Ethan but from myself. There was only so much hindrance one could endure before realism reared its ugly head. Before acceptance made one question the boundaries of loyalty and morality to one's very own ideals.

"Here we go." Jared looked at the time. "Fifteen minutes, then you eat. We pack and go." It wasn't a question. This was truly happening. We were leaving. What bothered me wasn't the fact that we were traveling. I was frightened of the where and the true reason as to why Ethan and his people were attacked to begin with.

When Jared left to give me my space, I took a quick shower, ridding myself of the smudge and ice that seemed to settle into my core. I grabbed Ethan's clothes, putting on a flannel and some joggers. I really missed my clothes, no matter how meager they were. At least they fit. At least they were mine.

Bang, bang, bang!

I nearly jumped out of my skin. Who the hell was knocking so incessantly like that? The hinges moaned.

"Time is up. We're leaving."

Shit.

It was Ethan. And he sounded pissed. I opened the door, shoving some of my wet air behind my ear to get it away from my face. I nearly slammed into his chest as I stumbled out, my balance off.

"You done?" he asked, grabbing a hold of me to steady me.

His face was set in harsh lines. No doubt, whatever he had been dealing with was bad. His look alone could've killed a rhinoceros.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Fine. I already packed. Put on boots. The trucks are already fired up."

Trucks? As in plural, not singular? I never noticed any trucks here.

I hobbled to the bed and grabbed whatever boots were around, which-in this case-was a brown pair that Ethan owned. I put them on clumsily. "Where are we going?"

He took a look out the window quickly, assessing what was happening outside. "Far from here. It's no longer safe."

"I understand that," I said, lacing the boots. "But where."

"I have a place a couple of miles from here. This is our main place. But I have other places too. Places that are completely unknown to neighboring clans."

Interesting. "In other states?"

He turned to face me. "Yup. In other countries too. Now let's get going."

Without warning, he scooped me off the bed and we were leaving.

I didn't have time to get or do anything else. Ethan had me out of the cabin and in a red pick-up truck in less than two minutes. The last thing I saw before he started the vehicle, was the dark cabin fading off into the distance.

***

The ride was long, bumpy and generally uncomfortable. The rest of the clan trailed behind Ethan or strayed a bit from whatever path they seemed to be following. To me, there didn't appear to be a path at all. But I wasn't going to argue. I was too in my own head for that. Ethan fed me fast food that we picked up along the way. I managed to keep it down despite the rolling hills, rocky swerves and dangerous tilts.

The mountain that we were ascending grew icier and more perilous as we progressed. At certain points, I actually believed the truck wasn't going to push through, but Ethan was calm and sure. At one point, I squealed in horror when he drove near a deep ravine. So close to the edge, the truck nearly tipped on its side. But Ethan-as always-had it under control.

"Easy," he told me, grabbing my hand to calm me down.

"Easy?" I snapped at him, feeling queasy. "We almost went down that ravine."

"You're in perfectly capable hands, bellula. Do you not trust me?"

"You? Yeah, sure. Not this truck."

He winced. "Cheryl can handle it."

Was he serious? This was Cheryl?

He noticed the look of disbelief on my face and he deftly changed the subject. "I used to play here when I was a boy." He pointed along a deep set of narrow paths hidden within the mountain. If he hadn't indicated where they were, one could easily bypass it. "Those are the paths to N'Vallah."

I squinted and nearly pressed my nose against the passenger window. "The what?"

He made a right, heading straight for the paths. "Above. High on the mountain, there is a village. My village: N'Vallah. We have not been there for a while. Aside from my clan and myself, no one else knows of its existence."

I pulled away from the window and rested against the headrest. "Is that a good thing? I mean, it sounds isolated. How will we eat and stuff?"

"We hunt."

I thought about that. "Alright. What about television? Wi-Fi?"

He barked out a laugh. "Just because it's been a few years doesn't mean we're living in the dark ages, Annie. Everything is still functional and modern. I have Edwin come up here often to upkeep it. Everything is fully stocked and prepared."

"So he's the only one who has been up here recently?"

"Yeah. There is no need to draw attention to its location. One of us is all we need to ensure proper safety. We have contingencies in the event of an attack or emergency."

It sounded pretty smart. However, I was still confused about one thing. "Who are they?" I asked, bluntly.

Ethan frowned. "What?"

"The people-I mean, the uh...wolves-that attacked us?"

He drove in silence for a few minutes, quietly gathering his thoughts before he answered. I stole a glance at his attire: black tee, ripped jeans and-huh, what do you know- boots. "We've been having a few issues with a neighboring clan. Their um-" he cleared his throat, "leader, can be very...difficult to compromise with."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "We don't always get along, sweetheart. Sometimes we negotiate over land, supplies, weapons, blood feuds or arranged marriages. It can vary depending on what resources are shared, not shared or what is available."

I had been drinking water and I nearly spit it out. "Arranged marriages?"

He smirked, revealing his dimple. "Out of all the reasons I gave you, you focus on that one solely?"

I shrugged and capped my bottle. "It just sounds so ancient to me. Who even does stuff like that anymore?"

He turned the steering wheel to the left, following a dangerous curve in the mountain as we ascended. "Our traditions have modernity. However, there are certain things an Alpha must endure for the safety and progression of his clan. For example, arranged marriages unite clans. That can include neighboring clans or distant ones for gain, peace, etc."

"So, what does this other clan want?" I pressed.

Ethan sighed, not answering my question.

"Oh, come on, Ethan. I nearly died; you know."

He gave me a look. "You know damn well that I would never have let that happen."

"Well...I mean, yeah, but still."

He shook his head.

I stomped my foot. "It's a long drive, Ethan."

"Your point, Luna?"

I folded my hands across my lap, gaining a courage I didn't know I had. "That means I can keep on pestering you with questions. I can even repeat the same one until you cave."

He laughed. Loudly. It was rich and deep. "Is that so, love?"

"Yup. So you might as well tell me."

He laughed some more. "What do I get in return for such information?"

"Peace and quiet."

He laughed even more. By the time he settled, his face was a bit red. "So stubborn."

"Exactly. Now spill."

He raised a hand in mock surrender. "Alright, fine. But after I tell you, I get a kiss."

I raised a brow. "What?"

"You heard me. A kiss. Right here." He pointed to his dark, stubbled cheek.

I shrugged. No big deal. "Fine."

"It's a deal," he said. It took him a few more minutes to answer. "Their leader demanded an arranged marriage to unite both clans for the advantage of higher numbers. Separate, we are weaker. Together, we are stronger."

I thought about that. "So why not do it?" I asked, curiously. "Why attack?"

"Because I refused. She didn't like that."

She? What? "The leader is a woman?"

He nodded.

I stood quiet, internally processing this information. "Is that...normal?"

"Is what normal, baby?" he asked, his eyes ahead.

I momentarily shivered at the endearment. I had to clear my throat to get it together. Now was no time to swoon, no matter how good he looked or how suave he was. "Having a woman as an leader."

"No. That is why I referred to her as a leader. Never al Alpha. Males are the Alphas. However, this clan lost their males. Only females remain. They are desperate."

"You have unmated males in your clan," I pointed out.

"We do," he agreed, bobbing his head. "But none of my males are interested in that clan. It is not something we choose."

"Well, can't you just-I don't know-do it anyway?"

He stared at me like I lost my mind. "The wolf chooses, Luna. The man follows. It is purely instinctual. Not only have my males rejected the females of that clan, but I myself refuse to bond with the leader when I have already found my mate. It cannot be forced."

My mouth suddenly went dry. "Wait," I cut in, confused. "The leader wanted you?"

"Yes. When I said no, she got angry. Females can be very vindictive."

I wanted to throw up. I wanted to scream. I wanted to slap Ethan. I wanted to get out of the fucking truck. This whole thing was over some woman who wanted Ethan? How could I even compete with that? If he hadn't taken me against my will, would he have said yes? Could this entire situation have been avoided? And what about the other clans? Surely they have their own males...dudes...guys-oh, whatever-interested in them...right?

Right?

"I can see the wheels turning in your head, Annie. What's on your mind?"

"What about other men in other clans? Why can't they just go find a guy elsewhere?"

"You mean a mate?" he corrected.

"Yeah. That."

He shrugged again. "Male wolves choose their female mate. Female wolves don't have that instinct. They do not bond. Their future lies in the bond of a male to a female. They're desperate. A clan without the protection of males is beyond weak. They not only carry the risk of dying out without breeding, they also risk a possible attack from clans that

do

have an abundance of males. They're exposed."