AMELIA'S POV

"W-what?" I stuttered.

The alpha looked at me with animalistic eyes. I stumbled backwards, clutching onto the table for support. The crowd gasped as my knees buckled under me. I sank to the floor, shaking. I felt the burning stares of everyone in the room, including his.

Mate? Was he going to claim me? This can't be happening! It won't happen!

The Alpha stepped over my frame, growling at the people. "Mine." He snarled at them.

"No," I whispered.

It was so faint I didn't expect anyone to catch it. But absolutely nothing was in my favor. "What?" He bellowed.

I blinked back the tears in my eyes.

"No."

The Alpha yanked me up by my arms in fury.

"You're coming with me. Don't you dare think you can say that to me?" I held back a sob. I was human! I was supposed to go back home! This wasn't the plan!

"What are you all looking at?" he roared. "Are any of you going to claim her? I'd like to see you even try."

Everyone stared at me in pity. No one was going to save me. No one.

The Alpha began pulling me away from the ballroom. His grip was so tight that I wasn't able to escape.

"Megan! Megan, please! Get me back! Find my mother! Anyone!" I screamed.

Megan began charging at the Alpha at the speed of light. But before she could grab hold of me, he threw her back like a rag doll, sending Megan into a wall. Her body fell limp on the floor.

"Megan!" I cried, watching my only hope fade away.

"Don't you dare think of getting away? Your little friend will suffer more consequences if this happens again." He hissed.

I whimpered at his tone of voice. However, he didn't seem to be fazed at all. He was cold-hearted and evil. A monster.

I kicked and scratched and hollered at the top of my lungs all the way out of the estate, but it was all in vain. He dragged me out by force with no hesitation.

When we reached a black limo, I began kicking and screaming again with even more force. He opened the door with one hand and threw me into the car with the other.

I quickly pushed open the door, but he was faster and slammed it closed. I quickly reached over to the driver's seat and locked the doors. He huffed in frustration and kicked the door, making a dent. I sighed with relief. If I couldn't get out, I would stay in!

The moment I let my guard down, a pair of hands grabbed me. I screamed, hitting and kicking the person holding me. While I was fighting against the arms keeping me hostage, the doors were unlocked and the Alpha got into the driver's seat. With no time for me to react, the car took off at a ridiculously high speed.

"Are you going to be quiet now?" He questioned, glaring at me from the rearview mirror.

When I stopped fighting, the arms released me, allowing me to get a better look at the person they belonged to. A guy around my age, with almost pitch-black eyes and brown hair, met my gaze. I averted my eyes to the floor.

"What's your name and rank, wolf?" The Alpha growled.

I shifted my eyes outside the window.

"The Alpha has asked you a question! Answer him!" The man next to me demanded.

I pulled my knees up to my chest and buried my face in my arms. There was no way I'm going to answer someone like him. I was going to get back home no matter what.

There was no way he was my other half. I completely loathe him. I hate him! I hate my mate.

"We're here." I sighed and went to open the door, only to have it pulled right back in my face. I turned to face the alpha, who only glared at me. I huffed and waited until he got out of the car and opened my door for me.

What a gentleman. Really, kidnapping and threatening was true chivalry.

I slowly got out of the car and watched as the other man climbed out. I thought over my options. Obviously, this Alpha guy was extremely strong.

If I ran off now, my chances were probably slim to none in escaping. If I stayed the night and kept quiet to myself, I could probably escape.

I looked over at the alpha, who was already staring straight at me. I shivered in fear as his eyes scanned my face.

"You will not hold her down? Prevent her from escaping?" The other guy asked.

The Alpha scoffed. "It's pointless. There's high security within a 5-mile radius here. Even if she made it past them, she would run into some... trouble."

I raised an eyebrow. Troubles? What kind of trouble? Could I get through them?

The Alpha seemed to catch on to my thoughts.

"Don't even think about escaping. You'd be torn to shreds." He growled.

I looked down at my feet, which were now forming blisters from how long I had been in heels. I groaned as the Alpha and the brown-haired man began walking ahead of me.

I took one painful step at a time until I caught up with the two. When I arrived, I noted how large the house was in front of us. No, house was not a fit term. This was a mansion! Maybe even bigger than an average-sized one.

After some knocking, or should I say, pounding by the Alpha, we were let into this massive mansion. As soon as I entered it, a young girl dressed in a maid's outfit was awaiting us. The Alpha snapped his fingers.

"Get her dressed, cleaned, and prepared for examination." He stated in a gruff tone.

The girl nodded and motioned for me to follow her. I didn't look back at him and went straight down the hall. After some time, the girl turned to me.

"I'm Valerie. Do you know where you are?" She asked.

I shook my head.

She squinted her eyes at me.

"You're not from around here, huh? Well anyway, you're in Alpha James' home."

I scoffed. "Home?"

Valerie chuckled, "I guess calling it a home would be an understatement, right?"

I smiled. Valerie was alright. Maybe I could find my way out of here with her help. The rest of the journey was silent until we reached a room. Valerie spun around. There were twinkles in her eyes.

"This is your room. It might be a little simple, but it's the only room fit for a lady." She shrugged.

I nodded and entered it. What I saw made my jaw drop. The entire room was utterly gorgeous. I let my fingers graze the bedsheets and roam over the dresser.

"It's... gorgeous." I whispered.

Valerie smiled. "There's another part of your room that has a shower. The Alpha wants you cleaned up and dressed."

My heart dropped. "I have to meet with him?"

She nodded. "Of course."

"Then I'll get ready. Thank you, Valerie." I stated.

Valerie bowed and left me alone in my room. I quickly scanned the bedroom and ran to the window, pulling at it. Locked.

I raced to the bathroom and tried to open the bathroom window. I tugged and tugged until it finally flew open. I grinned and threw my fist in the air.

I found my way out. Now all there was left to do was meet with the Alpha. I wasn't so sure how I was going to figure this one out.

Back at the ball, Megan's group of friends were struggling to understand how Megan had allowed a human into a sacred and traditional event, let alone admitted her as a fellow wolf.

"Do you know how much you have jeopardized this pack? Let alone how much you jeopardized our families?" A tall girl, Rebecca shrieked.

Megan narrowed her eyes at the group of angry girls.

"I understand how much danger I put us through, but I promise this wasn't supposed to happen! A human can't have a mate! Alpha James is planning something. I don't know why he chose Amelia, but we need to get her back as soon as possible!" She exclaimed.

"We? Are you grouping us with you, Megan?" A short blonde, Ella, shot.

Megan ran a hand through her hair in frustration.

"Look, I'm not asking you guys for much. All we need to do it go to his pack, grab Amelia, and leave."

"You mean get us all killed? You know how he is, Megan. Did you forget how he and his family murdered your father?" Rebecca shouted.

Megan's eyes grew darker.

"Don't you dare speak about my father?"

"They murdered mine too, Megan! Don't tell me I don't have the right to speak about this, especially since he's the reason my family isn't the same." She stated.

"You know what? I don't need your help. I'll go get her myself." Megan hissed and turned on her heel.

"Megan, stop!" One of the girls cried.

"You'll get killed!" Another cried.

"Megan!" Rebecca shouted.

When hearing Rebecca, she stopped in her tracks. "You can't do this alone! Why do you even care about this human girl? Let him have her! Maybe the humans won't notice her absence."

She exclaimed.

"That's not what you would say if it were your sister, your daughter, or your cousin, huh? The humans are bound the notice, Rebecca. I will not be the first to be kicked out of the pack, so I suggest you shut up before they find out you wanted to leave the human in the hands of the most dangerous alpha." Megan shot back.

Rebecca opened her mouth to say something but shut it in an instant. Megan smirked to herself, knowing her words struck some truth.

She picked up her dress and began hurrying to Amelia's room, hoping to find a clue to look for the human girl.

AMELIA'S POV

After I showered, there was an outfit on my bed, most likely picked out by Valerie. I groaned when realizing it was another dress, and that the only footwear I had was heels. I quickly got dressed, and looked went out of my room.

"I knew blue was a good color on you!" Valerie squealed.

Valeria laughed.

"Just a few minutes. I'm supposed to guide you to Alpha James' office."

I nearly jumped ten feet in the air at the sound of her voice.

"How long were you standing there?" I asked.

I nodded and followed her silently. I scanned my surroundings for possible escape routes, noting any paintings or decor that would help me find my way if necessary.

Valerie opened the door for me as I made my way into the office.

My heart was beating a mile a minute. Where was he? What did he want from an examination? What did he mean by an examination?

"Calm down. I can hear your heart racing from over here." A gruff voice stated.

My eyes widened. He could hear my heart rate?

I felt my hands tremble as Alpha James emerged out of nowhere. I stood as stiff as a soldier as he circled me.

He stopped in his tracks. I shivered as I felt his hot breath. This was way too close for comfort, but I couldn't bring myself to move. My feet were glued to the floor in fear.

"You can't escape. No matter what you do, it's pointless. You'll have to answer to me." He whispered.

His deep voice was almost playful, like he was teasing me to see if I'd really do such a thing. I snapped my head away from him, narrowing my eyes at the ground.

I could feel my cheeks heat with how angry I was. Did he think he could treat me like this?

He sat on top of his desk, watching me shift uncomfortably.

"You're squirming. Nervous?" The Alpha crossed his arms.

I pretended to be looking at my shoes, as if they were the most interesting things in the world. Alpha James scoffed.

"I know what you're thinking." I stopped my fidgeting and peered at him with curiosity.

"Such a handsome mate, I could just stare at him for hours on end-" My cheeks burned.

"What did you bring me here for?" I interrupted.

The Alpha narrowed his eyes at me. He scooted off his desk and walked straight up to me. His face was merely an inch away from mine. His eyes scanned my face.

My breath was caught in my throat as his blue eyes flickered over my lips. My head was screaming at me to get out and run as fast as I could.

"Are you wondering what my purpose was in bringing you to the mansion or my office?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

I put some distance between us. "The office, obviously."

The Alpha rolled his eyes. "You really think I'd try anything?"

I scoffed at his words. The Alpha ignored me and continued.

"State your position, your full name, and previous pack." He said.

My mind went blank. What was it Megan said? Amelia Dawn from the Greystone pack? What was my position?

"Well?" he spat.

I panicked. Just as I opened my mouth, random information flew into my brain.

"Amelia Dawn of the Greystone pack. An Alpha." I blurted.

He narrowed his eyes at me.

"An alpha female? Are you telling me there is no alpha male from this Greystone pack? Where is the Greystone pack located? You'd better be telling the truth, or you will regret it, Alpha Amelia."

My body grew rigid as he said my name. Alpha? Why did I say alpha? Wasn't that the highest position?

Oh, I'm so in for it! I gulped and nodded.

"My pack is in northern Alaska. We're not that well known, since it's a small area. My father died when I was little, so yes, I am the only Alpha."

I lied straight through my teeth.

He studied me hard and long until he seemed satisfied with my answer. I internally sighed in relief, that is until he stood straight in front of me.

"You will refer to me as Alpha Christopher. Consider this a privilege. No one refers to me by my first name. Ever." He hissed.

I expected something more intimidating than that.

He was already an intimidating person as it is.

"You will join me for dinner. Don't be late, and dress less desperately." Christopher eyed my dress with an emotion I couldn't make out.

I suddenly felt self-conscious and allowed my hair to hide my face. He just called me desperate, as if I was trying to get him to like me!

He marched out of the office, not even bothering to say goodbye. I looked down at my dress and pulled at the hem.

It wouldn't take long before things started going the other way round.

AMELIA'S POV

I made sure to let Valerie know that Alpha Christopher wanted me to dress less desperate. So, Valerie made sure to pick out a dress that looked classy.

If anything, I thought the previous dress was less revealing or desperate than this one. This was was a floor length red dress, which Valerie matched with a red lip. My eyes widened as I took a look in the mirror.

"Is this me?" I whispered, peering from side to side at myself.

Valeria laughed. "It is. You look gorgeous, Miss Amelia."

I did look gorgeous. I shifted my gaze away from the mirror.

"Thanks, Valerie. And please, call me Amelia." I said.

She grinned, "As you wish. Let's get you to dinner."

Once we arrived to the dining room, or should I say hall, as the whole mansion was humongous, Valerie gave me some tips.

"You're going to be meeting Alpha James' beta, and his brothers, as well as their mates. This is very important, so make a good impression."

Her eyes were warning me something about Christopher's brothers.

"I understand." I gave her a look that reassured her that I got the message.

Valerie visibly relaxed and pulled open the doors for me to enter. I cautiously entered the dining room, right away noticing the table was already filled with people, chattering away. As I left the doorway, they took notice of me, and grew silent.

My eyes fell on Christopher, who didn't seem to notice me until a man next to him tapped his shoulder. Christopher furrowed his eyebrows and followed to where the guy was pointing to until his eyes landed on me.

His eyes narrowed at me instantly when looking over what I was wearing. My stomach dropped as his expression hardened.

"Amelia, right? Come sit next to us!" A girl exclaimed.

I smiled smally, and took a seat next to her. I immediately took note of how gorgeous she was. Her eyes were a brilliant shade of topaz, and her hair was full of curls.

"I'm Mia, and this is Isabella." She said, pointing to the girl sitting across from me. My mouth opened in surprise. Isabella was just as beautiful as Mia! What was in the water here? I wanted some of it!

"Hello." Isabella stated, waving shyly at me.

"So, you're Christopher's mate? You're so pretty! It's not even fair!" Mia whined playfully.

My cheeks burned as I caught Christopher staring at me.

"No, really I'm not. But thanks."

Isabella gasped.

"Are you being serious? Look at yourself! Tell her Aidan!" Aidan, the guy seated next to Isabella smiled at me.

"Hi, I'm Aidan. I'm Isabella mate, and Christopher's brother."

I gave a tight smile back, remembering the warning Valerie gave me.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Amelia."

"And this is Liam, Mia's mate." Isabella explained.

I smiled and waved at Liam, who grinned right back. Mia placed her head on his shoulder, which he kissed. He and Mia were cute together. I could tell they really adored each other.

"I can't believe I almost forgot! Amelia, this is Will, Christopher's other brother." She added.

As soon as she said his name, a man's head snapped up and his emerald green eyes locked with mine.

A smirk formed on his face as he placed his hand in front of me.

"I'm Will, it's nice to meet you, Amelia." He said.

I nearly melted as he said my name. I placed my hand in his and shook it gently. I could feel Will's fingers curl around my hand.

"Nice to meet you too." I whispered, feeling my heart pound against my rib cage.

Christopher noticed that the interaction was lingering longer than needed and growled. I snapped out of my daze, realizing what I was doing, and immediately let go of Will's hand.

"Now you know everyone. I think that's enough introductions." Christopher narrowed his eyes at me.

I narrowed mine back at him, surprising both myself and him. I couldn't believe how daring I was being at the moment. I've never been like this in my entire life.

"How about we hear about your life before you met Christopher?" Isabella suggested.

Everyone nodded, agreeing with Isabella. Suddenly, all eyes were back on me. I clung onto my dress.

Should I give them the truth? Or should I just make something up? I took in a deep breath before starting.

"Well..before I came here. I lived an ordinary life...I guess. I went to school, had friends-"

"You went to school?! Like a human school?" Mia asked with eyes wide.

I nodded slowly. "Yes. I went to school since I was a little girl."

"You even made human friends? For real?" Aidan asked, his eyes twinkling.

I nodded again.

"Yea, I have a few close friends. I've grown up with them over the years."

"Wait, do they know you're a...you know...?" Mia questioned.

Everyone leaned towards me, except for Christopher, who rolled his eyes and leaned back into his chair. I quickly caught on to what Mia was asking and shook my head.

"Of course not!" I lied. "Imagine what would happen if I told them what I was."

Everyone let out a sigh of relief. "Have you ever thought about what would happen if you fell in love with a human?" Mia continued.

Liam's eyes widened. "Mia! That's not something we talk about!"

Mia rolled her eyes. "It's never happened, calm down!"

"No, Mia, it's pretty serious." Isabella pointed out.

Mia huffed, and crossed her arms, slumping into her chair.

I chuckled. "To answer your question, Mia. It doesn't matter who a person is or what their background is either."

Mia perked up when I said this. "Really? Even if their human?"

Everyone listened intensely to what I was going to say.

"Yes. I think that if someone's the one, it doesn't matter. The actions they take are what matter." I looked directly at Christopher, who averted his gaze.

"I think that's beautiful, Amelia." Will said.

I smiled to myself.

"Thanks."

"It's stupid." Christopher snapped.

He stood up from the table. "It's reckless and dangerous. You of all people should know this as an Alpha of a pack."

My mouth went dry. Christopher left his seat, grabbed my arm and tugged me away from the group. As we reached the hallway, I had a mini pep talk with myself.

I couldn't let him treat me like some rag doll! I was not his property!

Mustering up all the courage I could, I planted my feet into the ground, catching Christopher off guard.

He stopped for a second, which I took as an opportunity to give him a piece of my mind.

"You can't pull me away like I belong to you! Just because you don't agree with my opinions doesn't make me inferior to you!" I shouted.

Christopher's nostrils flared in anger. As his eyes turned to liquid gold, I immediately regretted opening my mouth.

Oh my goodness. I just screamed at him. I just screamed at him, I repeated in my head..

Without any warning, Christopher pushed me into the wall, hard. He locked me in with his arms, with nowhere to go. I was petrified as he leaned in close to my face.

"You are mine. You are my mate, and you will obey what I say. You only belong to me. No one else." He snarled.

"Do you have anger issues? O-or are you not able to go without controlling someone for a period of time?" I tried to sound tough, but I ended up stuttering.

Christopher slammed his fist into the wall. "Shut up! Shut UP!" He roared.

My legs were shaking from how frightened I was. Christopher was insanely mad at this moment. His breathing was heavy and his expression was blood-curdling.

"Shut up." His voice grew soft.

I stared into his steel blue eyes, noticing the flickers of gold that adorned the sea of blue mystery that were his irises. His hands fell down to my shoulders, and he buried his face into the crook of my neck.

My breathing hitched at the sudden contact. Christopher inhaled, and his breathing gradually grew less intense. He pulled his face away from me, and although he seemed more calm, his eyes were now glowing gold.

I felt the room spinning around me. My knees buckled underneath me, sending me sinking to the ground. Christopher quickly grabbed me by the waist. Just as my vision became spotted, I heard footsteps rushing towards me.

"Oh my god! Amelia!" I heard Mia's voice cry out.