Chapter 4-

There are five men seated at the table with the handsome stranger they call Alpha. I recognize the one the men call commander from the ship and from when I was taken from my home. He looks slightly less fierce today, maybe he feels more at ease being home than transporting captives. He is also slightly less intimidating sitting behind a table, although I don’t know if I’ll ever get the image of him with a whip out of my head. I don’t recognize the other men in the room and one of them is much older than the rest, probably around sixty if I had to guess. My eyes dart around nervously trying to take in my surroundings when I notice the man that escorted me is standing guard at the door. He looks very pleased, and it gives me a hollow feeling in my stomach.

“There is no need to fear us woman, this will be over shortly, and no harm will come to you.” The man they call Alpha says and brings me out of my inner turmoil. I have an almost euphoric feeling when his eye’s meet mine. It is the strangest thing because I am afraid, but I feel my pulse race with excitement when he speaks to me, his gaze makes me feel like I will do whatever he says as long as I can keep his attention on me. It’s so hard to make sense of my crazy thoughts because these feelings are so foreign to me.

I have never felt this type of connection with anyone from the opposite sex before. I have been around men, was even engaged but never had I felt so instantly connected to someone like this before. I look around the room again feeling like I’m searching for something when I feel little sparks run through my body. I meet the gaze of a man who shares so much in common with the Alpha. His pupils dilate, his nostrils flaring, and my mouth goes dry with the contact. Why do I feel suddenly safe when this new man’s eyes are on me? I have officially lost my mind. Maybe I am having some sort of mental breakdown, these men took me from my home and chained me. They will most likely kill me or make me a slave; I need to get control of myself. I am not safe here, even if that man’s eyes momentarily made me believe I was.

“We need to collect some basic information from you. You will answer each question truthfully, understand?” “Ye yes, I understand…umm Alpha.” I am unsure how to address him or the rest of the men. I haven’t had any one on one conversation with any of them, I’ve only been given orders. “You may call me Alpha James, and this is my Beta Lucas, my second in command.” He gestured to the man who sat at the end of the table. He was the one who set my insides on fire, the one who made me feel like I was home for just a second when we shared a look.  When I take a moment to look at him more carefully, I notice he has many similarities to Alpha James only he looked a bit younger and slightly slimmer with lighter almost golden hair. He also has a large scar that runs from his jaw almost up to his eye. Although he looks every bit the warrior the other men do, I sensed a sweetness about him as he smiled warmly at me.

The Alpha also introduced the man I heard addressed as the commander by the men as Titus, he nodded his head in my direction but otherwise looked at the papers in front of him. The older man was named Benjamin and the other two men at the end of the table were introduced as Tanner and Sam. Tanner is apparently the town doctor, both he and Sam greeted me warmly. Having the attention of these serious men was intimidating.  “Now that introductions have been made, we need your name, age, and any training or skills you may possess.” The Alpha spoke pointedly. I thought for a minute before answering.

“My name is Ember Black, and I just had my twentieth birthday at the beginning of summer. I recently finished my studies to become a schoolteacher and was raised on a large farm, so I know the basics of planting and how to keep livestock.” The men looked pleased by my answer writing something down on their papers. “Were you married, or did you have children?” The man at the end of the table that was introduced as Beta Lucas leaned in as if anxious to hear my answer.

It made me curious that he phrased it that way “were.” If I had been married or had children, captured or not I still would be someone’s wife or mother wouldn’t I? “I was promised to a man named Thomas before I was taken, the wedding had been set for after the harvest this year. No children.” I answered them without emotion I truly felt nothing for Thomas and had only met him a handful of times. My parents were very insistent on the match, so I agreed to his proposal knowing his offer was the best I was likely to receive. He was wealthy and handsome enough. I knew I had to marry at some point why not Thomas if it made my family happy. Now I probably wouldn’t be marrying anyone or teaching or possibly even living much longer. “Do you have any medical issues you are aware of?” The doctor asked. “No, as far as I know I am healthy.” I answered looking at the men, maybe they want to make sure I am able bodied enough to work.

I didn’t want them to think me incapable, maybe through hard work I could earn my freedom. “I am assuming with your age that you have bled, is that true?” The Alpha asked me point blank. My cheeks heated; I’m not used to hearing someone speak so forward to me. This line of questioning felt humiliating. “Yes.” I replied in almost a whisper. The men wrote something else down. “Now take off your clothes so we may examine you.”  My skin turned red instantly with shame. No, I couldn’t obey this command. No man had ever seen me naked before, this was not what I had been expecting. “Please, no...” I voiced as I clutched my robe tighter to my trembling body. “If you prefer one of the men will do it for you.” The Alpha spoke in what felt like a condescending tone and the guard at the door stepped forward. I changed my mind I never wanted his eyes or any other mans on me again. Tears began to slowly run down my face as I removed my robe and slid the thin night dress down to the floor, the material pooling around my feet.

I shut my eyes tight not being able to bear seeing the men’s eyes roaming my body. My lips wobbled and a small sob escaped from my trembling mouth, I instinctively wrapped my arms around my chest, trying to preserve any bit of dignity I still had. I snapped my eyes open again when I felt large hands clasp around my wrists pining them to the sides of my body. Black, impossibly black eyes met my own. They belonged to Alpha James, his hands now moving up and down my bare arms in a soothing motion made my body heat intensely.

His eyes moved down my frame taking in every curve that my body held. He took notice of my perky ample breast that were heaving with ragged breathes, my nipples hard standing at attention. He saw every curve and each inch of skin that I have always kept private. Alpha James’s breathing became uneven as our eyes met again and slowly, he leaned into my ear, wiping the tears away with his thumb and said so quietly I thought I might have imagined it. “Your mine, Ember.” Alpha James reached down pulling the dress back up my body, hands slightly brushing against my hard nipples resulting in a small gasp escaping my mouth. I thought I heard a low growl but was so wrapped up in my own shame that I must have imagined it. Completely embarrassed by my lack of control of my own body I cringed. The Alpha smiled at me handing me back the robe. “That’s all Ember Black.”