Tricked By The Twin Alphas

"Hnnng..ahh, Hnnng..ahh, ouch..", I grunt as my palms slip off the rocky sides of the pit yet again.

It's the 3rd day of me being stuck here.

I jumped again grabbing the sides of the deep pit I woke up in, in my attempt to get out. I was almost there. I just reach a little more. The minute I had my fingers around a solid rock, it began to slip." NO!", I cried out. My palms slipped and I found myself falling back but like a fool, I was still grasping for something that could pull me out of here; like the air could help me.

The last thing I could remember was trying to use a shortcut to go home but being hit hard in the head and the next thing I know, I'm in this deep pit. I remember screaming so hard when I woke up. I remember passing out from screaming so loud for so long. And now, I don't remember anything without my head hurting. The only info I had gotten from the snippets of conversation I hear every now and then is the name 'Jay' and he's probably the one who put me here. Every day, I think about my mom and how worried she must feel with the way I haven't been picking up her calls for the past 3 days. To cry is not an option; I am too dehydrated and have been falling in and out of consciousness all day. My memories are incredibly hazy and I manage to stand and shout whenever I get the energy from the 2 measly sandwiches I'm given every day. Once that energy runs out, I'm fueled by anger alone and when I see his shadow- Jay's shadow, my blood boils even No one deserves this kind of punishment. I wouldn't wish this on my greatest enemy.

I hear footsteps and I gather all my strength to stand up. I see his shadow at the top: Jay.

He throws in a bag for the second time today. This time, it's a whole sandwich, he's only given me half a sandwich twice a day. I am relieved to see it but my doubts don't disappear. What if it's poisoned? Or expired? "Get me out of here, you psycho! Let me go home!", I manage to scream.

" I didn't knock you unconscious in a dark alley to bring you here and set you free. Not without a price".

A long silence ensued. Surely he didn't mean my virginity.

He held up a phone and shook it in the air.

"Give me your hand in marriage and I'll let you go".The words echo in my head and I sink to the ground. I bury my head in my hands. Surely he didn't kidnap me so that I could marry him. This was beyond crazy

"NO!I don't even know who you are!"He gets to his feet and kicks a stone angrily.

"Then I guess you're ready to rot in that pit, Angela", he says.

"For the millionth time, I'm NOT Angela!"

Jay would come to the pit and try to convince me that I was some girl named Angela.

"You wouldn't know if you're Angela or not!", he says. He always says that when I deny being Angela.

He paced back and forth and I heard him murmur, "And you look like her so fuckin' much too".He turns back to me.

"Don't you remember being hit very hard or something?"

"Of course I do, you sicko! YOU HIT ME!"

All the anger in me has risen to my head and it has given me a sense of confidence. Maybe too much confidence.

He paces back and forth again but this time I don't hear what he murmurs. I opened the sandwich he threw down for me. If I ever die, it won't be out of hunger. From the side of my eye, I catch his shadow looming over the pit.

"You'll stay right here in the woods, sweetie. Nobody's gonna hear you. So don't bother shouting at me. I can hear you just fine"

"Who're you calling sweetie?"

The moonlight illuminates a sickly smile spreading across his face.

"Don't try to trick me by calling me sweet names. Let me out! I'm not Angela!", I say for the umpteenth time.

He leans in closer so that the moonlight highlights his face a little, although I can't make out a clear image of his face, I can tell that his face was contorted."If you don't come to your senses, I'm gonna come down there and make you, you bitch".My anger is replaced with fear and then determination. I know exactly what he's talking about.

'You're wasting your time if you think I'm gonna marry you. I'd rather die! Just forget-".I was interrupted by a distant howl. He has dogs, and I'm a goner. But instead of seeing a dog or more, I see a huge grey wolf jump into the pit. I screamed so hard and tried to run but the sides of the pit were too steep. I should know that better than anyone.

'Since you'd rather die, Angela, how about I make it easier for you than make you wait? I hear Jay's voice and look up the pit to see him one last time before this wolf eats me up. But I don't see him, That's when I realize his voice came from the werewolf.

He's a werewolf. An ACTUAL WEREWOLF! I take a few steps backward very slowly, at the same time trying to take the truth in. But amid my thoughts, he lunges at me and I fall to the ground. His claws are just centimeters away from my throat. I close my eyes and prepare for the worst. I felt fangs dig deep into my shoulder just inches away from my throat. I felt my whole body on fire. I let out a scream as hot tears filled my eyes. He prepares to bite again but another identical werewolf lunged at him and trapped him on the ground with its paws on his chest. I heard another voice, "You freak!.Kidnapping a girl? I never knew you to stoop that low!".I was amazed to see another grey wolf on top of Jay. I looked at my shoulder and touched it, Blood, lots of blood. I try to crawl up the pit one last time despite the throbbing in my shoulder but my body gives in and I lose balance. My head hits the floor, hard. I roll on my back just inches away from the rumble the two werewolves were having. I crawl away from the fight and sit up, cradling my shoulder and looking at the moon like it would help me. A weak surge of strength runs through me but it's not enough. All of a sudden, I couldn't see the moon anymore.

I opened my eyes slowly and saw a white ceiling. Was it all a dream? I tried to sit up but the pain I felt only made my attempt worse. Along with the pain came memories. The fight...The pit...The moon.Tears of frustration well up in my eyes. I looked at my shoulder.Bandaged.But when I looked at the ceiling, I also saw a face." Oh, you're awake", said the stranger. He had wavy brown hair, mesmerizing green eyes, and one hell of a cute cheekbone.

"Where am I?", I ask weakly.

He smiled." Just know you're safe".I was tired of everything that had happened and the answer he gave me didn't satisfy me." First of all, tell me exactly where I am and why I'm here.What is gonna happen to me?".The stranger looked stunned and at the same time confused." I will tell you everything. But, I just want you to relax and know you're in good hands and nobody will hurt anyone".He looked at my clenched fist and I loosened it.

He gave me a carefree smile and slowly told me everything.

"My name is Jay. Tristan, my identical twin brother, took you hostage. He's a little sick in the head because we grew up as orphans and all. He had a fiancee, Angela. You must've heard about her because he thought you were her. After all, you look just like her. But days after his proposal, something went wrong..".His eyes seem to go a little distant at the word 'wrong' but he regains his composure."She's been missing for weeks and Tristan kind of lost it and here we are!".He gestured to the room,flashing another carefree smile but by the look on my face, he could tell I was not having it."I will do anything, absolutely anything to make it up to you. My brother is a major dickhead-".

"I just wanna go home", I say. His explanation wasn't making anything better. All I could think about was how worried my mom would be. Jay must've sensed my worry because the next thing he said shocked me.

"If you're thinking about your mom, I let her know you were at a friend's and sent her a picture of you all tucked up right here in bed. Fast asleep. She kinda thinks I'm your boyfriend-"

"WHAT?. I need to go now! And you better tell your dickhead brother that he should compensate me for the 3 days that I was stuck in that pi-"

A sharp ache in my shoulder silences me. I groan in pain.

"Look, I'm sure you know you were bitten by not just any wolf...".He paused and gave me some time to recall the events of last night. The memories poured in and it seemed to amplify my pain. The truth was unbearable. I was a monster, an animal. A werewolf. Jay reached out to me. I pulled myself away and ran out of the room despite the pain. I could hear Jay's voice calling out to me the whole time as I ran down the stairs and out of the house.I'm not ready for all this drama.Not here.Not now.I ran past the front door, the pit, and into the woods. I held my shoulder as I pushed away branches to make way.I recited a mantra in my head the whole time.I'm a normal girl.I'm a normal girl. Finally, the path got less dense till there were no more branches in the way. Just a few meters away,was a stream. I haven't taken a bath in days. Slowly and carefully, I removed my dirty clothes. I put one foot in the water and felt myself shiver at the cool temperature. The current was slow and smooth and water wove in between my toes and I yearned for more. I put my whole body in, avoiding my bandaged shoulder. Everything seemed to fade away. It almost felt like I wasn't stranded in the woods, with a werewolf possibly after me.

"You know, if you wanted to take a dip in, you could have just told me".I almost drowned when I heard the voice. Jay stood not too far off, with his arms crossed."Let's get you outta here".Before I could protest I could feel my waist and shoulder in foreign hands."Don't be scared, it's me".How did he get here so fast? I try to slap his hands off me."Pervert!", I say."Right now isn't the time for that. Your powers are already manifesting. You ran all the way here without having anything to eat", he says.

I hadn't considered that at all. I really was turning into a proper werewolf.

I felt his warm strong hands underneath my thighs and on my upper back as he lifted me out of the stream. My hands feel confused but hesitantly I place them on his chest. With that, he brings me closer."You must be cold", he says as he looks down at me. His mesmerizing green eyes render me speechless. He pulls his face closer and I feel his hand slowly drifts closer to my butt. I almost accept what he's doing till.....

"Let's go back".Our little moment ended as soon as it started and he walked through the forest, not even glancing at me but from beneath his jawline, I could see how hard he was blushing. All the while he carries me back, I completely rest my body and feed my eyes with how good he looked from underneath. I didn't even notice when we got back. Jay kicks the door open." We're back!", he said. He takes me to my room and lays me on the bed. He starts to dry me up and all the while I say nothing. Deep down, I was enjoying every single moment his fingers brushed my skin. It gave me warmth and not the kind you get from a blanket. He drapes the towel around my neck leads me to the bathroom and hands me a white towel." There are some clothes in the cupboard. Whatever you need is right there, including your phone. Wifi password is HOWL123. Breakfast is downstairs. Please hurry up. We have a lot to discuss".He walks to the door. When the door was closed, I felt my cheeks; they were red hot.

************

I hear a lot of noise from the kitchen door. Are there other people...other werewolves?. I walk in, hoping not to draw too much attention but I'm too late. The door creaks open loudly and Jay announces my presence by pulling me in to meet others. I don't see another Jay so Tristan isn't here. I saw 4 people in the kitchen and gave them a little wave. A tall girl with auburn hair and hooded eyes who looked like she was in her 20s, waved back and smiled. A boy with dark brown hair was doing away with his cereal.He looked up for a moment, gave me a friendly wink, and then went back to his cereal. A girl with long blonde hair and too much eyeliner gazed at me in a weird way. " I hope you understand why you're here, Camilla", Jay says like he expects to easily adjust to this new way of life.

"I don't even know these people so that's a no", I replied.

" Oh, I'm Lizzy", said the girl with auburn hair. She looked friendly. She looks me up and down." And those are my clothes", she says with a giggle."I'm Spence", said the brown-haired boy, still doing way at his cereal. The girl with too much eyeliner said coldly," I'm Andrea and we're the Adolpha pack. Who are you?".

"That's how she is", Jay whispers in my ear before shooting her a look. Andrea forces a smile.

"Look...".Lizzy says as she comes closer." Turning into a werewolf can be stressful and a lot of things change".She looked dead serious like I was going to die." You may experience cravings, transformations at the wrong times, strong emotions, and a very serious hunger".She held my hand." But I believe that you can control it ".Jay sat beside me." You're gonna train with us and we'll teach you how to hide your inner wolf. Only then can you go home".So I was gonna be stuck in this house for a while?" But it's summer. You can't keep me here !", I snapped. Jay holds my shoulders and looks deep into my eyes." I promised that I'd pay for whatever damage my brother caused you but you really can't go out into the real world the way you are. You will be a danger to the people around you, like your parents".

My mom. I could already picture myself turning into a horrendous monster and ripping my mom to pieces and then snapping out of it and feeling the worst regret known to mankind. There was a short silence at the table. Even Spence stopped eating his cereal. I sat down and massaged my temples, all that rage had made me dizzy.

"I'll do it. But please make it quick. This whole thing seems horrendous as it is".

Jay gives me a pat on my good shoulder and then places a whole plate full of food in front of me."Dig in and when you're done, come outside. The sooner we begin, the better".I looked down at my plate and realized how hungry I was. I gobbled the whole thing up like I hadn't eaten in days and technically I hadn't.

At noon, I was watching a couple of videos on my phone. Videos of me at my boring job; which I was probably fired from by now anyway. Maybe this is all a dream and when I wake up, I will be at home on my bed and my mom knocking on the door and telling me that I'll be late for work in her croaky voice. I shut my eyes and inhaled deeply for 5 seconds, retained my breath, and exhaled. I opened my eyes and once again I saw the white ceiling, with Jay's face along with it."That's a great way to start ".I jerked from my resting position."Why are you here?", I asked.

"I told you to come outside after you were done eating", he replies.

I sat up and it was then that I realized that he was shirtless. I took a long gaze at his chest and his abs. I've never been this close to a shirtless man before. A hot shirtless man." Camilla?".I blinked, realized what I had been doing, and blushed.

Within seconds, we were outside and we walked deeper into the forest till we reached a river; the same river I tried to take a bath in. Then he turned to me." Werewolves are naturally one with nature, and really agile when faced with unexpected situations".He came closer and for a moment, I think we're about to have a moment. Like the one we had the last time." I need you to be agile", he says and without warning, he pushes me. I felt my legs leave the ground and my nostrils fill up with water as my clothes got heavier and pulled me under. Maybe this was it, I could let myself drown and forget about all this.

Or I couldn't.

I remembered his words; I need you to be agile. I had underestimated how strong I could be. I desperately tried to use my strength to push myself upwards. When I reach the top, I feel exhausted and angry."Rude!", I say but he only chuckles. I grab his feet and pull him into the water. I saw a small smile spread on his face as I dragged him under. He dived deep under and for a second, I thought he would drown. But I felt a tickle on my leg and before I could giggle, I heard a loud splash and water was everywhere. Beads of water ran down his chest and I could feel his strong arms around my back but I didn't pull back. "Take off your clothes", he says.

"What?Why?".I mean, I don't mind...

"You need to learn how to swim. The next time I teach you, don't forget to borrow a swimsuit from Lizzy".I immediately ceased my delirious thoughts."Right", I said. I throw my shirt and shorts at the bank and he takes my hand and submerges most of my body in the cool water.

" Release Yourself".

I exhale sharply and submerge my head underneath. I could feel the pressure of the water lift my abdomen upwards. Startled by this force, I place my hands on Jay's shoulders. I pull my head out of the water and cough violently. Jay pats my back. I had forgotten how long it had been since the last time I swam.

He places his hands at my sides and tries to pull me up."Tomorrow, we hunt"

I picture a gory image of myself fighting fearlessly with a bear, my teeth stained with blood, I wear torn clothes and I hold the bear's head up and let out a victory cry.

" I'm not that strong in hunting ", I say.

"You'll see how strong you are", Jay says and he places his hands on my waist and pulls me forward. My skin warms up despite the cold water. His hands have done something to me. "I'm sure your legs aren't for nothing".He pulls me underwater, his eyes fixated on mine the whole time. He mouths, "Kick" but I don't kick, I can hardly concentrate with the way he looks at me like that. The water only makes the green in his eyes look even more distracting. He pulls me up immediately. I choke and gasp for air.

"I guess I'm gonna need more practice", I say.

"You do".

I takes everything in me not to stare at his majestic body. I distract myself with the trees, the water-anything.

"Am I gonna transform or something?".I spread my hands and felt the water waft through my fingers. Such a stupid question.

"We'll work on that later"

"How later?"

"Soon"

He places his hands on my wet but bandaged shoulder."You'll be okay"

I still stay in one place." But, my shoulder..".He turns to look at me."..it still kinda hurts.."

"You'll heal fast. It's a perk for the Adolpha pack" and with that, he dives underneath and comes back up quickly.

He carries me in his arms and I feel his chin on my shoulder. He paddles to the shore with me and tells me to dry up, wear new clothes, and come back." We're done with agility now it's time for strength", he said.

********

I dry up and come back. I don't see him anywhere. He's probably hiding. I become alert and take slow steady steps. I sniff the air and feel his presence, he's somewhere off the ground. A tree. I sniff and touch a few trees till I find one that I guessed he had climbed. I had a huge surge of strength and I was shocked to hear myself growling. It's true, I'm turning. I jump exceptionally high and grab a branch. Then another and another and another, till I reach the top. But he's not there.

"You were close enough".

Jay's voice comes from a neighboring tree. He relaxes on a wide branch with his palms on the back of his head. He waves to me and gestures to me to jump over.

"You're too far away", I say

I regained my balance on the branch I was on. It was so difficult to let my feet rest on the branch. Jay held out his hands, making sure I knew that he would catch me if I jumped. How sweet.

I took a few clumsy steps backward and ran towards him. I used all the inhuman force I could feel to lift myself off the branch and nearer to his open arms. I closed my eyes and braced myself for impact. But there was none.

I slowly opened my eyes. I was in his tree!. I had perfectly landed on a thick branch on two of my feet.

Jay grabbed my hand and pulled me closer and soon we were sitting next to each other and his hands were resting on my back.

"Look up there"

I lift my eyes to the sky and see a beautiful sunset."It's beautiful. Do you see this every day?"

He smiled."Yeah, but I enjoy it more today"

"Why?"

"Because I'm not alone. I hate being alone"

"I hate being alone too",I say.