**’I screamed as Alpha took the pleasure lighting the big tree on fire. I writhed in the ropes, seeing the roots caught on with the infection. Soon it would reach my toes, lighting me up.

Alpha watched fixated almost pleased to see I was going to burn alive screaming out helplessly. Then it began, I smelled my flesh cooking and, I felt an explosion of heat at my fingers and wrists. I couldn’t cry anymore, I was paralyzed my big eyes pleadingly looked at the Alpha.

I heard the wolf, Ulding, (the one my father shot in the eye) scoff. “Stupid humans they always look so pathetic before they die.” He was the first wolf to turn his back on me. His big yellow eyes gleamed with more pleasure than the Alpha’s.

The Alpha’s human form stiffened his eyes glazed up to the moon. “Let’s go.” He said in a gruff tone. Most wolves turned to leave other’s hesitated wanting to see me burn. The Alpha was one of those.

I choked in weakness, the tips of my air was catching on fire from the embers flying around. “Please.” I moaned my head falling limb. “I’ll do anything, anything you wish just not this.”

The Alpha rolled his eyes turning to leave me there I called out to him in a scream this time. “PLEASE, ANYTHING…JUST DON’T LET ME DIE THIS WAY. LET ME DIE ANOTHER WAY.”

All the wolves froze at my request. One on them called out “She could be useful, we could bargain with other creatures with her, sell her, or if were short of food….or if we need a spy.”

Ulding looked back at the Alpha disgusted. “I highly discourage it my Alpha. Let her burn, you know what will happen if we bring a human into our world. It’s different than what she knows of.”

Many wolves approved but the Alpha shook his head. “It is not your decision to make. I’ll keep her for those purposes but…” The Alpha turned to look at me as I writhed in the ropes were snapping just like most branches were. One big branch above me was creaking. In any moment it would fall on me.

The Alpha slowly approached me and did not seem effected to the flames, or the branch above us. “She must promise me something.” The Alpha added my eyes never leaving his. “She must never ever run away from me or my pack. She must belong to the shadow pack”

“Deal.” I mouthed.

“Louder” The Alpha said, his hand swiping against my cheeks.

“DEAL!” I said looking away. It was just like selling my soul to the devil, so I may not burn in hell but walk in another part of hell with him as a slave.

It was only seconds now we had until we both would die. The branch fell, I looked up feeling something rip me from the ropes. I grabed ahold of the Alpha’s neck as he pulled me away from the fire. He carried me like a two year old. I never gripped someone so tightly before.

He threw me on the ground in the light of the moonlight, the wolves circled us and I felt my heart beat pounding. His words then never left me. “In our culture which you are a part of now, when you make a deal and saw your word, you are never allowed to take it back.”**’

It was midmorning after another writing session. I pulled my curtains back to look out my window facing midsqaure. I watched a few girls my age talking and giggling with a few lads glancing their ways. It was so strange to me. I almost forgot that is how humans respond to each other that way. Pack life was different. In fact if a male wolf glanced at a female in such ways they were, they would be put down in their place. Alpha’s were like father’s to the woman.

Alpha was never a father to me but in ways he acted like one but not when I first met him, those were the worst days between us.

**’The werewolves took me away from my home farther than I imagined. Most of Alpha beat me and blacked me out when we traveled long distances. I had no idea where we were heading. It was one morning, I woke up in tepee laying on skins

It was a large tepee with the support beams having weapons, spices and herbs. A pile of dirty clothes were unkempt in a corner and in the middle of this room was stones circling a fire place.

I was scared, having no idea where I was. I heard commotion on the outside world. I crawled off the skins and unto the dirt floor. I was heading to the flap when I heard familiar voices. I hunched over hearing the Alpha.

“Have everyone prepare for the hunt we leave for three days to try to collect extra. The tradesmen are heading this way.” Alpha said.

David’s voice perked up in curiosity. “Sir, usually you snap at those annoying folk to go away, why such a sudden change.”

“Don’t be stupid David, we will be settling here for a while and we need supplies, clothes, soaps, new sheets of metal and iron for weapons, besides I’m requesting Hank to make something for me.” Alpha replied. “Now off with your duties brother, don’t let me see you till dark.”

David replied quickly “Yes sir!” And he seemed to on all fours rush away.

I began to recoil back on the skins as the Alpha started to move the flap. My back leaned against a support beam and I hugged me knees for protection. I looked away as the Alpha, a big man, entered. His long black hair fell down his shoulders, he was still shirtless wearing jeans one size larger than he looked. He wore a thick belt with blood stains, I guessed quickly what the belt was really for. I swallowed hard looking up to his emotionless face.

“Get up shorty, we have things to do today and your part of the pack. Come and pull your weight and stop sleeping.” The Alpha moved more in the room and I winced remembering he would beat me.

I began to shakily get up, bent over a little. I didn’t say anything as he led me outside. The blaring sun hurt my eyes at first as I adjusted to a little camp in the meadow. In this meadow was trees circling it and many boulders surrounded the camp as if to securely hide it from a road from the far distance. There was a few tepees a lot smaller with pack members, fourteen running around doing chores. Some were setting up the last tepee, others were gathering clothes to wash.

“This is our new territory for now and is your home.” The Alpha explained grabbing my arm to walk from him. His fingers gripped me hard and agitated. “Say this is your home.”

I nodded and said as confidently as I could. “This is my home.”

“I’m you Alpha.” He said stopping a tepee with a fire on the outside of tepee. A bearded man with brown hair was working with weapons and laid them out on a picnic table. He seemed a lot older than the Alpha. The oldest I could see when I looked around at my surroundings.

“You’re my Alpha.” I said quietly looking at him timidly.

“You will respect me.” He said grabbing my chin and in a low whisper he said “No matter how I treat you, you are a lower life and I will drive that in your head. No human is greater than me.”

At the time it didn’t make sense why he mentioned no human would be greater than him but I remember staying up late curious why he said that. I replied back blinking the tears out of my eyes. I was a strong girl, confident and I didn’t want my self-esteem to blument again because of this monster. Even saying something negative to yourself can be impacting.

“I respect my Alpha, and no matter how I….” Anger erupted. I couldn’t believe what I was going to say to this smug face asshole. I gripped my fists and he seemed to enjoy it seeing my not bent over but stand up to him.

“I can’t respect someone who is as low as you, to go slaughter my people and take me in and beat me telling me I’m a low life when you are doing something so low something me or my family could never do. So shut up with this asshole act!” I snapped and I felt my blood flowing in me once more and I never felt so alive.

I waited but the Alpha did nothing to strike me at first. In fact he stared in my eyes with interest, as if no one had challenged him the way I did. “Then I’ll tame you, like a beast.” He said grabbing my cheeks gripping them tightly to where my lips puckered. My jaw hurt and my eyes exploded with the fear I had been containing.