Night came all too quickly for me; I was sitting at my vanity listening to my mother hum happily as she did my hair. Her fingers caught every strand of hair and tucked it in neatly, she'd also done my make-up and helped me put on the little red dress that she'd bought for me with her husband's money.

"There, all done baby girl" she gleamed.

Pain struck my heart like a spear at the endearment, my father had always called me that, it filled me with joy and always made me giggle but hearing it from her lips brought me nothing but raw pain.

"Who's the person that we're entertaining tonight?" I asked I watched her in the mirror as she moved around; when she was sure that both she and I were presentable she turned and looked at me.

"Tonight is special for all of us Victoria, especially Mark, so please mind your manners."

Clenching my fists I stood from the dresser "of course mother."

"Let's go downstairs with Mark,"

I followed my mother where Mark was waiting in his suit, just as the clock struck seven the doorbell rang and Mark quickly went to answer it.

He came back with a man of large build that practically had power rolling off of him, my senses were driving me far away from the man that looked like he could snap me in half like some twig and stay away I would.

"Good Night Sharon, it's nice to see you again" the bass of his voice made my skin tingle, as he turned toward me my scalp prickled as I stood paralyzed under his amber gaze. "You're Victoria, I'm Darius, it's a pleasure to meet you" his lips curled up in a smile that made the world around shake.

He was dangerous. That much was obvious, but just how dangerous was he?

"Likewise."

An hour and half later after we had ate and gotten the small and as well as the tension out of the air everyone moved into the living room. "Victoria, you'll be starting your first year of college soon, are you going to be leaving the territory for that or are you going to enroll in one of the pack's programs."

"Wait, she-" before my mother had a chance to say what she wanted I had interrupted her.

"I ran into a couple people in the woods on my run and they were saying the same strange things you are right now, why are you talking about territories? What's an Alpha? And what's this pack program, I've never heard of it" I snapped. Just like that tension descended upon the room thicker than ever, in the corner of my eye I saw Mark and my mother tense.

I didn't like what I was sensing from the Darius guy at all, he looked like he was going to murder Mark with the glare he tossed at him.

"Why have you not informed her?" Darius didn't need to shout to instill fear within Mark or my mother; rather the calmness of his voice is what frightened them while I sat impatiently waiting for unanswered questions.

"We were giving her time to adjust" my mother said.

"You've been here for two months, she's already adjusted" Darius retorted. I would argue differently, I didn't adjust at all, matter of fact I wanted nothing more than to leave the mysterious town that was in the middle of the bloody woods and go back to the home my father had built for us.

"Alpha, please just give us more time" Mark pleaded.

So Darius was this Alpha? What the hell was he?

"No" Darius wouldn't budge, instead he turned toward me and took my hands in his, the warmth of his hands spread through my body causing my eyes to widen, when I tried to snatch my hand away he held it firmly making me glare at him. "Victoria, I'll answer your questions but I want you to stay quiet and keep an open mind alright?"

Nodding, I kept silent curious about what he was going to tell me.

"Good. Earlier you asked what an Alpha was; an Alpha is the leader of the pack, Alphas are dominate over their subordinates, they demand respect and the submission of those they are in charge of. Since wolves are sociable creatures, we live in packs in remote areas where no human would dare enter. The territory is just as it sounds its land that the Alpha has marked as his own; there's always hierarchy wherever you turn and it's the same in a pack, whereas I'm the Alpha, Mark over there is my Beta. He helps me manage the pack and when I'm not in the territory he's the acting leader until I return. There's a lot more that you don't know but I'll be happy to teach you."

I didn't know how he could say all that with a straight face but he managed, and I'll admit that he's good at what he's doing but that shit won't ever work on me.

"You said that humans wouldn't dare come here...why are my mother and I here then?" I asked.

"Well, your mother is Mark's mate. Wolves mate for life, it wouldn't have been possible to leave your mother behind so he did the only thing he could and brought both of you along."

I nodded as I stared at the red liquid in my glass, as I waited for a punch line until I realized there wasn't one. I still didn't know how I managed not to laugh, this was hilarious.

My mother and gone and gotten herself brainwashed and then let her deranged husband drag us back to his fucking cult. Priceless.

I tipped my glass and down the rest of my drink, standing I looked at my mother and Mark "I'm going to get another drink, want one? How about you Darius?"

Their eyes widened as they stared at me, "y-you-are you okay with this?" Mark asked.

"Sure, I've always been pretty open minded, I just wished you told me from the beginning instead of acting like a weirdo" I laughed.

Beside me Darius chuckled "I guess this matter's settled then, and Victoria, I'd love another drink."

Taking the glasses I walked into the kitchen as coolly as I could, I could feel my body temperature rise with my anger while I refilled each glass, before I went back and served them their drinks I quickly searched the cupboards for the GHB I had found a while back. I had always wondered why Mark had kept a supply of the drug, he didn't seem to have any sleep disorders nor did he need an anesthetic but now I silently thanked him for it. I quickly poured half the bottle into Darius's wine glass and the other half in Mark's, if those fuckers thought for one second they'd trap my mother and I here like the rest of the sad souls in this place they had another thing coming.

I put the empty bottle of GHB back where I found it and made my way back to the living room.

I watched in satisfaction as Mark and Darius both drank their glasses empty, I waited ten minutes before I excused myself from the three and went upstairs. When I got into my room I had ripped the red dress off me and threw off the heels I wore, I changed into something loose and put my sneakers on. I moved quickly around the room packing a bag of what I needed and then going to my mother's room to do the same. I grabbed my father's gun from storage and stuffed it in the duffel bag I had.

"Oh god. Victoria! Vicky!" when I heard my mother's cries I ran downstairs, seeing her kneeling over Mark and Darius had let me know that the drug had worked. "Vic- something's wrong with them they just passed out...why are you dressed like that? Why do you have a bag? What's going on Victoria?"

"Mom, I'll explain later okay? Right now we need to leave" I told her as I grabbed her hand and pulled her from the two unconscious bodies.

"What? Leave? What are you talking about...Victoria?!" she yanked her hand from mine causing me to drop the duffel "what's gotten into you?"

"Common sense! Let's go mum" I snapped.

"No, listen baby girl, I know what Alpha Darius said is hard to believe-" at that point I started to laugh, my mother watched me in utter shock as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Hard to believe? You've gotta be fucking kiddin' me. Mom nobody in their right mind would believe that bullshit but don't you worry, as soon as we're far away from here I'll see to it that you get some therapy...now c'mon we gotta go before they wake up."

Mom shook her head taking a step away from me, the way she looked at me as though I were the crazy one made me explode with anger.

"Mom, I won't ask you again, please, don't make me hurt you."

"Vic-"

"Will you shut up and come along already?!" I screamed. She jumped and whimpered as she started crying. I picked up the duffel bag with a hand and grabbed her wrist with my other and pulled her out to the garage.

I took the keys to my Camry and rushed over to the driver's side as mum got in; within a couple minutes we were heading for the nearest exit from the shit going on in the little town in the middle of the woods.

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I had a ton of fun writing this chapter lol 😂😂😂 Victoria sure knows when to handle someone when they're cray cray. I'm curious my loves...if you were in Victoria's position, how would you have taken the news? Let me know in a comment 😉

Until next time 💋

- Xoxo T