In The Arms Of A Beast

Chapter 9

“What were you thinking, doing something so reckless?” An eerily calm female voice asked that sounded like Dakota’s. “Well that’s the point, isn’t it? He wasn’t thinking!”. Whoever Selena was lying down on was sweltering with fury. Whoever she was lying down on also smelt like pine and vanilla and salt and musk.                                   


“You watch your mouth; you’re speaking to your Alpha”. “And that’s my friend right there”. Jase was arguing for her? Why? What happened?                                                                       “Jason is right, you weren’t thinking. You could have hurt her” A dreamy deep voice that she knew belonged to Ethan’s, spoke. “I wouldn’t have. I would never”.                                                                                       


“You already have. She told you to stop, but you didn’t!” Jase countered and all she wanted to do was wake up and hold Jason in her arms. He was finally standing up to someone! “God, Arden. Were you so desperate to claim her as yours that you had to turn her. She would have resented you less if you had just raped her there for all to see”. “Dakota!” Arden roared and Selena winced in her sleep.                                                      

The room fell silent as Selena slowly woke up and opened her eyes, immediately looking up into Arden’s stressed brown eyes. She was cradled in his arms like a baby and she struggled to sit up. Arden helped to a seating position, placing her between his legs on the bed, her back resting against his chest.                                                                                                                                         


“How are you feeling, baby?” Arden whispered near her ear, his hands running over hers. Her hand travelled up to her shoulder where he had bitten her, feeling the skin that she was sure resembled a bumpy potholed road in the bad neighbourhood she grew up in. And, the foreign term of endearment coming from someone like Arden was enough to give her a splintering headache.                                                                                     


“Uhm…fine…” She said, acknowledging that the irritation in her neck was nothing but a slight prick. She also picked up that she was back in Arden’s room. The amount of times she had woken up in a stranger’s home was getting out of hand. Arden cupped Selena’s cheek, tilted her head towards his and stared at her.                                                                   


“I’m not a stranger, baby”. And there was that word again. Selena frowned in confusion at how Arden was able to know what she was thinking, but then was interrupted by Jason. “Donuts will have you back to your cheery self. Come, there’s some in the kitchen”. Dakota flashed him a quick stare but he ignored her, extending his hand out to his friend. “I’ll take her” Arden said firmly, wrapping his arms around Selena’s form in an embrace.

Selena placed her hand into Jase’s and let him help her off the bed, confused by the suffocating comfort she was receiving from Arden. Arden glared at her with a pained look on his face.                                                                                                 


“She’s only going to the kitchen, Arden. No need to scowl at her like that” A strong built man with a sharp jawline and spiky hair that was dyed platinum blonde – joked. She hadn’t seen him before; he wasn’t at the gathering in the woods. And as if noting her thoughts about him, the man flashed his teeth at her.                                                                                            


“I’m Cole. Pack enforcer and by far the most handsome guy on this property”. “Shut up, dickhead” A voice called from the passageway. When the guy that spoke appeared at the door, he kept his smiling blue eyes fixed on Selena’s.                                            “Keep that lying tongue of yours in check. I think everyone will agree that I’m the handsome one here”.                                                                                                      


Selena couldn’t help agreeing with him. He was exactly her type. Lean, athletic build. Brown hair cropped short on the sides, kept long on top. Deep blue eyes that made her want to stare at him all day. A clean shaved, open, genuine smiling face with lips that vowed destruction. She didn’t know this stranger and already she had taken a liking to him. He smelled good too, almost as good as Arden did.                                                                                                                                 


“Well, would you look at that? Pretty face here is all turned on” He said as his eyes raked her over, assessing every inch of her body. “Trey!” Arden growled and jumped off the bed, appearing in front of her, hindering her direct line of view that she had of Trey.                                                                 


“Relax, Alpha. I haven’t done anything” He said in surrender, hands held up in the air. Cole sniggered while Jason shook his head in annoyance.                                                          “Yet” He added with a smug smile, sending Arden chasing after him.                            “I’ll kill you. I’ll fucking kill you!”.