"What?", Everyone said at once. Accalia watched as everyone turned to her, hissing at her angrily. She took a glance at Helen and Rachel,and they both stared at her in shock. Helen shook her head in disbelief, hoping for Accalia to at least resist or deny but she didn't.
Accalia felt a hand push her forward to the center and whispers of anger at her. Ethan gawked at her then rushed to her side, holding her. He wanted to say something to her but the bald headed man grabbed her forcefully.
"You do not have a right to lay your filthy hands on my mate", Ethan said charging towards the man. He hit the man hard on his cheek and the man only laughed.
Of course,he didn't feel pain except when he was bitten by a werewolf. And even though he exudes some influence and strength,he didn't want to engage with a pack of wolves. The bald headed man winced at the slap and eyed Ethan angrily.
In a flash,he placed his hands over Accalia's neck and she began to sob. "Mate? No my friend. Not this one. I'm sure there are lots of beautiful maidens who would be a better bride than this one",he said, looking at Penney.
Penney lowered her eyes as it became obvious she was the one who notified him of Accalia's presence in their pack. Her mind flashed to the first time she met the greyhound-man.
It was a few days after Ethan had stopped by at her house, so she decided to pay him a visit and like other times, seduce him into choosing her to be his mate. From their youth,she had developed and nursed feelings for Ethan,even when he outrightly told her he wasn't interested.
She had just baked some pies and decided to visit Ethan with it,one sunny afternoon,when she met Ethan and Accalia locking lips at his porch.
In surprise,she stepped back and ran off to the woods, crying. She sobbed hard without comfort then she heard the leaves rustling behind her violently. She shrieked in fear and tried to run but she tripped over an old log and sprained her ankle.
Penney laid there crying, seeing the greyhound walk towards her. She closed her eyes and tried to change form but she was too scared. She watched as the greyhound turned to a man with a bald head,who had bloodshot eyes and fangs for teeth.
"Hello beautiful! I'm sorry to intrude on your little moment there", he whispered with an evil smile.
"Stay away from me", Penney ordered, shaking visibly.
"Oh no my dear,I mean no harm. Just need some answers and I'll be gone",he said kneeling close to her.
"What do you want from me?",she questioned.
"Good girl! I need to find someone. I tracked her down here. She's quite a fair maiden and her eyes are green like lettuce. She's a slave and she's a pretender. Think you know, anyone that may fit into that description?",he snickered.
Penney sat there panting and wondering what the greyhound meant. She knew one thing for sure. This greyhound meant business and wasn't in for flimsy games.
"You don't have any right to cross a marked territory",she said, surprised at her bravery.
"I know..I know. That's why I'm asking nicely",he answered.
"I shouldn't be seen talking with a greyhound. Please leave, before I alert the Alpha",she breathed out, ready to use her siren voice to alert all werewolves in the pack of potential danger.
"Hey hey hey. There'll be no need for that. You see, you'll be helping your pack to fish out this masquerade and avoid a war between your pack and a rogue werewolf",he explained under his breath.
"We are a peaceful pack and we know everyone..", Penney tried to say but was interrupted by him.
"Not everyone, surely. Because this masquerade is a woman and if I'm not wrong, should be the newest visitor in town. Before she escaped,she served as the master's slave and I'm afraid the master is very.. very angry", he said, clicking his tongue.
"A woman?"Penney shot back.
"Yes my dear..a woman and I can smell the oil of her hair, from here. All I need is for you to confirm that I'm in the right place",he said.
"Well,I'll need more details than that", Penney finally said and the bald headed man smiled.
"That's more like it",he said.
"I don't believe what you say cause greyhounds are known to be legendary liars, however I'll show you the newest member of the pack. If she fits into your description, then I'll be elated because she has the one thing I wished to have all my life", Penney said vengefully.
The bald headed man smiled and grabbed her up to her feet. "That's a fair deal,my lady",he replied.
"But if it goes negative,you'll leave and not return. I can not be traced to have spoken with you ever", Penney warned.
"As you wish, fair lady",he whispered and they walked to the closest coffee shop to await their prey. Several minutes later, Accalia passed and the bald headed man confirmed that she was the slave, much to Penney's excitement.
"Penney?", Helen called out with shock. "How could you betray a member like that".
"She was never a member but the reason we're all endangered. She brought the rogue to us. A slave who has warmed the loins of the beast and others", Penney said with disgust.
Alpha Gabriel walked to Accalia and stared at her,then said,"Why? Why didn't you tell us the truth? We could have evaded this".
Accalia immediately went on her knees crying. "I didn't know they'd find me. I was tired of being abused night after night"she said.
"No.. this cannot be true", Ethan said, looking at Accalia for an explanation but none came.
The greyhound-man ripped a part of Accalia's clothes and revealed the black mark at the back of Accalia. "The mark of..",he tried to say but Ethan interrupted him.
"What mark? She got that from an accident when she was younger, right?", Ethan asked Accalia.
"Accident? Haha! That's the most hilarious lie,I've heard all my existence. No Beta! She got it when she refused to be strong enough for the master to derive some sexual pleasure from her. There's no doubt,her loins are the sweetest for any man. I'm sure you can attest to that, Ethan",the greyhound-man said and laughed in mimicry.
"What? You lied to me, Accalia. What other lies have you told?",Ethan asked in apt shock.
Accalia began to sob then, summing up strength,she spoke as her voice shook. She turned to the Alpha and Ethan and knelt. "I didn't lie when I said I loved you, Ethan",she began.
"My name is Accalia Monae..",she said but the greyhound-man interrupted.
"Accalia? No! It was something that meant bitterness..",he mocked.
"Shut up! My name is Accalia Monae. I once lived a peaceful and happy life with my family in the faraway land. Then one day,all the brightness and joy turned to gloom,when that rogue master invaded our land,and ravaged it in the blink of an eye",she said, sobbing.
"My family was killed and other families too. I survived that and I wished I didn't, because in death,the others found peace. But me,I died every minute, knowing that I would never see or enjoy freedom. Till that day,I decided to escape after planning for so long", Accalia said.
"The plan wasn't to fall in love or bring harm to anyone. All I wanted was a little space,so that I could survive peacefully. But somehow,fate smiled at me and blessed me with friends that turned into family and the love of my life",she said looking up at Ethan.
"I couldn't tell you the dirty past of mine because I feared you would look at me with disdain, just the way you're looking at me now", Accalia said with grief.