Sold To The Billionaire Alpha
Chapter 54

Orchid

I found myself among the thorns and brambles of a bush. I tried to minimise the number of scratches on my skin and snags on my clothes as I slowly crawled out. I peeked out through the leaves. I was outside at nighttime. It was dark but there were street lamps on. I could see a parched-looking lawn. I rolled my eyes. My ex was growing drug crops hydroponically but could not be bothered to water his own damn lawn out front. Typical.

My heart was thumping so loudly. I slowly got to my feet, stepping out onto the lawn. There was a hedge. It was low enough for me to scramble over. I did not risk using the gate less it creaked or an alarm sounded. It was probably locked anyway. I was shaking like a leaf as I walked down a sidewalk in unfamiliar territory. It looked like a harmless suburban area but my ex had said we were in a community of werewolf hunters. He was a liar but unfortunately this seemed to be the truth. I saw a huge black flag with a white moon painted on it. There were two red slashes painted over the moon, X-ing it out. I stifled a gasp. I knew what it was instantly though I had never seen it before. It had to be a symbol. A werewolf hunter symbol. It was anti-lupine propaganda. Even in a land of mystical beings, there were groups devoted to hate.

I felt my stomach grow hot as my wolf became restless within. Now would not be a good time to transform. If they could not already smell me, they surely would when I grew fur. I shifted my huge wolf paw back into a small human hand.

They’re humans, Olive. They can’t smell you in either form, said my she-wolf.

I felt a small sense of relief. Wait! Did she just call me Olive?! I bristled at the thought of my own damn alter-ego getting my name wrong. How ridiculous was that?

I know your name, Orchid. I’m making sure you’re paying attention, that’s all.

Hmm. It hit me. She was trying to make me mad. That was probably the key. I had to be angry to shift. Orion always seemed so in control though.

You’re a late bloomer. We need something to trigger your first shift since it didn’t come naturally on your eighteenth birthday.

Eighteenth birthday? Right, that reminded me: I was seven years behind. I continued down the road, hoping I was not going further and further into werewolf hunter lands. I alternated between a brisk jog and a panicked run. Maybe, I should get off the sidewalk. Someone would see me from their window. I ducked behind a large tree, slipping into the tall shrubbery and bushes around the base.

How will I know if I’m on the right track?! I said, trying to communicate with my wolf again.

Silence. I sighed, feeling frustrated. I reminded myself Jaack had used more wolfsbane on me when he had kidnapped me so it was a miracle I still had a wolf to speak of at all. He had probably given me dozens if not hundreds of doses over the years. How did I miss that? How had I not seen the injection marks? Could wolfsbane be put into food instead?

I saw him sprinkle something in your water and food earlier. Sometimes when you’re weary, I’m wide awake. It happened very quickly when you almost nodded off.

My wolf was really trying to be helpful tonight. If only she could tell me the way out of here. I waited. Ugh. I broke into a run again.

“HEY!” Yelled a vaguely familiar voice.

I spun around. Ellie. My heart plummeted into my stomach. I ran full-speed away from her.

“You’re going the wrong way!” She hissed at me.

She had lowered her voice, but it carried on the wind. I stopped in my tracks, hoping this was not a trick. I backed away from her. I did not see my ex behind her. I saw a parked car with an open door. She had been driving around looking for me. They must have noticed I was gone almost immediately.

“So the way to Gregoire is that way?” I asked apprehensively, nodding in the opposite direction.

She nodded. She was several yards away near the parked car. She strutted over to me in her high heels, trying to close the distance between us. I scrambled backwards.

“Stay away,” I warned, my voice deeper than usual.

“I’m sorry, ok,” she said, putting her palms up. “You can trust me. Come with me and I’ll take you to the place where Orion is waiting with your ransom money.”

I raised my eyebrows. That had not been the original plan. Had she decided to double-cross Jaack after all?

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” I asked helplessly, glancing around the dark empty street.

“You don’t,” she said with a shrug, seemingly sympathising with my predicament. “You have to take a leap of faith.”

I took a deep breath.

“If you talked to Orion…” I began. “Then what does his voice sound like?”

“Huh,” she said.

I folded my arms defiantly.

“Ok, he sounds regal,” she said.

I rolled my eyes. Vague.

“His voice is deep, I think. There were two of them on the phone, no three. Um, everyone’s voice was deep and gravelly. One was kind of rude and impatient. The other was more formal and I assumed that was Orion,” she rambled nervously, looking like she was about to run herself.

I sighed. I still wasn’t sure about her descriptions but I walked slowly towards her.

“Give me your cell phone,” I said.

“What?!” She squeaked.

“If you talked to Orion, the number would be in the call log right? I highly doubt you talked to him in person,” I reasoned.

She would be dead if she had talked to him in person. She made an exasperated noise but showed me the call log without letting me touch the phone. She just held it up, facing me. I spotted a number I did not recognise. I scanned the list. None of these numbers were Orion’s. I backed away slowly and then spun around and dashed down the street. I rammed right into something hard. I fell backwards with a squeal. Someone grabbed my arms and yanked me upwards. Someone had my arms in a vice-like grip. I looked up. He had a hoodie on with the hood up so that his face was shrouded in darkness but I was pretty sure I recognised his build. I struggled against him and the hood slipped off. Jaack. Just as I thought. Who else?

“You f*****g liar!” I yelled at Ellie who was walking calmly towards us.

“Not completely, Orion is coming to get you,” she claimed.

“Yeah and when he gets here, I’ll kill him right in front of you!” Hissed Jaack.

He had me in a headlock. He was cutting off my air supply. Ellie looked a little worried.

“Or maybe I’ll kill you first and just show Orion your dead body upon his arrival?” Said Jaack snidely.

I kicked my legs wildly. I was gasping for air.

“Um, she can’t breathe,” said Ellie.

“So what?” Said Jaack. “A dead Luna will weaken an Alpha significantly. I should have just killed her in the first place and then went after Orion. She’s marked see?” He said, pressing harder on my neck. “He’ll feel it when she dies. He’s probably feeling this now!” Said Jaack in an amused tone.

He was sick. I was a little dizzy. My vision blurred.

“You’re choking her,” cried Ellie.

“What the f**k did you think this was about?” He barked at her. “Since when do you care if she lives or dies?” He spat.

“I don’t care,” said Ellie, somewhat unconvincingly.

“You actually want to hand her over for a ransom, don’t you?” Said Jaack incredulously.

“It’s more than the bounty the werewolf hunters’ council is offering us!” She said.

“Wait! How do you know how much money Orion is offering?! We never negotiated with him! I thought you added in the ransom part to give her false hope so she’d trust you!” Hissed Jaack, struggling a little to keep restraining me.

I focused on shifting my hand without the silver bracelet. I was livid. Jaack and Ellie were focused on each other though Jaack was maintaining his choke hold on me.

“I thought negotiating with him might get him to hurry up and come here so we could kill him. How else would he know where to go?” said Ellie, her voice a bit shrill.

“Because, I stole Orchid’s old phone from the Caro’s place! I put her location on! I figured they would track the phone once they had the number!” Said Jaack.

Orion did not have my old number. Even in Jaack’s brilliance, he was kind of stupid.

“They didn’t seem to be able to track that phone,” said Ellie.

“So you f*****g called him?” Grumbled Jaack.

“He called me! He had my number somehow! They asked about crops at first, maybe a dealer gave them my num…” said Ellie, her voice getting shriller with each word.

Jaack’s anger was explosive as usual.

“SHUT UP! I CAN SEE IT IN YOUR EYES! YOU WANT TO LET HER GO AND SAIL INTO THE SUNSET WITH THAT ALPHA’S MONEY!” Boomed Jaack.

“What’s wrong with that?!” Shrieked Ellie. “It’s more money for less work. We don’t have to kill her or him and we still get more millions than the council is offering!”

“I knew you weren’t fit to be a wolf hunter!” He said through gritted teeth.

I summoned the last of my strength, willing fur and talons to burst out from my hand, transforming it into a clawed paw again. I felt my claws curl at the ends as they grew.

“Seven million dollars, Jaack!” Yelled Ellie.

I gripped the arm that was wrapped around my neck with my paw and dragged my claws along it, plunging them deep into Jack’s flesh. Unbelievably, he maintained a hold on me though he yelled out in pain. He only lessened his hold just enough for me to draw a breath or two.

“Ellie, shoot her with the silver bullet before she shifts and gets away!” He ordered.

Ellie hesitated. She pulled out the gun, her hands shaking. I thrashed wildly, causing Jaack to stumble backwards, dragging me with him. I gripped his forearm with my wolf hand and squeezed. I heard a loud snap. Only then did he let go. He released me and I sank to my knees gasping and coughing. He had put a lot of pressure on my trachea but I could feel myself recovering quickly. I could hear the stridor of my breathing fading as it returned to normal. I noticed scratches from the brambles earlier were gone.

“Didn’t you give her enough wolfsbane?!” Bellowed Ellie.

“SHOOT HER! HURRY UP! BEFORE SHE MAULS US!” He thundered.

Ellie jumped and shakily aimed the gun at me. My throat was clear enough for me to use my voice now. It was hoarse at first but it soon picked up.

“Ellie, don’t shoot! Think of your sister! You need that money and some rapport with werewolves so you can find her!” I said.

I had talked a few patients down from ledges before. This was not quite the same but the principle of de-escalation still applied. I had to appeal to her emotions and her most pressing wants. Jaack laughed coldly whilst clutching his mangled arm with his good one.

“Ellie doesn’t have a sister,” he said bluntly.

I felt a chill creep through me for some reason but I ignored it. I looked at Ellie.

“Yes, I do!” She insisted, her eyes a bit wild.

“No, you don’t,” he said calmly.

I had no idea who to believe but it really did not matter to me anymore. I needed to get away from both of them. I was crouching now. I rose to my feet very slowly.

“Shoot, Ellie!” He said, lowering his voice like they were on some hunting trip.

He was not even fit to be called an animal. Animals had more integrity than him.

“Toss me the gun then if you’re too scared!” He demanded.

Ellie looked panicked. Her eyes darted from me to Jaack until they landed on Jaack.

“Just maim her, don’t kill her yet. Her people are coming here,” mumbled Ellie as she moved towards Jaack holding out the gun.

That was more than enough for me. I sprang at Ellie and knocked the gun out of her sweaty palms. It went flying, landing in the middle of the street.

“f**k!” Bellowed Jaack.

I broke into a run. I had never ran this fast in my life. The houses flew by me. It was not quite werewolf speed but it was on the higher end of the human spectrum, much better than my normal. I was no athlete. It was definitely my wolf trying to help me despite the wolfsbane flowing through our veins. Ellie had said this was the right direction. I wondered if that had been a lie too!

I heard a gun shot. I glanced behind me without stopping. Ellie was on the ground yards away. Jaack was standing over her. He had retrieved the gun and shot her. I saw him kick her limp body to see if she stirred and when she did not, he began pursuing me. I kicked it into to overdrive. I launched myself over a hedge and began running through people’s yards heading in roughly the same direction.

Jaack began firing shots despite the hedge blocking me. A bullet ricocheted past my ear. I heard the high-pitched singing of the silver as it whooshed by, narrowly missing me. I shrieked and jumped over into the next yard. I jumped over hedge after hedge. It was getting easier and easier to do which was the opposite of what I had expected. Nevertheless, Jaack kept up a hot pursuit and the gunshots were loud as ever meaning he was still close. He had been an impressive athlete and a bodybuilder so I was not surprised. I would need my full wolf speed to escape this one-man firing squad. I just hoped he would run out of silver bullets soon. The noise was waking the neighbours up. Porch lights and bedroom lights were turning on in the background as I ran through different lawns and gardens. Oh no! I did not need anymore wolf hunters on my tail.

“WOLF!!!” Yelled Jaack so loudly and unexpectedly the hairs on my neck stood up.

I was frozen momentarily. Jaack then mimicked a wolf howl, pathetically I might add, but other mimicked howls joined his as wolf hunters responded to his call. It was an understatement to say that this was the most terrifying moment in my life. This was beyond terror. There was a futility to it. How to outrun a mob?

Don’t.

Was my wolf crazy?

They are mortal commoners. We are immortal royalty.

Yep, she was crazy. Hunter howls filled the night. Before I even realised what I was doing, I jumped over a hedge and walked right to the middle of the street. Jaack’s eyes widened. A few hunters had gathered around him and several more could be seen leaving their houses and marching towards Jaack, rallying around him, while he played the victim. Why didn’t he just shoot now that he had a clear view?

He’s out of silver bullets. Those aren’t cheap you know. Not like regular bullets.

Hmph. There were about two dozen people, men and women, in the street. Some with hunting camouflage jackets thrown over their vests and boxers and nightgowns.

“See what it did to me?!” Yelled Jaack, showing them his broken arm.

The wolf hunters were gawking at Jaack’s injured arm.

“It tried to bite his arm off!” Yelled a hunter.

“It’s rabid! See!” Cried another.

“Stay back!” Warned a third.

I was a five and a half foot girl looking just as human as any of them.

Your paw, remember?

Oh! I looked down at my paw. The crowd grew a little.

“Then, it grabbed my gun and shot this innocent girl!” Lied Jaack.

Horrified gasps and cries of outrage echoed through the night.

I felt my eyes darken. From warm brown to pitch black.

“That’s a lie!” I yelled. “He killed her!”

The injustice of it all was just too much.

“Don’t listen to it!” Screeched Jack.

“It’s lying,” muttered one of the hunters.

They were not going to believe me over Jaack without evidence. It was my word against his.

Who cares what they believe? Growled my she-wolf.

Even if I shift completely I can’t take all of them alone, I said to my wolf.

For once, she answered me directly.

You’re not alone, she said simply.

Because I have you? I said.

Look around you, she said.

I glanced around. I had been leaping and climbing over hedge after hedge. There were more hedges in this town than fences. There were trees and shrubs and bushes and grass. There were flowerbeds overflowing with flowers and weeds. There was stinging nettle, maybe poison ivy, bees buzzing in hives on branches of sycamore trees. That pulsating was back, thrumming through the whole town, like every leaf and stalk had synchronised heartbeats.

“I’m gonna give you one chance,” I said loudly, my voice shaking slightly. “One chance to let me walk out of here peacefully,” I announced.

Jaack laughed his hyena laugh and the others followed with their cackles. Some mimicked howling again. I closed my eyes to help me focus on the pulse of the plants, the one only I could hear. I was vaguely aware of the mob marching forth towards me. I moved my shoulders back a little as I stretched and then I cricked my neck side to side. There was a moment in life, if you’re lucky, when you made the decision to go from victim to victor. This was mine.