Thank you pinkforest again for such great banners!

Meela POV

Stalking behind the Northerner, glaring at his back. Swiftly, he turns around, stepping into my space...dominant.

"Enough! I will not have you behaving like a spoiled brat."

His eyes are a light silver as he looks down at me, challenging me to do something. That quickly puts me in my place. My shoulders slump, head bows and I show my neck in submission...defeated.

He sighs to himself. "Listen, I don't want to be that way towards you, but I will be. I'm your Alpha now, and you have to listen to me." He waits for my reply.

"Yes," I mumble, not looking him in the eyes.

Once the thick wooden door opens, I'm greeted by several members of his pack, waiting expectantly for their Alpha's return.

The Northerner is much taller than he first seemed. He has an overwhelming, commanding presence. His ranked members of the pack greet him with respect and reverence, turning their necks to him, in a show of submission. He is pure power, pure authority and my wolf rumbles that our mate is spectacular.

Standing close to him, somewhat intimidated by all the people present. His hand comes to rest on the base of my back, causing my blood to warm and a light flush to rise to my cheeks.

The female pack members greet me in the Old Way, cheek to cheek, rubbing their smell on me, taking mine in.

As an unmarked female, I don't touch the males but bow my head slightly. I know that if I touch them, their scent would be on me. That alone might trigger the Northerner to mark me. He wouldn't be able to stand the scent of any unmated male on me; his wolf would be outraged. He'd be forced to show his claim on me and, ready or not, he would mate me...forcefully.

Thinking I  must look like a mess to these people, with my swollen red eyes, hair a greasy mess. I didn't have time to shower this morning. Everyone is in black except me. It's customary to dress in black for three days if someone from your pack dies, out of respect. I was in a rush, not paying attention, and just forgot about it. My jeans and t-shirt stand out in the sea of black.

The feeling of his fingers at the base of my neck causes a hiss of pain to squeeze out of my mouth, and I try to pull away from his touch. It doesn't go unnoticed, and he quickly gathers my hair to the side, examining the back of my neck, which is a mess of dark purple and black bruises that extend all the way down to my mid back and wrap around both shoulder and underneath my armpits. I've always bruised rather easily and deeply, but he doesn't need to know this. Let him think he hurt me. Hopefully, he won't try something like that again.

I'm sorry, I was too rough on you." His lips kiss my skin, and the air escapes my lungs in a quiet moan.

Trying to cover the noise up with the clearing of my throat. I have to stand here with his fingers wrapped in my hair massaging the back of my head. The feeling is so comforting, so relaxing, I close my eyes, feeling boneless again, stumbling forward. He catches me before my legs give out.

"I'm sorry." That's all I can think to say while I look around trying to see who noticed. All their eyes are thankfully diverted somewhere else, giving us some privacy.

My body's traitorous response to him makes me so furious I find my anger coming to the surface again, hot and burning. He notices too, raising an eyebrow at me. He tilts his head to the side as I try to regain some self-control.

When his eyes glaze over, the people in the room nod their heads in unison and make their way to an open door.

"Meela." My name sounds strange coming from him, but its silkiness has a visible shudder wracking my body, one that I desperately try to hide.

"Let's get you to bed. I'll bring you some food in a little while. I need to talk to my pack about the funeral arrangements and meet with the families of the fallen. I'll show you to our room."

"Our room?" My face screws up in confusion. "If you think I'm sleeping with you, you're crazier than I expected."

He growls in response. "You will do as you're told." He comes closer to me, trying to intimate me.

It won't work. My back goes a little straighter, my hand on my hip. "I'm not going to share a bed with you."

He laughs slightly. "That's fine. Sleep on the floor. Your choice. This is going to be all about your choices. Either you fall in line, or this could be a difficult transition for you. Just remember, I'm your Alpha, so you listen and do what I say."

I'm outraged again, fighting for control. I lose it again and shift instantly. This time, I don't lunge for him yet, pulling my muzzle back to expose my sharp canines to him in a threatening way.

Ears pulled back; my fur is puffed out making me seem bigger...aggression.

His eyes flash brilliant silver. I give him a threatening growl. I'm ready for him this time. I won't be the one making the first move. Let him come to me.

Sensing this, he stands very still, just watching me. Giving another threatening growl, I snap my teeth hard again at him. His pack mates start trickling in the room again, confusion on their faces as they look from him to me.

I posture to them, threatening, snapping at them, carrying on like a child in the middle of a temper tantrum.

"Leave us," the northerner says very clear and calm, his eyes never leaving mine. "I don't want to hurt you again, but I will." Lifting his foot, he takes a step closer. "I wasn't expecting this behavior from you again, but I guess that's what's to be expected from a Southerner." The last word spoken with disgust.

That's when I lunged.

My teeth cut into the soft flesh of his inner thigh, metallic tasting liquid seeping into my mouth, sliding down the back of my throat. I latch on harder, shaking my head back and forth, trying to inflict as much damage as I can.

I feel the top of my ear being pinched so hard; I let go of him and whine out. I continue to whine and yelp out as the pressure just keeps increasing beyond what I can physically take.

"Shift!" The command is roared out.

I try to bite him again.

"I said, shift!" He lets all his power and will hit my body in the most commanding way.

He holds no power over me; he's not my alpha, I'm not bonded to him, there's no mate marking. I try once again to attack him, but I'm knocked to the ground. It feels like he's pinching through the tender part of my ear.

"Shift!"

The pain increases until I can't take it anymore and I shift in front of him. I'm curled up on the floor in a ball, naked, trying to hide from him.

He yanks me up hard over his shoulder, bringing me upstairs. My ear is aching. Opening the door, he brings me into his room and tosses me on the bed. I land on my back with him on top of me. My arms are jerked above my head, and I try pulling my body away from him, kicking the back of his thighs with the heel of my foot.

He presses himself against me. I feel the scratchy texture of his shirt against my chest, the way his hips are pressed perfectly against mine. There's not an inch of space between us as his nose brushes against my neck. Feeling his manhood pressed firmly against me, he shifts his hips, so he's centered between my parted legs. I'm not scared of him anymore...I'm terrified. I start to scream, and scream, "Help me, help me," in between sobs. "Please, someone help me."

His body stiffens with the sound of my pleas. Sobbing into his neck and the pressure on my arms releases. He gently gets off me and turns around.

"This is our room. I'll be back in a little while and we will discuss...this. Do not leave this room, understood?

Saying nothing.

Turning around, he grabs me shoulders. "Understand?"

Nodding my head yes, I lower my eyes once again defeated.

Author's note. 

Remember this was one of my first stories every so you can see how my writing style hopefully has improved since this story.