As Jake waited for the council to disperse, he watched as they all shot a mixture of disgusted and distrustful looks at the rouge. She ignored them all and faced the wall. In all honesty, Jake felt he should have been the one to receive those looks. He’d made his decision for the best of the pack and didn’t doubt it, but he regretted having to hold Alessia captive for the good of the pack. 

Jake got the distinct feeling she was trying not to cry. 

He gestured for her to follow him, “Come on.”

She didn’t look at him as she stalked out the door, her arms crossed tightly. As they emerged out into the curious eyes of the pack, her demeanor changed. Her arms dropped to her sides and she looked straight ahead as though their stares meant nothing to her. A strong front. Admirable. 

She didn’t say a word as Jake lead her to the outskirts of the village. It gave Jake a chance to observe her. She was awfully bony, he wondered distantly if she wasn’t the best of hunters. Long, wavy white hair was tied in a low ponytail, but Jake reasoned it must have been uncomfortable to live in the wild with such hair. Her lavender eyes were gorgeous even with the deep-set melancholy contained in them. They were almond-shaped and upturned, a clear sign of not being from close by. Most white wolves came from the Northern arctic packs, perhaps Alessia was the same. Her skin held a honey tan that Jake suspected had been lighter at some point. 

They approached his house hidden by the thick shrubbery and tightly bunched trees. When they had outwalked the staring members of the pack and out of earshot, Jake said, spoke, “I had to.” 

“No, you chose to.”, she’d crossed her arms again and glared at him with glossy eyes. Her voice strained. 

“Your information needs to be verified or we could be-”

She held up a hand and said, sharply, “Don’t! You believe me. Don’t lie to yourself and act like you’re doing it for that. You’re doing this because of them. Because they might question you as Alpha if you didn’t.”

Jake set his jaw. He was at a loss for words because she was right. He did believe her and was keeping her here partly as a way to sate the Council. 

He took a breath and let it out with a huffed sigh, “You’re not wrong and I am sorry that I didn’t set you free as I intended. I didn’t expect the Council to want to keep you. I expected them to not want a rouge in the grounds at all.”

Her eyes flicked to his face, scrutinizing, he supposed for traces of lies. Finally, she turned away and stared stubbornly at the ground. 

Jake turned and lead the way up the steps into his home. 

Jake’s home was primarily wooden like a lot of the others in the village. A cozy cabin in the woods feel. The porch in the front extended onto the left side of the house and had a slight ramp leading to the back. On the side porch was a small beige patio set (a housewarming gift from my mother).  On the front door was a crescent moon with four parallel claw marks through it.   

Alessia’s footsteps dragged behind him as though she were walking through ankle-deep sand to get there. She stepped through the wooden walls of his home and he watched as her eyes flicked around it, observing it. “At least you’re not in chains.” Jake tried. 

“Oh, what privileged prisoner I am.” She replied, sarcastically, “Where will I be staying?” 

The kitchen was just to the left, with a long grayish granite table that was parallel to the kitchen sink and stove. The fridge is just adjacent to that. The living room is directly in front of us, with cream sofas surrounding a flat screen tv against the wall and an oval, wooden coffee table at the center with engravings. The room was decorated mainly with frames of family. On the right was a hallway.

“You can take the room last door on the right; the bathroom is directly opposite that. “

“My things, they’re in a cave. If I could get- “

Something in my face must have changed because she just stopped talking and stalked off to her room and shut the door. Jake grabbed a beer from the fridge, This going to be a blast. 

***

The room was themed faint pink and white. There was a stuffed, white bear at the center of the bed, which was neatly made, and two bedside tables next to it. Dark wood built-in cupboards stood at the corner of the room and directly opposite the bed was a vanity table.  The room was so perfectly intact, that Alessia suspected that no one had stayed there for some time. 

Alessia slumped against the door and slid down, jamming her palms in her eyes as tears began to fall. One hand covered her mouth to ensure that none of my sobs were given sound. She let the sobs rack through her body, unleashing all pent-up turmoil. 

How could they force me to stay here? 

 The iron bars that began to form now shut her in. 

She hugged her knees to her chest and rested her head on her knees and just cried in her new, nicely decorated prison.

***

Alessia had cried so long that time melted to an indistinct value. 

Eventually, she lifted her head to find darkness had enveloped the room. Sniffing, she got off the floor and checked the clock on the bedside table. 20:07

Alessia was hungry. Cried yourself to starvation, well done, Alessia. 

She opened the door, tentatively, and peeped through. All the lights were off so she assumed that Jake had gone to bed. 

Gradually, Alessia made her way to the kitchen and turned the lights on to look for something to eat. Opening the fridge, she found pasta and immediately reached for it.

A sound caused her to freeze in place. She turned to find Jake standing behind her in a rumpled shirt and pajama pants. 

Alessia let the fridge door fall shut. She stammered to explain herself, “I was just- I mean um- I’ll just go back to my room.”

It seemed pretty ridiculous to be taking food from this stranger and she mentally chided herself for being so thoughtless. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he said.

Alessia flicked her gaze to him and he continued, “I don’t plan on starving you to death.”

He moved past her and opened the fridge, “I suppose I could make you something to eat as a way of apologizing for keeping you here.” 

Alessia rushed to object, “No, no, that’s okay I don’t really- I mean you don’t have to. Thanks, but I’ll just eat whatever else is there.”

He straightened up and said, “I don’t mind- “

“No, it’s okay.” She cut him off firmly. 

He looked at her a long while before turning back to the fridge and saying, “Okay, there’s chicken pasta and steak and kidney pie.”

She tilted her head, momentarily forgetting the situation she was in. Her interest piqued at the pie, “I didn’t see the pie.” 

He took out the pie and put it in the microwave, “Pie it is.”

“I didn’t say I wanted the pie.” I said stubbornly. 

“No, but your eyes became big so I took it as a “Give me pie”.”

“Are you calling me greedy?” Alessia snapped with annoyance.

He crossed his arms and leaned against the counter, “You like to jump to conclusions, don’t you?”

Alessia retorted, “And you like to wrongly imprison people.”

He sighs, “And I am sorry about. Here, has apology pie.”

Before she could stop herself, she laughed. ‘Apology pie’ sounded silly. 

Jake looked momentarily shocked but composed himself to a ghost smile. He laid the plate down on the counter and gestured for her to sit. 

Hesitancy rooted Alessia where she stood. She never liked taking things from people and didn’t want to take anything from these people. “You know if you can let me hunt, I won’t have to take anything from you.”

Jake was silent. She realized now that he preferred to contemplate before making a statement. He looked at the pie and she thought that maybe he was trying to wait out her stubbornness, but he suddenly spoke up, “I’m keeping you here against your will. You don’t have to feel bad about taking anything from me.”

Alessia glared, “I’m not feeling bad. I just don’t like taking things from anyone.”

“Well, in this case, you’re going to have to. I would prefer you survive until I can free you.”

“And when will that be?”

“As soon as I can convince the council that you’re not a threat. Until you can prove to me you’re not a threat.”

Alessia sighed and looked at the pie, “That’s an indefinite amount of time.” 

He sat on the counter adjacent to the counter the pie was on, “Better not to starve yourself for an indefinite amount of time.”

Alessia’s stomach complained its hunger, but she felt compelled to ask, “How do I know you plan on setting me free at all?”

Jake’s sharp eyes caught hers in a stare, “I can tell you’re speaking the truth. I consider myself a good judge of character and the fear in your eyes when you hear Ethan’s name is real. I would have let you go if the council hadn’t interjected. We don’t have to trust each other but that doesn’t mean sticking out this situation has to be difficult.”

Alessia sat down on the chair. Staring at the pie, she said, “You must be a very unique alpha to believe a rogue or even offer a rogue food.” 

She bit into the pie and almost cried with the taste. Alessia had eaten nothing but raw meat and fruit she’d hunted or found in the forest. The taste of cooked food was a blessing. Her mood lifted, “I haven’t had food like this in a year.”

She began scarfing down the pie. 

Jake asked while her face was buried in the pastry. “You’ve been a rogue for a year?”

Alessia froze, has it been a year? 

“I don’t know,” she replied, her voice sounding small and distant. She dropped the half-eaten pie back on the plate. “I think it’s been a year. It feels like longer.”

Jake was looking at her intently and she, quickly, shook the unhealthy thoughts. She let out a short, humorless laugh, “Oh well, it doesn’t really matter.”

She scrambled for a change of topic, “Hey, you look a little young to be Alpha.”

He must have sensed her reluctance to speak about why she became a rogue but he shrugged and said, “I’m 23.”

That was young to be an Alpha. Most Alphas were well into their thirties. 

“Very young…” Alessia said with an open-ended question.

Jake seemed to have things he didn’t wish to talk about either because he changed the subject as well, “I was thinking tomorrow, we can head to the South Forest pack and ask about Ethan.”

She raised her eyebrows in question, “You want me to come with you?”

“I took responsibility for you, but I must ask you not to try to escape.”

Her eyes were on the pie, but she stared into the void. She spoke in a disheartened tone, “I’m not so idiotic to think I can outrun an Alpha.”

Jake studied her, a habit she’d come to associate with him. Ignoring him, Alessia finished the remainder of the food and said, “Thank you for the pie.” 

She rose to return to the room, when he said, “Wait, have something to drink as well. I don’t want you dying of dehydration either. Juice?”

She was about to decline but realized the stupidity. While she was staying here, there was no choice but to accept the necessities he provided. 

Alessia replied, curtly, “Water is fine.”

He filled the water and offered it to her. Not putting it on the counter as she expected. 

Alessia took hold of the glass and looked at him. Lavender and grassy green eyes met across the rim of the glass.

It wasn’t just offering water; it was an understanding of sorts. Jake offered her the choice to rely on him until this was over, but Alessia had lived as a rogue for a while now. Relying on someone else was uncomfortable foreign.   

She took the glass and curtly thanked him, before retreating to the pink room.

Alessia closed and locked the door. Not that she thought the Alpha couldn’t break the door if he wanted to but it gave me peace of mind. 

She sat on the bed and closed her eyes at the pleasure of resting on a soft surface. 

I suppose there are a few good things to this. 

Don’t get used to it.

Alessia sank into the covers and let sleep take her.