Chapter 6 - Mia

Evan's demeanor changes in an instant. He goes from being a teasing, arrogant bastard to a man on the verge of losing his shit. I take a step back, feeling the fury emanating off of him, and my mouth goes dry. He's terrifying.

"You didn't have anything to do with this, did you?" Evan growls, moving in on his brother until they're chest to chest. "Because if I find out that you did..."

"No, no, no," Rafe stammers, holding his hands up. "It wasn't me, I swear. Why would I sabotage the food supply? We all need to eat, don't we? You've gotta believe me."

"Our hunting team is the best in the region, and yet somehow they're the only team who can't find anything? Seems a little strange to me."

"Evan, I had nothing to do with it," he insists. "Maybe we're just having a run of bad luck. You know as well as I do that even the best teams have their fair share of bad luck. It happens."

"Bad luck doesn't happen three times in a row."

"I don't know what you want me to say, Evan. I had nothing to do with it, and it's not the hunting team's fault. I'm just as frustrated and hungry as you are."

I don't understand what the big deal is, or why Evan seems so angry. He's talking about hunting and rationing and bad luck, and none of it makes sense. I walked past a shit ton of food growing in their garden outside. I get that this pack loves their "backwoods" vibe, but if the situation gets bad enough, there are grocery stores and restaurants everywhere. You could walk into any gas station from here and find a case of Twinkies or some other packaged garbage.

Sure, shifters love to hunt. It's a bonding thing, and it's fun, but the Green Lake Pack has to know there's other food available. I don't know if I'm missing something, or if Evan is just looking for an excuse to puff out his chest and act like a macho asshole, but as I watch the brothers face off, I have a feeling there's more to this situation than meets the eye.

"You know what I think? I think you're trying to sabotage me," Evan growls. "You're hoping the pack will lose faith in me, and you can swoop in and save the day with a deer on a spit or something. Maybe then you can get everyone to vote you in as the new alpha. Is that what this is about, Rafe? Do you think I can't see what you're doing?"

"No! No, that's not what this is about. That's insane," he stammers.

"I want to know who is in on this little plot of yours," Evan demands, getting in his face.

"What plot? There's no plot, Evan. Come on, man."

"Who are you working with? I want names, and I want them right now, or I swear to God─"

"No one. I'm not working with anyone," Rafe tells him, and it's clear by the look on his face that he's terrified.

"Are you serious?" I question with a chuckle. "I mean, obviously, I don't know you two from a can of paint, but if I were your brother, I'd tell you straight up that you're losing your mind."

They both turn to me, and Evan glares at me while Rafe's eyes go wide. The subtle shake of his head is all the warning I need, and I know that I should have just stayed quiet. Evan turns his fury on me and stalks toward me. My stomach churns.

"I'm sorry, did you have something to say?"

I cross my arms and plant my feet, trying to stand firm. "As a matter of fact, yes. Look, I have no idea what's going on here, or why the hell you're so angry, but the way I see it, you've got a garden full of vegetables, and there are restaurants and grocery stores a few miles down the road. If your brother wants to steal your throne or whatever, there are far more effective ways to go about it. For example, I think he's got a pretty good case for insanity."

"Mia," Rafe hisses, shooting me a death glare. "Don't."

Evan's gray eyes flash red for a second, and his hands are balled into fists at his sides. He takes another step toward me, and I'm sure he expects me to cower away, but from where I'm standing, he's like a brown bear. Scary, yes, but if you turn tail and run, he'll chase after you and pummel you. The best thing you can do is stand your ground, look him in the eye, and let him know you're not afraid.

"You think you're funny, don't you?" he asks.

"I mean, I'm not a comedian or anything, but I'd like to think I have my moments."

He's so close now that I can feel his breath on my face.

"Do you have any idea how many people would kill to be in your shoes? To be standing right here, right now, and look into my eyes? To be mated with the alpha of the Green Lake Pack? To be the mate of an alpha at all? You're a lucky girl, Mia, but you're also a fool. You have no idea what I'm capable of."

I scoff, rolling my eyes. "I'm happy to step aside and give the position to someone else. The sooner, the better, in my opinion. I've been a member of Stardust Hollow my entire life, and I'm perfectly happy there. So if you'll excuse me, I'll just─"

"You'll stay right here," he hisses.

"And why would I do that?"

"Jesus Christ, I can't deal with you right now. Rafe, outside."

The two men step out of the room and into the hall, and the door slams shut behind them. A split second later, the lock clicks, and all the blood rushes from my head. I rush forward and grab the knob, pulling on it with everything I've got, but it doesn't budge.

"You can't be serious. Let me out!" I yell, throwing my fists against the door.

"Sit tight, sweetheart," Evan says on the other side of the door. "You've already made yourself enough of a nuisance. Now, let us finish this conversation."

I beat my fists on the door over and over again, screaming.

"I'm not a fucking prisoner! Let me out of here!"

My legs start to tremble, and I slide down the wall until I'm sitting on the floor. My breath catches in my throat, and no matter how hard I try to pull air into my lungs, nothing happens. I don't do well with small spaces. Not since I was a little kid and my brother and his friends locked me in a closet. My parents had gone out of town for the weekend, and my brother forgot all about me. I spent two days alone in the dark, banging and screaming for help. No one heard me. No one came.

When the closet finally opened, I was so hungry, I thought I was going to die. I had no idea where my brother and his friends were. No idea how long it had been. My parents had a huge house, and the closet was all the way in the basement. By the time they found me, I was covered in my own filth and was massively dehydrated.

Ever since then, the mere thought of being locked in a small space has been enough to send me into a panic. And now, knowing that I'm here against my will...

My hands are shaking so badly, I can't even grip the handle. I squeeze my eyes shut and force myself to breathe, but my heart is pounding so hard, it feels like it's going to jump out of my chest.

"Let me out," I whisper. "Please, just let me out."

But no one is listening. And just like all those years ago, no one is coming to save me.

I begin to sob, wanting to throw things around the room until I get some attention. But then they would know my weakness, and they'd have something to use against me.

No.

I'll wait this out. I'll be calm, and I'll prove to them that I'm strong. I won't give in to the fear and the panic. I'm smart enough to know that giving them that ammunition is the worst thing I could do.

So, I breathe. In and out, counting the seconds. One, two, three, four.

In.

Out.

One, two, three, four.

It's a mantra. Something to focus on. Something that helps calm me.

"I'm okay. It's okay," I whisper.

The minutes tick by, and I feel my anxiety easing. I'm okay. It's okay.

But it's not. I'm not okay. Not even close.

This situation is so fucked up, and no matter how many times I tell myself that the door will open and this will all be over, I'm not so sure it will. Evan is the alpha, the leader of his pack. And he's known for being ruthless and cold. His decisions are final, and no one dares question him. If he's made his mind up about marrying me and mating with me, what can I do?

What could anyone do?

My eyes fill with tears, and I sniffle. This wasn't supposed to happen. I wasn't supposed to be here. And just think, a few hours ago, I was sulking in the woods, wishing my life were different. Wishing I had the courage to be the kind of person who would run away. And now...

Now I would give anything to go home and have my life back the way it was.

"Oh, God," I choke out, dropping my head in my hands. "Please, God, don't let this be real. Please, please, please... someone please find me."