Chapter 2: Claimed
Edited: January 23, 2013
Pain enveloped her and warned her of her future. Abruptly, she jolted upwards and groaned at the searing pain that impaled her body. Hasty breaths billowed from her nose as she held herself. Her eyes stung from the lack of light, but after she blinked a few times, she adjusted herself to the darkness.
Pleas for mercy filled her ears, causing her to flinch. She covered her ears and sealed her eyes, trying to ignore the suffering that surrounded her.
Where was she?
Shudders slithered down her back as bellows flowed around her, filling her with fear. She tried to ignore the pain, the screams, and the roar of her heart, but it was impossible. Leah was aware of everything around her, and it terrorized her.
Faintly, she could hear footsteps meandering toward her. They were barely audible, but she could hear them. It interrupted the screams, the moans, and the pleas. Everything became silent; no one dared to interrupt the sound of the footsteps—not even her. She could barely see over the thick veil the night provided, but it eased her.
If she couldn't see anything, she had nothing to fear.
"Guards, open the shape shifter's cell. I've been expecting her arrival."
The voice was deep and manly, tinged with arrogance and pride. It was the voice of evil because malicious intents and threats were carefully hidden behind his words. Leah swallowed her fear as the footsteps stopped in front of her cell. She wiped the ground with her fingertips, desperately trying to ignore the man's intense gaze.
Silence engulfed her, and for a moment, she thought the strange man had left. She couldn't hear anything—not even her breaths or her heart. Alarmed, her head snapped upwards, and she yelped when she noticed steely eyes were staring at her with mild amusement.
In his eyes, she could see souls withering and perishing. They yelled and thrashed in his gaze, hatefully muttering about their deaths and revenge. He blinked and smirked at her as soon as he noticed her panic. She had seen his victims' suffering. Maximus was their master, their lord, and he deserved their souls. He devoured their energy, their life source and souls, so he could continue to live.
"Who are you?"
A chuckle was emitted from the back of his throat as he neared her and allowed his hands to touch her face. She flinched and cowered against the wall, which only entertained him. He loved Leah's fear because it drove him insane with desire. Her beauty only enticed him further. Maximus wanted her, and he was going to get her—even though she wasn't his.
Maximus knew she couldn't see, but that only entranced him further. He would be able to instill doubt and fear into her mind by claiming her at night. Under the darkness of the night, he observed her quivering figure, which was slender and tall.
Swarthy flesh that was tinged with gold covered her entire body. Raven ringlets cascaded down to the base of her neck, which was constricted, and whirled around her delicate facial features. Fright contorted her features, causing her to gnaw on her bottom lip, which jutted slightly. Dark eyes peeked at him with determination and poorly masked fear.
She was stunning and his. Leah Clearwater was his because she was his possession.
"You are mine!" he growled as he lunged forward and pinned her to the ground. She screamed as his teeth grazed her neck and roughly pierced her flesh. Leah bellowed with all her strength as he greedily claimed her, removing her energy.
Unbearable pain ripped through her body, tearing her apart. Dark spots invaded her eyesight and blinded her, not allowing her to see anymore. Her chest heaved up and down repeatedly, but after a few seconds, it shuddered and then stopped. Leah had slipped into a blissful sleep. She had managed to escape reality, but she had not managed to escape the claim. She was his.
In the forest, a hush fell over everyone as Sam stalked forward and eyed all of them with anger. His silent fury frightened them, but they didn't say anything. Quiet whispers escaped his lips, but no one could understand him. His fingertips roughly tousled his locks before he stopped and glowered at them.
"Leah has been taken. She was taken under our noses, and we did not realize. Who was doing patrol tonight?" he inquired challengingly as he swaggered forward and raised his chin.
Embry ambled away from the crowd and lifted his shoulders up, so he could show Sam that he wasn't intimidated; however, the instant Sam's eyes landed on his, he wanted to cower and fear.
Quil accompanied him, faithfully standing beside him. He comforted him by glancing at him from the corner of his eyes and by standing beside him. Furiously, Sam stalked forward, much like a predator, and punched Embry in the jaw. He glared and growled at Quil, whose eyes were immediately set on the ground. No one dared to irritate Sam further.
"As a pack, we are supposed to protect each other. How come you didn't protect Leah?" he asked, clearly enraged by their actions.
"We couldn't smell them, Sam," Embry said carefully. "We couldn't smell them or even see them. We didn't ask for help because we thought it was us. There wasn't anything suspicious. It wasn't until we tried to reach Leah did we actually know that she wasn't present here—or anywhere. She had completely disappeared...almost as if she was dead."
Silence engulfed them. Sam's eyes hardened, but he no longer glared at Embry. A defeated sigh escaped his lips, and his shoulder involuntarily slumped. He had to find Leah. She was his first love, and although he didn't love her anymore, he had to find her. It was his duty.
"We will find her," he stated determinedly. "We will look for her, and we will find her. Do not worry, Leah. We are looking for you."
Hello! Thank you for reading. I really appreciate it. Chapter three will be posted soon, since it's almost finished. Please check out my other stories, and my stories on Wattpad under the name DannyDeAngelus. Thanks! Have a great day!
