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Section 1
### Chapter 1: Bow Down
I laid the baked cookies onto the large dish carefully making sure they were set neatly against each other, the food was all laid out ready for Alpha Michael to eat once he got home from his work. It had taken me awhile to bake the chicken properly with the right seasonings and I prayed that it would please him, he tended to be more aggravated easily by little things after his hard day of work as an Alpha. I got up on my tiptoes to reach the top cabinet to get out a plate for him and set it on the countertop next to all the food, then get a glass for his drink. I set out a glass of his favorite beer and a soda in case he isn't in the mood for any alcohol, although that rarely was the case after he got back home every day, he always took the alcohol but I did it anyway for preparation. Footsteps sounded from outside the door and my eyes darted up to the doorknob turns much too quickly then I was prepared for, then it opens to reveal a red-faced, heated, and unattractive Alpha Michael whose eyes dart to mine then look away disgustedly. My knees slightly buckle underneath me and I lower my head and body slightly to show submission, this seems to please him slightly as he tosses his jacket onto the recliner chair then walks into the kitchen. The smell of the dinner that was made for him wafts through my nose, making my mouth water a tiny bit as I watch him pass me and stalk into the kitchen. It was chicken with a biscuit and some corn as a side dish than for dessert the platter of cookies, the man liked his sweets. His large hand grabs the plate sat on the counter and he turns whilst grabbing another biscuit and tossing it to me carelessly, I surprisingly caught it and stood there for a moment in shock. The TV turns on as I turn to look at him after getting over that little celebration, "Thank you very much, Alpha Michael," I say He brushes my thanks away and stares at the TV while eating his meal his light brown hair is messed up slightly after his long day of work most likely I notice. I drift my attention back to the biscuit and I take a small bite savoring the buttery flavor before swallowing soundlessly, Alpha Michael eats his meal noisily while watching a movie and I occasionally look up at the screen while taking small bites of the biscuit. Suddenly, Alpha Michael freezes up which makes my body tighten in fear, I begin to smell something, just a little hint of an amazing smell that makes me want to hunt down whatever it is coming from. Before I can even begin to think of investigating though Alpha Micheal snaps his head in my direction, "I want you to get upstairs in your room right now and not come back down till I say so" he snaps, his eyes are blazing, but yet underneath that fake dominating tone, a swirl of fear turns in his face. To ask why would be suicidal so in response I nod and dart upstairs still holding the half-eaten biscuit in my hand I nearly run up two flights of stairs to the attic which was just a small room, specifically my room which had a small twin sized mattress and a lamp sitting beside it on the floor. On the opposite side of the bed, there was also a window that let you see to the front lawn. I sat down on the mattress, slowly eating the last half of the bread roll, but as I take the last bite voices started to sound from outside. I look up at the window cautiously and that smell hits me again, this time much stronger, it's so good I'm tempted to just run after it at this point. Instead of doing that, because it would get me in major trouble, I crawl off the old mattress and peek out the window to see Alpha Michael speaking with a very handsome man with near pitch black hair and a nice stubble to go along with it, also dark blue eyes that are quite intimidating. That's the Dark Alpha, Erebus! Realization hits me as I finished looking him over before they both walked into the house, he's the most powerful Alpha that's existed since his father died and he's in the house! I hope that he doesn't come upstairs since I'm an omega, he would probably be disgusted with someone like me because of my low ranking. Why is he here? I guess Alpha Michael has a pretty large pack, maybe he wants to become allies with him for something, even if he did it's none of my business anyway. That smell is it coming from...? Suddenly my door slams open and I spin around in shock before Alpha Michael walks over to me then grabs my forearm, jerking my small body off the ground. I snap my eyes closed, keeping myself from yelping in pain at the burning sensation of his hand digging into my skin. "You better go clean up that mess in the kitchen before I kick you out of this house" he sneers while dragging me down the stairs, I'm too busy staring at his face with wide eyes to pay attention to my feet and too soon, he lets go of my arm and I fall down the last few steps, luckily catching myself on the tile floor with my hands, stopping myself from face planting like a fool. I whip my head around to look at Alpha Micheal, he's already staring down at me with so much hate it makes my whole body feel heavy, I open my mouth to apologize quickly but a deep, dominating voice stops me. "What was that noise?" Alpha Micheal and I look to the wall between the kitchen and living room, and from around the corner none other than Alpha Erebus walks out. He was so tall and muscular, I could hardly believe it, his face looked like it was sculpted with the hands of an angel, the stubble on his face framed his jawline perfectly. I had to suck in a breath just from looking at him for that one quick second before his eyes snapped to mine. My body was immediately covered in goosebumps and my wolf began to howl inside my head, louder than I'd ever heard her before. That was the smell, and the only reason I would feel this way by just looking at someone was if they were... my mate. He continues to stare at me even when Alpha Micheal starts to speak, "I apologize for this Alpha Erebus, just my peasant omega servant making a fool of herself," he spat, Usually, I would flinch away at his hurtful words but all I could focus on was Alpha Erebus's piercing blue eyes that seemed to stare right through me, that was until Alpha Micheal had finished that sentence. His eyes dart to Alpha Miceal, and the look in his eyes becomes even scarier than when Alpha Micheal is at his worst, "What?" he seethes, deathly slow, Alpha Micheal seems taken aback by his dark tone before he starts to continue, "Well she's a servant here," he smirks, "A worthless Omega at th-" Suddenly, Alpha Erebus is in front of him and his hand is wrapped around his neck, holding him above the ground. "How dare you speak that way about my mate! You worthless, disgusting, pathetic excuse of an Alpha!" he pauses to stare into Alpha Micheal's eyes, a clear sign of a challenge, making sure he knows Erebus no longer see's him as an ally. "If you ever speak about her like that again, or even dare to lay your eyes on her I will personally make sure you the last thing you see is my teeth tearing your throat out," he snarled before dropping Alpha Micheal on the ground, I stare at Alpha Micheal as he gasps for breath while coughing, it feels impossible to move before Alpha Erebus comes over to me. He lifts me up by my torso effortlessly before looking me straight in the eyes, "Are you alright?" he asks, the concern in his voice makes my heart melt, "Y-yes! I'm perfectly fine," I respond, a bit too excitedly, he ever so slightly smirks at me, "What's your name?" his breath fans my face, "Layla" I reply, my voice coming out as something similar to a squeak, "Will you come with me, to my pack?" his voice is almost pleading, but something about him tells me he wouldn't take no for an answer anyway, I glance at Alpha Micheal who is still trying to recover from being nearly choked to death, then back at Alpha Erebus's blue eyes, then back again. "I... I can't" I respond quietly, looking down at the floor, "Why not?" he asks, I can feel his eyes trying to catch mine, "I have to take care of my duties here" There's a pause before he responds, "I think Alpha Micheal will do just fine without you here accompanying to his every need" I see his eyes dart to Alpha Micheal with a glare. "Well... I guess I could go" I say, deep down I'm terrified to leave this place, what would Alpha Micheal do without me here? "Alright, there's nothing here you need right? I'll buy you clothes once we get home," Home. "No" I respond, finding it kind of hard to breathe, he leans in closer putting his face unbearably close to my neck, "I'm glad I finally found you... You have no idea how long I've been trying to find you," he pulls his head away to look at me once again, I can't respond, there's nothing I can think to say as my lungs are nearly jumping out of my chest at this point so I let out a very awkward, very childish, nervous laugh. His smirk spreads across his face slightly and I can't help but blush violently, he chuckles, "You're adorable," he states, Jesus I just met this guy and I already can't even begin to comprehend how much I like him. We didn't continue chatting though, Alpha Erebus was obviously ready to go as Alpha Micheal began to stand up. Before he could gain full consciousness though we were already out the door. I was raised into the back of a Black SUV and Alpha Erebus slid in beside me before closing the door behind him, "Beu, let's get going" he ordered to the driver, "Yes sir," Beu responded before pulling out of the driveway and heading down the road, I was instantly hit with this light-headed feeling as my stomach churned, I sucked in a breath before reaching across the seat to grab the side of the door, giving myself something to steady me. I saw Alpha Erebus look at me, his eyes brows furrowed, "Layla? Are you alright?" he asked, reaching out a hand to me, "I-I'm ok, it's just... been a long time since I've been in a car" I stated, my breath coming out in short pants, he doesn't respond for a second before speaking, "C'mere" it sounds more of a request than order and I look over at him, he's looking at me with concern and kindness which I simply can't refuse. I slide myself over next to him and he wrests a large hand on my back, gliding it back and forth, "Just close your eyes..." his voice is so calming, My eyes drift closed and it helps but only slightly, "Layla" he whispers, I feel my face heat up quickly and I snap my eyes open to look at him, "Yes?" "Breathe..." he says, that small smirk playing on his lips once again, I didn't even think about how my chest was heaving with effort, although it was pretty much his fault, I wouldn't tell him that though. I looked back down at my thighs and closed my eyes once again, focusing on my breathing. Soon enough the car stopped, I shot my head up in surprise, still pressed against Erebus side, he looked down at me, "I have to run to check on an emergency, Beu will take you to our room and I'll be there soon," his face was more serious as if he had changed during the drive here which made my chest hurt. "Ah alright," I replied, he quickly got out of the car and set me on my feet before walking in the opposite direction, I watched him for a split second before Beu stood in front of me. "Miss Layla, I'll take you to the room now," his tone seemed almost too friendly, "Sounds great," I responded, starting to walk after him, but really I had wished Alpha Erebus would be the first person to show me my new, "Home." ------------- (I know it's a bit of a quick start off but that's the way almost all of my stories are written... I'm not a very patient person ^-^) Don't forget to comment and vote!
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### Chapter 2: Process
The door opened and my head snapped up to look at Erebus who looked just as good as when he left, he walked over to me and stood there while looking at me. I looked up at him and our eyes held each other before he cleared his throat awkwardly, "Are you hungry?" he asked, I noticed his tone was more stern than before, "Would you like me to cook something for you?" Was the first response that popped into my head, suddenly feeling weird around him now rather than the comfort I'd felt in the drive here, "That was not what I asked you... " he said coldly, I felt my heart drag at his change of attitude, he was so sweet at Alpha Micheal's house and on the drive here... "Well, I'm a little hungry" I near whispered back, looking sideways, He nodded in return and grabbed my hand helping me up, I nearly gasped at the sparks that went flying up my arm and wondered if he felt the same thing and if he did how could he act so... closed off all of a sudden? We then walked out of the room at a slower pace which I surprisingly could keep up with despite how short my strides were compared to his. The kitchen was big with organized utensils all over the countertops, the marble tile lit up the room making it "pop" and look attractive which I'm sure is how such a powerful Alphas house should look like. Erebus opened a door to what I'm guessing was a pantry and shuffled inside of it, barely fitting in thanks to his broad shoulders. I waited patiently for him to finish, leaning against the counter and rocking on my heels before realizing my sweaty palms probably left smudge marks on the counter which made me quickly jump away and look at where my hands had been. Before I could evaluate the damage I'd done closely Erebus walked back out of the pantry and I straightened up quickly, looking at him nervously, he looked back at me before furrowing his eyebrows which made me look away rapidly. I felt his eyes stare right through me for a moment before he set a bag of noodles that he'd retrieved from the pantry on the counter with a light crunch. Suddenly, footsteps sounded from behind me and I spun around instinctively to look at the person. A girl walked out from behind the corner and gave me a smile before walking into the kitchen and stood in front of Erebus, "What would you like, sir?" She asked looking up at him, "I've set out the noodles to cook and make some chicken as well that's cut," he told her, a bit harsher than I thought was necessary, she nodded and began working on the food in the kitchen as Erebus walked out and over to me. I looked around him at the girl, watching as she started to cook, feeling my stomach grow heavy with guilt at the sight as just this morning I had been doing the exact same thing for Alpha Michael, I walked up beside her not even noticing Erebus staring me down this time. "Well please, let me help you cook" I offered kindly, She looked up at me and looked like she was about to reply until Erebus grabbed my wrist and spun me around to face him. I flinched at the slight twinge of pain in my wrist before looking up at him, "Luna's don't cook in this pack" his tone was almost a growl, I was about to reply before deciding better of it and instead, nodded solemnly while gazing at the hardwood beneath his feet. At that moment I felt like crying, what had I done wrong? Was it something I said? Could I make up for it? What had set him into this awful mood so suddenly? It occurred to me that most males didn't treat their mates like this, especially Alphas, they usually were more kind to them like he had been at the start but now I couldn't tell if I preferred Alpha Michael or him because at least I didn't have any bond with Michael, but now, my own mate seemed to just want me gone and that hurt much more than any words Alpha Michael could've ever thrown at me... or any injury he would've given me. He was probably just disappointed in me was all, which he had a right to be because, then again, he was the Dark Alpha and I was... A pathetic omega. While no one even knew of my existence he had been in the spotlight since the day he was born. I had been abused countless times beyond repair so I probably wouldn't like myself very much either. When my gaze had gone back to his, his eyes were softer than before, as if he felt guilty for his behavior. I stared into his eyes, hoping that same loving look would come back, and although his eyes softened, it just wasn't the same as before, The woman walked out of the kitchen at that moment with two plates in her hands before returning back to the kitchen with two glasses and setting them neatly on the table beside the fragile plates. "What would you both like to drink?" She asked, looking at the both of us, "Just water for me please" I replied quietly, deciding better of it to not look up in case Erebus got a glimpse of the few tears the were about to spill over in my eyes, "Water as well," Erebus said before walking to the table and sitting down without looking to see if I'd come along. I followed anyway after him and sat across from his intimidating figure as the woman came back and poured our drinks. "Thank you," I said, I saw her give me a small smile out of the corner of my eye before walking away, leaving us both in the dining room alone, I silently prayed she'd come back. Erebus picked up his silverware and began eating his food, I picked up mine as well and ate my food slowly, partially because my lips were trembling and it'd had been so long since I'd gotten a full meal like this so I wanted to spare it even if I was about to break down in tears. If he hadn't been so nice at the start I would've had no problem with him being so closed off now but all because of the stupid, sweet... absolutely breathtaking car ride I could barely stand one slightly mean word. Out of the corner of my eye, Erebus was looking at me questioningly but I tried my best to ignore it, not wanting to start an awkward conversation, or give him a reason to say, "look at me" "Why are you eating like that?" He finally asked, I lowered my head a bit more if that was even possible at this point, "Am I doing something wrong?" I asked nervously, "You're eating as if you need to spare it, like you may not know when you'll eat again" his voice was so deep and husky, "Well I don't know when I'll eat again, so it makes sense," I replied, confused as to why he thought it was weird for me to eat like this. Past my layer of hair, I saw his expression turn even colder and felt the pit in my stomach grow larger, "Tell me then, how did Alpha Michael treat you?" his tone turned to stone while speaking Alpha Michael's name, he also put his elbow on the table as he spoke and placed his chin on his palm, "Oh just fine, he let me live in the packed house which is a great opportunity and I was his personal servant..." Suddenly, Erebus growled out harshly, lifting himself up from his seemingly comfortable and relaxed position, "You shouldn't be a servant at all!" I jerked back a bit before deciding to just sit there for a few awkward seconds then continuing on with what I had been saying, "Well he gave me food, and a bedroom of my own, it was very generous of him" I tried to keep a steady voice while speaking to him. "And how often did he actually feed you?" His tone was icy and blew into my face, "Um I'd say around once a day, two if he wasn't in a bad mood," I said nonchalantly, Erebus stood immediately and the chair he was in slammed against the wall from his sudden movement which made me push back against my seat in surprise. He walked over to me as my eyes grew wide in fear, I began to lift my hands over my face but nothing came, I could feel his gaze on me and eventually, I dared to look at him. He was staring at me with an unfamiliar look before leaning down to come face to face with me, "Did you think I was going to hit you?" he asked with a voice that would have made anyone tremble. I couldn't respond, my voice was caught in my throat but I made an effort to shake my head to say "no" but he didn't seem to entirely believe me before grabbing my small frame and lifting me off the chair and onto the ground. His hand grabbed my ragged shirt and I nearly gasped out in shock at the sparks that went over my stomach from his fingertips skimming over the area, he exposed the flat surface of my stomach. I'd never looked at myself in a mirror so it never occurred to me how ugly my body was since it was always covered up in some sort of clothing. You could see my ribs slightly and my skin hugged my frame much too tightly, not to mention a purple bruise that stretched across my stomach, with the start of a scar that went across my rib cage. He roared with rage at the sight and I flinched away from him unintentionally and to my utter dismay, a sob racked through my body escaping my mouth, and the tears finally spilled over and down my cheeks as I just barely tried to pull my wrist away from his grip to cower and hide away from him. Erebus froze, just standing there, holding my wrist for a good minute and staring at me as I did my best to block my face from him while biting my tongue to keep myself from sobbing but failing miserably as I kept crying, not being able to contain the sadness I felt at that moment. "Layla..." he finally whispered, just barely loud enough that I could hear him, I dared to glance at him and his face was so utterly, apologetic and desperate, for what I had no clue. He let go of my wrist quickly as if I had burned him and took a step back, "I'm... so sorry," he paused, collecting his words, "What am I doing? I'm so sorry, the pack emergency it got me so... uptight I didn't even think of how I was treating you, but you're my mate I... how could I not tell that I was obviously hurting your feelings?" he looked down, his face really told how sorry he was and even though deep down I knew I should stay upset with him, it wasn't in my blood to keep a grudge with anyone, especially him. I took a few steps towards him, his eyes slowly rose to mine, the shame evident in his gaze, "I-It's okay, I just... I thought you were mad at me for some reason..." I said shakily, looking at him with the best smile I could give as he stared at me with that incredibly sad face. "Mad at you? Who could ever get mad at you?" he said it without even a hint of sarcasm, I blushed madly before looking away, he chuckled and walked over to me. I couldn't comprehend how he could so casually get that close to me without even a hint of embarrassment, as I could barely get anywhere near him without butterflies filling my stomach and my palms becoming grossly sweaty. "... I am truly sorry, I won't ever treat you like that again" he promised, doing everything in his power to meet my eyes while I tried my best to avoid his dark blue gaze, still looking like a tomato from blushing so hard. "I-I know" I stuttered out nervously, he grabbed my hand and sat me down in front of my plate of food before sliding beside me on the bench and taking his own plate to set it in front of him, surprisingly enough we ate the rest of our dinner in a comfortable silence although my head was screaming with numerous different thoughts and my wolf howling with excitement every time our arms slightly brushed against each other's. After we finished eating I took our plates to the sink and picked up the sponge to wash off one of the plates before remembering what Erebus had said before and setting them back down. I turned around to find him standing by the back door, looking outside with that cold Alpha face, observing the camp, I didn't say anything for a moment, honestly scared to because of his expression but eventually came up with the courage. "Erebus, are you alright?" I asked, furrowing my brow slightly but not daring to take a step towards him, he looked over at me immediately and I saw his expression changed from dead serious to relaxed, making me smile slightly. "I'm fine," he took a few steps toward me, "Ready to go to bed?" he offered his hand to me and without a second thought I walked over and took it while looking up at him, "Yeah," I responded partially glad to finally get some sleep since I was so tired from the long day. Erebus handed me some clothes to wear to bed once we got to the bedroom and after I had put them on I realized it was his T-Shirt and some boxer briefs, I tucked my nose under the hem of the shirt and took a deep breath before sighing at the intoxicating smell of him. I walked out of the bathroom and immediately wanted to walk back in because the sight made me turn beet red in a second. Erebus was standing beside the bed with a pair of boxers on, his black hair was spiked in some parts while slightly curled in others, and of course, likes all Alphas it seemed, had an 8 pack. Quickly, before he caught me quacking at him I shuffled to the other side of the bed and awkwardly climbed under the covers, laying on my side to avoid looking at him. The bed dipped down as he climbed in beside me and turned off the light, a few minutes later he wrapped an arm around my waist and the sparks cascading down my body like a rushing waterfall, making goosebumps cover my skin. He pulled me across the bed towards him till my back was pressed against his torso and I could feel his breath on my neck. I blushed red while laying there for awhile, finding it hard to breathe again, luckily Erebus didn't say anything about my heartbeat going 100 miles per hour and eventually I managed to get myself together and an overall comfort washed over as he held me to him, then soon fell asleep in his embrace. Don't forget to vote and comment! (You know what I realized after rereading this? There is no sexy way to say noodles... it's just really not an attractive word even when I'm picturing someone as hot as Erebus saying it)
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