Thinly Veiled
I tumbled into the body of another wolf much larger than me; he stiffened but didn’t move. I scampered away from him, turning to look at the large building in front of me.
It was exquisite, much more lavish than the packhouse back home, although not as large. It was dark, fitting into the forest behind it, covered in polished wood, stacking stones, and windows that sprawled out across entire rooms. A frigid wind blew, sending a shiver up my arms. It was much colder here than back home.
The Enforcer stood beside me, allowing me to take notice of his mansion. I looked up at him, and he smirked back down at me. Even though I wasn’t short, he made me feel small. I was lanky, taller than some other human girls, but wolves tended to be larger than most humans.
He walked forward towards the front doors. I stayed back a moment until he turned and opened his eyes a little wider, beckoning me to come forward. A man opened the door for us, and we walked in slowly. He took a scan of his home, making eye contact with the other men inside, and then relaxed visibly.
He shrugged out of his suit jacket and placed it on a nearby gray couch. He walked forward again, grabbing arms with the two men who sat at a glass table along a light-colored wooden backdrop. I stayed back by the foyer, breathing nervously, not knowing what to do in the unfamiliar environment. He spoke for a few moments with the men, smiling and laughing, looking happy and relaxed. I glanced around nervously, looking at the muscular men who stood next to me, staring down at me blankly.
“Margo,” the Enforcer called for me, extending his arm to welcome me. I stumbled forward slowly, flattening my dress, and took my place a foot away from him. He smiled at me and reached a hand up to run it affectionately over my hair; I flinched.
“This is the human girl, Margo, from Dorian’s pack,” he introduced me. The men at the table looked me up and down, smiling at the Enforcer again. I shook under their gazes, desperately looking around the room for a door to escape through.
“She won’t last a day with you,” the fair, blond one smirked, laughing loudly. His counterpart smacked his arm and rolled his eyes.
“I’m sure you two will have a lot of fun together,” the dark-skinned one chuckled, trying to be less crass than his friend. It did little to comfort me, and tears formed in the corners of my eyes though I willed them not to drop.
The blond took notice of my tearful state and looked down sorrowfully. The Enforcer grabbed my arm again, wanting me to turn towards him, but I struggled to stay stationary.
“Hey,” he said softer, trying to gain my attention. My lip wavered once more. He sighed, put his arm around my back again, and began to lead me to a set of floating, wooden steps. I looked back as I took the first step, begging someone to save me. They all looked down as a whimper escaped my throat, and Theo pressed on my back more firmly.
When we reached the top of the steps, we went down a long hallway and turned right. There was a room at the end of the hall, glass covered with privacy shaded frost. He opened the door gently and held it until I walked in. The room was dark apart from the far wall, which was all glass and allowed light to enter the room. The walls kept with the smooth wood from the first level; a bed sat in front of us, large, white, and covered with gray and white pillows. On the opposite wall from the bed was a television on a large, slate gray, metal dresser. There were doors opening to a closet and a bathroom on either side of the television.
The Enforcer stood behind me, near the door, observing me as I looked around the room. I noticed him staring and turned back to him, bowing my head to show my submission.
“Margo,” he said lightly, stepping forward. I took a step back, and he stopped momentarily before stalking ahead. “You’re afraid of me,” he noted.
I glared accusingly but said nothing.
“Why?”
“You tore me away from my family,” I spat, the nervous fluctuation in my voice making my words appear less intimidating than I meant them to be.
“Those people were not your family,” he said back. “You’re an orphan, correct?”
“They were the closest thing I had. They cared for me.”
“I will care for you from now on, little one,” he said softer now, placing a hand on my shoulder, stroking the exposed skin with his thumb. I pulled my shoulder back, but he didn’t let go.
“I don’t want you to care for me in that way,” I growled.
“In what way?” he asked sincerely, dropping his hand.
“I know how you wolves are. You bring me up to your bedroom within five minutes of us being here,” I gestured around me.
“I wanted to give us some privacy, you seemed rather intimidated by my friends, and we need to have an important conversation,” he explained.
“They said I wouldn’t last a day with you,” I wailed, the emotional toll beginning to take over. “You said you wondered how long it would take to make me scream!”
He shook his head in regret, untucking his shirt from his slacks. “Margo,” he whispered.
“Don’t you dare say my name,” I told him, wrapping my arms around my stomach.
“I realize my words may have seemed a bit harsh, and I apologize for that, but I had a reason. I
