Handcuffs.
Ayla's eyes grew large as she squirmed, attempting to slip out from under Alexander's weight and grip.
Why was he holding the handcuffs in the air?
What was going through his head?
Ayla knew that he had lost his mind.
One moment, she'd been drawing him into the bedroom to seduce him.
Next, he was pulling handcuffs out of the drawer, ready to lock her in place.
Was this it?
The realization crashed over her.
The final part of the plan.
Outside the door, five men waited to capture her, while the sixth was there to finish the job.
She'd finally let her guard down, and now they had her.
They'd won.
Ayla was trapped, helpless, and defenseless.
Fighting or wriggling free was almost impossible.
He was on top of her, pressing his solid frame into hers.
And yet, she couldn't ignore the confusing rush of arousal at what he was doing.
"GGGRRRR," she growled.
He arched an eyebrow, tightening his grip on her wrists, holding them firmly above her head.
"Be a good girl now. Don't make me punish you".
"GGGGGRRRRR," she growled through clenched lips, digging her heels into the bed as she tried once more to break free.
He stayed between her legs, pressing his weight against her even harder.
Chest to chest, breaths uneven against her ear.
Now she could feel his hard cock firmly against her body as his weight bore down on her.
She wasn't the only one aroused by his show of dominance.
Sensing that she was momentarily distracted, he quickly fastened one side of the cuffs around one of her wrists.
"Hey, wait!" she shouted, trying to mask her fear and whimpers.
Ayla struggled even harder to free her arms, but his strength was unmatched as he gripped them tightly with both hands.
"NO," he said firmly.
Nothing else, just that.
Was there any point in her continuing?
The moment she stopped moving her arms and met his gaze, he looped the loose cuff around the headboard bar and snapped the other steel cuff onto her free wrist.
He showed no hint of shame or regret for what he'd done.
"Now, you can't run away," he said, brimming with pride.
It was like he had accomplished a major victory.
A swirl of emotions rushed through her as she lay handcuffed to the bed, pinned by Alexander.
"I make the rules today. You made bad choices yesterday, and now it's time to face the consequences."
There was a playful lilt in his voice.
Ayla realized she wasn't in danger, well, not of being kidnapped.
Except... that wasn't entirely true.
In fact, no, scratch that, he had absolutely, without question, just kidnapped her.
It was to keep her for himself, though, so she couldn't run away from him.
'Does that count as kidnapping me?' she wondered to herself.
Alexander showing his dominance was arousing, and he could tell.
He could smell it.
Now that his hands were free, he had guided one down to his favorite spot on her.
He knew when she didn't move away from him, but toward his hand, that she had submitted to him, or at the minimum, she was allowing him to touch her.
She was willing.
As his fingers gently traced the exterior of her lower lips, he could feel the warmth that they radiated.
More than that.
It was obvious just how wet she was, because she was nearly dripping.
His show of dominance had nearly put her over the edge, and he liked it.
While he consumed Ayla's lower lips with an aggressive, busy hand, entering her with his fingers without warning, his mouth found hers, occupying her other lips with a sense of dominance she had never felt from him.
It was like a faucet turned on, as he pulled his hand away from her warm, wet center, covered in her fluids and her scent, and drew it to her throat.
He wanted her to smell her desire, the way he did.
To know how turned on she was as he gripped her throat just tight enough that a slight moan slipped out as she rubbed his erect cock against her throbbing core.
Within seconds, he realized she was ready for him, and he didn't hesitate to give her just what she wanted with one quick, deep thrust.
It wasn't a slip of a little moan that time.
Once he thrust himself inside of her, she let out a loud, pleasurable moan that made him grip her throat just a little tighter as he thrusted over and over as deeply and hard as he could, each stroke, bringing her closer to her orgasm.
He wasn't done yet, though, and he wasn't letting up, as he thrusted relentlessly through her pulsating orgasm, making her throw her hips into him, nearly screaming.
The handcuffs weren't removed while he did as he pleased, but she didn't seem to mind as he flipped her over, halfway through, and he moved her with ease.
Once he had her on her hands and knees, her pulled her hips in the air, grabbed her hair, making her back instantly arch as he continued to have his way with her.
Sore, swollen, dripping as he continued to go deeper, with more powerful, G-spot pounding thrusts, bringing her to another orgasm quickly, as they came together.
When they were finished, she was certain he'd take off the handcuffs.
She was eager to grab some food and freshen up, maybe relax in a warm bath, but Ayla was wrong.
Instead, he lay down beside her and planted a kiss on her cheek.
There was no attempt to remove the handcuffs that bound her to his bed.
Ayla cleared her throat to get his attention, "I think you're forgetting something."
"I can't think of anything. If I forgot something, you are going to have to tell me," he said, as he smiled.
"The handcuffs. You can take them off now. We both clearly finished."
She attempted to gesture toward the puddle of liquid beneath her on the bed, but her hands were still tied to the headboard.
"Oh, you thought that for sex? NO. Yesterday, you made me believe everything was fine, calm, and cool. Then, when I wasn't watching, you bolted. Today, after talking with Dominic, you had that same tone. I'm not stupid. You're not sneaking away after a post-sex nap. If the sheets are the problem, I can change them quickly."
"What about a bath and food, Alex?"
"I have no problem with that either. Be right back."
He ran out of the room, returning with a plate full of food, a bowl full of hot water, a stack of wash clothes, and two towels.
She didn't know if she liked where this was headed.
But before she knew it, he was wiping her down with the hot clothes, and even though it felt amazing, she didn't want to admit it.
Ayla had never had anyone wash her before, and she thought that maybe it wasn't so bad.
That was not what she had in mind.
Since the bed was soaked, he left a towel underneath her so she would stay clean and dry.
As he finished with the cleaning, it was time to change the sheets, and she knew he wouldn't be able to do that without releasing her.
He was at his feet, grabbing sheets and getting ready to swap them.
"How do you plan to change them with me still on the bed?" she smirked.
"Easy".
Alexander peeled the corners away all around her and balled the old ones toward her.
Once they seemed to all be sitting right at her, he picked her up and removed them.
"AAAHH," she let out at suddenly being picked up just enough for him to pull the old sheet out from under her.
"How many girls have you kidnapped?"
"One," he replied cheekily.
Ayla couldn't help but smile at his response.
He didn't deny his actions.
Alexander seemed proud of them.
Working from top to bottom, he put the two top corners of the sheet on the mattress.
"Ready, princess," he asked this time.
"I would put my arm around your neck, but they are currently tied up at the moment," she retorted with her sarcastic grin.
He gently lifted her, just enough to slide the sheet past her, put her back down, and finished making the bed around her.
Admitting that she was unaware of how she had made him feel, she knew that this was extreme.
Even so, he was still being sweet about it.
Afterward, with no hands to feed herself, he gladly started feeding her the collection of meats and treats from the plate, as he fed himself.
This whole time, he acted like a true man-child with limited mental capacity, in her opinion anyway.
Now, he seemed so different.
Capable.
Insane, and a kidnapper, but capable.
Ayla didn't know what to do.
She had a short time to think about it when he disappeared to take a quick shower.
Actually, she was a bit jealous that he did that.
"I'm sorry," she told him when he was back in bed.
Partly because she meant it, and partly because she felt like her arms might be going numb.
"Sorry for what?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You name it. Scaring you, hurting you, and putting you in danger. I didn't mean for any of it. I didn't mean to make you mad when I ran."
He interrupted her.
"Is that what you think? You made me mad? No. I was terrified. I had no clue where you'd go at first. The thought of something happening to you and not being able to protect you nearly destroyed me. That's when it dawned on me to go to the cave."
She was starting to understand him, maybe.
"I'm really sorry. I don't plan on doing that again. It was selfish of me not to think about you. All I was doing was thinking about myself, and I didn't realize that we're going through the same thing."
Alexander was unsure of what to make of her confession.
"Is this because your arms are numb? I know how long they've been up there for now."
She didn't want to lie.
"You want the truth. Only partly."
He laughed.
"I'll make you a deal. I don't want to set you free."
She didn't like where his deal was headed.
"How's that the start of a deal?"
Alexander was trying hard not to break.
"Just listen to me. Not free per se. Above your head might not be the most comfortable position. What about handcuffed to me while we sleep, so I know you won't go anywhere?"
She knew this was about trust.
Ayla also knew that she had damaged that trust by running once.
They both needed to be able to trust each other.
Hesitantly, she nodded.
There was no problem with the two of them being chained together for a power nap.
Not if it meant he knew she wasn't running.
Outside the room, Julius had been getting the new members of their team situated.
That turned out to be more work than he imagined.
Not only would they need apartments, but suitable jobs for income.
Yes, they needed to protect Ayla, but that wasn't all they were good for.
While the four men were getting accustomed to the new apartments they chose, Julius was formulating a plan.
He had to look over the club's books to see what they could use in terms of staff.
More than that, was it feasible to add four more staff members to their budget?
Julius was definitely a frugal man.
Then, he started to think, would it be possible for the men to behave in such an environment?
It was the only place he could think of that might work.
Remembering that he actually had two bartending and two bouncer spots open, he thought it would work.
Over the past few weeks, some of his staff had moved or gotten new jobs.
There was only one way to find out if this was even possible.
Heading to the apartment of Phoenix and Raphael first, he would see what they could do.
Ultimately, there were more spots open, and more businesses, but he thought they looked right for those positions.
More so, he wanted to keep as much of their personal lives as quiet as possible and be able to keep an eye on them.
Most travelers made it to the club, and it gave them a view of everyone who entered the city.
They had the least familiar faces of the wolves, so tactically, it made sense.
All they had to do was be able to make drinks and have a simple conversation.
Julius hoped he wasn't being too optimistic with his vision.
"KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!"
Hoping he hadn't knocked too hard, he waited nervously for them to answer.
Inside, Phoenix and Raphael sprang up, happy to welcome their first guest.
They knew the building was supposed to be safe, so in their mind, it couldn't be someone bad.
Without a morsel of hesitation, they flung the door open.
"Oh, hey!" Raphael smiled even bigger.
"Did you look to see who was at the door before you answered it?" Julius asked.
"Look? What do you mean?" Phoenix asked with furrowed eyebrows.
Julius managed to keep his composure, knowing it wasn't their fault.
When he took them to their new home, he didn't say a word about the place.
They came down from the tenth floor, wandered out on the second, and picked a door at random.
Once they had, he simply let them in, handed over the keys, and headed back to the elevator when it was all done.
He thought they might explore the apartment and its features at a minimum, but they clearly hadn't.
Phoenix and Raphael didn't want to question him either because, technically, he showed dominance over them according to the pack hierarchy, even without it really.
Realizing they missed a few steps, Julius decided to give them a tour of the apartment and encouraged them to ask him questions.
He stated that they would be living there alone, and that it was their home, so they needed to ask as many questions as they could while he was showing them around.
Julius felt bad for them, but not that bad.
The two men would be thrown into living as he and Alexander had been living.
They were lucky, though; they had a team behind them to lean on.
He could see himself in Phoenix and how the pair resembled him and his best friend.
If his father raised Raphael, then why wouldn't it be the other way around?
It didn't matter.
Julius wasn't jealous of Raphael.
In fact, he was happy Raphael had Dominic.
Before too long, the two men had figured out the majority of the apartment and were fascinated with how modern and technological it was compared to what they had in the pack.
When Julius got to the front door security, they were mind-blown.
They didn't see a peephole or any way to indicate that it was possible to see who was outside their door.
"Yeah, people have found ways of using all that against homeowners. We didn't think they were safe anymore. We have a security room that monitors everything on all the floors, but in addition, each apartment has its own way of seeing the hallway right in front of its door."
Julius was walking to the front door.
There didn't appear to be anything there, but then they saw a section of the wall that was obviously a singled-out square.
It blended in so perfectly that you had to know about it to find it.
"Leave it blank, put a picture over it, a coat rack in front of it. Doesn't matter to me, no one will see it."
When he pushed on it, it popped out and then slid up, revealing four screens.
They revealed two different views down the hall, straight down in front of the door, and the front stoop of the building.
Next to the screens, there sat a black thing that looked like a button, and a red one.
Phoenix had the look of a boy who had his cake and was about to eat it, too, on his face.
"That is amazing!"
Raphael nodded in agreement.
"OH, you said it, Phoenix. We never had anything like this in the pack," Raphael added to Phoenix's statement, "but what do those do?" he asked, pointing to the black and red nobs.
Julius pointed to the black buzzer first.
"The black one opens the door on the front stoop. Red means emergency. I need you to remember that red equals emergency. If you hit the red, the building locks down. NO ONE can go in or out. It alerts Alexander and me that it was pushed, and we know that there is an emergency."
The two men had a new feeling of admiration for Julius as he spoke to them.
Dominic was impressive, but his son might have been more impressive.
"Yes, sir. Don't hit red unless absolutely necessary," Phoenix acknowledged.
"Now, do you two know what you plan on doing since you are staying?"
They both looked confused.
"I figured you wouldn't want to sit around all day doing nothing, so I had a thought you might enjoy. Care to hear it?"
They nodded curiously.
"Bartending."
It was one word, but it was a magical word.
Phoenix and Raphael knew that it meant they could mingle and stay in the club atmosphere more often.
They didn't care what the details were.
Those two were in!
Phoenix and Raphael were really starting to like him and these plans he concocted.
Julius wanted to see what kind of drinks they knew how to make already, and this time, he was surprised.
There had to have been bars in the pack territory, or at least alcohol, because they were pretty good at making drinks.
They made a few that he had never heard of, but they were delicious.
He had to show them a few regular things that people typically ordered, but he had a good feeling about them.
That night, they would have their trial run to see if they wanted to keep doing it.
Julius wasn't worried as he left them and made his way down to follow the same steps for a second time.
It was just that.
Rinse and repeat time for the same exact sequence of events.
He knew what to do that time, though, because he learned the first time.
Practice makes perfect, and he was happy he chose to practice on the younger two.
Dominic and Mason were just as impressed with the upgrades that the 'boys', as they saw Alexander and Julius, had made.
The building really was a safe, secure place for them all to rest their heads at night.
Even if it was breached, they had a plan for that.
Dominic couldn't have been prouder.
Now that he had met Julius, he was determined to earn the same level of proud from his son.
He accepted the bouncer job without a second thought, and Mason followed after that.
Mason wasn't going to let Dominic outshine him, no matter what the reason was.
Those two had always been competitive with everything.
This would be no different.
They were asserting their dominance.
It was a wolf thing, and a thing of pride.
Julius just hoped it would benefit all of them, mainly Ayla.
That's what happened when wolves got together without an Alpha in the bunch.
Eventually, a few would start asserting their dominance until one became not just the alpha, but a new Alpha of a new pack.
Is that what Ayla was causing?
Would she be the bringer of a completely new pack, with a new Alpha?
That wasn't something any of them had thought of as they started collecting wolves one by one.
At that point in time, they needed to focus on one day at a time.
For the new team, they had a new mission to focus on.
It was making it through one night at the club without incident.
They all knew that Julius planned on a trial run that evening, so they hoped it would go off without any problems.
Knowing the curse Ayla brought with her, that was unlikely.
They were about to find out since it would be showtime soon, as the sun was starting to go down, and the moon was coming out to play.