Taken by the Wolf Ch. 16

They had another night completely to themselves, which was actually more nerve-wracking than it was reassuring. Bella wasn't able to fall asleep for long after the lights had gone out. Thoughts kept whirling around her head, wondering about the document with the Moon government's seal on it that had been on the Wolf's desk, wondering what it meant, trying to figure out how to convince Alex that this was important. Then again, maybe it was better that he continued focusing on escaping, because that was something she'd never put much stock in... now she had her own wrinkle to focus on. Maybe it was better if they were both concentrating on something different; if each of their focus was divided then that might just be distracting.

Still, she felt that it was more important than he apparently did.

After all, even if they managed to escape the compound, what would be their next move? Bella wondered if escaping might actually put them in more danger than ever... not only did the Wolf have allies on the Moon that might return her and Alex to him, but as far as she knew no one had ever escaped the Wolf. If they were re-caught, what would he do to them? And she knew that Alex was still practically ignoring the problem of the trackers in their shoulders, he was focusing on one step at a time, looking for a way out of the compound before he tackled the next problem.

Maybe that was why he was so focused when she had trouble; he took on one thing at a time whereas she kept looking at the whole big picture and essentially freezing instead of acting. The idea of escape, as a whole, seemed insurmountable. Cooperating, getting through their days and eventually being released, just like everyone else, was easier.

And maybe that was part of the Wolf's power too.

If she was scared for her life or worried that he meant to keep them forever, maybe she'd have more of Alex's fighting spirit. But the truth was, for the most part she felt fairly secure within the mythology that had sprung up around the Wolf. There were occasional moments when she wondered if they were truly in more danger than they realized, but for the most part she hugged the knowledge that his captives were always released and returned to their families.

She could live through this. Bend. Accommodate. Survive. That had been her plan from the start. But if the Wolf had his claws into the Moon's government, even if it was just through trickery or theft, then their problems were so much bigger than just escaping.

******

The soldiers came at their usual time, unlike the day before. Food and bathroom first, but then Alex and Bella were escorted to the Wolf's hall, rather than outside to exercise. Which, knowing the Wolf had a "guest" coming, was not at all reassuring.

Alex wrapped his arm around Bella, glancing down at her face. He could feel the tension in her body, but from the way she was wrinkling her forehead and nibbling on her lower lip, he didn't think the tension was entirely from fear or anxiety. She was thinking about something. Of course he couldn't ask what, but from last night he knew that she was becoming obsessed with the Moon seal she'd seen. If the guest really was from the Moon, he didn't know what he would do.

He eyed the gun in its holster on the soldier closest to him. It was strapped in, and he didn't know enough to know whether or not it was fully charged. While he'd shot similar weapons for fun on the Moon, they were always kept at half or low charges. Meant to stun, not kill. Stunning someone wouldn't really do much for him or Bella. If he could even get the gun unstrapped from its holster before being shot himself.

They were led into the room where the Wolf was standing on the dais. His desk had been removed and there was a small table with two chairs on either side, facing it. A thick red carpet had been laid down on the dais and draperies erected behind it, giving an overall impression of wealth and decadence. They were placed on either side of him; Bella kneeling gracefully, Alex much less so. Stirring at the Wolf's side, Alex glanced up to see the Wolf raise an eyebrow and give his collar a meaningful look... followed by a sidelong glance at Bella.

Alex got the message.

Behave or I'll use the collar, and if that's not enough to deter you, Bella will serve as your whipping boy.

Looking at Bella, he saw her focusing on the door at the end of the room. At least she hadn't seen the exchange. She wasn't interested in the Wolf right now, she was interested in the visitor and he knew it was because she was afraid she might recognize the person who came through the door.

When the doors opened, and a completely unfamiliar woman walked through the door, followed by an entourage of soldiers, a wave of relief washed over him and he could feel that same sense of relief coming from Bella. It was too awful to think that someone on the Moon had betrayed their own, that someone up there might know what was happening to them and sat by and did nothing. Confirmation of that... well, it wouldn't have broken him, but he would have been lying to himself to say that he'd be unaffected.

The woman walking towards them had a hard edge to her that no one from the Moon families would have. Her dark red hair was cut short, whereas Moon females always wore theirs long, and framed a face that was both strong and feminine. There was something about the way she walked that marked her as a fighter, and not just because of the guns and knives that were strapped to her body. Her eyes constantly flitted around the room as she walked towards the Wolf, and even though she was strutting with supreme confidence, Alex got the impression that she was also taking the measure of the Wolf's men, as well as all the exits in the room.

For him, it was like seeing something out of an action vid. He'd never seen people who behaved like this in real life. It was almost disturbing to realize that scenes like this actually happened.

The people ranged behind her were dressed in similar clothing to the Wolf's men, but there was something slightly different about them. It took Alex a few moments of watching to realize that, while they were mostly wearing the same colors, the woman's soldiers all had black bands around all their hems - neckline, armholes, etc. It wasn't especially distinctive, but it was a unifying factor, making them look like an opposing army.

When she came to a halt, about twenty feet away from the dais, the rest of her soldiers stopped as well, all of them still looking around the room. A few of them were greeting their friends among the Wolf's men with grins and waves, but they were still watchful. Obviously she had visited the compound before, done business with the Wolf before, but their relations weren't entirely without tension. Alex wondered if that was usual on Earth or if she might be someone who could turn out to be an ally.

Then her eyes swept coldly over both him and Bella's naked bodies, blatantly assessing in the same detached way that the Wolf often had about them, and Alex dismissed the notion that she might be helpful. Better the devil they knew than the devil they didn't, and he wasn't going to fool himself into thinking she was anything but another demon. Next to her was a mountain of a man with dark brown skin that practically gleamed on his bald head. Such a starkly different skin tone was unusual; while history books told them that the skin colors of Earth's population had at one point varied greatly, most skin tones now were in a range between light tan and dark tan. Very light and very dark skin was uncommon. He dismissed Alex almost immediately, his eyes settling on Bella who looked back at him with undisguised anxiousness.

"Cora," the Wolf said, nodding his head slightly by way of greeting. "Welcome back. I trust you didn't have any trouble getting here?"

"Scott. Nothing a few hundred credits couldn't take care of," the woman said with a grin. As if that was some kind of signal, the tension in the room seemed to relax and the various parties began to greet each other, the soldiers seamlessly integrating with each other into a mingled mass of greetings and chatter. Ignoring them all, Cora stepped forward with the large dark-skinned man to close the distance between her and the Wolf, who was already moving back to sit down.

Somewhat in shock, Alex obediently followed the soldier's orders for once, settling himself back on his knees on one side of the Wolf's chair.

Bella had just enough time to shoot him a glance and mouth "SCOTT?!!" before she was kneeling on the other side.

The revelation that the Wolf had a first name, and such an innocuous sounding one, was strangely stunning. Alex felt like he'd taken a blow to the chest. But why? It took him a few minutes, as the Wolf and Cora settled into their seats, to figure out what was so shocking about it.

The media, the Moon government, always cloaked the Wolf in mystery. No name. No sure idea where he came from or how he'd achieved his power. He was the most well-known figure from the Earth on the Moon, and yet very little facts were ever revealed about him.

But the casual way he and Cora had exchanged their greetings marked them as equals. The Wolf hadn't cared that she'd called him "Scott." Yet every single one of his men, including Jordan, always referred to him as the Wolf. But who was she and why hadn't Bella and Alex ever heard of her? More than that, it seemed as though there were plenty of people on Earth who knew the Wolf's name. No one else in the room had so much as twitched. And yet the Moon remained in ignorance.

There was a wealth of information in that one exchange, Alex was pretty certain he hadn't even realized all of the implications yet. But he did know one thing. He wouldn't think of the Wolf as "Scott." It was too normal, too humanizing. The man was The Wolf and he was the enemy. ******

He had a real name. Bella gave the Wolf a sidelong glance. Not that she could easily think of him as someone as innocuous as 'Scott,' but it was still strange to think that he had a real name. A mother and father somewhere too. Somehow she'd pictured him as being sprung, fully formed, as a powerhouse on Earth.

But he was Scott, and she was Cora.

Bella looked over at the other woman, only to find that she was being studied in turn. A blush rose in her cheeks as the other woman looked her over. She was everything Bella wasn't. Hard, strong, powerful. Intelligence shown in her eyes and the ready violence of a soldier was written in every line of her body. And for a moment, Bella felt nothing but envy.

This was a woman who was sure of herself. Who was respected. Bella bet Cora's significant other would never cheat on her. He would never dare. And she'd never allow herself to be used as a sex toy. Or, if she did, she would be more like Alex. Not like Bella.

But that just wasn't who she was. Bella was Bella and she couldn't change that with a snap of her fingers. And right now, Bella could only think over everything they'd just witnessed.

If the Wolf did have allies, or even just one ally, on the Moon, then maybe that's why they'd never heard his name before. Maybe that's why they knew so little about him. Maybe that's why the media focused so much on him... Everyone knew their were other crime lords on Earth of course, and that the world was basically ruled by them, but the Wolf was the only one who ever seemed to make the news.

"Have you seen John lately?" the Wolf asked Cora, as soldiers came up to offer them refreshments. The big black man standing behind Cora's chair shook his head in refusal before his gaze settled back on Bella. She looked away from him, peeking at Cora, who was no longer looking at her. Truthfully, either of them looking at her made her feel unsettled; they looked like they were measuring her, trying to decide if she was a treat that might be offered up along with the food and drink. "There's a shipment scheduled to go up soon that might interest him."

"So I've heard," Cora said, grinning as she took a sip from the glass she'd chosen. "He's visiting me next week. I'll direct him on to you afterwards."

"Please do."

Well that was one question answered, Bella realized. It would be hard for the Moon to intercept messages between the various Earth factions if all real information was done face to face. No electronic traces, no opportunity to hack into a line, they'd have to have a spy in place. Maybe she could be that spy.

Unfortunately, it very quickly became obvious that the Wolf and Cora weren't going to be doing any real business right now. This was a kind of opening ceremonies, a chance to reacquaint themselves.

She learned that the huge black man was named Trace and he was Cora's right hand man. Whatever was going down between the Wolf and Cora, it had to do with weapons. And Cora was the one with the access to them. Another fact that fascinated. Bella wondered what it was the Wolf had that Cora wanted, but although it was obvious something was being traded, they never specified exactly what. Cartons of something mysterious.

Then the conversation took a much more disturbing turn.

"So what happened to Slave?" Cora asked, although from the lack of true query voice it was obvious she knew the answer. The question was just a segue into a conversation about Bella and Alex. Bella peeked up to see that Cora was looking over Alex, while Trace's focus was still on her.

A shiver went down her spine as the Wolf's hand landed on top of her head, stroking her hair. Her fists clenched.

"It was time for her to go home," he said conversationally. "This is Pet and Toy." His hand gripped Bella's hair to force her to look up as he said his nickname for her. She couldn't see what Alex's reaction was but he must have done something. "Toy's still learning how to be good."

Cora's hazel eyes almost seemed to glow as she looked Alex's kneeling form up and down. "So I see. Do you think you might be willing to share?"

All of Bella's muscles tensed. The expectation on Cora and Trace's face said they already knew the answer. The hot, hungry look in the huge man's eyes as they traveled over her body made her want to cower against the Wolf and beg him to to say no. Not that it would make any difference, but there was something even more frightening about Trace and Cora than there was about the Wolf. Maybe because she'd at least heard of him before and now she had a small idea of what to expect from him, whereas they were complete unknowns.

"What's your pleasure?" the Wolf asked easily.

Cora's eyes were still on Alex. "I think I'd like to play with your Toy."

Not unexpectedly, there was movement on the other side of the Wolf although Bella couldn't see exactly what. Cora just smiled, the way a viper might before it struck.

Behind her, Trace frowned and leaned down to whisper in her ear. The woman's eyes flitted over to Bella. Cora looked back Trace and shook her head. "Next time, perhaps, darling." Standing, she smiled at Alex, her face alight with anticipation.

"Just remember Cora, if you break your toys, you don't get new ones to play with," the Wolf said.

Her small pink tongue flicked out against her lower lip in anticipation as her eyes returned to Alex. "Understood."

Fear for Alex, jealousy, possessiveness all washed through Bella in a tumble of conflicting emotions, even as her anxiety for herself leapt higher as the Wolf stood, his fingers tangling in her hair. Soldiers were already pulling Alex away down towards the center of the room as those standing and sitting there cleared a place.

An all too familiar grinding noise made Bella whimper. The platform was rising in the center of the room, and that was where Alex was being pulled towards. She turned her head, making her scalp pull where the Wolf's fingers were, but she had to watch. Although he wasn't exactly fighting, Alex was definitely resisting being pulled down there.

Beside her, the Wolf's chair was shifted and he sat down again, this time facing the platform that had risen in the middle of the floor. She didn't fight as he pulled her onto his lap, cupping one of her breasts as his other hand stroked her thigh. They both watched as Cora directed the soldiers holding the resisting Alex.

******

The cuffs snapped shut around his wrists and ankles, holding him spread eagle and standing upright in the center of a large wooden frame. The chains connecting the cuffs to the frame had barely any give, forcing his body to be held in a large X shape, with no room to maneuver.

He could see the combined groups of soldiers settling back for the show as Cora paced slowly around him. Under other circumstances, he might have thought her an attractive enough woman. Right now, he was battling his own anger and frustration at his situation, and his worry over Bella being left up on the dais with the Wolf and Cora's right hand man.

"Aren't you a pretty one?" Cora murmured, stepping closer to draw one of her nails down the center of his chest, hard enough to leave a red mark but not so hard as to break skin. Keeping his face impassive, Alex stared down at her. She smiled up at him, tracing her nail over to his nipple and lightly circling it with her finger. "And so fierce. Trace wanted to play with the pretty Pet, you know. She seemed so sweet... so submissive... but I wanted something a little more entertaining today."

Her other hand suddenly gripped his balls and squeezed, hard enough that he gasped as sweat broke out on his forehead. The pressure was painful and unexpected enough that if he hadn't been cuffed to the frame, his knees might have buckled. Staring up at him, watching his expression, Cora held on for a few moments and then released. When she did, he dragged in a much needed deep breath of air; his lungs loosening along with her hold and he sagged against the cuffs.

FUCK.

"Poor Moon boy..." she murmured, rubbing her hand over his chest in a soothing manner as he caught his breath. His balls were still cupped in her hand, cradled now. "No one ever teaches you how to deal with anything, much less pain."

Her fingers closed again, like a vise, and this time Alex couldn't help his half-strangled cry as his head fell back, body trying to arch towards her and pull away at the same time, confused as to which would relieve the painful pressure on his sack. The crushing grip was making him nauseous with how much it hurt.

This time when she released, he opened his eyes to see her studying his expression, which he did his best to keep blank. But he knew that she would see the remnants of pain in the tightness of his jaw and the wrinkles on his brow that he couldn't quite ease. She peered up at him with interest, her lips slightly parted, leaning in towards him so that her breasts brushed his chest. Her fingers cradled his balls again, gently massaging as if to make up for the pain she'd just put him through.

"If I let you go, would you fight me?" she asked, her voice husky with arousal.

"Yes," Alex grated out, fists clenching uselessly.

She just laughed, sounding a bit breathless. "You'd lose, little boy."

Walking around behind him, she dragged her nails along his torso, making him shiver and wince at the same time. It wasn't quite a tickling sensation and it wasn't quite painful, but an uncomfortable combination of both. He couldn't stop himself from writhing a bit, hating the involuntary reaction but knowing it was what she'd aimed for.

Then her nails raked down his back and he arched away, the cuffs holding him in place as the painful scratches burned. The people sitting around the tables in front of him laughed; his movement had looked like he was thrusting forward. Something brushed against his back, lightly, and he immediately tensed, before he realized what she was doing.