Your Second Lie

**BLANCA**
I'm still in a daze after Max's announcement in town square. Immediately after his declaration, a chorus of boos rang out amongst the crowd and a few more stones were thrown my way. But Max put an end to that quickly, promising that I would be punished daily and that I would be worked so hard that my fingers would bleed. Then Elder Douglas proclaimed that I would be given the mark of the slave. A branding of the flesh made with a red hot silver stamp. That is when cheers rose throughout the courtyard and Max had me removed from the stage then stashed in his office.
I wonder if Max realizes that shiftless are much more susceptible to silver than normal wolf shifters are. For example, when a normal wolf shifter touches silver, it may burn and the flesh may start to smoke. It may even leave them scarred, but it will more or less heal. When a shiftless touches silver, not only will it burn, but it will poison our blood, causing illness and in many cases death. All depending on the severity of the contact, of course. A red hot silver branding on my skin will most certainly be a death strike.
*But the elders know that. It's their job to know things like that.*
I sigh, listening to the noises coming from the other side of the wall, where Max and the elders are discussing his decision. Everyone else that came tonight seems to have gone home and for that I am grateful. I don't know where Max intends to keep me or what duties he plans to torture me with, but it beats a lifetime in the dark of the dungeon. I can't really think of much that might cause my fingers to *bleed* in the way he promised, however I'm sure he was only exaggerating. *Right?*
"How did this happen, Goddess?" I whisper, not sure if I'm happy or sad about still being alive. "What are you up to?"
Could Max actually want to claim me? *No. Don’t be stupid. He most assuredly wants to reject you so that he doesn’t have to endure the death of his mate.*
Maybe if I speak to the Moon Goddess tonight before I sleep, she'll visit me in a dream. It *has* happened once before. On the night of my sixteenth birthday, just after Frank and Talbot left me bleeding in my cell. I prayed to her as I fell asleep. Begging her to end my pain. That night, I dreamt she came into my cell and stroked her hands over my forehead in the way a loving mother might do. She promised me that all my suffering was not in vain. That one day every hand that ever touched me in evil, would have it returned to them thrice over. The dream had been *so* real. I can still see her luminous face, as pale as the moon and just as beautiful. After that night, I waited and waited for Frank and Talbot to get what they deserved, but it never happened. Instead, they began to visit their attentions on me more regularly. Once a month at first and then once a week. But now that I am no longer in the prison, maybe that part of my life is over.
The door to the office opens and Max enters. He is alone and I find myself suddenly anxious. *Now maybe I'll find out what he intends to do with me.*
Locking the door at his back, he turns to face me slowly.
"We need to talk," he says quietly. "But I prefer to do so at my home where I know no one will hear us."
"At *your* home?" I ask, as a thread of hope sputters to life inside of me. "Is that where I'll be staying?"
"For tonight," he replies. "It's probably the only place you'll be safe from the rest of the pack."
*For tonight...* I try not to be disappointed by his answer, but I am. *Come on, Blanca. You know better. An Alpha would never accept a Shiftless mate.* At least I'm not headed back to the prison.
"Why do you care if I'm safe or not?" I can't help but ask, lowering my eyes to the black slippers on my feet. Slippers that *he* had sent for me.
The gold of his eyes sparkles in the light as he studies my injuries. "Didn't you feel it?" he asks, watching me.
"You mean, the stones?" I whisper, being deliberately obtuse.
He fairly growls, "No, not the stones damn it."
"Then I'm afraid I don't know what you mean," I deny, lifting my eyes to meet his.
"That would be your second lie," he snaps, before his eyes suddenly glaze over and he draws in a deep, complete breath.
The abrupt fire that ignites in his glare is frightening and I sliver of fear snakes through me. Before he can say anything else, someone pounds on the door and yells, "Your car is ready, Alpha."
"Get up," he spits. "Follow me."
I do as told, stepping outside hesitantly just to freeze when I spy two omega wolves glaring at me from across the street.
Max reaches back and grabs me by the sleeve, careful not to touch my skin. Yanking me forward, he drags me toward his vehicle, then stuffs me in the backseat, slamming the door in my face. I can hear him talking to Beta Jared about arranging the branding for tomorrow morning, and I release a shallow sigh. Watching Max through the heavily tinted windows, I can't help but admire the flex of his biceps beneath his shirt. *No wonder no one challenged him. I've never seen a man so bulked with strength.*
Max climbs into the driver's seat and starts the car without saying a word. As we roll off, I gaze over my shoulder at the omegas on the sidewalk. They are shouting now. Words I cannot hear and probably wouldn't care to. With a sigh of relief, I watch the town square disappear. We rode on for about five minutes. Neither of us saying a word to each other, however, in the mirror, I catch the occasional glare from Max. He's breathing heavily by the time he pulls onto a long driveway behind an open metal gate. A large three story house looms up ahead of us and for a moment I'm hypnotized. What it might be like to have such a beautiful home.
Max pulls the car directly in front of the front steps, opens his door, then commands, "Get out."
I flinch, grabbing the door handle at the very same time he yanks it back, and I go tumbling onto the ground. I cry out as I hit the concrete, the flesh of my knees scraping on the ground.
"Shit," I hear him say, before he's reaching forward and jerking me onto my feet.
Our eyes meet and just for a second, I think I see concern in his gaze, but just as quickly it is gone as he begins dragging me up the steps and into the house. His legs are much longer than my own and he's walking much faster than I'm used to, so I stumble a few times as he leads me down a hall. The house appears to be empty and all is quiet except for the quick clacking of Max's shoes. When we reach a large wooden door, he lets me go to unlock it, then tugs me inside behind him. The lights come on and all I can gather before Max is in my face is that this room appears to be his study. Grabbing me around my biceps, Max shoves me back so roughly that I slam against the door.
"Ah!" I cry out, rubbing the back of my head.
A muscle in his jaw flexes as he glares down at me. "Now," he hisses. "No more lies from you."
I shiver, pressing my back into the door and staring up into the swirling gold irises of his eyes. I nod, but keep silent.
His gaze darkens, the black of his pupils stretching over the gold. "Who is he?"
*Who is he? What?* "Who is who?" I ask.
He laughs humorlessly, his arms coming up to cage me in on both sides. "Don't pretend with me. Don't you dare. After I left the dungeon tonight, you must have had a visitor. Who was he?"
I shake my head, extremely confused. "N-no one, Alpha. I was never allowed visitors."
His jaw flexes angrily and he snarls, "I can smell his sex on you, Blanca. Now, I want his name. *Who* have *you* been fucking?"