Chapter 5: Untouched
Pandora
"A virgin? Where are we supposed to find a virgin? Not even the priestesses are."
"Could it be a human or…?" asked a broad-shouldered alpha.
"No. Only wolves," replied the master of ceremonies.
"This can’t be!" others shouted.
"We wolves are sexual creatures... You can’t seriously expect us to find someone who hasn’t fucked with another."
Yet the atmosphere left no doubt: the matter was deadly serious. I wished the earth would swallow me whole; this had turned far too personal. For a fleeting instant, I thought I might escape this madness, but everything changed in the span of a heartbeat.
"We have this round won, Tristan," said Piero, stepping in front of me so the others would stop staring.
"What did you say?" Tristan growled. Anything that concerned me seemed to irritate him.
"She’s a tribute to Drogba. Everyone knows tributes are…"
"Enough!" the alpha roared.
Now Drogba himself was advancing toward us.
"I want my tribute back," he declared.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me," Piero spat.
"She’s mine. She was given to me. She’s a virgin; the Moon has chosen this, so I may advance with my team in the first stage. Besides, perhaps I’ll do her the favor of making sure she isn’t a virgin much longer, after the Zero Point, I mean..." Drogba added, smirking.
Tristan’s hands trembled. I didn’t know how I had gone from being nothing but a discarded scrap, passed from hand to hand, to becoming something valuable and coveted.
"Go to hell!" Tristan shouted.
He and Piero shielded me, blocking Drogba from view. Still, I felt Drogba’s gaze pierce straight through. I wasn’t sure which alpha was worse, but I would have sworn it was Drogba. My heart pounded and heat rose through me. The old woman had trained me for years, but not for this. Never for this.
"You said you’d lend her to me, didn’t you? And besides...she’s on my team," Tristan snarled, to my astonishment, pointing at one of the boards where his name was followed by "savage". I had been certain he would either let me go or, at the very least, trade me away. Surely, he’d rather take any other virgin than me.
The other players watched intently. Some had left to solve the problem, while others were riveted by this clash between alphas. I was certain these two were one of the main attractions of the Shadow Bet.
"My apologies, Alpha Drogba. The rogue alpha is correct: the young savage belongs to his team. In other circumstances, you might claim her, but not during the phases of the game," the master of ceremonies explained. I still thought falling into Drogba’s hands under any circumstance was a terrible idea.
"But I am the reigning champion," Drogba growled. His golden hair gleamed; he looked every bit the alpha accustomed to always getting his way.
"You used your one right as champion to give the rogue alpha your tribute. The decision has been made; your names are already inscribed in the great book. There is no turning back," the man declared. Drogba bellowed in rage.
"Seems your pride betrayed you once again, alpha," Piero added with a smirk, folding his arms.
"We’ll see about that, beta. Besides… I’m not even certain that bitch is a virgin," Drogba sneered.
"What did you say?" Tristan demanded, fury flashing across his face.
"Her father, that wretched alpha, claimed she was a virgin. But everyone knows his pack is savage. Who can guarantee she’s pure, untouched? Also, she slept in your room, Tris..."
"I swear, Drogba, if you…" Tristan threatened. Until now, Drogba had struck me as volatile, and I knew some things about him, how to soothe him, how to please him, how to earn his trust and support. Or so I believed. But I knew nothing about my enemy, my new master, my unwilling companion in this torturous game.
"What then? She’s mine, and I’ll do with her whatever I please. The rules may forbid me from taking advantage of her now, but make no mistake—I will use her as I see fit. And you—what does she imprint on you?" Drogba hissed, dripping with venom.
"That is none of your damned business," Tristan bit out, each word sharp as a blade.
"What do you propose, Alpha?" the master of ceremonies asked. "If the Pierce Moon team intends to use the young lady, and she is not a virgin, that is their judgment call. But it also places her life at risk," he added. Tristan reached a hand behind him, as though making sure I was still there.
"Well, since she is my property, I would like… let’s say… for a virginity test to be done," Drogba remarked with a smile, as casually as if he were speaking of the weather.
"A virginity test?" Piero repeated, outraged.
Tristan stood frozen in shock. I saw the claws slip from his fingers. For a moment, I feared he would shift. I took a step back in horror. The very idea was appalling. The implication was unspeakable. I didn’t know much about these things, but I could guess what the test entailed.
“Yes, I need to know if that filthy alpha lied. He said his daughter was a virgin. As her master, I need to confirm it."
"You mean to do this now? Right now?" Piero snapped.
Tristan could not speak; he only panted like a bull on the verge of changing.
"You bastard!" Piero roared.
"Alphas, I suggest you hasten this matter. The leak in the game has given you a few extra hours, but the stages will proceed. The first begins in ten hours. I recommend you use that time wisely, as others already have."
It was true. Wolves were already scattering; the great casino dome emptied in an instant.
"And you, young savage, you will go to the test," the master of ceremonies said, pointing at me.
"Me? But..." I stammered, my throat tightening.
"I have already summoned someone special to examine her. Perhaps they can tell me if she bears any marks… down there," Drogba added with vile amusement.
Then, a nurse-like woman appeared and seized my arm.
"Everyone knows what this will mean, we’ll lose our advantage!" Tristan shouted, struggling in vain, and she dragged me away.
Tristan remained seething with clenched fists, but at least I was far from him. Still, nothing about this felt safe.
She led me into a consulting room, where she handed me a gown.
"Take off all your clothes and put this on," she said. The doctor will arrive shortly," she said, then left.
The gown was made of thin fabric. I felt more exposed than ever. When the doctor entered, he was an elderly man, but he was not alone. Behind him stood another figure clad in gray. Most likely someone from the Nightfang Council or the Shadow Bet.
“Good afternoon, young lady. Make yourself comfortable. Sit here," the old man instructed. I trembled from head to toe.
“Don’t be afraid, child. We won’t hurt you. Just be a good little savage and open your legs for us."