Handcuffs.
Ayla's eyes grew large as she began to squirm in an attempt to escape from underneath Alexander's body and hold.
Why was he holding handcuffs in the air?
What was Alexander thinking?
Ayla knew that he had lost his mind.
One minute, she was luring him into their bedroom to seduce him.
Next, he was pulling handcuffs out of the drawer to lock her up.
Was this it?
It finally hit her like a ton of bricks.
The final part of the plan.
Outside the door lay five men waiting to capture her, as the sixth was there to do the deed.
She finally put her guard down, and they got her.
They did it.
Ayla was trapped and defenseless.
Trying to fight and wiggle her way out was nearly impossible.
He was on top of her.
Alexander was leaning his impressive body into hers.
Why was she so aroused by what he was doing?
"GGGRRRR" she let out.
His eyebrow raised as he tightened the grip that held her hands together at the wrist above her head.
"Be a good girl now. Don't make me punish you".
"GGGGGRRRRR" her lip snarled as she dug her heels into the bed and attempted to get free again.
He was between her legs, pressing his body even harder into her.
Now she could feel his hard cock firmly against her body as well.
She wasn't the only one aroused by this.
Sensing that she was momentarily distracted, he snapped one side of the cuffs on one wrist.
"Hey, wait" she yelled out, almost hiding her whimpers all the way.
Ayla was now attempting even harder to break her arms free.
His strength was unmatched as he now used both hands to secure them.
"NO" he said very sternly.
Nothing else, just no.
Was there any reason for her to keep trying?
The second she quit moving her arms and looked at him, he twisted the free cuff around the bar of the headboard and slapped the remaining steel cuff on her free wrist.
There was no shame or remorse present for his actions.
"Now, you can't run away" he said proud of himself.
It was like he had accomplished a major triumph.
She had a mixed array of emotions flooding through her.
"I make the rules today. You made bad choices yesterday. It's time to pay for that".
There was a sort of play in his voice
Ayla knew that she wasn't in danger now.
Well, not of being kidnapped.
That wasn't true.
Technically, no, not technically, he one hundred percent 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 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 finger 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 her core against his erect cock.
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 thrusted himself inside of her, she let out a loud, pleasurable moan that made him grip her throat again as he thrusted over and over as deeply and hard as he could, each stroke, causing her to orgasm quickly.
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, one deep, powerful. G-spot pounding thrust at a time, until they came together.
When they were finished, she was sure he would remove the handcuffs.
She wanted to get that food and clean herself up.
Ayla was wrong.
After they were done, he flopped down beside her and kissed 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 smiled.
"The handcuffs. You can take them off now. We both clearly finished".
She attempted to use her hands to point out the puddle of liquid under her on the bed, but her hands her still bound to the headboard.
"Oh, you thought I just did that for sex. NO. You made me think everything was all fine and dandy yesterday. All cool and calm. Then, when I wasn't watching, you bolted. Today, you had that same tone after talking with Dominic. I'm not an idiot. You are not sneaking away while I post sex nap. If the sheets are an issue, I can change them really quickly".
"What about a shower and food, Alex"?
"I have no problem with that either. Be right back".
He ran out of the room and came back 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 it felt amazing.
Ayla had never had anyone wash her before, and she thought that maybe it wasn't so bad.
Since the bed was a bit soaked, he left a towel underneath her so she would stay clean and dry.
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.
As he finished with the cleaning and feeding, 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 manage.
"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.
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, hurting, 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, and I had no clue where you would 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 are 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 is 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 knew that she had also 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 after sex.
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 werewolves 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 quiet as possible, per usual.
Additionally, most guests made it to the club, and it gave them a view of everyone who entered the city essentially.
They had less familiar faces than the older two 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 did a decent job at holding his composure because he knew it wasn't their fault.
When he showed them to their new apartments, he didn't tell them anything about their homes.
They came down from the tenth floor and strolled out on the second, just picking a door.
Once they did, he basically let them in, gave them a key, and headed back to the elevator when he was done.
Phoenix and Raphael didn't want to question him 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 so they could ask him questions.
Actually, he encouraged them to ask him anything.
He stated that they would be living here alone, and this 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 versus 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, 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 show time soon.