"Let me call him."

"No."

"Yes!"

"No."

"Yes!"

"I said no," Cayton declared with a tone of finality. However, I was willing to jump through hoops to get a call to my dad.

"Yes! I swear, I will go on a hunger strike or something if you don't let me!" It had been three days since I was forced here, and I knew my dad was most likely going insane. And why hunger strike was the first thing to come to my mind?

Gandhi. Some documentary I watched last night on him. Guess I did learn something.

"I don't think you could," he says condescendingly. I raise an eyebrow challengingly. If there was one thing I hated, it was people underestimating me. It makes me want to prove my point even more.

"Well I will until you let me talk to him." Instead of responding, he abruptly ignores me and starts flipping through channels, before stopping to watch a baseball game. I stood next to the couch with my arms crossed over my chest. When he continued ignoring me I stomped my foot childishly.

"That's it! I'm done! I'm starving myself until you get your head out of your ass and let me call him." Really, I was going to do it. I hate, absolutely hate, that he is taking my threat like it's nothing. And for some reason proving that I'm not joking seems more important than calling my dad.

I stomp out of the room and down one of the many halls I have never been down. I have no idea where I'm going, but I figure I can find a phone somewhere in this mansion. Might as well make sure I wore out my options before I go to such extremities.

The first door I open revealed a game room. As tempting as it was to play some Mario Kart, I was on a mission. Plus it isn't really fun to play by yourself.

The next door I opened revealed a library. Seriously, who has a library in their house? What's next, am I going to open a door to find a water park?

Cayton didn't really strike me as someone who read books, so I wondered what the purpose of this room is. There were more book than I could count on shelves that reached up higher than my comparably small 5'6" height. I decided that maybe there was a desk somewhere in here that had a phone on it, and for all I knew this place had it's own personal Librarian.

Or maybe there was one of those cool bookshelves that open up to a hidden room.

That would be awesome.

It would be even better if it led to a water park.

I was walking through the maze of shelves, too busy thinking about a hidden water park and finding a phone that I didn't notice a person in front of me until I slammed into their back. Hey, I think I found the Librarian!

"Shit, I'm sorry," I groan, rubbing my forehead where it slammed into the back of the guy's head. Mr. Library guy turned around and sent me a smirk, not even fazed that I just head-butted him. Yea, he was definitely not the Librarian. He looked like he was only about sixteen, and his blonde-hair, blue eyed features beared some resemblence to Carter.

"No problem. You're Macy, right?"

"Possibly. Who's asking?" I do recognize the boy from somewhere, but I can't quite place it. It was from somewhere in this house, that's for sure.

"Hunter," he replied, holding out his hand for me to shake. Despite the fact that I found it odd some random boy was running through the library, I shook his hand.

"Oh, well yes, I'm Macy. How'd you know?"

"The Alpha has been talking a lot about you. I hear you're hard to handle," he chuckles.

"Alpha?" I ask confused. What the hell is an Alpha? Isn't it a letter in the Greek alphabet or something? Ha! See, ALPHAbet.

So a foreign letter has been talking about me to him? Im no psychiatrist but i'm pretty sure that could qualify him as clinically insane. Suddenly I felt that I wasn't safe with this crazy kid.

He studies my face for a second as if he was trying to see if I was joking or not, before his mouth forms an 'o' shape.

"Never mind. So are you lost or...?"

"Oh, no. I was just... looking for a good book to read," I lie, quickly skimming the shelves. I grab some random book and hold it up. "Found it. Well, I must be going now. It was a pleasure meeting you Hunter." I give him a small smile before practically running out of the room. I scold myself because for some reason I tend to talk very formally when I was nervous.

I continue on my search for a phone and hit the jackpot when I open a door to find an office. It's a complete mess and I fight the urge to clean it. I have always been a bit of a neat freak, though you wouldn't guess that by the condition my room is in.

I shuffle through the avalanche of papers on the desk, looking for a phone. Come on, what big fancy desk doesn't have a phone? And would it be to hard to organize and stick these damn papers in files? It would make my life a smidget easier. I freeze when I hear someone turn the doorknob. Cayton comes in, looking at me like a parent does when they catch their child doing something they're not supposed to.

Busted.

"What are you doing?" he asks, crossing his arms over his chest. I couldn't help but think that he looked sexy when he did that. Wait, no, I was just joking. He didn't look sexy. Nope.

Forget it, there was no use in arguing with myself. Let's just be honest here. I have one sexy ass kidnapper.

Who also happened to be an amazing kisser.

Big deal.

"Uh, looking for... some reading glasses?"

"You need reading glasses?"

"I dunno, maybe. Couldn't hurt to try."

"Really?" He gives me a flat look that tells me he isn't buying it.

"Hehe, well no glasses here. I'll just go read in my room. Toodaloo!" I walk past him calmly before I sprint down the hall and up the stairs, immediately hiding myself in my room. Another failed mission, I thought seriously to myself, as if I was in some secret agent movie.

I look down at the book in my hand to see I grabbed a World Almanac. How useful. I sigh and carelessly throw it to the side before I collapse on my bed. Now on to more pressing matters.

I wasn't joking about that hunger strike. Even if it is possibly a stupid and immature way to go about it, I didn't care. Cayton wants to be a stubborn ass, then so would I.

I just wished I would have at least gotten a meal in beforehand. The first thing I did this morning was argue with Cayton about calling my dad, so I didn't get a chance to eat. And I loved food. This was going to be hard, but I'm sure it would be worth it.

*

Three days. Today is the third day of my hunger strike. And let me tell you; it sucks. I'm doubting if It's really worth it, because right now I'm curled into a ball on my bed, my stomach growling furiously, begging for food. I've stayed in my room since the first day since the temptation of food was too great downstairs. At first, TV was enough to distract me, but hunger quickly won over and I could focus on nothing but it. It has been hard to not just go to the kitchen and grab a quick snack.

Even so, Cayton, Tami, Trenton, and even Carter have been trying to get me to eat. I almost gave in when Tami started getting emotional and worried, but I stayed strong. It was hard because it showed me that in the short time I've known her, she seemed to care about me.

Cayton was furious though. He has given me a lecture each time he came up here, but I just zoned out and focused on keeping my thoughts away from food. I have never gone so long without a bite of food and I'm about to lose it. How in the hell did Gandhi do this? How long can you survive without eating anyways? Oh god, I'm going to die aren't I?

Funny how much I've asked myself that lately.

It did occur to me that I was making this like an actual kidnapping myself. Most movies the kidnappers starve and lock their victims in a room without a choice, and here I am doing all that willingly when everyone has all but shoved food down my throat.

Whatever. When I want something strongly, I get it no matter the circumstances. I just think it's going to be harder with Cayton since he is so stubborn and dominant. I'm surprised he hasn't tied me up and forced me to eat yet.

And come on, it was just one phone call I wanted! Even prisoners get one call.

Someone knocks on the door and I tell them to come in weakly. Tami steps in carrying a cup of steaming Ramen Noodles.

Oh no, not my weakness again.

They started bringing them up when I almost gave into eating them the second day.

How dare they.

"Macy, please eat something. You look awful and I can practically hear your stomach from downstairs," she pleads. Her tone was exasperated and solemn, and I knew she is as tired of me rejecting food as I am.

"Not until I get to call my dad."

She sighs defeated and sits the cup on the nightstand. Oh god, it's taunting me. Eat me! Eat me!

Great, my starved brain is making me hallucinate.

"Macy, you're hurting everyone, including yourself."

"Obviously not. If Cayton were so 'hurt', he would let me call my dad. What's the big deal anyways? I just want to let him know I'm ok." I don't ask why the rest of them care, because I know they do. I just don't get why though. Why do they like me enough to care about me?

Obviously, it's my charm. That is the only thing I can come up with.

You've got to admit, I'm pretty freaking charming.

"Just eat something and I'll try talking to Cayton about it again." I shake my head and flip to my other side so I don't have to see that temptation on my nightstand. It's too close for comfort.

She sighs again and sits on the bed with me, resting her back on the headboard. By now, she knows how this rodeo works. Everyday, the same thing happens and we just end up talking. She doesn't press the issue anymore, but I can tell she doesn't like what I'm doing to myself. It's nice to have someone to talk to, and we've learnt a lot about each other. I can safely assume we're friends by now.

Because this is all total BFF stuff.

"Well I just hope you know Cayton is about to have a nervous breakdown. Literally, every time he comes up here and you refuse to eat, he takes his anger out on anything breakable. I've had to clean up like five vases."

"Well then he should do something to fix it. Why is he so worried anyways? He took me from my home against my will and now he's worried about my well-being?"

"There's a lot you don't understand yet," she says.

"Care to explain?" I question. I will admit that I am genuinely curious, because I really don't get Cayton. One minute he's breaking down a door to get to me, then the next he's buying me clothes and worrying about my health? Moody much?

"You'll understand soon enough."

"But-"

"Tami, can you give us a minute?" Cayton questions, stepping into my room. She nods her head and gets up, giving me a warning look before she leaves.

"Tami, can you give us a minute?" I ask, giving her a look that says it's not really a question. She nods and leaves the room.

I take one look at Macy, laying on the bed and curled up in a ball. She won't look over at me; she just keeps her blank expression on her face as she stares at the wall across from her. I start pacing, a habit of mine when I'm trying to keep calm.

"Macy, look at me," I demand. She doesn't move, she doesn't acknowledge me in any way. I huff before crossing the room and sitting directly in front of her. I don't like being ignored, and I especially don't like what she's doing to herself.

Moreover, I'm mad at myself for letting it get this far.

My pride was getting in the way. As much as I wanted to stop her pain, I didn't like that she was disobeying me everyday.

I grab her chin between my fingers and force her to look at me. She keeps her expression blank as she looks at me. She looked horrible. Her face was pale and her eyes were lacking that usual sparkle.

"This has gone too far. This isn't healthy, you need to eat something." She remains quiet and emotionless. It was getting to the point that I was considering holding her down and forcing her to eat. I leaned over her and grabbed the cup Tami brought up from the nightstand, grabbing a forkful and trying to shove it in her mouth. She kept her mouth stubbornly shut.

"Eat, now," I order with my Alpha tone. It always slips my mind that she's only human and it wouldn't have much effect on her. Damn.

She shakes her head and turns to bury her face in the pillow. I groan and slam the stupid cup down on the nightstand. I couldn't take it anymore, it was hurting me to see her like this, and I was getting beyond frustrated. I loved her, but if this is how she wanted to act, then so be it.

"You know what? Go ahead and starve, I don't care." I didn't exactly think my words through before I said that, but I was getting in a dangerous mood. And I didn't want her to be around when I got in a dangerous mood.

I get up and leave without looking back, slamming the door behind me. All the while, my wolf is growling at me.

'You don't mean that. She doesn't deserve to be treated that way,' he tells me.

Of course I didn't mean that. I don't know why I said it honestly. I just... I let my anger get the best of me sometimes. I shouldn't have said that to her. However, it was too late. I couldn't take it back, and I couldn't go back in there without exploding. My wolf was right; she didn't deserve to be treated like that.

"What happened?" Tami asks worriedly as I walk into the living room.

"She won't fucking eat. I don't know what the hell to do!" I roar. I have tried everything I could think to do. Lecturing, yelling, begging, and just now, trying to force food in her mouth. I honestly didn't know what to do. It felt awful being so powerless. As her mate, it's my job to keep her out of harm's way, protect her and love her. But I couldn't even do that right.

This whole 'mate' thing should really come with a manual.

The next thing I know, the glass side table is laying on the ground, smashed into pieces.

"Cayton, calm down. You're not helping her by breaking all your furniture," Trenton says calmly. Hunter gets up from the couch and starts picking up the shattered glass as Tami and Trenton try to calm me down. I don't hear a word they're saying though. All I can think about is the girl up stairs.

This is all my fault. If I would just let her fucking call her dad, we wouldn't be in this situation. And why did I tell her she couldn't?

Because I'm afraid.

Yes, the big bad Alpha is afraid.

What if she lied and told her dad I was mistreating her, and he demanded her back? I didn't think she would say that though, but there is always the what if's. What if she begged him to get her? I was scared she would leave me. I didn't want her to leave me.

Instead of just letting her call him, or even telling her I already talked to him, I let her starve herself. I let it get this far, and now I had to fix things before I really did lose her. I couldn't lose her though. I just couldn't. Life wouldn't be worth it if I didn't have my mate.

But right now, I was being a pathetic excuse for a mate.