Puck’s Secret: Claimed by the Ruthless Captain

Mazikeen

“What am I going to do???" this can’t be over, I can’t let this man have his way with me, I can’t allow that.

“Please!!! Let me go!!!” I pleaded with him softly, but it was to no avail, I could feel his hands trying to lose the pants I had on.

"Please... let me go," I pleaded.

My voice was weak, I could feel myself trembling.

Eros didn't listen.

The look in his golden eyes scared me more than anything Atlas had ever done. Atlas was cruel and loud. Eros was calm. That somehow felt worse.

I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for whatever was about to happen.

Then suddenly…

"Who's there?!" a bright flashlight cut through the darkness, Eros immediately stepped away from me.

The equipment room door swung open.

One of the night captains stood there holding a flashlight.

"What are you two doing in there? Eros released me instantly.

I stumbled backward, breathing hard.

"To your rooms. Now!" The captain barked. I didn't wait for a second warning.

I rushed out of the room so fast I nearly tripped over my own feet.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! The words repeated endlessly inside my head.

I had never been so relieved in my life.

I hurried back to the dorm room and quietly pushed the door open.

Atlas was asleep. For once he looked peaceful, like he couldn’t hurt a fly.

The vein lines of his face that were hard while he shouted for me were softer.

His dark hair fell across his forehead, his breaths were slow and steady.

It was strange seeing him like that, almost human.

I quickly crawled into my tiny cot in the corner my entire body shook with the memory of Eros's eyes, making my stomach twist.

I wrapped my arms around myself and stared at the ceiling.

I missed Mom, I missed home, I missed being Mazikeen…

“Ooh this stupid bind on my chest!!!” I released it a bit before resting my self on the bed properly.

Eventually exhaustion pulled me under.

And for the first time in days, I slept, almost forgetting my worries

THudddd!!!! a sharp kick hit the side of my bed. "Get up!!!!"

My eyes refused to open, everything felt blurry and heavy. I needed to sleep.

"Get up, Thorne!!!"

Another kick, I groaned.

Slowly and painfully, I opened my eyes.

Atlas was standing over me. Wonderful. Just wonderful. His rut seemed to have calmed down, but unfortunately, his personality hadn't.

"Rise and shine, runt."

I rubbed my eyes.

"What time is it?"

"Practice starts in twenty minutes."

I immediately sat up. "What?!" Atlas smirked, "There he is." I glared at him.

He seemed way too happy about my panic.

"You're drooling on your pillow."

"I'm not."

"You were."

"I wasn't."

Atlas laughed.

The sound caught me off guard, It wasn't cruel this time, just amused.

Then his expression hardened again, almost like he was bipolar.

"There are five minutes left before I drag you out of this room myself."

"I heard you."

"Five minutes."

"Fine."

"Four minutes and fifty-nine seconds."

"Atlas!" He grinned, that annoying grin, and then he walked away.

I threw a pillow at his back. Unfortunately, I missed, he didn't even turn around.

"Nice throw, runt." I hated him, absolutely hated him.

The morning air outside was cold, in fact almost freezing, my lungs burned as I followed the team onto the training field.

Coach Miller stood with his clipboard.

His face already looked disappointed. I mean, the game hasn’t even started, why did he look so disappointed

That couldn't be a good sign.

"Ten laps around the academy grounds!" he shouted.

"Move!"

Everyone took off immediately. I pushed my legs as hard as I could, But it wasn't enough.

It never was. The others were wolves, strong, fast, and powerful. Worst of it, they were male.

I was fighting against my own body every single day. Within minutes I was falling behind, Again.

"Come on, Thorne!"

Someone laughed.

"Did your legs stop working?" More laughter followed, but I ignored it.

Just keep moving, keep moving, that was my strategy, the only thing I could use to survive.

Unfortunately, Atlas noticed. Of course he did, he always did. "Faster!" His voice boomed across the field.

"You run like an eighty-year-old grandmother!" the team erupted into laughter.

My cheeks burned, I pushed harder. My lungs were on fire. My legs felt like they weren't mine anymore, but it was still not enough.

I remained last, dead last. Exactly where everyone expected me to be.

By lap seven, my vision was blurry, sweat dripped down my neck, and my chest burned underneath the binder I was on.

Every breath hurt. "Pathetic!" Damon shouted.

"You call yourself a wolf?" "Leave him alone," another player laughed.

"At least puppies are cute. There was more laughter.

I clenched my teeth, just keep running. Don't react, don’t cry, and don’t give them what they want.

The final lap started, I was exhausted, every step felt heavier than the last.

Then my foot caught on a loose patch of dirt.

My balance fell off, I hit the ground hard, and I could feel the pain through my knees and palms.

For a second everything went silent, then came the laughter, it was louder than before.

"Typical Thorne!" What a loser! Stay down! That is where you belong!"

I closed my eyes, this was humiliating, perhaps they were right, I didn't belong here, maybe I was fooling myself.

"Hey!!!!"

The voice cut into my thoughts, surprising me. "Get up." I opened my eyes.

A hand was stretched toward me. For a second I simply stared. Nobody ever helped me, at least not here, Not at Northbridge. Nobody.

Slowly I looked up.

A guy from the reserve line stood there. He had dark hair with brown eyes, I hardly recognized him.

I didn't even know hisname., "Come on," he said.

"You'll catch a cold lying there. The joke was terrible, yet somehow it made me smile.

I hesitated before taking his hand, He pulled me up easily.

"Thank you."

"No problem," he shrugged like it wasn't a big deal, maybe to him it wasn't, but to me it felt like a big deal.

A tiny act of kindness in a place that seemed determined to destroy me.

"Move!" Atlas suddenly barked.

Everyone immediately scattered, and the moment was gone. He turned and jogged back toward the field.

But at least it happened, at least someone was nice to me.

Practice finally ended hours later, my entire body ached, I just wanted water to drink or maybe take a shower.

Maybe a few minutes without someone insulting me, I needed to feel the water running through my body while I enjoyed that moment of silence.

Apparently that was too much to ask. I walked toward the cooler and grabbed a paper cup.

The cold water felt amazing, I took one sip, then a hand suddenly grabbed my arm.

The cup fell. Water splashed across the floor, my heart nearly stopped.

Eros.

He shoved me backward.

My back slammed against the locker room door.

The impact from the hit nearly took me out.

"Eros!"

His golden eyes were dark, dangerously dark. "You can run from me all you want," he said quietly, "but you can't hide forever."

Fear crawled through my stomach.

"Eros, stop, no!!!" His hand slammed against the door beside my head.

"You owe me a conversation."

"I don't owe you anything."

His jaw tightened.

For a second I thought he might actually listen, instead he stepped closer, much closer, and my heart started racing.

"Eros."

"Do you know how hard it has been?" he asked.

"What?"

"Watching Atlas bully such a sweet vanilla like you every day."

I blinked, that wasn't what I expected.

"He doesn't deserve your loyalty."

"Eros…."

"He doesn't even know who you are."

His voice dropped lower. "But I do." I hated how trapped I felt.

How powerless, how alone, "Eros, please."

Something flashed across his face.

Frustration, Possession, more of an obsession, something I didn't know, and honestly, I didn't want to know.

His hand moved toward the collar of my shirt.

I immediately tried to push him away.

"Stop!"

The locker room door suddenly opened, both of us froze.

A deep voice echoed through the room.

"What is going on here?"