I’m still locked up in this dungeon. I’m starving, but I’m no longer thirsty. It rained last night. A small pipe funnels through the wall and collects raindrops. I held my hands cupped together under it to catch the water and sipped it from my hands.
Every night, I look up at the moon through a tiny hole and feel as though the Moon Goddess is staring back at me. She makes me feel as if all of this is part of her plan, that everything will soon be alright. I have to be brave and try my best to keep surviving.
My thoughts are cut off when I hear footsteps coming. My heart starts to beat faster. Though I can’t see who it is, I know it’s Alpha Tate from his scent. His presence alarms me. I can feel his anger and his need to kill.
He opens the iron door. I look away, not giving him the satisfaction of seeing any fear I might have in my eyes. But Alpha Tate walks toward me and grabs my face.
‘You’re still alive? I guess that’s a bonus for me, as tonight’s the night that I’ll kill the Lycan and be considered the strongest Alpha of all! No one will stop me, and you will help me achieve it!’
I gather my courage and shout at him. ‘You’re a coward! You can’t kill the Lycan without locking him up and without Wolfsbane weakening him! You’re just trying to get acceptance from the other Alphas because we all know they all think you are pathetic.’
Alpha Tate holds me against the wall, ‘if you are going to keep refusing to help tonight, then you will be of no use to this pack or me, and I will kill you myself once I have killed that Vermin Lycan!’ he shouts.
‘Now, what have you decided? Heal the pack or die with the Lycan?’
I remain silent, looking down. ‘Answer me!’ Alpha Tate yells, grabbing my chin.
‘I’d rather die than help a pathetic coward of an Alpha like you,’ I whisper. He strikes me across the face, splitting my lip and throws me to the ground.
‘If you want to die, then FINE!’ he yells and slams the iron door shut.
Why did he have to be my mate? I’m always unwanted and always end up abandoned. I thought Moon Goddess was going to save me, but I guess she has abandoned me too. If only I had just died when my parents abandoned me. Then I wouldn’t have had to experience all these years of abuse and the pain this pack has given me.
Pack warriors suddenly enter the cell next to mine. They ignore me even though I’m shivering from the cold.
In their hands are big heavy chains they place in the cell next to mine. They must be preparing for the Lycan. There are plenty of other cells, but they choose to place him in a cell next to mine. The idea of it frightens me.
What if he will able to reach through the bars and kill me? I’m worried for myself. I’m becoming more nervous now, seeing Alpha Tate’s plans falling into place.
Will they give the Lycan a quick death? Will I receive a quick death? I wonder if the Lycan is as ferocious and wild as they say he is? I don’t want to die. I don’t want to watch the Lycan be killed, either. I know that if anything happens to Alpha Tate and his pack members, they’ll try and force me to heal them. Maybe I should just accept this fate? I feel even sadder realising that once I die tonight, no one will care. I’ve lived all these years for nothing. What a terrible life I’ve had, I weep. Tear after tear runs down my face. My heart is aching, and I’m losing myself. I‘m too tired and too weak to stand. I use the bars to sit myself up and rest my head on the stone bench, drifting off to sleep.
Alpha Maximus
Alpha Tate returns to the pack house before lunch. He smells strongly of the caramel apple pie I’ve been craving.
Prick… I think to myself. No wonder he didn’t have breakfast with us. He wanted the pie all to himself!
I remind myself to get over it and that it’s just food, and I can have Beth bake me one hundred apple pies the day I get back to my pack house.
It’s now almost nightfall. I knew it would almost be time for me to go down to the cell for the night. ‘Do you have to take the Wolfsbane before going to the cell?’ Alpha Tate asks.
He has constantly asked me questions all day about the process we go through on a full moon. I get that he is curious and worried for his pack, but all these questions are getting ridiculous now and just starting to piss me off.
‘Alpha Tate, Nathan and my pack warriors have everything under control, and if it’s necessary, Nathan will give me an extra dose of Wolfsbane, but you will find it will unlikely be needed,’ I assure him.
‘I see. Well, let us drink a glass of whisky before you go, shall we?’ Alpha Tate offers. Nathan nods his head, and we all take a seat to drink.
We scull our drinks, and Nathan bolts upstairs to get the Wolfsbane for me. My head starts to feel immediately fuzzy. That’s strange. I only had one drink.
I shake my head and try to ignore it. I look up to see Nathan has returned with the Wolfsbane walking towards me, swaying. ‘Nathan? What is wrong with you?’ I ask him.
Nathan suddenly collapses to the floor. I race over to him, beginning to sway. ‘Nathan!’ I shout. My head becomes fuzzier. Everything is swaying.
I turn to face Alpha Tate. He is standing there with his arms crossed with a smug look.
‘You drugged our drinks!’ I shout angrily.
I rip my shirt open to shift into my Lycan, fury overtaking me. Then without warning, I receive a sharp sting in my arm.
Sam has injected a large quantity of Wolfsbane into my arm. At least three times what I would normally have on a full moon. I roar ferociously in my Lycan form before I black out and fall to the floor.
Slave
Startled, I wake up from the smell of cedarwood. It’s the most amazing scent I have smelt. My nerves instantly calm as I continue to breathe in the scent. Suddenly I hear a group of men arguing outside.
Alpha Tate, Sam and four other pack members struggle to carry something down the stairs and toward the cell. I squint my eyes to see, and my mouth drops open in horror.
It’s the Lycan! And he is massive! At least seven feet tall, maybe more, his chest is broad, and his muscles are huge. He is covered in shiny black fur.
I notice he is unconscious as they drag him along. They struggle to get him into the cell and fall over. I suddenly feel hot and lustful as the smell of cedarwood overtakes me.
‘Do we kill him now while he is out?’ Sam asks Alpha Tate.
‘Where would the fun be in that, Sam? Alpha Tate replies.
We should have some fun first and torture him. After all, he is the last Lycan, and we are about to witness his death. So we may as well savour this moment and make the most of it. Now put the chains on him before he wakes up!’ Alpha Tate orders.
I’m unsure why but I suddenly have the urge to reach out and touch the Lycan’s fur as if I’m being pulled toward him. I crawl across the cell and put my hand through to touch him, only for Alpha Tate to grab my wrist, twisting my arm.
I cry in pain, and the Lycan stirs, making gruff noises.
‘What are you doing?’ Alpha Tate yells.
‘I-I don’t know,’ I whisper. He flings my arm away, and I crawl back to the other side of the cell and watch as they put the chains around the Lycan’s wrists and ankles.
He begins to stir again. His breathing is heavy at first, and even though he is barely conscious, I realise he is smelling something in the air. He growls ferociously, realising he is chained up and starts pulling on the chains with force and aggression, but he is too weak, swaying around and falling unconscious again.
They must have drugged him. He begins to sniff the air again as soon as he is somewhat conscious again and lets out another loud growl making me flinch back in fright. The Lycan must have seen me jump as he goes to turn his head toward me, but Alpha Tate starts throwing punches into his stomach, making the Lycan face back at Alpha Tate. The Lycan tries to lunge at Alpha Tate but can’t move as the chains hold his arms in place.
