I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling, just listening to the sound of my own heart and pulse. Half-eaten food litters the cell and at night the sounds of rats have started to keep me awake. It is half-eaten because it is disgusting and I would rather go hungry right now. Wallowing in self-pity doesn't require too many calories either. However, I know that a few more months of hunger and I will eat any slop they give me. My lethargy towards my own life does not extend to starving to death just yet. I try to ignore the fact that if I am treated mercifully, as they would describe, I could be in this room for another sixty years.
Once more I cast my mind to a different location and try to evacuate reality. Laid on the narrow bed, staring vacantly upwards, my imagination took me to a better place. One where I still had Gitte and where Bram adored everything about me. I am like an untethered boat once my mind wanders, I just float along wherever it takes me as long as I am not in this cell.
Of course, I knew Bram was mated to Luna Grace a few months before I arrived but everyone knew they clashed. It was as if the Moon Goddess had set them up for a challenge. Oh, Bram was so unhappy with her. He said when the mate bond clicked even though he was physically attracted to her he knew his soul was still free to find love.
"My soul only became tied once I met you, Bella."
Can you imagine, I still swoon a little inside remembering him whispering that to me.
"And are you...physically attracted to me?"
"Come here and find out," he had growled huskily back, his arm pulling me closer to him on the bed so our noses were touching.
Seventeen, and the twenty-one-year-old prince of your pack is in your room whispering sweet nothings like that...I remember writing in my diary that this was how lottery winners must feel.
"What have you possibly got to smile about?"
An annoyed yet confused voice rang out across the room causing me to physically shudder as my daydream broke. Wearily I slowly tilted my head to the side to see who had disturbed me. Usually, it was a young guard or a Beta on training duty. Nearly always someone I had been snooty to several months ago and people really do enjoy delivering a taste of karma.
Seeing Helena before me was unexpected. Wearing her black hood with the ruby red lining and a dramatic long green tunic dress tied at the waist she looked every inch a woodland princess. Eight months in charge had clearly done wonders for her. I slowly lifted myself to a sitting position, being in no rush for anything, not even the pack Luna could make me hurry now.
"Good morning Luna Helena," I reply as courteously as possible, dropping my eyes to the ground. My stomach lurched in fear.
"It is afternoon," she replied in a voice filled with concern. "How have you been Bella?"
Well now, there is a question. You cannot sum up the increasingly pressured sense of impending death pithily so a simple, "not too bad," is the best I can manage.
"Your hair is so short,"
"It got matted. They don't allow personal care items," I shrugged.
"I meant to visit you sooner than this but…" and I watch as the words fail her.
"I didn't expect you to personally deliver my execution date," my eyes lifted, meeting her hazel eyes defiantly. There is no other reason she could want to be here other than to see justice done.
"Bella…" she whispered. "That isn't why I'm here." As she furtively peeked around the corner of her hood to ensure we were alone I watched her attentively. Like a cat watching the sunspots move on the floor, it was almost alien having this much activity before me.
She leaned forward, her quick energy and edginess at odds with my lethargy. It made me tired just looking at her, desperately plate-spinning. That used to be me, juggling secrets and lies and a small smile escaped me at the thought.
"What?" She snapped catching my smirk.
"Nothing...I was just remembering when I had a lot of secrets, it's exhausting."
Helena raised her eyebrows but did not correct me, instead a sigh escaped, filled with exasperation.
"You are right, Bella. I need to ask you some questions if you do not mind. I appreciate you don't have to help me…"
"Ask away"
"Do you know of a goblet in the palace that looks like this?" sliding through the bars a drawing of a goblet with a ring of jewels around the rim. I breathed in and shut my eyes to look like I was thinking.
Truthfully I had never been near anything that grand and like a mistress, I was never taken out anywhere so there was no chance of coming across such an item.
"I am sorry," I exhaled after a minute, opening my eyes, "I have not seen anything like that."
Helena sighed and ran her hands through the frenzy of brown curls she had exploding out from her scalp. I had tried to style it all back sleek and smart once, she had hated it. I had to confess the crazy curls suited her energy. She was a dynamo. My sloppy, haggard bob matched me perfectly too now I guess.
"Then have you ever met a man with three red scars in a line across one side of his neck?"
I couldn't even pretend to think about this one.
"Definitely not, I would have remembered a wolf with markings like that? Who is he?"
Helena let out a deep breath and narrowed her eyes. She stood up and came close to the cell bars. Gesturing with her hand I rose to meet her. Almost nose to nose she spoke in the lowest of whispers.
"He is your way out of here. If that is what you want?"
The question hung in the air like a bad smell. Helena seemed surprised I didn't leap up at the bars like a pound dog snapping at her offer. Instead, I remained seated, silent. She forgets I have been the fool for someone else's plan before. "Well?" she hissed quietly. "I need to know more before I can make a decision," I replied coolly. "The goblet I showed you and the man... is from a vision I've been having. The last time I had these visions it was the night of the ballroom fire...everything came true." The ballroom fire. I had missed that bit of the evening, having been placed under arrest and escorted away by then. I did not see Bram, exposed for having blackmailed Helena into pretending they had a
New energy seeped into my bones last night. For the first time in eight months, I was edgy, alert and aware of my surroundings. The guards still paid me no attention, scattering my twice-daily bowl of support towards me as usual. The main difference was this time, I ate it. I felt as obvious as a glowworm, an aura of energy pulsing out of me. If Luna Helena intended to talk to them there I would need to be very nimble to not be seen behind her as I ran for the exit. Once past the guard's station, it is upstairs, into the main warren of corridors outlining the castle which I know inside out anyway. Being late at night only the Moon Goddesses goodwill is going to keep me safe from bumping into someone. In my pitifully ragged prison clothes, I certainly won't be pas
It's been three days since Bella's escape and Alexander is furious. Every spare Beta, Omega and child, have been put on patrol, every town notified about her appearance and notoriety. Late at night, when I am dressed for bed in my silk robe, Alexander finally returns from another meeting. Fyre warns me to swallow down my resentment at being left behind all day again. He paced the plushly carpeted floor of our suite quickly, his face drawn and sullen. It reminds me of when he was banished and his mind was a mystery to me. When Bram persuaded Bella to murder Luna Grace he didn't just get rid of his mate, he pinned the blame on his brother so he could move up the line of succession. As he silently sits at his desk I feel the tension building between us.
I don't know why I'm dawdling on this Alpha Alexander job. Normally I get my payment and set off like a missile and my neck is searingly bad right now. The focus and tension of hunting these people down have been the only thing easing the pain for the past few years. Even sex fails to dispel to constant agony, despite testing the theory with every woman who flung herself at me. I'm deep in Five Lakes territory, still a few hundred miles from Silver City where this new target is based. I've asked around a few rough bars about this guy. You can't trust a slavishly loyal Beta to tell you the truth. It's the omegas, the servant types who confirm if the guy is a piece of shit or not. So far though it seems he's an angel. Framed by his brother, banished for three years then the instant he gets cle
It's not like I'm directly disobeying Luna Helena's orders. I'll be keeping an eye out for this scarred psycho but starting as far as possible from White Forest. Twenty minutes after starting the bike I had my confidence but found myself heading south as fast as possible without stopping except for fuel. It was like an out of body experience, the route, the direction, everything just seemed right so I went with it, chasing the horizon. My conscience continuously gnawed at me, if I was to find this man surely I needed to be stopping in villages, taverns and asking some questions. The newfound taste of freedom was too sweet to give up though. As soon as the sun rose my escape would be known and my grey eyes and short dark hair would be distinctive enough for people to claim a reward on my head. So I rode. The sun shone and the nights were mellow, warm enough to sleep outdoors after all day tearing through the countryside. With the supplies in my bag, I could av
"I swear this is the last time I'm rescuing you." That gruff, deep voice stirred me back into life. My eyes flitted open, gaining awareness of my surroundings. We were further up the track, where my bike had come to its sorry end. Thankfully the bag had stayed attached and sealed. I thanked my lucky stars that the forest floor wasn't covered in shiny gold coins. Given this guy's attitude, he could probably have just slit my throat on the roadside and taken the money. "You don't need to scowl at me, I saved your life," he snapped. "I'm not scowling," I snapped back. A few seconds later my conscience kicked in"...thank you for helping me. I'm just struggling to come around that's all." "Surely your shifter healing has taken care of the crash by now?" he quickly asked, staring intensely at me now as though he had found a new toy. Shit, I don't want him realising I've lost my world. To buy some thinking time I raised myself to
The sun had barely peeked over the horizon before my guide threw my leather coat at me and said, "get ready to leave." Maintaining my vow of silence I merely nodded and set about brushing my teeth, visiting the toilet as privately as possible and changing my clothes. Honestly, a few more days of this and the genuine issue of getting some washing done or buying new underwear was going to come up and I have no idea how to bring that up with my giant companion. Sullenly he waited for me at the bottom of the crag, rubbing his neck and tapping his feet. If he had a watch he would have been freaking out at it I'm sure. Tempting as it was to go slow and really wind him up I didn't trust him not to set off without me. Finally ready I hauled the heavy duffel bag down the hillside with me and dropped it at the feet in a cloud of dust. He wore the same long brown camouflage trousers, and a dark green t-shirt today. His huge shoulders and arms were barely contained by th
I got up from around the boulder and tried to ignore his stare. Placing the bag with the remaining food on my shoulders I started down the road. "Hey, you need me, remember?” I kept on walking, my feet loudly crunching the stones underneath whilst my heart pounded with indecision. “Answer me, or we part ways now." he called out. His voice was calm and measured and sent a shiver down my spine. Why did I care so much what this man, or anyone else thought of me, so weak? What if knowing I'm a horrendous criminal makes him change the deal, or leaves me alone penniless and vulnerable out in the wilderness? I do need him, and in fairness, he didn't offer me up the guards. I placed my hands on my templates and let out a sigh and began running my hands through my hair. "Can we walk and talk? I don't want to feel you watching me while I explain." He raised a curious eyebrow but nodded, picked up the other bags and caught me up down