IV

~Samiah~

There are voices not too far from me, but there are always voices. The warriors come and go, performing their duties, and I’m just here. I’m just sitting here wondering if I will ever be able to get out. Wondering if my mom will survive this. 

The pack doctor has been out here a few times to check on my mom. I have no idea what’s wrong with her because she’s not allowed to talk to me about her health. I can only watch her come and go and hope that everything is getting better. I know it isn’t because my mom still sounds the same way she did when we were first put here. 

There are feet shuffling and fabric rustling. “I still don’t get it. How did they end up here?” I perk up at the words that I hear. They are talking about us, and I’m interested. I’ve been trying to find out what landed my mom and me here, but no one will tell me. The only thing I heard was the night we were pulled from the house. Nothing else has been said. 

“I don’t have details. I only know that Kemarion is the one who gave his dad the evidence against them. I guess he saw something off and decided to investigate.” Kemarion? He’s the Beta’s son, Deon’s best friend, and his soon-to-be Beta. He found evidence against my mom and me? What the hell did he find evidence of? Why weren’t we given a trial or at least given the opportunity to confront our accuser? 

The noise of the movements recedes, as well as the voices. I lean against the grimy stone wall and pull my knees closer. I have no idea what to do with his information; I don’t know how to feel. Kemarion is the reason why my mom and I were left here, and I don’t understand that at all. 

I don’t necessarily feel betrayed; I mean, we weren’t friends. I don’t really have any friends, and he was never one of them. He’s a few years older than me, and I’d only see him from afar. He left with Dean for Alpha training, and life moved forward. Whether they were around or not didn’t change how my life moved until now. 

Now, I’m sitting here, in a cell, simply because he came home and found some evidence and turned it into his father. His father didn’t question us; he didn’t give us a trial… he just threw us in the cells and walked away as if we never existed. Now my mom is sick, and I’m wasting away. We are locked up like criminals, and I don’t really know what to do with that. 

I won’t say that I’ve been bullied at this pack; I mean, I guess you could argue that. I would argue that I’ve been ignored and forgotten more than anything. I’m an Omega wolf, so I’m never really seen as anything anyway. My mom and I have always lived our lives and tried to make sure we stayed in our lane. 

I can’t say that Omegas are treated horribly in this pack because I have nothing to compare it to. I just know that I go through my days better when no one remembers that I exist. I help my mom, and I apprentice as a mechanic, something that my father used to do before he died. Somethinga bout taking things apart and putting them back together greatly appeals to me. I always dreamed of opening my own shop, but I’m beginning to think that isn’t in the cards for me. 

I lean my head back and sigh. I wonder how much longer I will be sitting here. I’m missing school, missing my apprenticeship, and worried about my mom. I close my eyes and try not to lose myself to the pain of my reality. 

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Samiah? I lift my head slowly, looking toward my cell door. The hallway is empty, much like it always is. I close my eyes again, sure that I’m hearing things. Solitude does that to you, makes you hear things that aren't really there. Samiah. My eyes pop open, and I slowly sit up.

“Mom?” I close my eyes and try to reach out into her cell. I can hear nothing but her uneven breathing. I don’t dwell on that too much because every time I do, my overthinking spirals and I lose myself in the ‘what-ifs.’ 

I wait, but there’s no response. Maybe she was dreaming, and she said my name for that reason. I wish I could be next to her and hold her tight. I miss her hugs, and I can only hope that I can feel them again some time soon. Samiah, I’m here. You aren’t alone anymore.

“Hello?” I whisper, not wanting to give the warriors any reason to come see about me. They aren’t mean, thank the Goddess, but I still don’t want to deal with them. I guess that’s a small blessing; the warriors don’t try to abuse us or anything like that. I consider myself lucky, though many would say I’m crazy. How can I be lucky if I’m locked in the cells for something I didn’t even do?

A light laugh sounds in my ears, and it makes my heart flutter. It’s been so long since I’ve heard something like that. I don’t know how long it’s been, since time seems to stop in here. Relax. I’m your wolf, Rae. My breath hitches, and goosebumps erupt all over my skin. 

My wolf is talking to me. If I have my wolf, that means that it’s my birthday; I’m 18. My heart starts to feel heavy, and tears brim my eyes. If this is my birthday, I’ve been locked up for about four months now. I’ve lost four months of my life, and I still don’t know why this had to happen. It’s okay, Samiah. I know we will get out of here soon. At least we are together now. 

My mind is racing, trying to put all of the pieces together. I shouldn’t be able to hear from my wolf, birthday or not. I may not know much, but I know that these cells are outfitted with silver to keep prisoners docile. Why was I able to hear from my wolf? You weren’t put in a cell with silver. That actually makes sense, though I didn’t know that there were cells without it. Again, I don’t really know much about this, so that’s on me. 

What happens later? Will we shift? Can we even shift in here?

We can, but we won’t. This isn’t the place or the time to do that.

Rae, I have no idea how long we will be here. How long can you wait without being in your own form?

Don’t you worry about me, Samiah. We will be okay. I know we won’t be here forever, and when the time comes, you will see me in all my glory. 

I… I’m sorry that your life is like this. I’m sorry that you’re tied to a human who’s locked away. 

That isn’t your fault, and I don’t want you acting like it is. I know that everything will work out sooner rather than later. I settle back and close my eyes. I’m finally not alone… finally have someone with me. I hate that it’s like this, but I can’t be mad about the circumstances. I can only hope that Rae is right and we get out of here soon.