Chapter 3: PRISONER

Trespassing is a big deal in the werewolf world. It is deemed a threat and a lack of respect to the pack whose territory you cross and, in most cases, it means death.

I clutch Gemma’s hand tightly. “Message my dad, “I whisper, but she shakes her head.

“I can’t. I tried but I just can’t get through. It’s like there is a block that’s been out. I don’t know what to do”

I spin around on my feet ignoring the fact that I am definitely burning up now. I am sweating and I resist the urge to be sick as I glance around, taking in the area around us. It's getting darker and colder now so I know we can’t stay longer.

“Ok, Gemma let’s just move. “I point in a direction. “That route seems familiar, let’s go through there”.

She glances at me then to the route before taking my hand in hers. “Aria, you’re burning,” she whispers, and I can feel her worry. “Don’t worry,” I say, “let’s just try and get home.

We both head in the direction I suggested but as we continue, I have an overwhelming feeling that I was wrong and apparently so does Gemma, because she stops suddenly. Before I know it, she is dragging me back, screaming “RUN!” as we both sprint out from where we were heading.

“We crossed the boundary and now they know”” Gemma screams as she continues to pull me behind her. It is difficult for me to keep up; one she’s much taller than me so has longer legs.

My chest and legs burn as we continue to jump over broken branches and sidestep trees, but somewhere behind me I can hear the howls of wolves and the ground shaking beneath their pounding feet.

Oh, we are so dead.

Suddenly Gemma pulls me in another direction and I push at her hands.

“I can’t.....run....anymore,” I mutter as I slow down, causing Gemma to stop. “No Aria, we have to keep going. The moment we stop they will find us and then before we can tell them who we are, we will be killed.” She is panting as well, her cheeks bright red and her hair messed up from running.

I shake my head. “I can hardly breathe. Maybe if we stop running, they will stop chasing and perhaps we ca-

A deafening roar stops me from uttering another word. I see how Gemma’s eyes widen and fill with tears. Gemma shakes her head and I stand silently, watching her take a step in front of me and lay on the ground, her head to the floor, her neck tilted up. She is surrendering, submitting, showing we are no harm.

I still have my back to the so I can’t see much of what is going on.

“Turn around!” a gruff voice commands and the power in those two words makes my leg wobble. I close my eyes and clench my fingers into a fist. I slowly turn around, something tells me to look up, so I do and in that second, I am blown away.

Seven men are standing around us, all well built and strong enough to kill us with their pinky finger. But none of the other men interest me because all I can do is stare at the tallest man, standing in the middle partially hidden in the shadows. He has the most power.

He is an Alpha and a very strong one I realize.

“You have trespassed,” he growls and suddenly all recognition is removed from his face and only a dark glare and snarl are left on his gorgeous face.

We apologize, it wasn’t our intention. We lost our direction and crossed the boundary by mistake. It will never happen again. We mean your pack no harm and we will leave straight away.” Gemma is shaking and even I can feel her fear.

“You dare to touch me or her and I will show you real consequences,” I state, my eyes narrowing in anger. There is slight silence before the bastard begins laughing. Gemma grabs my hands and tries to pull me back but I ignore her.

“Laugh all you want but if my friend and I don’t leave here unharmed then I can assure you that when tomorrow comes your pack will be burnt to the ground.” The words fall from my lips and the moment I say them aloud I can’t help regretting my impulsiveness.

There is a unison of growls and I know exactly why. I have threatened the safety of their pack.

“Enough.” My eyes dart to the Alpha who begins to emerge from the shadows to stand in front of me. I’m finding it hard to breathe.

“You think you, a human girl, can take down my pack?” There was amusement laced in his voice and my chest clenched at his voice.

I shake my head, my hair framing my face. “No of course not, I’m human, not stupid”. He cocks an eyebrow and watches me carefully.

“I didn’t say I was the one going to destroy your pack”

“Then who is?” someone in the background asks. I don’t know who because my eyes are still locked onto the Alpha’s. I just can’t look away.

“My father, the Alpha of Crescent Moon pack, will have no problem showing you why he is one of the most powerful Alpha in the world.” I smirk as the Alpha in front of me scrunches his eyebrows together.

“You are Jaxon Kronex’s daughter?” he asks, confused.

I blink and gasp back air as pain explodes in my stomach. Gemma instantly notices my movement and grabs me by the arm to steady me. I turn to her and catch my reflection in her eyes. Pale face, so pale I wonder to myself if there is any actual blood circulation happening in my body. Gemma clutches my arm tightly and that’s when I notice I am shaking, trembling like a paper house about to be blown down by a simple gust of wind.

“Yes, I am Alpha Kronex’s daughter and the only heir to the Crescent Moon pa-ck”. I stutter as another shooting pain makes me gasp.

“What the hell is going on with her?” a voice shouts and in the background, I can hear murmurs and voices which all soon just turn into a disoriented blur of noise.

Suddenly an arm wraps around my waist and I’m folded into someone’s chest. At first, I thought it was Gemma trying to hold my crumbling body steady, but when the smell of pine cones and wet earth flooded up my nose I knew better.

With all my strength I try to push away, groaning in pain as the pain tightens around me.

“Gemma,” I whisper, “get dad.....”

And then I pass out, succumbing to the pain in the arms of the scary Alpha.

When I woke up, I thought for a split second that I was back in my own bed. I was lying on a bed. I was lying on a bed, warm and comfortable and it smelt clean and nice and for that split second, I was overcome with a great sense of happiness and then suddenly I heard beeping.

*Beep, Beep, Beep*

I blinked several times and turned my head to the side where there was a monitor set up. I watched as a heart rhythm traced on the screen and it took me a few seconds to notice all the wires that were attached to me before I realized it was my heart rhythm on the screen.

I glanced around the room and realized that I was back at the same medical room I was in when I first woke up.

“Hello”, I gasped in shock as a woman approached me. ‘Bloody hell, where did she come from?

“I’m glad to see you’re finally awake.” Her voice, so sweet and she smiled politely. She turned to the cardiac monitor and started to press some buttons, examining my heart rate closely.

I woke up having a very faint memory of what happened before I went unconscious. I decided to ask the doctor what had happened and then I remembered Gemma.

“Do you mean the she-wolf that was with you?” “Well, she has gone back with your parents”

And then it dawned on me that my parents were here to save me. Memories of what happened floods back to my mind and I begin to cry, my heart begins to ache again as I remember what happened.

*FLASH BACK*

I woke up after being knocked out by the pain and I noticed I was in a medic room. Gemma noticed I had woken up and ask how I was to which I replied and I asked if we were home and she said no, the Alpha lets us use their medic room after I passed out. My parents rushed in not long after and I received much scolding. The Alpha walked in also and my parents began thanking him for sparing our lives. Just as we’re about to leave he refuses and demands my parents leave without me, which leads to a heated fight and I decide to surrender to spare my parents lives as well as Gemma’s. I was taken to the dark cell, spending 2 days in there, crying and begging to be released. Refusing to eat food until I passed out again”.

*FLASH BACK ENDS*

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

“Well, everything looks fine. Let’s get you disconnected from all these”. She gestured to all the wires attached to me.

Her voice brings me back to reality.

I glanced around once again as she took off the wires and noticed a bag of blood handing up.

“Oh yeah, you were severely anaemic so I gave you a blood transfusion.”I watched the doctor with an amused expression.

“Um- I stopped to clear my throat when I sounded croaky,” “sorry, I just- um you do realize I’m a prisoner here”

The doctor looked up at me and raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, I’m aware” she stated as she continued to unplug me from the monitor.

“I'm sorry I just can't process why you would treat me. Surely as a prisoner it doesn't matter if I'm anaemic or not.”

The doctor smiled knowingly.

“I'm only following orders. To me it doesn't matter who you are. If you need help I will help, prisoner or not.

She offers me some clothes and I get to realise I'm wearing a Hospital gown. And she replies, “Honey they are no use to you now”.

The doctor informs me that my body is always trying to kill me, which always makes me sick. Then wonders how I have been alive all along, and then it clicks to her that I've been locked up in a sterile room.

Then her next statement shocks me.