C2

DEAN BLACKWOLF POV

"Are you still trying to act proud, Rowena? You think your high bloodline makes you special here?"

My voice hits her hard. I take her chin in my grip and twist. I want to smash her bone. She gasps. Her eyes get wide and wet.

"Stop, Dean! You are hurting me!"

I squeeze harder. I do not feel bad for her at all. "Nobody can see the dark monster hiding behind a face like yours."

"I never sent those rogue wolves after Amara!" Her skin turns white from the pain. "You cannot throw me into the Ironfang Prison Keep. You do not have proof!"

"I am the Supreme Alpha. I can do whatever I want." I laugh in her face and pull my hand away. "Go enjoy your new life with the trash wolves, Rowena."

I walk away into the dark. I get my revenge. She stays on the floor and cannot even make a sound.

The Ironfang Prison Keep is a bad place. My very first night in the cells, big shadows move toward my corner.

"What do you want? Stay away from me!" I back up against the stone wall. I look at the big, mean wolf women. "Do not touch me or I will call the Ironfang Keeper!"

The girls do not stop. They look at each other and start laughing loudly. The biggest wolf steps up and points a finger at my nose.

"Did you hear that? She wants the guard! Hahaha!" She hits my face with her heavy hand. Smack! "Cry louder! Call the guard again, little princess!"

My head spins. My ears make a loud noise. I almost fell.

I put my hand on the cold wall to stay up. Then I turn around and hit her back across the mouth.

Clap!

The room goes dead quiet. The other banished wolves just stare. They did not think a small girl would fight a big pack of criminals.

The huge woman touches her mouth. Her eyes turn bright red. She gets so mad that she screams. "Get her! Hit her until she breaks! Alpha Dean said we can do anything we want to her as long as she keeps breathing!"

My heart stops. A big pain goes through my chest. Dean Blackwolf! He told them to do this! The Supreme Alpha wants me hurt!

My legs shake. I feel like my world is over.

Now I know why the guards are not coming. Now I know why these scary wolves are smiling.

I run fast to the front of the cell. I grab the heavy iron bars and scream down the dark hallway. "Help me! Somebody help me! Please!"

I know nobody is coming, but I keep screaming. I still hope Dean did not mean to be this mean to me. I hope he still has a little bit of a good heart left.

"Ah!"

A big hand grabs my hair from behind. It hurts so bad. I lose my balance and hit the rocky floor. I never felt so small and broken in my whole life.

They pull me up by my hair again. They punch my ribs and kick my legs over and over. I can only make small noises in the dirt. "Ouch... please..."

Dean does not save me.

I stop screaming. I just let them hit me until they get tired. Their bad laughs fill my ears.

I did not call for help because I was scared of the pain. I called for help because I wanted to believe Dean still cared a little bit. I was wrong.

The girls get tired after a while and go to sleep on their mats.

I lie on the cold floor. Tears run down my nose and mix with the dirt on my face.

Nobody ever treated me like this before. I am in this scary cage just because I loved Dean Blackwolf. He was the one male wolf I should have stayed away from.

Why do I get all his hate because Amara got hurt?

I told everyone the truth after the pack trial. "I did not hurt Amara."

But nobody wanted to listen to my words.

I tried to tell them I did not ask Amara to go to the Crimson Fang Tavern. Amara was curious about the bad side of the territory and asked me to take her there.

But everyone thinks I am the bad girl of the Moonfang Pack. They think Amara was too sweet and pure to go to a tavern by herself.

I told them my pack transport broke down on the trail, so I did not make it to the tavern on time.

They think I am lying. They think I left her alone on purpose so the rogue wolves could ruin her sacred mate bond.

But I did not need to do that. Amara told me secrets before. She always said, "Rowena, I do not feel the mate bond with Alpha Dean."

If Amara were his real mate, I would give up. But she did not even want him.

Now, everyone looks at me like I am a demon wolf.

The bad rogues who hurt her ran away into the Shadowfang Wastelands. They are hiding in the deep woods where nobody can find them. I want the alpha guards to catch them more than anyone else.

I let my tears fall into the dust. I know I am innocent. I did nothing wrong.

But it does not matter anymore. If Dean Blackwolf says I am bad, then I have to suffer.

This is all because of the Supreme Alpha's words.

I do not know that Dean has many more mean tricks waiting for me in this dark prison.

I do not have a family name anymore. I do not have my school papers. My life is gone. Dean wiped away every trace of Rowena Moonfang. Now, I am just Convict No. 926.

I understand everything now. I pull my knees up to my chest and make myself small. He wants me to disappear.

The sun comes up a little bit.

"Hey! Get up! Go clean the dirty water buckets!"

A big wolf kicks my side. Then she screams. "Ah! She is dead!"

Another girl runs over and puts two fingers under my nose. She waits for a long time. "Shut up! She is still breathing a little bit! Go get the healing omega!"

They carry my body out. But living is not a good thing for me now. The bad things and the pain in this place will change a wolf forever.