16

Third person POV

“Ignis eximius, animus invictus, libertas aeterna!”

Before the third sentence came, Rhett's eyes were opened. He felt like he was dreaming. He couldn't move his body; he tried to move his arms, but they felt heavy.

“Ignis eximius, animus invictus, libertas aeterna!” The third came now, louder than the first two, and Rhett knew he wasn't dreaming.

He began to hear the beating of drums and muffled and distant sounds, but they grew louder, more intense, and more urgent. This time, he decided to open his eyes.

“Damn!” A curse escaped his lips when a searing pain shot through his head and made him wonder why he was even in pain in the first instance. His palms went to his temple, but even when he rubbed it gently, it made him wince.

He looked around at this point, trying to be aware of his surroundings. He realised he was in a cage — a big one that seemed to stretch its heights above. He sat up to study his surroundings. The cage had long metal bars that looked cold and unforgiving. It looked like a place that housed hardened criminals and traitors. It was dark, but he could still make out every detail of the place he was in.

“Ignis eximius, animus invictus, libertas aeterna!” Rhett heard the words that had awoken him. It was unmistakably a chant, a Latin one to be precise. The chanting grew louder, a cacophony of voices that seemed to scream at him from all directions.

Rhett began to sweat; his heart raced, and he stumbled forward, trying to find a way out of the cage. He walked closer to one side of the cage and touched the metal bars.

“Jeez!” Rhett yelled in pain. The metal bars burnt with fierce intensity. He touched the bar again, and it sent him flying. And apart from that, he began to feel weak. He couldn't summon his wolf; he felt too weak to do that.

It was then he noticed a pungent aroma, a bitter scent that seared his nostrils and tongue. His palms were red, unwilling to heal. It didn't take him long to realise what made the bars burn — wolfsbane.

“Hello? Anyone there?” He called out, hoping to attract someone.

He tried to remember how he got here — he was with the fake investigator; he smelt powerful magic, and he had gone to find it. How then did he get captured? He couldn't even remember, but he was sure he had been knocked out by something or someone.

“Astra descendo, tenebrae ascendo, animus meus in umbra!” The words in the chants had changed now, and Rhett knew what it meant was connected with giving one's soul to the shadows. He didn't really understand Latin, but he knew a bit of it.

It reached a fever pitch, upsetting his stomach and messing with his head. He was helpless; he was literally at the mercy of his captors.

He was around witches and that made him feel uneasy. He paced back and forth, trying to think of a way out of his predicament, but he couldn't think of any way out. He couldn't destroy the wolfsbane; he didn't even know what to say to destroy it.

“Damn!” He cursed again. He was beginning to lose his patience. Maybe he should just give up; just forget about getting free.

Just as he was starting to lose hope, a woman entered the room. She was beautiful. The darkness wasn't that thick, so he could still make out what she looked like. She had green eyes and raven-black hair that fell down her back like a waterfall. She had that kind of aura that made him feel uneasy. He knew at that instance that she was covered in magic — black magic, to be precise.

“Good evening,” the woman said, her voice husky and confident. “I am Melissa. I want to know if you're enjoying your stay here.”

Rhett snorted. “You can come closer to see for yourself.” He said. “Get me out of here!”

Melissa came closer, but not so close that he could reach her. She wanted him to see her well while he talked to her.

“Sorry, but you'll be here for a while. At least, I am sure of that. You're the one we need, and you walked right into our territory; that's a victory.”

Rhett wasn't interested in what she was saying. She sounded intelligent though, but he wasn't interested in her wits. “I want to see who's in charge. I don't have time for your talks.”

Melissa smiled; her smile got wider into a sly one. “Oh, I'm sorry to say this, but I'm the one in charge. I run the affairs over here so you can just tell me what you want and I'll get it for you.”

“Get me out of here.” Rhett told her again.

“You're more handsome than I expected.” Melissa told him.

Rhett's eyes narrowed; his face was heated up with annoyance. He didn't have time for flirtations or games, and he knew this woman was trying to get him to play. But what if he played along with her and then got her closer to destroy the wolfsbane? He would do that.

“Just get to the point, okay? What do you want from me?"

Melissa gave him a serious expression, her eyes glinting with fierce intensity. "I would like to understand you more — your power, your wits, your energy. I want to understand that. You are fascinating; I must say, you charm my imagination, Rhett. And that is so much that I want to look at you, study your abilities, and make you show them to me.”

Rhett couldn't quite get her. He couldn't show her any of what she wanted from him. “I don't understand what you mean.” He lied, trying to sound convincing enough.

“Don't lie to me, Rhett, I know what you are.” She said and burst into a prolonged laughter that seemed to shake the bars of the cage. "You think I just capture anyone I saw walking on the road?” She scoffed. “You are one of the three Alpha brothers of the Blackstone pack.”

“How…” Rhett wanted to ask her how she knew but he decided against that. “What do you want from me?”

“Now you're ready to cooperate. You see, we are planning to use you and your brothers, but you first, to cripple and destroy the werewolf hierarchy. And you, Rhett, is going to help us do that. You will bring down your own family with your hands.”

Rhett laughed, a harsh, mocking sound that scared him. "You're hysterical, ma'am," he said, shaking his head. "You think I'd ever betray my family? You're crazy, I must say.”

Melissa's smile never wavered for once as she spoke. "Oh, I know you wouldn't, but you will,” she said. She sounded sure of herself. "You see, Rhett, I have ways of... persuading people, it worked, you see. And I think you'll find my methods quite... convincing enough. I don't know about the others, but I am sure of my own capabilities. I am Melissa Greene, and I'll say this now, I'll be your host. Just tell me when you're hungry, what you want and need, I'd get them for you.”

“I am not staying here.” Rhett told her.

“And, how do you… mate? Do you shape shift or you do that in your werewolf form?” Melissa asked, intrigued.

“You get a wolf and ask it.” Rhett told her angrily.

Melissa's laughter was like ice. "I have you. And trust me, I'll make sure I find out.”

And then she left him alone.

“Damn that bitch!” Rhett cursed after a while of silence. He had to get out of here, if not by himself, he had to seek help.

He closed his eyes, focusing on the bond he shared with his brothers. He should be able to connect with them, although it's been long they attempted to connect telepathically; he wasn't sure it'd work. If only he could concentrate, he should be able to reach them. But it wasn't simple, it was like trying to get a grasp of smoke. The connection was weak.

“Fuck, I wouldn't get anywhere this way.” Rhett told himself and sat down. He thought for a while and something struck his mind.

Eliana! What if he connected to Eliana?

Rhett stood up again and closed his eyes. He pictured her in his mind – her hair, her smile, her eyes, her being. Slowly, he began to feel a presence, weak at first, until it grew closer and he felt as if he was submerged in a cool, refreshing pool of water.

And then, suddenly, he was there, inside Eliana's mind, connected to her wolf, her thoughts and her emotions. He was connected to her.

“Witches. Darkmoon pack. Help!” That was all he could pass before he lost connection with her and he hoped she got the message.