My Father's Killer

Chapter 3

"Papa...papa?" 

  I knew I was dreaming, I knew this had to be my imagination playing a cold joke on me... I knew that because I was seeing my pack. And in my dream, everyone was still happy, still thriving, still hopeful and excited like we had always been...

  

  "Papa?" I called out for my father.

  "Chipmunk, if you keep calling me out like that, you'll wear down my name" my father said as he walked out of the pack house... alive, smiling and waving me over.

  "Oh please, your name isn't Papa... how would I be wearing it down? It's not even your name" I asked, laughing even though my heart was breaking on the other side. 

  

  "Oh no, Chipmunk. My name is Papa to you... nothing else. Understand?" He said, flucking my nose and laughing when I slap his hands away. 

  "Dad... Stop...I'm not a kid anymore" I say, still giggling. 

  "You'll always be my kiddo, Chipmunk. Always" I smiled and looked up at his face. One second he was smiling down at me, the next he was bleeding from his eyes, nose and mouth.

  

  "Papa?" I said, shivering with fear

  "You were too late... too late, Chipmunk. Why didn't you die, Chipmunk? Why are you alive, Chipmunk? Why did you survive, Chipmunk?"

  

  Cold sweat ran down my spine as i took in each and every word he said. 

  "You should have died like the rest of us. Why did you survive? You should have died... you should have died... you should have..."

  

  "I should have died...I'm sorry, Papa" I heard myself say even as i drifted from the nightmare into reality. I opened my eyes and looked at the unfamiliar place I was in.

  "I should have died... I should have died... I failed you... I'm sorry..."

  

  My eyes were open, but I could not see anything through the tears that flowed freely from my eyes. All I saw was the blood, the bodies, the smoke, the fire... all I could smell was the sweat of the warrior that pinned me to the ground, the feel of his tongue as he dragged it over my collarbone...

  

  I was having a panic attack. 

  

  And even in the haze of the nightmare and panic, i could still hear the door to the room i was in open and then the distinct voice of Alpha Cassian as he cleared his throat and spoke.

  "At this rate, you'll end up waking the entire pack up with all that screaming you're doing, Alpha's daughter." 

  

  I opened my eyes fully to see him leaning carelessly by the doorframe. Just like he leaned at the war, goddess, how long had it been? How long had I been unconscious? 

  

  He looked different...Like he hadn’t destroyed my entire life in literally minutes. 

  He wore black clothes, with not a single stain on him this time. Like the blood from before had never touched him. Like the war hadn’t happened.

  His eyes found mine immediately.

  They were Grey and cold... Like he could see right through my soul.

  

  "I don't need your presence around me, you bloodthirsty demon... Leave." I said with a growl.

  I waited for him to leave, but instead, I heard him chuckle darkly.

  "Princess, you're in my pack, where I just happened to be Alpha. You may have banged your head a little too hard when you fell, it almost sounds like you're giving me a direct order..."

  

  Anger rushed through me as I saw the slight smirk on his face. I stood, or instead, I tried to move, but I was paralysed by the blinding pain that came from my shoulder and thigh.

  

  A broken sound slipped from my lips before I could stop it. My eyes fluttered closed and then opened quickly, my vision unfocused. The ceiling above me was made of stone, rough, dark, and unfamiliar.

  Cold air brushed against the exposed skin of my thighs and back that flimsy fabric they wrapped me in could not cover.

  

  I tried to move again, and the sound of metal clinked at my feet.

  My gaze dropped to my legs and I froze... he chained me to the bed. Both of my ankles was shackled to the bedpost, the metal digging into my skin. My breath hitched as I pulled instinctively, testing it.

  It didn’t even budge.

  Panic rose through my blood fast.

  

  "What is this? Release me" I said, not even looking up at him.

  "Again, it sounds like you're giving me a direct order in my own pack, Princess"

  

  I ignored his comment and forced myself to breathe, looking around properly this time.

  Stone walls, no windows, just one lantern flickering weakly on the wall.

  

Of course. 

Of course he would pretend to save me just to lock me up in a dungeon. What the fuck was my life?!

  

  A bitter laugh almost left my throat, but it died before it could form.

  Of course he would keep me in a place like this.

  I tugged at the chain again, harder this time, my jaw tightening as pain shot up my leg.

  

  My hand flew to my shoulder instinctively, but it was bandaged and clean.

  Someone had treated me.

  

  “You’ve been unconscious for four days, Princess... you’re finally fully awake,” he said finally.

  I let out a hollow laugh. “Disappointed? You should’ve left me there. I never asked for you to save me.”

  

 He stepped closer, his movements quiet, controlled. “You would’ve died within the hour.”

“You can't expect me to appreciate you for saving me after you killed my family. After you made my entire pack bleed. You killed them...” I said, my voice dropping. “...you killed all of them.”

  

  He didn’t try to deny it, or even flinch... He didn’t even look surprised as he looked me in the eyes and responded.

  “Yes. Yes I did.”

  

  “And yet you saved me?” I let out a bitter scoff. “Why? So you can pretend you have a heart? So you can finish it slowly... so you can hurt me?”

  That faint smirk touched his lips as he stepped closer and putting his fingers underneath my chin and lifting my head up.

  

  I slapped his hand away instantly.

  “Don’t touch me.”

  This time, his eyes darkened slightly. There. That was what I wanted to see... a reaction...that small shift in his countenance. He wasn't so unaffected afterall. 

"I plan to make you beg...break and cry until every bone in your body begs me for death...but not yet... You see, I am a busy male, and there's so many things more important than playing with my food" 

And with that final cold declaration, Alpha Cassian turned and left me chained to the bed, not even bothering to lock the door. 

Immediately I realized I was alone once again, I broke down in tears as sobs filled my chest and raked my body. What do I do? How could I be mated to this monster? I wept till my body felt weak and I slumped on the bed with my eyes closed.

I heard someone clear their throat from the door and my heavy eyes flew open.

"Finally. I sincerely thought you were going to cry all day long. I've been standing here for a while, you know, " the young lady said, still leaning on the wall of my cell.

Something about her tone did not sit well with me. I could not place it, but I knew I did not like her, and from the deep growl my wolf released, I realised my wolf did not like her too.

"Who are you?" I asked, sucking in mucus from my dripping nose and trying to stabilize my breathing.

"You've been here for several days and haven't heard about me? I need to improve on my reputation now, shouldn't I?" She said, each word dripping with pure condescending energy.

I did not respond. I just stared at her like she was a rambling child, and I was waiting for her to find her words. Two can play at this game. I may be in chains, but I would not be looked down on.

She scoffed at my deadpan look and responded, "I am Morgana, daughter of the former Alpha of this pack. And let me tell you this, Alpha's daughter to Alpha's daughter... I don't know what slimy plans you have for my Alpha, I know you're trying to to get him in between your legs, but I will not let you drag him down to the mud with you."

"Excuse me?" I said, flabbergasted. 

"I know you may be feeling special, thinking about how you're the only spoil he has ever brought back from that dreadfully successful war... I just want to make things easier for you, don't hold on to that. You'll only get hurt. Alpha Cassian is mine... And no slave girl gets the right to take him from me after everything I have done to get here... I heard you even had a child, pity he died"

The mention of the poor baby sent rage straight to my head, pulling me out of my quiet, docile state.

"You have no right to talk about him like that...he's a thousand times better and purer than you will ever be. You can talk about anything but..."

"...but your dead child? If you want me to stop, you just have to leave quietly. The Alpha wouldn't even notice if you went missing. He doesn't care. That's how insignificant you are to him. I'm just offering to help" she said as she walked towards me and stood firmly in front of my bed.

"Who the fuck asked for your..." I started to tell but I quickly swallowed my words when she dangled a large bunch of keys in front of my face.

"What do you say, Alpha's daughter... Will you leave this pack and my alpha and never return, or will you stay here looking disgusting, weak and broken?”