Caves

The soil beneath me feels extremely hot in my position. Stone's eyes are cloudy with hunger and evil intent.

I'm beginning to realize how done for I am. Tears sting my eyes but there's no use; I have to think with a clear head.

As Stone approaches me, big head swaying and fat lips smelling of saliva, uncooked rabbit and stinking ale— I see it.

My escape.

The key to my shackles is dangling off his waist.

Since my hands are in front of me, all I need to do is distract him and reach for it. I steady my breath, glance back to the men back at the fire.

They're not paying any attention— drunk out of their minds.

The dwarf belges. “Come here, pretty Luna. Have you ever tasted Bear balls before?”

I almost vomit from the useless words that come out of his mouth. But it's all okay; I need the distraction.

Stone stumbles forward again, huge head landing on my shoulder. His lips kiss the dent between my neck and shoulders. I feel his warm, stench filled tongue lick the skin and I squirm in disgust.

“Stay still!”

In one swift move, the near shifter grabs my neck and clasps me in a choke hold.

I use the opportunity then and grab the keys. While his hungry hands start to roam my body, I fumble with the brass over my wrists.

After countless maneuvering and hundred horrid kisses and caresses later, the shackle snaps open.

It's a loud noise— but I hope desperately that Stone didn't hear it.

I hope he's too distracted to.

But when he pauses right after the noise, I know he has. Before he can register the noise and hold me down, I wack his face, sending his disgusting figure flying.

“Bitch! Fuck!”

There's no time to waste. Immediately, I sprint into the forest, the wind howling at my ears. My whole body is tingling.

Oh moon goddess, cleanse me…cleanse me!

I don't want to dwell on the fact that I was thoroughly violated by that being. I focus on running and breathing; stomping and jumping.

There are footsteps behind me— heavy, mad footsteps.

An omega like me could never outrun such forces. In wolf standard, these bear shifters would classify as betas or gammas.

I was not even an Ordinary.

My heart palpitates madly as these thoughts run through my mind. Keep running. Don't stop.

The night is not too dark; the silver light of the moon kisses everything in sight and bathes the hidden in shadows.

“Stop right there, you whore!” I hear someone shout from behind me.

The next thing that follows is a flying object that whizzes by my ear. It buries itself in a tree in front of me.

It's a dart.

Oh no…If one of those…

The world tilts and I fall immediately, losing my balance and tripping over a log. Get up, get up!

There's no time to think, those bears are getting closer. I keep running, ignoring the slight hurt in my ankle.

More darts wheeze past me and I try to run in a zigzag manner to confuse them.

But for how long can a common omega resist such force?

When I come to a crossroad, my legs give out again and a dart finally finds its way into my back. The forest starts to spin and my breathing starts to come out in heavy spurts.

I fall, back first to the ground, vision blurring as I see some bear shifters approach.

At the lead is Angus. He smiles.

“You're a good runner.”

The world fades to black.

***

The feeling of something wet underneath me wakes me up.

I groan in pain and struggle to get up. When my bleary vision finally clears, an unfamiliar environment appears.

I'm in a cell— or something close to it.

Everything here is damp and smells of it. Jagged walls with protruding structures, darkness with only specs of light coming from a dying torch in the passageway outside.

Continuous dripping. The sound of someone crying.

Where am I?

Caves. Bear shifter Caves. Oh heavens no…

Feeling utterly disgusted from how wet my back is, I get up from the ground. The unknown fluid that had woken me up turns out to be…vomit?

I retch immediately, adding a personal pile to the one on the ground.

I can't see in this cave, my mouth is burning.

Damien Chris…

Truly, you have no heart. Anger wells up in me as I vomit again— partly from how badly this cave smells and from the memory of Stone’s touch on my body.

My body is itching. I want to strip myself of everything including my skin.

But before I can even stop puking out the bile in my system, a voice comes through.

“Ah…dear Luna. You're finally awake.”

I spin around. Angus.

“What do you want?” I hiss out, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. My hair is stringy and wet. Must have touched the vomit too.

“Now that's no way to say thank you, Luna dear. If not for me, my men would have entirely ravaged you in your unconscious state!”

I keep quiet, watch his wicked eyes twinkle. “Can't say I wasn't tempted myself.”

I say nothing still; there's really no use. Damien has dumped me here and unless by some sort of magic, it was up to me to get myself out.

“Giving the silent treatment eh? Mm. Understandable. You are in a cell after all.” He pauses, rubs the hair on his chin.

“But I doubt you'd be quiet for too long once you hear my proposition.”

My heart sinks. Whatever this was, it definitely wasn't going to be good.

Angus licks the skin of his lips and steps just a bit closer to the bars of my cell.

“You see,” he whispers. “I don't really care that Fred's dead. Infact…it's been a wish of mine for a long while. And whether or not your people killed him, I don't really care.”

I hold my breath— not because of the vomit, but because a pit is growing in my stomach, consuming me.

“However, my folks need someone to blame. And your dear mate has offered you up. The only way you can survive now, is to do a simple task that will pacify all parties.”

The pit in my stomach grows; becoming a well.

I can feel the vomit on my back turning ice cold.

“Bear an heir for the bear shifter clan. Carry my child and you will live.”