Chapter 5

Chapter 5

AVALINE

The slap came so fast I barely saw it coming. Dion had slapped me so hard that the force of it alone sent me stumbling backward. I lost my balance and fell to the floor, holding my burning cheek as I tried to regain my vision shaking my head to get rid of the stars dancing around in my eyes.

I could taste the metallic liquid in my mouth from where I had bitten my tongue, as I looked at them with anger and fear in my eyes. 

"Dion, no!" Solaya's voice was filled with what happened to her genuine stress and worry for me. I looked up to see her rushing toward me, her blue eyes, filled with shock as she continued speaking, scolding them. "You didn't need to hit her!"

She knelt beside me, her hands moving around my injured face as if she wanted to help but didn't know how to.

"Oh, Avaline, I'm so sorry. You didn't mean to insult them, did you? You were just worried about the little girl."

Her acting was remarkable as usual. In my previous life, I had been fooled by exactly this kind of act. I had been grateful for her intervention, and had seen her as my only ally in a world that seemed determined to destroy me.

The rage that had been building in my chest finally boiled over. Without thinking at all, I slapped Solaya hard across her face.

The sound was even louder than when Dion had struck me. Solaya's head snapped to the side, as she staggered backwards before being caught by one of the brothers.

When she looked at me again there was genuine shock in her eyes accompanied by fear.

A thin line of blood was trickling from her split lip, rolling down her chin and I could see the red handprint already forming on her pale cheek. 

She raised her hand to her face, touching the wound with trembling fingers as if she couldn't believe what had just happened.

"You... you hit me," she whispered, her voice filled with disbelief.

"Yes," I said, as I got up to my feet, despite the way my head was spinning. "I did."

For a moment, the room was completely silent. Then Alistar broke the silence by yelling out for the guards..

"Guards!" he roared, his voice carrying the full Alpha authority that he was known for. "GUARDS!"

The sound of running footsteps echoed as the guards immediately responded to his call. Within seconds, the healing chambers were filled with armed men, their hands already going towards their weapons before they were even told what their threat was.

"Drag her out of here," Alistar commanded, his brown eyes filled with disgust and fury as he pointed at me.

 "Take her to the dungeons and teach her what happens when she assaults a pack member."

Strong arms were pulling me with a lot of force that wasn't necessary. I didn't resist their attempts as they began to drag me toward the door. 

There was no point in fighting – I was outnumbered and outmatched, and struggling would only make things worse for me.

"Wait," I said, looking back at Aida's sleeping unaware of what was going on around her. "She needs someone to watch over her. She's just a child, and she's still recovering."

"She's not your concern anymore," Dion said coldly. "You've lost the right to care about anyone but yourself."

As they dragged me from the room, I caught sight of Solaya who was being helped by the brothers. The shock from earlier was now replaced by something that looked almost like satisfaction. 

She had gotten exactly what she wanted, letting the brothers brand me as someone who is unstable and crazy and clearly needed to be taken out of the equation.

The dungeons beneath the pack house were a place I had hoped never to see. The cells were small and dark as no light normally came down here and it was filled with the stench of people who had died down here for crimes, that they might have not committed.

They threw me into one of the cells with enough force that I hit the far wall, scratching my palms on the rough stone. The door was slammed shut behind me, the noise sealing my fate.

"Orders are to soften her up," one of the guards said to his companion. "Make sure she understands her place."

The guards didn't need to enter the cage to beat me up. Through the bars, they could reach me easily enough, and they took turns hitting me where it hurt, making sure that I suffered gravely for my offense. My offense for standing up to the brothers.

I curled up in the corner of the cell, trying to protect my vital organs as best I could. The pain was excruciating, but I had experienced worse. I had burned alive, after all. This was nothing compared to that.

When they finally got tired of using me as their entertainment, I was left alone in the darkness, my body hurting all over yet my spirit remained undaunted by what I had experienced.

I was expecting to feel broken, defeated, but instead I felt... free. For the first time in my life, I had stood up for something that mattered. I had chosen Aida over their approval, and I would do it again.

The sound of footsteps in the corridor approaching made me look up. Dion and Alistar soon showed up in front of my cell, standing behind Solaya like a pair of bodyguards.

 Her face was still swollen from my slap, and she stayed slightly behind them as if she feared I might somehow reach through the bars and strike her again.

"Have you learned your lesson?" Dion asked.

"All you have to do is apologize," Alistar added. "Tell Solaya you're sorry for attacking her, and we'll let you out."

I looked at Solaya, who was watching me carefully. She knew exactly what she was doing.

"No," I said simply.

Solaya's eyes widened with fear as she spoke out. "What do you mean, no?"

"I mean I'm not apologizing for something you deserved," I replied, my voice steady despite the pain in my ribs. "You've been manipulating everyone around you for years, and it's time someone called you out on it."

The brothers exchanged glances with each other and I could see their anger being reignited from scratch.

They had expected me to beg for forgiveness and my constant stubbornness wasn't a part of their plan.

"Fine," Dion said, nodding his head slowly.

"You can stay here until you come to your senses."

"But what if your father finds out?" Solaya asked, with genuine worry. "Alpha Monroe will be furious if he discovers you've imprisoned Avaline."

"Father won't be back for a week," Alistar said dismissively, waving his hand away as if I was merely an inconvenience and needed not to be taken seriously. "She can stay down here for the entire time if she wants to be stubborn. No food, no water, no contact with anyone until she apologizes."

They turned to leave, but Solaya hung around for a moment longer. "I really am sorry this happened, Avaline," she said softly. "I never wanted things

to go this far."

"No, you're not," I said quietly. "But you will be."