5. A favor repaid

I remained seated on the floor where I had landed earlier and didn’t move an inch. Everything was so quiet now, including the thoughts that had been swirling in my head. 

The only thing I could hear was the loud silence in my ears and the drumming of my heart. Who knew silence could be so deafening?

I pushed back against myself and drew my legs to my chest. I sat so still for a long time until my legs and back began to hurt from the terrible position, but I still didn’t move. I deserved to be in pain. It was my punishment for being alive. 

I slowly brought my head to my folded knees, and it only caused more discomfort to my back, but I didn’t mind. I didn’t deserve to be here. I didn't know why they brought me here, but it couldn’t be for anything that I liked.

Was he going to make me suffer? Make me into a slave because he didn't get enough fulfilment from killing everyone else? I could see in his eyes that the hatred he felt towards us didn't dim with Dad's death. 

I slowly began to rock my body, and my eyes grew hot as warm tears flowed freely. My wounds were healed already, but my clothes were so filthy now. The green dress that I was wearing was torn and stained with blood. 

If it were a different dress, I may have not been bothered at all, but it was the last dress Mama got for me. I remember how much I told her not to get me a new dress since it would be night when she did the pack run, and I couldn’t forget to remind her I was 23 and not a child. 

“You are my youngest and will always be my pup, even when you get grey hair,” she had insisted before going out and buying me this floral dress. She was so happy I got my wolf, even though it was late, but she never saw me run in my wolf, and even the dress she got me was ruined as well.

The pack house had been bustling with so many activities. We had parties every time there was a full moon, but yesterday was so much more. The pack was so excited to see their alpha’s youngest in her wolf form. It was only yesterday, yet so much has changed. 

The pack house must have been reduced to ashes by now, based on how large the fire was. The home that housed me and my memories was now gone forever, like it was never there. I wonder if the neighbouring packs will even notice that we no longer exist. Would they even try to find out what happened, or would they try to bury the people they found?

My body trembled as I cried. I held myself tight and hugged myself tighter because no one was coming to console me. Luca and Callum weren’t here to bug me to stop crying, Joseph wasn’t here to bake my favourite chocolate cookies, and Ethan wasn’t here to rage and demand who made me cry. 

“They shouldn’t have done this. They made a terrible mistake this time,” I was sure if someone saw me, they would see a young girl about to go crazy. 

My arms began to hurt, and I turned to inspect them. They were red and bleeding profusely. I had been scratching them with my claws unconsciously, so now they were torn and bleeding. I watched the blood as it dropped to the floor and began to make a puddle on the floor, but I made no effort to stop it. 

“No.  I don’t believe everyone is gone. They must be playing tricks on me, which is funny because it’s not even April's first,” I muttered before chuckling, and soon it was full-blown laughter. 

I laughed so hard and ended up rolling on the floor. My stomach was hurting because I was laughing so loudly and hard. I had to keep laughing, but before I knew it, I was screaming. 

Blinded with rage, I stood up and approached the door. I threw myself against the door and banged against it as hard as I could, hoping it would rip apart, but it wouldn’t give way. It was strong. What did they use to make it? Why was everything about them so strong?

“Let me out. I’ll rip you to pieces. I swear I will kill every last one of you. You better kill me now, else you’ll regret it for the rest of your lives,” I yelled while pounding against the door “Open this door. Let me out, you bastards” 

I kept pounding and yelling, but no one answered me. I knew there were people outside the room because I could smell them, but they were ignoring me. 

I clawed and clawed at the door, but it was of no use, and I was getting exhausted. I may have healed, but my body has had enough. There was no way I was getting anything done being weak like this. 

Giving up, I turned and walked back into the room. For the first time, through glazed eyes, I look around my new prison. The room was actually nice, unlike most rooms where kidnapped victims were kept. 

The colours were a warm shade of brown and cream, and it reminded me of Joseph’s room back at home, which was the same colour, but this room was more extravagant. It showcases the riches of the pack even though the room was almost bare.

There was a king-sized bed in the middle of the room, and it was calling out to me. My body couldn’t ignore such an invitation, not when it had reached its limit. I may be a werewolf, but I was a newly turned wolf, so I got tired easily and healed slowly until my body got used to its other parts. 

I stood in front of the bed with my nails in my mouth, and I was biting them harshly as I considered giving in and lying there. Can I even think of sleeping when my pack lay on the bare ground, probably being fed on by vultures or whatever animals that ventured into that mass burial ground? 

“It’ll only be a short while. I need to be strong to confront them. I have to be sane to be able to find a way back home,” I muttered to myself before giving in and lying on the bed. 

My hands sank into the foam as soon as I placed it on the bed, and my legs gave out. I didn’t bother to adjust and just swung my legs over, so it was also on the bed. I felt like I was on cloud nine as I lay there, but I couldn’t bring myself to enjoy the comfort. 

As I drifted in and out of consciousness,  my ears picked up on people approaching my room, and that was all I needed to fly out of the bed, and I was by the door in an instant. I stood by the door with my ears perked and waited for them to come in, but they stopped by the door and joined the others outside. 

“Hey, how’s she doing?” The first person asked. He was probably one of the people I heard approaching. 

"She’s quiet now. That girl has a mouth on her. She was screaming so loud I thought I’d go deaf by how loud she was” Someone else replied 

“Who’d blame her? I can’t imagine what I would do if my family were killed as well. She doesn’t even know what is going on” Someone sighed. 

“You better watch what you say. It’s almost like you are painting us to be the bad guys here” The first man spoke again, and he had a warning in his voice. 

“Of course not. What they did to us was far more brutal than what happened tonight. It’s sad that a lot of innocent people died, but it was the same with us too” The man spoke again.

“I feel bad for her, too. I can’t imagine what would happen now,” Another spoke.  

I was desperate to know what they meant. Mom had said something similar back at our pack. Did we hurt these people? I can’t remember our pack ever going to war with any other packs except rogues, and even then, we only fought when they attacked us in our own home. 

“We did what had to be done. All is fair in war, and in war, one side must lose for the victor to emerge. They’ve already caused us so much, it’s only right we repay the favour twice as blunt,” another man spoke, and the rest of the people grunted in approval. 

Someone was about to speak but was cut short by the sound of someone was running towards the room as well. I wonder if they knew I was awake and could hear them. They had to be because that is the only reason why they were acting as though they pitied me. They were cold-hearted killers. 

“Alpha Zion is back. You better go back to your posts before he catches you hanging around here,” The person said in a rush before dashing off before anyone could reply.

“Shit, I am off” The first guy that had asked about me spoke urgently before the sounds of footsteps could be heard walking away.

“Me too” The men scurried off, and there was silence as the original person by the door was left alone again. 

I could hear the men who had been there at first adjust their position. It was quiet once again, and I was left to be consumed by my thoughts of the man who was responsible for what happened last night.