Chapter 5: Monsters

Jane

Of course, the nightmares came once again. The feeling of Chris's bruising force on top of me, his hands leaving marks on my skin. His suffocating scent surrounds me while I struggle beneath him.

It is not until someone's voice pulls me from the night terrors that I finally catch my breath.

"Get up and take a shower, you smell like death," Alpha Lucas says sternly before slamming the door behind him. My breathing is shallow from waking suddenly from my nightmares, but I stand instantly at his command. 

For the first time, I take a look around the room. It's large, with a king-size bed in the center, and a full-size dresser with a mirror opposite to it. Two wooden nightstands match the aesthetic of the room on both sides of the bed, and a large ceiling-to-floor window on the far wall. It is a beautiful room, much better than I have ever seen before. 

One picture frame is propped on the dresser, and I take a close look at it. It is a photo of Alpha Lucas and a little girl, only about two or three years old. 

I find the bathroom quickly, not wanting to irritate the King of Wolves by snooping any further. The bathroom is bigger than the dungeon I had stayed in, and the shower was a good portion of that size. Soap bottles lined the shelves, and soft towels hung by the door. 

Stripping the clothes from my wounded shoulder was painful, but I forced myself to remain quiet with a bite to the lower lip. Hopefully, today I can get the arrow out before it causes an infection.  

As much as I know I shouldn't, I can't help but lather my hair in the soap once I am in the shower. I take a quick one, unsure of what the alpha expects of me today, but I do take the time to scrub my hair. Once I am finally happy with the scent wafting from me, no longer a reek of filth, I find fresh, clean clothes lying on the bed. 

Changing into them, I frown when the pants sag uncomfortably on my hips, and the shirt hangs loosely over me. I used to not be like this, but years of living in the dungeons have turned me into a lousy-looking mutt. However, I am thankful that the oversized shirt left some room for comfort against my shoulder. 

Running my hands over my hair, I conclude that this is as good as I am going to get, and I open the door that leads to the hallway. I am thankful when no one else is walking to or from the upstairs area, and I am able to sneak my way downstairs without causing issues. 

Once I am downstairs, that changes. Wolves dance around the open floored kitchen at the bottom of the stairs, as though they are preparing for the entire pack to eat. My eyes scan their faces, memorizing each one the best that I can from a distance. Study was my best friend in the dungeons. It kept my mind busy and kept me from going insane. 

That and repeating certain mantras to myself. Like my social security number and my name. It helped to replay certain events in my head from childhood as well, so that I would not forget them while living through their torture. 

"Mutt, get in here!" Alpha Lucas shouts from the room around the back corner of the kitchen. I shove my way through the busy wolves until I am in the living room area. A large sectional couch is laid out across the area, and a television the size of the wall is hanging opposite of it. I don't take time to look around as I hurriedly walk to where the alpha is sitting on the end of the couch. 

Beta Arch is sitting across from him in a separate chair, and they have piles of folders with various papers spread out on the coffee table between them. 

"Sit," he commands, and I do. I turn to walk a distance away from the two to take a seat, but when I do, I receive a glare from the alpha. When he doesn't say anything about the distance, I take my seat. 

"What's your name?" The alpha asks. Beta Arch continues to shuffle through papers on the table, without paying mind to the conversation. 

"Jane," I tell him plainly, and watch as Beta Arch shuffles through more papers before shaking his head. 

"You're not listed in the Montana pack files. Why is that?" Alpha Lucas asks. I can feel my heart rate increase with the questioning, but I keep my expression plain. I am not a weak person, and I will not let them think I am. 

"I'm not sure, Alpha. I'm sure Alpha Chris could answer that question," I tell him. My response earns a frustrated grumble from him as he runs his hands along his face. 

"Who were your parents?" He asks, grabbing a stack of papers in front of him to help the Beta search for my name. 

"My father's name was Terrel. He was a warrior." At this, Alpha Lucas and Beta Arch look up to me with surprise. I move my gaze past them so I do not get in trouble for looking directly at their eyes. 

"Your father was a warrior, and a traitor?" They seem shocked at what I say, and they have a reason to be. Warrior traitors are practically unheard of. They spend their whole life working to become a warrior for the pack, and wouldn't dare throw it away for anything else. 

"That's what they tell me, Alpha," I reply before they both search the papers again. With an irritated groan, Alpha throws the papers down on the counter, bringing his glare back to me. 

"What's your last name, Jane?" He asks, and I am surprised to hear him say my name instead of calling me mutt. 

"I-" I shake my head to stop myself from stuttering through my words. Straightening my back, I continue to look past them when answering. 

"I don't know."