Hell On Earth

"Enough drama, Alpha Harte!" The man scoffed, rolling his eyes at the sky, "When will you morons learn? The Lycan Council had officially forbidden such practices for a decade because they are for naught!" He tsked his tongue, appalled. "You are found guilty of colluding with sorcerers against the law of the period. I, Jordan Segal, will be detaining you until further investigation." 

As if his interruption had broken some spell, I felt like I had a hold on my body. The heaviness in my limbs remained but I could think. 

A dizziness passed through, my eyes widened all the same. I realized this half-baked man was my window out of here. He held command over these people which had them feeling so threatened.

Before I could formulate a plan, my desperation got the best of me. "Hey! Get me out of here! My father is Richard Reagan. If I get out of here unharmed I'll ask him to do anything for you."

He looked like a big shot of this cult and my only chance at survival.

"Richard Reagon? I must say you have expensive taste, Alpha Harte." His eyes fell on me and narrowed. First, he observed me unimpressed but then raised a brow as if he come to an abrupt conclusion. A smirk crept on his face as he hummed in thought. "Anything?"

I let out a breath of relief. I was desperate and he was my last ray of light, "Yes! Anything, if I'm safe and sound he would lavish you with a hefty reward."

He rubbed his chin in thought. "If it's Reagan… So you think he can get me an island and an untraceable fake identity?"

This man looked like he was with half a brain cell all these morons lacked: why slaughter a golden-egg-laying goose? The goose being me.

My fist clenched and my body shook in assurance. He knew my father, there was no way he would want to miss such a golden opportunity to please him.

Hope bloomed in my heart, he could take all that I owned if he got me out of here, "Yes, an island, a fake identity from my father, and a private jet from me as a token of gratitude! My father will do anything to see me safe and sound."

My father would often say, 'no monster is monster enough if you have the right chip to bargain and there's no chip money can't buy.' Negotiations mean there's a weakness to exploit.

He snorted in distaste, "Young Lady, you look accustomed to getting your way with bribing. Uncultured wench!" I felt my breath hitch, he couldn't be mocking me, right?

I opened my mouth to promise anything unseasonable before he held up his hand, "But I might as well earn something, there's just so much you can do with a kind heart. Sentinels! I, Jordon Segal, arrest Harte Moon's authority and take the Pack under custody at the command of the King." As he said so, several men jumped into the ditch hole from behind him and chaos ensued. 

'King...?  Was a freaking royalty involved?!'

That man also gracefully landed in the ditch, crossed the commotion and flaring fire. He walked through with the elegance of a hardened warrior and supported me up with my back leaned forward.

His one hand held my back and the other tended to the ropes while he leaned a breath away from me. Up close standing against the moon, he made my heart race harder than this night ever did.

He was ethereal or maybe it was the drug in my system. His eyes met mine and held my whole body captive. I was by no means comfortable in this position but his closeness had another effect. Who knows if it was the night or my damned fantasy...

Jordan, that's what he said his name was.

I felt my face heat up but I averted my gaze to the scene behind him.  The woman and man shouted and struggled only to be held captive and bound with the rest of their cult. I cursed their fates in my heart.

My eyes locked back to Jordan who still had his eyes fixed on me, I bit my lower and spoke just to break the ice, "You'll need a dagger to loosen this rope-"

But like a trance was broken, he took his eyes away from me. Though I couldn't see what he did, I heard a swishing sound, and the ties were let loose. 

I was quick to free myself when that man came in my face holding my shoulder and like it was never there the besotted daze was gone from his face.

"Just for the record, what do you think was happening here?" He asked with squinted eyes like he was cautious and warning me to say the right words.

'THUMP!' My heart drummed in my chest. I knew my answer would decide if I'll live to see the sun.

Though I had a lot to say to that, I knew this was my only ticket out so I blurted the most absurd of my speculation, "A satanic ritual?"

He pursed his lips and nodded, "Yes, stick with this!" I heaved a sigh of relief, I was living another day. 

He was helping me off the platform, when he blurted eagerly, "Just so we are clear, I want me to cash out my reward—" I was about to reassure him when my eyes fell behind him.

The Deranged woman apparently hadn't had enough tonight. She injured the man binding her and leaped toward me when a horrifying growl rumbled from beneath me.

My heartbeat stopped, and the platform had vibrated with a roar. 

Everyone froze before hell broke free as the ground shook with an earthquake. "Damn it."

My unfamiliar savior held the collar of my dress and threw me out of the ditch in one swoop. I would contemplate how it was humanly possible but the Earthquake that was wrecking the ground and people who were running for their lives had my attention.

"Aah!"

I landed on a poor man who was trying to make a run for it, he shoved me away and ran for the hills, screaming. 

While everyone struggled to survive, the Harte couple and their brainless followers hollered in joy, "The Alpha Supreme has graced us with his presence! Our Lord!" 

Apparently, they are successful in awakening the wretched demon who lay under the platform with their ritual.

The people called Sentinels and my half-baked savior Jordan ran out of the ditch swaering as if hell had broken loose. The fear on their faces was too terrifying.

I got rid of the T-stap when my breath hitched. Another roar rumbled the Earth but this time it was not what sucked the life out of me.

The men in front of my eyes had turned into monsters. Unnatural and terrifying big wolves. Not wolves... these wolves stood up like humans.

"Oh, my Lord! Make it a delusion." I mumbled as my wits left me. The monster-cum-Jordan eyes fell on me when I tried to make an attempt at life. He snatched me up by the waist in his claws. "God, let it be a dream! Please!" 

I took a breath in to shout my heart out as my last ditch effort before death when another scream breached the cruel forest.

The direction was from the ditch. 

Cries of help and wails of pain resonated in the forest but no one stayed there to aid those selfish mindless minions of the devil. Jordan was the fastest to cross the woods.

I had ducked my head and prayed as I wailed. I felt twigs slapping my skin but I was numb to the pain, my fear had paralyzed me.

We heard another howl, this one scarier and fiercer than the rest. I could feel my heart fall out of my chest. It is a nightmare, it couldn't be anything but...

Lost in my thought I had no time to note when my world had turned upside down. I flailed as my lungs filled with saltwater right after the cold surface of water slapped me. Seconds later I was brought back out. 

"Wh-What the hell-" Before I could even express my anger the strange creature held me back down in the lake and shook as if I was a rag doll. My lungs and nose burned as the water entered my system.

He brought me out of the water, I coughed but before I could control my huffed breath, he brought me to his mouth.

My eyes widened. Was he washing me like vegetables before taking a bite?! I screamed as a last resort when his other heavy hand slapped my backside. 

Stupefied to speak at the humiliation, I stared at him with my mouth hanging.

"Beastss…hear you..." A monstrous rumble told me there was a beast worse than him who was chasing us.

"His Blood…he smellsss..." I barely caught his hissing, much less understood him.

Before I could open my mouth to utter anything else, he sniffed me and then doused me back in the water. He did this horrendous act a few more times, no matter how much I coughed or swore at him.

I felt like I was going to die from this forced diving routine when we heard another set of screams and loud thuds of trees falling.