The Return Of The True Alpha

chapter 5

   Using the battle as a distraction I make my way quietly through the gate and into the direction of the cells.
I overheard my cousin Ruairi speaking with an enforcer about some of the pack that's left here, being down in the cells "just waiting for anyone to take their fill." Those words made my stomach flip. He's just like his father.
  I reach the cells in no time and quickly notice there's a guard. Luck must be on my side for once because he's slumped against the wall passed out with an almost empty bottle of whisky in his hand and a bunch of keys on the ground where they've fallen from his now open hand.
  Crawling forward I grab the keys between my teeth and pull them toward myself before slowly crawling back a few steps.
Once I'm a save distance away from the passed out guard I let the shimmer of my wolf changing back come, letting my human self take charge again.
  Quickly i pull my simple black top and indigo skinny Jean's back on.
Sliding my feet into my trainers at the same time as I push the key into the big old wooden door that leads to the corridor before you arrive to the cells.
I turn the key, praying the door doesn't squeak. Then i push hard on the door and open enough to slide my body sideways through and shut it gentle behind me. Relief washes over me at the fact it didn't make a noise and wake the guard or alert anyone to me being here. One obstacle down, a lot more to go my wolf hums to herself making me smile.
  I make my way down the dark, cold and rather uninviting corridor until I get the the two huge and heavy looking dark oak doors leading into the cells. Bracing myself for what I may face. My wolf silent in my mind.
I unlock both doors before pushing hard on one to open it up fully.
  What I am met with when I open the door is shocking. There is no way I could have prepared myself for the scene in front of me.
Not one cell appears to be empty.
I can't see or smell a single Male shifter in here which worries both my wolf and I.
  In fact I can smell shifters of all different species in here.
We don't tend to mix with other wolf packs often let alone other shifter species. Come to think about it until this moment I don't think I have met another shifter species. We haven't my wolf replies to my thoughts.
I can smell Panthers and lynx in cells together as well as smelling various different wolf packs in here too.
My wolf wines letting me know she can only faintly smell our pack, which is the most alarming part of this considering when I left the pack at six there was almost five hundred pack members here.

What the heck has been going on over the last ten years? I think to myself. I can sense my wolf is having the same thoughts as me.
  With my feet unconsciously moving I make my way down the middle of the cells unlocking each of them as I pass through. I'm helping some of the older people out of the cells.
The true horror of what has been inflicted upon these people is becoming apparent very quickly.
  Everyone of these people are almost skin and bone, making it more evident they have been mistreated while they've been trapped down here. It's also obvious nobody has been fed properly in the time they've been here. Most have their clothes tore and shredded. I haven't seen any beds or bedding. It's freezing in the cells at night.
  A lot of the adults are Bruised and everyone is filthy.
Their eyes are dull, hair flat to their heads and faces, some with bloody and matted hair. It's not only women down here, there are children locked in these cells too with I can only assume and hope are their mothers and or sisters. There isn't any blankets or beds for the children either. My wolf is enraged by the cruelty these people have had to face.
  I am both appalled and shocked to the core, but more then that, I am infuriated that not only my uncle, but his entire pack that he has here with him has allowed this to happen and to go on undealt with. This isn't how we treat people.
  Carrying on down, I open a cell with two identical blonde women. They're both slim with big round Ocean blue eyes. Huddled together in the corner like they're protecting something.
They walk together towards me and move out of the cell.
That's when I see something moving slowly behind them and I realise what they were protecting.
There's a small underweight but beautiful child. She looks no older then eight. She follows the two women out.
   Looking at them properly I can now see the similarities between the adult women and the child. The child stops when she is in front of me.
Looking up at me with the same big Ocean blue eyes and blonde curly hair that falls down her back. Relief pouring into her features as she speaks
"Hi, I'm Alanna. That's my mum Danielle and Aunt Darcy. We've been trapped down here a while. I'm so glad to see somebody is willing to help us." With a look of worry taking over her features she quickly adds "You are here to help us aren't you?" I smile warmly at this little courageous girl in front of me "hello Alanna. Yes I'm here to get you all out and to safety. My name's" before I can finish someone has finished my name for me, in a light whisper. "Reagan" I look past Alanna to see big grey eyes meet mine. Grey eyes that are filled with tears and hope" Alanna moves to the side with the two women as Calee runs into my now awaiting open arms. "Calee, oh my gosh you're alive" I say pulling back examining her with my eyes. She's skin and bone. Her eyes are sunken into her face. A bruise is covering most of her right cheek and a fresh bloody lip. She still has the fiesty sparkle in her eyes though. She still has fight left in her. My wolf says in aww of my Mothers best friend.
"Calee, where is the rest of the pack? Where's my family and where is Connor and Bree?" I take a glance around before adding "Umm Calee, where have all these people come from?" I ask.
She doesn't answer my questions. Instead with tears streaming freely down her face she says "Reagan, what are you doing here? You have to get out and away from here. The promise you made your mam all those years ago. It can't be fulfilled. Aiden is even more sadistic and cruel then anyone could have imagined.
You have to go. Take everyone you've released so far and get far away from here. Please Reagan, don't be the hero. Save yourself. Not all of us can be saved and we have accepted our fate, but you can save those you've let out already if you go now."
  Anger boiling at the thought that she actually thinks I'll leave here without everyone. Without her! My wolf is equally furious that Calee could even think we'd leave without her for a second.
  "Calee, forget it. Everyone leaves with me or I don't leave at all.
I left once and ran like I was told to.
I understand, back then I was too young to stay and fight.
I knew that then and I know that now.
I have had to grow up quicker then most. I've learnt a lot about not only the world but myself too in the ten years I have been gone." I say as I unlock the last of the cells.
  Then gathering everyone toward the door I came through. I explain that I'll be leading them through this door. Down the cold and dark corridor. Then finally out the door that leads to the clearing.
  "Once we are in the clearing you all follow Calee and run to the pack house. Once everyone is safely inside, you check all the windows and doors. They must all be locked and secured before you all follow Calee into the basement. I am going to put an end to what my uncle started ten years ago." I say.
Once everyone nods their understanding I lead them through the huge oak double doors. The corridor seems colder now then before.
Once at the end of the corridor and stood in front of the door leading to the clearing I stop waiting for everyone to be ready.  I see a few of the women, mothers I assume pick up some of the youngest children, while  others grab the children's hands.
  Then I push the door wide open, stepping out to check the coast is clear. The guard is gone. Joined the battle I assume.