Blind Instincts

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Then what did you want, Alpha?" I stumble only a little, my speech better than when I got to this pack. My voice is shy, lacking confidence. I make sure to add Alpha at the end, letting him know that's all I think of him as.

I can hear the click of his lips open, beginning a sentence he cuts off before he can begin. He sighs in frustration, rubbing his face. I hear the scratch of his hands against the gruff on his face, his fingers grabbing hanfuls of his tousled hair. I hear it all, I hear and feel his exasperation.

"I don't know." Is all he settles with, no chance of a further explaination. "But I know I want you."

~

Alina brought me lunch and dinner that day, after Alaric's appearance with my breakfast. It's been a few more days, and he's visited once again. It was short, he delivered my food and brought some necessities for me. A clean blanket, a comb, lip balm. I truly feel pampered to have these items all to myself, though I have accepted from Alina's constant reassurance, owning these things are the bare minimum. I learn that's she's right, though I am still grateful. I've never had these things before now, cell or not.

Alina tells me how not much has changed in the two weeks I've been down here, and I tell her about Alaric and I. She still can't grasp that we are mates, so I told her everything that's happened, good and bad.

"I used to idolize their family," Alina said in a saddened tone, hearing about how rude the prior Luna and Alpha had been. I wondered how someone can idolize a person like Alpha Odon and support his causes to war, but then I remember that the people in this pack are loyal to their Alpha, if they're anything.

Right now, I'm sitting in the same position I have been for days. It's not like I can do much else, except for combing my oily hair. I'm sure there's a small pile of hairs I picked out if the comb waddled up by now, as well. Some of the prongs have snapped off in the process of ripping though knots, rendering the tool almost ineffective. Still, it keeps my hands busy while I sit and contemplate my situation.

There's not much I can look forward to aside from when Alina brings me food, and I've even become grateful for when Alaric visits, because at least I'm not alone for those few desperate minutes. It makes me feel utterly weak to desire a conversation with someone and anyone, this much. I never felt this way back at my old pack, but since then I've come to enjoy having company.

My back aches constantly and my shoulders are always droopy, the damp atmosphere clinging a layer of sweat to my body. The smell that radiates from me is a hybrid of my scent and the decades of dust gathered within the fibres of the cell.

Aside from Alina and a quiet guard, there has been no other movement down here.

I let my tired hands fall to my sides in a thump, hours of light brushing though my hair, stealing all of my energy. My head tilts back against the cold wall behind me, my eyes feeling heavy and head starting to ache. I almost feel myself lull into a sleep, until I hear a tapping that my mind must be conjuring to keep me awake. I attempt to push it out of focus, and for a few minutes, it works.

I'm in a dream, in the forest outside of the estate. I hear the same sound as before, then a reel opening and squeaky metal against a grindy surface. It's out of place in this settings, but my dreaming conscience doesn't process that. The atmosphere is cold and damp, a mist of rain almost floating to the ground. Two people emerge from the estate, one I've never met before, and one being a familiar figure, possibly even myself.

I feel a movement in my shoulders, an echo of the unfamiliar man's voice. I can't make out what he's saying, but it's as if he's omnipresent. His voice fills in the space between all tangible, palpable things.

The two people travel side by side, their footsteps loud and hurried. They stammer through the brush, passing me by. I hear their heavy breaths and they make they away past, then catch a stronger waft of their scents. The unfamiliar man has a foresty scent, and the woman's is sweet, almost unnoticeable. It's my own.

I feel my body being shook again, the echo clearer this time. They yell into me, pushing me out of the conscience plain I was in. I'm waking up.

I jolt forward, hands on either side of me, my heart racing and my breath uneven. I'm engulfed in a fresh scent of someone I've never met, yet I know who they are. Without ever seeing them, I know what they're here for, and I know I need to trust them.

"I can help you, let's go," he says, and I stand.
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Word Count: 1572

Hi everyone!

Since Blind Instincts will be soon coming to an end, I have another book I've been working on. For now the title is Spaewife, and this is the cover.

Things are still set to change, but if you're interested give me a follow and it will be published soon. :)