Maya's Promise

Part 2

They were really trying to kill her this time, she decided. No one had come to see her for 7 days after her last meal. She had heard no noises from upstairs not even the sound of her son's cries or occasional laughter. Had they left her behind, she thought. 

The beast who resided inside of her had begun to rage inside her minds eye this morning and had refused to settle in the silence. The being was so close to the surface the glowing of her eyes showed emerald green around the room, gleaming off of the iron bars surrounding them. While the beast could not speak actual words to her, she saw visions of them shifting into their leopard form and ripping this cage to pieces. How could those men not know that a black leopard was not affected by the magic of iron as they were, she wondered truly about to give in to her beast to see if she was strong enough to release them. 

It was at the moment she was about to strip to allow her cat to take over that the reverberation of heavy boots on the floors above her shook dust from the ceiling on top of her. She froze, her cat's vision aiding her in seeing a shadow slinking through the small cracks in the floor boards. It was him, she could tell by the way he swaggered forward like the world was his. A tiny cry hit her heart like a bullet and a whimper left her throat thinking of her innocent son being carried in his arms. 

The smell of food invaded the basement as the door opened and he approached with a smile on his face. He held a plate of food in one hand and resting upon his other arm was her cub, his icy blue eyes already locked onto his mother from across the room. 

"Good afternoon, Princess. I'm sorry for being late," he crouches down in front of the bars sliding the food in through the opening at the bottom. "Beren and I went to visit my old Pride where his grandparents reside as Alphas. They were very shocked to meet him." he gave her a small smirk, adjusting the babe in his arms so Beren laid flat against his chest to give her a clear view of him and him of her. 

"Why are you doing this?" she had asked this questions many times before and the answer was always the same. 

"You are the only black leopard known on the planet currently Princess," he sighs in annoyance at having to repeat himself. "Your breed has incredible abilities, those that I've heard are passed down to your cubs. Now my cub. You will both help me achieve greatness." 

She couldn't help but roll her eyes at him, for once not phased when he growls loudly at her, yet angry once her cub begins to cry against him in fear from the rumble. She suddenly gets up from her sitting position to crouch in front of the bars, her arm reaching out to rest her hand against her baby's chest to reassure him. 

"One day I will get out of here and you will never seen us again," she whispered, her blue eyes meeting his green with pure malice. 

The great leader of Vorici raised a lip back at her before standing, "Jaxson will be down in a moment. Enjoy your dinner while you can schiava." He snarled the Italian word for slave down at her before turning and taking her joy away from her. 

She knew not to eat before Jaxson came down here. The dark Beta of Vorici would not go easy on her after the attitude she gave his beloved Alpha today. Her beast roared inside of her, begging her to fight back, to be free, to save Beren and get him as far away from here as possible. She knew she was weak from her lack of calories and proper rest, but perhaps today could be the day. 

She stood up fully, thanking her short frame in this tiny space, and stretched her limbs and popping her joints. Her leopard roared on the inside ready to shift and finally get them to safety after years of being stuck here. The dark haired male was quick to come down here once his Alpha had left and he came straight for the cage door to open it to begin his usual torture. He didn't seem to notice the emerald in her usual cobalt blue eyes as the cat took over the human form and waited to pounce. 

Only once the cage was unlocked did he look up at her, his dark eyes full of momentary confusion as he stared her up and down, seemingly shocked as her sudden confidence and the presence of her other half. He took one step back, a mistake he realized as a snarl parted her lips and she launched into her attack. 

"Princess!" he reared back, falling to the floor as her bones cracked and slammed into a form she was refused for years. 

The hatred that had been built in her heart ended the man quickly as her cat wasted no time and went straight for his throat. She left his corpse behind and continuing on four limbs ran up to the main floor of the house. Fear and anger were the two most prevalent scents up as she attempted to make it into the main hallway of the house where it would lead to her son's room. But she didn't make it far as the third member of his pride came running around the corner, a large gun locked and loaded on her head. 

With a hiss she turned and sprinted away in time to miss the bullet coming her way that she heard thud into the wall and splinter the inner skeleton of the house. Seeing no open doors in the direction she chose, her only way out was a small window above the kitchen sink. She braced herself then slammed her lithe body against the glass, grateful when it gave way and shattered around her. Another bullet whizzed by her at this time, nearly grazing her left ear. 

The entire time she was locked in that house she had only ever seen the three main men of his pride, but as she sprinted for the cover of trees she heard several more men yell out commands to catch her, to return her without killing her. As she raced full speed into the dark covering the trees and dusk sky provided, all she could think about was her cub still being stuck in that house. But she also knew this was the only opportunity she would ever get. With her heart breaking in two, she promised to return for him with help that would end the Vorici once and for all.