When She Calls

Chapter Four

Samantha's point of view

WHAT? I yell in my head. How could he do this to me. He's supposed to be my mate. You did kill his father. Selena whispers, heart broken at what has happened.

The next words repel me into the corner even further. "I, King of the Werewolves, reject you as my mate." Tears threatening to burst. I never imagined that I would have a mate, never imagined that I would want one. But now, I don't know how I'm going to live without one.

I never reply, and turn my back to him while he continues speaking. "You will board a boat tomorrow afternoon and I never want to see you again. I will give you some money, but don't expect anything else. What you have done is worthy of death, consider yourself lucky that I have mercy upon your worthless self." He spat, walking away, slamming the door on his way out.

The tears fall freely now, what am I going to do? I ask Selena.

You are going to woman up, grow a pair, and start a new life where we can forget this. My wolf screeches.

I was shocked, I never thought that she would ever say that. That's all she has ever wanted. I nod, agreeing, I fall asleep thinking about what tomorrow will bring. I have no clue how I am going to get anywhere there.

My mate, "King of he Werewolves," isn't the king of all werewolves, that would be to many to handle. So the world is split up into six different kingdoms, one for each inhabited continent. I will be going to the kingdom where King James rules. He is about my age as well, now that I think about it.

Sighing, I wait for the guards that are supposed to take me away. Hours pass with me just thinking about my unforgiving future. I have no friends, or family. I don't even know anyone other than the few people I have met in the palace. How am I going to do this? I freeze as the guards walk in, muttering to themselves.

"Deserved worse...harsher punishment...what a bitch." I flinch at the last one. The largest one opens the door and yanks me up by my hair. Crying out, my hands start scratching and I kick out. He pushes me to the floor and my head slams into the ground. My vision is blurry as the other two guards pick me up.

My body is too weak to fight back, so I let them take me wherever. We take too many turns for me to count before we come up to a set of double doors. It's not hard to tell that it's the court room.

The room where the King, now the Queen decides the fate of criminals. That's what I am now, I realize, a criminal. Walking in, she's the first thing I see. Poofy brown hair. Unforgiving face.

They sit me down in front of her throne, I cast my eyes down and show her my neck. "Look at me." Her loud voice booms. Looking up, I stare into her icy eyes. "You killed my mate, a king, a husband, and a father. The punishment for that is death." I gulp, not liking where this is going. But why would I be going to Serba if I am going to die?

"Yet, the victim from your actions doesn't seem to be innocent himself. You, a murderer, have purged the world of another of your kind. A murderer himself, he has murdered far more than you have. So you will not die today." With her eyes lined with tears, she bites back a sob.

"Fifty lashes." She looks at me. Yet I don't see hate in her eyes. Nor anything else. Her eyes are empty.

So I let them take me to the whipping post. I know he is watching, from the corner if my eye, I can see him standing in the shadows. Shrinking back when he sees the silver laced whip.

CRACK! The sound would make me wince all on its own. But the white hot pain is what truly makes me flinch, and scream. I admire all those who can take a whip lash and not make a sound, but I am not one of those.

I cry out every time it hits my skin. The next one worse than the last. Until it stops. After fifty lashes, I can barely stand. That's with knowing my wolf has taken most of the pain. Yet it is still crippling.

It'll start healing in a couple hours, once the silver is gone. I should be good by the time I reach Serba. If it's as long as I think it is. I have to have help getting to the ship.

Doors open and close and suddenly a cool ocean breeze wafts over my face, moistening it with the humidity. I sigh, I didn't realise that we were this close to the ocean.

They toss me on the ground, next follows a bag of coins that jingles as it lands by my head. I wipe the sand from my eyes and stand up. I grab the pouch and stuff it in my pocket. Don't want anyone finding it. I stumble towards the boat and step on the dock. The crew nods at me as I walk on,  why don't they make me pay? I shrug and continue on my way.

A crew member orders me to follow him. He leads me below deck and I see cabin boys running to and fro. This is a large ship. The man stops in front of a door and I nod my thanks. I walk in and cringe at what I see. I have a small bed with a waste bucket. Nothing else. And the smell. I visibly shudder as it makes its way to my nose.

I opt for breathing through my mouth. I sit on my bed and suddenly hear a click. Jumping up, I try turning the knob. It's locked. They fucking locked me in. My wolf ignores me and I feel a deep sense of loss, for both my mate, and my sarcastic wolf.

I rest my head against the wooden door and something scuttles over my foot. Shrieking, I see a rat scramble through a hole in the door, narrowly missing my foot as I try and kick it away from me. I control my breathing, oh stop being a girl, you've seen plenty of rats before, granted never that big...I shudder, never that big.

I fall asleep to the rocking of the boat. As we crest another wave I slam into a wall. I sit up and rub at my aching head. Right before I was going to try the door again, someone slides in my dinner, or is it lunch?

I look out at the circular window and see that it is close to dawn. How did I sleep that long? I sigh and look at the food. There is some soup and bread. They have also provided me with a plastic spoon. Why can't I have a real spoon? I try and check my wounds and find them to have already started the healing process. Thanking the Moon Goddess, I begin to eat my food.

I spend the rest of the day, waiting for my wounds to heal. After dinner, I finally remembered to try the handle. I slowly turn it, expecting the worst. But it opens up without a problem. Huh. I grab my dishes and set out to find the kitchen. I walk around aimlessly until I come across the smell of cooking food. Found it, I think. Walking through the door I see a merry chef standing over steaming food. I smile at him and he points to a tub full of dirty dishes piled in soapy water.

I decide to wash the dishes. Silently scrubbing the grime and food off the plates and silverware until they practically shine. I set the clean dishes in a strainer and look behind me. The chef looking shocked, he must not get a lot of help.

I smile and start, "I could help you every night, well at least until I have to get off." He nods and says something that turns my stomach. "I can't believe a girl as nice as you, could ever kill the King of Werewolves." I grimace and nod, turning to leave.

He grips my shoulder, as if to say that everything will be alright. I smile back and go back to bed hoping that I have made an ally in this unforgiving world.

I wake up to shouts above deck and pouring rain banging against my small window. I jump out and dash up the steps, slipping on the slick stairs and sliding across the wet deck. Lightning flashes and I gasp, that was really close. I see crewmen struggling with a rope so I head over to help them. I grab onto the dangling end and we pull it to where it needs to go. I smile at our work and they shake my hand, then running off to complete other jobs.

I see that I am just going to be a curse rather than a blessing when people shove me out of their way and me stumbling into others. I sigh and head back below deck. When I open my door, water sloshes at my feet. Oh no. My window has opened and water keeps pouring in when the boat tips to the side. I scramble to close it an I securely latch it. The water was a different story. The water runs out when the boat tips to starboard, but comes back when it tips to port. I manage to fall asleep with the rucus and water to keep me company.