What Lurks in Her Eyes

Chapter Nineteen: Anya

Song: Unbroken by Ivan Torrent ft Aeralie Brighton

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Anya's POV:

I was slapped across the face before I was thrown into the cage no bigger than myself. I felt like a caged layer chicken who is unable to flap her wings and who is damned to a short life of servitude before she is slaughtered. I had seen many cages of chickens in my past, as often times, we were stored in the same warehouses the caged birds were in.

We weren't worth any more than the chickens.

I remember looking at the poor caged creatures with sad eyes. Though they were only chickens who weren't capable of as much intelligence as creatures such as I, they were stuck in the same conditions as my people.

Throughout my life, I witnessed much cruelty. Cruelty to both man, creature, and animal. From the starving dogs that roam the streets to the little human children being trafficked amongst pedophiles, I saw much pain, sorrow, and suffering.

It made me realize I wasn't alone. I wasn't alone in my suffering and there was a multitude of people out there that had it worse than I did.

So it could be worse, I suppose.

The cage pierced my flesh and I winced.

Now that I had tasted some freedom, I didn't ever want to ever be caged again. I craved freedom desperately as well as the touch of my mate.

I don't know when this nightmare will end, but I can only pray I make it out of here alive. I can only hope that time does not run out and that I will not fail to push through the hell I've been cast into once more.

With a heavy sigh, I pushed my back painfully into the wire cage that dug into my back. Something tells me it's going to be a long, hard day tomorrow. Something tells me that I should store up as much strength as possible.

Trials will come, and it will take strength to push through them.

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His fingers dug into the hollows of my cheeks as I looked up at him with innocent eyes. So much hunger was drowning deep in his eyes shrouded in darkness and I shivered when he smirked.

He examined my face from each angle and I could do nothing but stand there and wear a blank mask on my face.

I was back to my old life again and I missed what I had before. Even though my mate and his family intimidated me at times, I missed them.  I missed him. I hated to admit it, but I missed his warm touch and the odd yet nice feeling his touch gave me.

And now, once more, I'm in the hands of his kind. I'm mated to the enemy. I'm mated to the same species that have caused me to suffer.

But that's the costly effects of war.

Even when a war ends, hatred for the opposing sides never really vanish, but fade until it's just a scar. A scar that's still there and serves as a reminder of what has been done.

"A little one like you will sell for more than the average. Wolves will love to boast that they bought the mate of Death." The werewolf holding my face says, chuckling.

I glared at his dark eyes.

Frustration filled my veins and complete and utter hopelessness drowned me.

I was a lamb amongst lions, with a very, very slim chance of escaping.

He pushed me to my knees, which knocked painfully against the splintery floors of a dingy, dusty room that had other vampires such as myself lines up. Every single one looked neglected, broken, and abused, and I hated seeing my kind suffer.