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My back cracked loudly as my eyes snapped open, looking around the wet and gloomy room. The tiniest shard of light flowing into the cell from behind me, a dimmed window above me. I couldn't even gather my thoughts, having had the worst night's sleep ever.
Desperate to stand up and stretch my spine but something told me that I wasn't going to be released any time soon. I'd be slaughtered first.
Loud footsteps pound down the stairs until I'm faced with Kassian, Mace and a small curly haired woman who was charging after them "Kassian," she says loudly. "Please think about what you're doing."
Kassian turns back to her and Mace shakes his head up to him, a warning not to lash out at her. "Just because you're a vegetarian and preach for human rights Nella, doesn't mean you run this pack." He raises his voice at her.
Nella doesn't flinch but instead she arches her eyebrow. "This is just wrong Kassian and you know it." She shakes her head, folding her arms over her chest.
"I think you should listen to her man," Mace pitches in. "Does she really deserve death?"
"It's just barbaric!" Nella exclaims. "We should at least hear her out and try to understand what she was trying to do. Even if you said you don't believe her answer."
Kassian slams his hands against the cell bars causing everyone to jump, the metal loudly clashing against his palm. "Calm down," Mace holds his hands out to him. "We get that you're angry and she's pissed you off but we need to think about the long term effects of this, not what your wolf and ego is telling you right now."
"Don't tell me to calm down," he growls out, his cold eyes turning to me as I look up at the three of them.
"Get me some water." I mumble out, my mouth feeling like sandpaper.
Kassian curses. "You have no fucking manners." He slams against the bars again. "Why should we do anything for you lowlife?"
"Oh sorry," I shake my head sarcastically. "Can I please get some water you pathetic Alpha?"
An almighty growl erupts from his chest and he almost rips the bars off the sides of the wall, Mace pulling him back and attempting to calm him. "She's just trying to get to you," he mumbles into his ear. "And by the looks of things, she's fucking winning. So calm your shit."
Kassian aggressively shrugs Mace off and removes himself from the basement, Mace and Nella share a look before Mace runs up to follow him. Nella stays directly in front of me behind the bars, her misty grey eyes hold me captive as she wraps her little fingers around the metal, pressing her face partially into the cell.
"What's your name?" Nella asks.
My canines flex and I snap out at her, the legs of the chair rolling against the stone floor. "Like you give a shit," I grumble towards her, knowing that I shouldn't trust anyone.
"I'm just asking what your name is," she shrugs simply. "I don't want to keep referring to you as 'the possessed girl'. You deserve to be called by your name."
My eyes narrow towards her, I had no idea what her game was. "Cleo," I tell her suddenly and she nods back at me.
"I'm Nella," she says with a sweet smile.
"I got that." I say bluntly.
Her eyes wander over my attire, staring directly in my eyes and then down my arms to my feet. She clamps her eyes shut for a moment, a strange sensation ringing in my heart as I felt a presence that I did not invite in.
Watching as her grey eyes snap open to me, she sinks down to the floor so we were levelled. "You've been cursed," she comments and I instantly snap my head back from her words.
"How could you possibly know that?" I say with a sour look.
Nella half smiles towards me. "Because I am a witch myself," she sighs, looking away from my eyes like she was managing to feel something. "The curse is complicated and vicious, I can physically sense it. The configuration of the spell is nothing I've ever seen before." Her eyes glass over like she was managing to reach into my soul.
My eyes blink back at her as she speaks, her lips falling down into a frown. "I've never felt something so evil, you must be in a lot of pain. I couldn't even imagine how that feels, just sensing it is unbearable."
I had no idea what to do or what to say, flicking between her eyes. Not sure if she was having me on or if she truly was a witch. For a moment I calm down and accept what she said, maybe someone could understand me and help me to get out of here.
But then my mind does a complete three sixty and my teeth begin to grit, growling out to her. "You need to let me out of here," I groan as the silver digs into my wounds. "You have no fucking clue what it's like!"
"I can't," she shakes her head towards me. "But I am trying to keep you alive. Kassian is severely cold-hearted and I know he really wouldn't hesitate to kill you."
"Let him try," I exhale sharply. "I'll rip his throat out before he even gets the chance to."
Nella sighs and rubs her fingers into her eyes. "See, that's the kind of talk that will get you killed. If there's anything you should know about Kassian it's that he hates being challenged, don't insult him, don't threaten him. Because it will be a bloodbath and it will not be pretty."
"I couldn't give a fuck," I spit out, the coldness of my heart was beginning to ache.
I watch as Nella paces back and forth in front of the bars, a finger pressed to her lips. "Cleo," she states as she turns to me again. "Explain what is going on, your story and why you're trying to find your mother."
My eyes fall heavy as I look up at her, my lips swishing from side to side angrily. Not wanting to lose my temper speaking about my vile mother and what she's done to me.
"Cleo," Nella grabs my attention. "Why have you been cursed like this?"
Darting my eyes away from her, looking up at the brick walls not wanting to trust her but maybe she would be my only way out.
"I want to help you," she says, her voice dipping in sympathy.
"How do I know that I can trust you?" I mumble out, feeling the skin on my lips beginning to peel. Desperate for even just a splash of water.
Nella shrugs. "I guess you're just going to have to." She tells me straight. "I'll fetch you some water."
Before I can even say anything more she turns on her feet and runs up the steps, leaving me alone again. Somewhere deep in my mind I thought that she could help me, why would she want to harm me?
I suppose I did throw a knife into a wolf's thigh, she has no reason to be nice to me.
A minute or so ticks by and she returns, slipping the set of keys out from her pocket. "Best part about being a witch is having sleight of hand," she smirks to me as she jams the keys into the locks and slides open the bars.
My eyes watch her carefully as she approaches with a bottle of water in hand, her little fingers crack the neck and she slowly takes a step closer. Her hand extends out towards me, raising the bottle to my lips and tipping it back.
The cold liquid splashes against my dry mouth and I almost grunt as it slides down my throat, gulping like I've never tasted water in my life. Eventually Nella pulls away and my eyes admire the tiny little freckles that covered her nose, a rope-like necklace dangling from her neck with a purple stone between the two threads.
"You good?" She questions and I nod back.
She takes a step away and leans on the wall, her eyes trained on me. "I'm not going to leave until you tell me why you're here and what's going on with you."
My eyes roll towards her and I try to readjust my wrists between the knots. "It's a long fucking story and I know you don't care."
"Well I know people that could help you," she shrugs towards me. "I could help you a lot more than you think."
She looks between the walls then up to the ceiling. "And if I were you, I'd talk fast because this place is fucking disgusting." She presses her finger to the brick wall and releases it, her skin covered in wet dirt.
"My mum," I say eventually. "She cursed me."
Nella stops her hand from the wall and turns to me, a look in her eye that screamed success. She knew she would crack me but she was right, if I wanted to get out of here then I needed to speak. Otherwise I'd end up in some shallow grave in the garden along with other wolves that have done Kassian wrong.
I couldn't give up on my desire to kill my mother in cold blood now, if anything this should be motivation to get out of here and rid myself of this curse once and for all.
"Why did she curse you?" She asks curiously, taking one step closer to me.
"Because she was jealous," I mumble out, attempting to stretch my back against the chair but pushing myself further into the silver instead.
"Jealous of what?"
My eyes clench shut. "She was jealous of the relationship I had with my dad."
Nella looks at me for a few moments, neither of us saying anything. "So she cursed you?"
My head nods feeling exhausted from my poor posture and severe hunger. "She told me that it would eventually kill me and I would be left to die."
"Did she say what the curse was exactly?"
"Yeah," I rasp out. "It blocks the ability to detect my mate, eventually my wolf will turn on itself and I'll die alone and in pain."
Nella's eyes fall at my words, she begins to play with the gem that was wrapped around her neck. "Cleo, that's horrible." She breathes out in shock.
"That's why I've been in your territory, I've been trying to find my way back to her. I'm desperate for revenge, every inch of me has no remorse and I've never wanted her to feel my pain more. She deserves everything that is coming to her." I grit out as my hands begin to shake from the anger building up inside me.
"We should try and break the spell," she says sharply.
"You can't," I shake my head. "My mother is one of the most powerful witches in the district, she's altered the curse so that only she can break it. Nothing will be able to stop her, that's why I need to kill her. To break free from this goddamn curse."
Nella blinks back at me, her body clutching onto herself as she watches me. "You were going to go back alone?"
"She turned the whole pack against me. Possessed them into beings that I couldn't even recognise." I mumble towards her. "I've been training alone for a couple of months to get my strength and stamina up, I was so ready to do this."
"You're brave," she tells me. "To go back and face her after what she did."
"What else could she have done?" I breathe out with a low laugh. "Kill me? Oh well I'll be devastated to die when I already feel fucking dead inside."
Nella's eyes glass over with sadness as she listens to me speak. "That doesn't have to be the case," her voice drops slightly. "We can help you."
"Your Alpha is seconds away from killing me..."
"He won't," she says strongly. "Whatever I can do, I'll stop him from doing so. He's just a bit antsy at the moment."
"Really? I had no idea." I say sarcastically.
"Just stop with the degrading insults and whatnot around him, I get you're in pain but if you want to get back to your mother, I suggest you watch what you say around him." She tells me seriously.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes so instead I force the fakest smile. "Right," I say briskly. "I'll keep it in mind."
Nella smiles towards me, stepping back behind the bars and twisting the keys in her fingers. "I need to get back before they know I've swiped the keys. But I'll be back later. Hang in there." She tells me as she slams the cell door and locks it.
She gives me one last glance and a supportive smile before she runs back up the stairs.
. . .
Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are on Patreon now. Link in bio, or link is www.Patreon.com/dreammcatcher
Hello my loves!!! What did you think of this chapter?
Honestly think Nella is one of my fav side characters I've ever written about, can't wait for you to find out more about her❤️
What are predictions for the story already?
I'd love to hear x
See you guys on the next one, Sav x
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