32 | mission
The cage door clanged shut, and all the tired pairs of eyes fell on me. Darcy had once told me of a were's feral instinct to feed on humans, a commonality that was immediately abolished when the first human Luna was discovered. As more generations passed, it became a recessive gene that only surfaced during the first transformation, and mating of the wolf and its host soul - the actual human.
But it appeared when pushed to survival, those learned habits left, their eyes were red, their teeth constantly grinding and their senses heightened. Mason's weres lingered around, looking to catch a prisoner in a vulnerable position but their sport beared no fruit and they traipsed away soon.
Zach had twitched awake as the gate opened and held onto my hand when I settled back down.
"You were gone so long" he commented, leaning his head on the wall with his face facing the cement ceiling. Zach was starting to fray, with picking his hang nails until they broke off or, pulled further down. Sometimes, he'd pick at the concrete walls and when my eyes would wander over, I'd cringe, hoping that his nails wouldn't break.
Sadly, I believed that was because he was trying to be strong for the both of us. Zach was protective by nature, but it seemed to be at the cost of his own body.
I squeezed his hand, "sorry, it felt like a few minutes upstairs... and hour tops" I whispered. I shuffled next to him, it was freezing cold down here, but this didn't affect the weres here much, their warmth came down from their wolf and that energy came from unity as well as regular times when their wolves could be set free. I guess the only thing giving them warmth here was the shared experience of this torture - the unified experience as their wolves were restricted by their restrained humans.
"So what happened?" he asked, as I leaned even closer towards him. I didn't feel tired, if anything I felt more energised, pregnant with adrenaline and excited nervousness for what I was about to say. But mentally, I was exhausted.
Strung out.
Beat.
On the verge of giving up.
I was aware of the juxtaposition of such different energies and emotions within myself, and how that resulted in me being distracted.
Zach gripped my hand firmly, "Luna" he started, "...Ivory" he whispered more softly, almost inaudible as though unsure of using honorifics, "that sounded so weird calling you that in this setting".
The left side of my face pulled up into a wry smile "yeah it did but to be fair, it always has. I am more used to hearing Alpha Theo" I commented, my voice unexpectedly faltering when I said his name.
He pursed his lips determinedly as though stopping himself from saying something. Then his face softened and he squeezed my hands, "don't worry, keep the faith". I placed my closed palms over his, "I know how we're going to get out, but I'll need your help, and their help if this is going to work"
"What do you mean?" Zach inquired, a small jolt of electricity buzzed through his eyes and as I explained my plan, they remained lively for a few more seconds before doubt fizzled them out.
"These weres are not strong enough, I have only been here a few weeks before you, and I can feel my strength waning"
"I'm sorry but you don't know that for sure for them, have you even asked first?" I replied, agitated at his defeatist attitude.
"Yes, I don't know about them, but I do about you and I do know myself and I'm telling you, with you on our side plus all this, we don't have much of a chance" he declared, "and this is not me accepting defeat"
"What the fuck was that supposed to mean?" I hotly whispered, leaning away from him and cocking my head to the side.
"You aren't a were and you don't have basic combat skills Ivory, so I'm not quite sure why you're confused by that" he snapped back at me.
"So I'm just meant to give up" I replied.
"I didn't say that"
"You don't have to Theo, your eyes and tone are enough"
He turned immediately, squinting his eyes as he scoffed, "Zach" he said, irritated.
"What?"
"You don't have to Zach"
I brushed him away, "thought I said Theo"
His eyes looks pensive for a minute as though he wanted to say something again but instead, he resolved to a stern shake of his head, "you didn't" he paused, "your plan is good but we'll need to make it more robust if we stand a chance".
I sighed and awkwardly looked away. We remained in a bout of silence for a few moments.
"I'm sorry for earlier, it's just that Theo and I, we-" my chin was quivering, "I can't help thinking all this is my fault"
"AHH" he huffed loudly, "excuse my rudeness, but Ivory, please fucking snap out of this! It's like being around a drunk, mopey ambition-less person. Fucking hell, your emotions are extreme and not all what we need from our de facto leader"
I glanced at him, "I'm sorry. I'm just trying to grapple with my guilt"
"Well, we're not the people to absolve it from you. This is solely between you and Theo"
"I know" I acquiesced.
"You keep trying to carry this story everywhere, whether its directly with trying to tell this story or indirectly with your body language, the hunched shoulders and drooping neck and its awful for morale. For God's sake, these people look up to you, I look up to you, and if you cannot handle your private business, privately, you are a penetrable wall".
"I said I know"
"Good"
The stubborn part of me was wrestling to argue with him as to what right he had to speak to me like that, especially as his Luna but the other, more rational part of me knew what was he saying was true. Mason seemed to have the upper hand because I was still simple Ivory - bitchy and emotional and then acting like a Luna as opposed to actually being one. But, until now, that had made sense. Act like a Luna only when you need to, but for people that had always looked up to their Lunas and leaders, it just didn't cut it.
I took a deep breath.
"Guys!" I shouted pounding my fist on the cage as they all gaped at me, "I need your help. I think I know how we're going to escape".
They stared at me for a few moments and looked at each other, bewildered.
"Look, I know I'm not the best messenger and my time here is a drop in the ocean compared to your experiences but if we stay here, we're just sitting ducks"
"What is your plan?" one asked.
"Cora? Right?" I asked, confirming her name, "Cora, I think my Alpha - Theo is nearby, if Mason's reaction upstairs is anything to go by" I revealed, "I am also aware that most of you are not affiliated with any pack and that has made you and your wolf more vulnerable to wolves like Mason and though I don't want this to seem transactional at all, if we are successfulI I know that Alpha Theo will welcome you"
"Is that his name?"
"Yes, Theo"
"No, the werewolf upstairs"
"Ahhh yes, though I was not aware of this previously. I knew him as Noah until recently"
"But your mate is Theo, the leader of your pack that supposedly descends from a powerful family and even stronger line of weres" Cora added, "I guess what I'm saying is how could this happen?"
"Initially, I didn't trust him" I admitted.
"Understandable I guess but even so, that's impossible" one interrupted.
"I'm sorry, I'm not following. How so?" I asked, unable to ascertain what they were hinting at.
"Well beca-"
"Mason got to her before Theo could do it" Zach stated.
"Ohhh" they chorused.
Were they referring to us having sex?
"Before we could mate right?" I checked.
"No before he could mark you" a young man said, "when the Alpha marks his Luna, the only way to break their loyalty and trust is by killing them both. If one dies, its impossible to stop the other from getting to revenge. An Alpha and a Luna have never betrayed each other. Ever."
I leaned on the cage and shuddered, "then maybe Mason wasn't the one that caused it"
"Sorry?" Zach asked.
"My first night here, I'd seen what I now know to be Theo's wolf but after Magda's dinner party, I started to see Mason's wolf too".
"Did you tell all this to Magda?" Zach asked, distressed.
"Yes"
"Including seeing Theo's wolf?"
"Yes"
The room quietened immediately, and Zach punched the metal bars in anger, "I fucking knew it! Magda was in on this"
"Yeah, she's the reason I'm here. I feel like I told you this" I said. He looked back at me distracted by the points connecting in his mind.
"There was this young woman that Theo had captured, blonde hair, round face and a small nose" he began.
"She had a deep scar on the right side of her forehead?"
"Yes?"
"That's Mandy, I worked with her"
"That's where I knew her from" Zach realised, "Theo had actually captured her, he'd attended an event with other leaders and when she approached him and his friends, she tried to say that she was a plus one to an Alpha... an Alpha that they eventually figured out during her interrogation, didn't exist. Her story wouldn't have been an issue, except she 'stunk' of Mason's wolf - as Theo put it. You can imagine the mess it made when he realised that she looked familiar because she worked with you."
"Oh my-"
"I was instructed to take her to the forest where Theo had ordered me to kill her. Mark, Theo and a few of us had spent a month interrogating her and she had let it slip in the beginning that she had two accomplices, one working closely with her and the pack and the other was Theo, however, she never offered up the first accomplice's name. And that was the one that fucking recruited her!"
I could only watch him as he continued, I was rooted to my place in shock.
"Anyways, I was ordered to take her to the forest and kill her but as I arrived at the spot, I was ambushed. If I'm being honest, I couldn't make out any faces but my wolf managed to kill two of Mason's men before they herded and beat me to unconsciousness. But, this whole time, I was certain I had heard Magda's voice that day and this all confirms it"
"But I don't understand how this is connected to my dreams?"
"Theo's wolf was visiting you to familiarise itself with your wolf. But as you're not a were, it had to spend more time with you to get better acquainted with your soul. Over time, you were supposed to start getting used to it and by extension, you will naturally become closer with Theo in the physical realm. Long story short, eventually he'd mark you and bond you both to each other". Cora explained.
"But?"
"But Magda basically used her powers to create a back door for Mason's wolf to disrupt this important process. If Mason had successfully managed to instead mark you, all of Theo's abilities will be severely limited, to even lesser than a normal wolf. This would destroy not only this pack but it would also send shockwaves to the werewolf community across the world because it would mean, that any Alpha could be overthrown as long as you stop the establishment of their relationship with their Luna. But I'm guessing, if you are captured, that did not happen?" Zach asked to which I nodded, "regardless, that probably explains why you and Theo were never quite...quite close or alike in a lot of ways"
I took a deep sigh.
Cora pursed her lips, "I'm sorry for that"
"Thanks, but I can't think about this right now" I replied, "this has however given me the boost I needed for this plan to work"
"Tell us"
"Mason is going to send for me tomorrow, he's hoping that I can tell him where some historical book that the Nuques gave to Theo's family is. He then plans on using it to find other Alphas and destroy their packs"
"Villains never have it thought out do they? What's going to happen when he finishes that?" one asked.
"Does Mason strike you as wise type?" I asked incredulously to which they all chuckled.
I laughed a little too before I started coughing loudly.
Every cough felt painful and my body throbbed, when I was finally able to stop, Zach rubbed my back, "are you alright?"
I nodded though my chest hurt with every breath I took. My throat felt dry and the right side of my back that Mandy had pinned to the wall was still hurting hours later.
"Come let me have a look" he suggested, scuttling in front of me. He scanned my neck and then my cheeks before softly whispering, "Ivory, there's blood on the inside of your lip".
I swiped my lip with my index finger and gazed at the drop of blood sliding down it, "I don't know what this means but I know we don't have a lot of time" I said.
"When his guards come down to get me, one of them will need to open the cage in which case Zach will pounce on him and kill him"
"And then what would that do? The other guards are just going to kill Zach first before us" Duncan inquired. After Olivia had died, he'd resolved to trying to contort himself into as small as possible. Though, his act was unforgivable, we also understood why he did what he did.
"No, their first instinct will be to lunge at me but if I attack them before they have a chance, I can tackle one to the floor and get the keys. It'll have to be really quick because they can alert the others and...more importantly, I could be killed " Zach interjected.
"We can't use those keys to free us, Olivia tried that before, they don't work" Cora stated.
"That's because Magda has imbued it with magic that doesn't allow the were captives to set themselves free in case of a rebellion. She once told me how she used to do that centuries ago" Zach commented.
"But Ivory isn't were?"
"But Ivory isn't were" he nodded, a tiny satisfaction of a glint prodding a smile, "which means she'll be able to set us free"
"After that, I'll race upstairs and try to locate the room we were in again. From there, I believe I could get to Theo or whoever had Mason spooked and then alert them to what is happening here"
"But there'll be several of his men stationed around there?"
"I know but I'm guessing that Mason will send about a lot of them down here to quash the fighting here"
"Even if, I think a few of us should come with you" Duncan said.
"Hold on, hold on" Cora grimaced, "you're thinking too small Ivory. Mason has been preparing for Theo to come for months, if not years. I don't think its just going to be a straightforward mission"
"So what do you suggest?"
"Can you still see Theo in your dreams?"
"I- No- I don't know, I haven't seen him recently, why?"
"Because I think tonight, you should try to connect with him"
"Connect with him?! Besides, he can never hear me when he's present"
She shook her head, "he doesn't need to hear you, he's a powerful Alpha, even smelling you can give him a precise location. If that works, by the time you wake up, he will have here surrounded."
"This is so much more risky than my plan. I sleep, try to hunt him down allow him to find me in the physical realm and then hope by morning - a few hours later, he'll be here?"
"Okay maybe not already here but at least tracking you?"
"And what if this doesn't work?"
"I'm not thwarting your plan, I'm merely prefixing it. If that doesn't work, then we continue with your plan. Actually to be fair, we continue with both plans regardless of what happens" Cora said, matter-of-factly, "sorry, I'm just frustrated".
I smiled softly, "its alright, don't worry, but what if Mason's wolf is there again?"
She bit her lip, pondering.
"If we slow her heart rate just enough to make her unconscious, then her body will be in a state that is deeper than sleep but my her heartbeat will not be low enough to cause death"
"That could work Zach, which would then mean Mason cannot access her mind cause she won't be in a dream state"
"But if she's unconscious and trying to get to Theo, that energy her body is using to stabilise that realm could cause her to actually die"
"I know" she realised, "she'll need to know when to leave"
"I'll know when its time" I announced.
"How?"
"Sometimes when I dream, I talk to my mother and sister - they died a little while ago but I- I- see them and speak with them in my dreams. The fact that I can never follow them to their home must mean wherever that place is, is death, so by that reasoning, if I'm able to start following them, then I know that I'm dying"
Zach and Cora nodded in understanding.
"Can you escape that? Can you stop yourself from following them?"
I paused and looked at them, "I've never tried".