Chapter 4
Aaron’s POV…
(Demented Miles----->)
My whole body hurt as I came back to consciousness and realized that I was better off when I was unaware of what was happening to me. I tried to move by bound arms and pain shot through my shoulders instantly causing me to hiss as they throbbed in protest.
“Well looky here, the half breed pup is finally awake.” Snarled a gravelly voice from somewhere behind me.
I grunted as a fist hit me in the gut. I couldn’t move because my wrists where tied above my head with ropes from the ceiling and my ankles where chained, I could only cough and wheeze as I tried to drag air back into my lungs. I was shirtless and filthy. I tried to blink through the pain, trying in vain to get my bearings to see if I could figure out where the hell I was and with whom.
“What? No answer, half breed.” The voice came again. This time a burly red headed man with ropes of thick muscle stepped into my line of sight. “Let me introduce myself. I am Miles, Alpha to the Fire pack, pup. Tell me, where is that pretty little brother of yours? I may let you live to see him again?” He snarled at me as he grabbed a fist full of my hair and roughly pulling it back once again causing pain to erupt from my straining shoulders as my head was dragged backwards.
Even hurting as I was I tried to twist out of his grasp but it was ineffective. He was big, enormous, and he was letting me know that I was going nowhere unless he specifically wished it. “Speak up, boy. You are wearing my on the patience that I don’t have.”
“What do you want with him?” I spoke, barely recognizing my own voice it was so raspy and thin as it gushed out of my bone dry throat.
“That’s a good question, besides him being so pretty. I want to fuck every hole he has before I kill him.” He muttered viciously in my face as I shivered in disgust at his proximity. He just wreaked pain and havoc, it poured over his skin like sludge.
“Why?” I gasped as his fist tightened in my hair causing my scalp to throb in protest.
“Another good question, and to answer that, I will say is he can’t be allowed to fulfill his prophecy. I hate vamps and witches. They were not meant to muddy the pure blood of the werewolf, like your filthy parents did. I trusted a pretty vamp once and I sent him to kill your bitch of a mother when she was pregnant with your sweet little brother while my Beta was supposed to dispose of you. But the hungry bastard bit her instead of just doing his job, your father intervened and killed Xavier and my Beta before they could kill her or you and he used his own blood to heal her, but not before the vampire venom was absorbed by her fetus.
It’s enough that he was half witch, but to add the genetic code of vampire as well created a being that prophecy states will bring peace to all species. He has the ability to generate life you see and whenever he mates and comes into his power by his twenty-first birthday he can be bred. Any birth of his offspring will bring peace to the species of were, witch and vampire alike, and half breed, I can’t have that. We weres are on the top of the food chain, all this peace shit will surely render us pets to those cocky sons of bitches. I was meant to lead not follow. Those betraying bastards always thinking they are better than us mere wolves.” He spat venomously at me.
My eyes popped and all my discomfort disappeared as I took this information in. Talking to parents over the years I already knew Seth was different, but they didn’t tell me why. My mother had taken me aside and began training me to use my warlock powers and swore me to secrecy not to tell dad because he would never allow me to be in harm’s way, even if it was to protect Seth. He felt that it was his sole responsibility. For the love and peace of my mom he left the pack to make life with her, so he was going to the man the protector of his family. My brain was working over time. I prayed that Seth made it the pack. He was always so fragile and delicate. No way would he survive this brute. He had no idea what he was. Maybe if I try to link with the Stillwater Alpha, they could help, but I didn’t want to tip off this asshole.
“You don’t have to even worry about that, Seth doesn’t know any of this and he has no mate.” I spurted out in hopes that this information would steer this nutcase off his present course.
He scoffed and threw my head back letting go my hair. “No matter, pup, one day he will have a mate, that is inevitable and since your old man separated from the pack and the Elders, he was never aware of the blasphemy had committed with mating a witch, why do you think your pack was so okay with letting go of a member to live practically in isolation from everyone and everything. They want this shit to happen and let me tell you over my dead damn body will I let it. So tell me where he is. I have waited and watched his pretty ass for too long, His birthday is in a matter of weeks, I am going to pop his sexy little ass then get rid of him.” He lamented with a demented sheen in his eyes. Fear shuddered down my spine.
The big bastard stood there licking his thick lips and palming his rigid cock, with a sick twisted look on his face. It seems just the thought of my defenseless little brother brought lust to the pervert in front of me.
All of a sudden he growled and he backhanded me across the face and screamed at be as blood poured out of my nose. “He is already coming into his powers. I almost had him by that little creek you guys used to play so sweetly at and the warlock in him took over his actions. Now tell me where he is. The scouts I have sent to spy on your pack came back empty. Their Elder has the place locked so tight outsiders have no chance to get near it.” He groused as he began pacing the dank little room. He rubbed his chin, deep in his manic mumblings.
He stopped and turned to me. “I give you until dawn to tell me where he is or I am going to get my pet to compel you to do so. The only reason I haven’t fried your brain is because I am going to need you to lure him to me, but you are leaving me no choice. Think on that, die alone crazed and pathetic and your precious little brother tortured beyond all endurance, because I will torture him mercilessly for your defiance. I will have him with or without your cooperation.” He warned then he left slamming the heavy door behind himself.
I twisted my wrists in the bindings and hissed again. I looked up and saw the raw red flesh and my swollen fingers. This rope had silver in it. I quickly looked down at the shackles on my ankles. They were just pain rusted iron. I racked my brain trying to come up with some kind of plan. Shit, I couldn’t use my were strength the silver effectively bound them rendering them useless. I tried and tried to think of a way to get out of this and protect Seth at the same time, if he made it to the pack, which was my hope. I didn’t want to alert the Alpha yet not knowing where I even was. Miles had spies there and I didn’t want to alert them that anything out of the ordinary was going on.
I tried to focus around the room, but it was too dark and again the silver rendered me almost human, my wolf sight was useless. I closed my eyes and groaned in frustration. I was bound, weak and hungry and so tired. Everything hurt and throbbed and my wrists were swollen and burned. I tried to keep as still as possible as my mind worked furiously. I quietly listened to my surroundings, I needed my wolf senses and the only way to get them back was to get away from this silver laced rope. Then the idea hit me like a freight train.
Closing my eyes I silently chanted and invoked my inner warlock. I felt the energy release from my mind and heart. My skin began to faintly glow as I continued to chant. First one hand dropped as the rope sizzled from my now glowing limbs. My other hand was soon free and I concentrated on the shackles on my feet. I ignored the pain in my arms as I bent to catch the heavy iron chain as the cuffs popped open, preventing them from clattering against the stone floor. I didn’t know whom or what was outside of that door.
I sat there huddled in the corner still chanting a spell of protection in case someone came inside while I was trying to recover my wolf from the binding of the silver. I needed those senses desperately. I needed to shift to get the hell out of here and the sense of smell to find my pack. I shivered in the corner in exhaustion and fright. I didn’t let it break my focus though as I felt my sense of hearing growing sharper. I could hear the rustle of the wind outside and the faint trickle of water, maybe a stream. I could now pick up on the conversations that close by but far enough away, I couldn’t make out what was being said. I listened more carefully wondering how many people there was out there. I looked up at the dull gray walls. No windows or anything. I sighed heavily trying to keep as quiet as possible, if I could hear them, they could certainly hear me.
My eyesight grew sharper and I could clearly see now my surroundings, like the room was fully illuminated. It was a small, dank room, like a root cellar or something. Stone all the way around and steps that lead to the door the lunatic went through not too long ago. I just sat back and let myself recover. My wolf was awakened and growling. Whining to get out and free to hunt for Seth. I couldn’t even ponder the what ifs right now. I just needed to get out of here, to protect my little brother to find a way to get him far away from all this madness. If he was to find a mate it would only make it worse, this lunatic would chase after him to the end of his days. What I needed to do was get him to an Elder to find out more about this prophecy, but again to do that I needed out of here.
I waited and waited until everything outside all conversation and movement, even the wind died down. It must be dusk or night time. I could hear the nocturnal creatures waking for the night and now was the time to get the hell out of dodge. I rose to my feet and placed my hands on the wall until my knees steadied themselves. I tip toed to the door and placed my ear against it listening for any sounds alerting me of any guards of what not. I heard nothing. I hoped and prayed and quietly turned the knob, when the door clicked it sounded like an explosion to me, although in reality in was a minute click. I placed my other palm flat on the panel and pushed and the door released to my ever loving joy.
I stopped with the door opened only by a sliver and listened again to my surroundings. Not detecting any movements or any sounds I scurried out the door into an open field. I was right it was a root cellar. I looked around and noticed some cabins and a larger house further in the distance. It must be their pack compound. I committed the scents and surroundings to memory. I quickly made my way into the trees and as fast and as quietly as my recovering body would let me, I hurried away towards the sound of water. I needed to douse my scent and let my wolf free. I ghosted over the forest floor and stopped every now and then to listen and sniff the air. The smell of the Fire pack compound was dimming telling me I was going at least in the right direction to get away from their commune.
I didn’t hear, see, or smell anything out of place so I quickly continued on my journey. My heart was beating a mile a minute, the nocturnal animals scurried under the brush and the sound of the water got closer and closer as I prayed for my luck to continue. Finally making it to the banks of a shallow stream, I almost dropped to my knees as I recognized my surroundings. I was about three miles from my home where I used to live with my parents. I hung my head for a minute closing my eyes willing the grief to hold on for a while so that I could focus on finding Seth. It was a good fifteen miles to my pack’s compound. I got to my feet and headed right into the freezing water. Lying down, I let the trickling water numb and cleanse my body. I chucked my jeans and wrapped them in a tight ball burying them under some rocks on the creek.
My skin prickled and shredded as I called forth my wolf. My bones cracked and distorted as I landed on all fours, my muzzle formed and my fangs elongated. My sight became even more clear. I was now a large dark brown wolf. I sniffed the air and wasted no time in drenching my fur in the frigid water and mud. Hoping to mask my trail, staying in the water along the bank I took off letting my sense of smell carry me to my pack.
I ran and ran, my breathe huffing through my nostrils and bursting out in plumes in the cold night air. As I passed where my home used to be, I smelled the faint scent of ashes and burnt wood and scorched earth. My pack burned my home along with my parent’s lifeless bodies. I am glad they were able to finish the death ritual, but everything I owned and that represented my family life was in that house. I understood though, because I was never going to able to go back there anyway. My wolf whined sensing my grief and tried to keep me on task. My stomach rumbled and I grew weaker from starvation. I didn’t have any idea how long I was with that Miles person, but it was obvious I was unconscious therefore unable to eat, not like he offered anything but torture and death anyway.
I picked up the scent of my pack and the stronger it got the more I picked up on other wolves closing in on me. I wasn’t alarmed though because by their scent alone told me it was others from my pack. I treaded carefully because it was the war wolves that patrolled the perimeter of the compound, vicious beasts that will and could rip you to pieces before your heart could even stop beating.
“Halt, go no further.” A voice boomed out of the darkness. “Who goes there, you smell of the pack, but you are unknown.”
I skidded to an unsteady stop and lowered my front legs showing my supplication and that I meant no harm. “My name is Aaron, son of Stephen; I need to see the Alpha as soon as I can. It is urgent.” I pleaded keeping my eyes down cast and I remained absolutely still. I heard a rustling noise and a huge man appeared in front of me. He motioned for me to change back to human form. My body was tired and bruised. I knew if I changed back that I would not be able to call my wolf back until I got some rest and food. I was leaving myself vulnerable, but finding Seth was worth the risk. This was my pack; no harm will come to me here. I closed my eyes and felt the heat of the change. It took a longer in my weakened state but I managed it. I was still on my hands and knees and the big man leaned over and helped me to my feet.
“Alpha Peyton will be glad to see you. He has been looking for you since your brother showed up a few days ago. He wants to know what is going on and our Elder has yet to share the details of his mate.” The big man said.
I knew I had a total look of confusion on my face. “Elder and mate, what are you talking about? What has Seth have to do with that? Did he make it here then? I asked as the guy began to lead me towards a massive house in the clearing up ahead.
The naked man looked at me as someone threw us some sweat pants. Handing one to me I pulled them on, he continued into the compound. “My name is Lucas. I am Beta to this pack. Come all will be explained once we get to Alpha Peyton.” He said as he led me through a massive set off double doors. People where all around the interior of the house but I didn’t see the one face I was looking for the most. If Seth made it here, where was he?