“And I don’t even know how I survive, no I don’t even know if I’m alive.”
I have no idea how long I’d been in this hell hole; but I knew that I needed to get out soon. Antonov as I had found out was his name, had been running out of punishments every time I refused to fight or disobeyed and not only was he running out of new ways to hurt me, but he was also losing control of the other wolves the longer I was here.
Scars littered my body from the silver they used on me regularly but lately I had noticed that the effects of silver had begun to fade; I was becoming more tolerant of the damned stuff. Occasionally I caught chatter through the pack link but I wasn’t immune to the silver enough to communicate with them.
I had become thin though, so thin that bones poked out of my skin and I knew that I would probably look like death warmed over. The only way I’d been able to survive was because of the single guard who snuck me food when he could; he hated the hunters as much as I did for some reason.
The cranking of gears snapped me out of my thoughts and my tail twitched in annoyance; that’s all this situation was to me now, an annoyance.
I could hear the faint buzz of the electric prongs they used to herd us out of the cages and I growled when they stick the prong into my cage. I snapped at him and sidestepped the stick; after all, it only reached so far.
Soon enough my cage was surrounded by hunters with electronic prongs and I was forced to move forward into the arena or face being burnt to a crisp from the inside out; I’d already been electrocuted five times and each time was enough to make me black out.
I growled and bared my teeth at the nearest hunter and charged him, snapping my teeth and stopping just before the bars and cattle prod. He jolted back, his face white with terror and I smirked at him; a truly terrifying thing as a wolf.
“Get her into the ring!” Antonov yelled as they poked me with the prongs; voltage turned down. It hurt though; boy did it hurt. Eventually they got me into the ring, probably with many scorch marks marring my coat.
The moment the gates shut the crowd fell silent and I knew that I was meant to die today; too bad I wouldn’t, not today. I walked around the ring with my head held high, eyeing the people above like the vermin they were; after all, they’d come to watch innocent wolves die and I wouldn’t ever condone that.
The gates around the arena, under the raised seats slowly opened with a groan. Slowly, one by one, four huge wolves prowled out, eyeing me like a juicy piece of meat. They were all bigger than me and much better fed; each was built like a tank and I knew I was in for the fight of my life.
They took their time, circling me, watching me, assessing me. All my senses were strained and I stood ready to pounce in the centre of the circle, watching as the circled me with furious blue eyes. I challenged them, daring them to make their move; for it would end in their demise, that I was sure of.
I watched as the muscles of the wolf in front of me tensed and I ducked just as a giant body flew over my head, snapping its jaws where my head had just been.
I sidestepped the next wolf and ducked under the third, moving out of the fray. These wolves were obviously driven by the thought of blood, so focused on it that they would do anything to get it; they were mad and it could be the one thing that saved me.
As they fought between themselves for a second I took the chance and jumped on the back of the nearest one, wrapping my jaws around his neck. This put me at a disadvantage though, as my body was unbalanced and he used that against me, bucking me off him and into the fray of claws and teeth.
They ripped into me like I was made of paper. In retaliation I kicked out at the one going for my side, raking my claws down his face. I showed no mercy as I lunged at the biggest one and chewed into his thick neck. He thrashed, trying to dislodge me but it only made it worse for him. I fended off attacks by kicking out while I literally chewed his head off.
When his body fell limp to the floor I spat the flesh out of my mouth and turned to the next one, ignoring my injuries. They would use any sign of injury or weakness against me; that’s how wolves hunted.
The remaining three tried to work together as a pack but they weren’t together; they didn’t move as one and it wasn’t to their advantage, they used sheer force instead of cunning.
They were trying to injure me until I couldn’t run or got to tired and slowly but surely it was working. When the next wolf came at me I threw him back and he hit one of his friends; they both went flying, smashing into the silver bars. A definite crack resounded and the smaller wolf slumped to the floor; dead, its head at an odd angle.
I bolted for the wolf who’d I’d thrown and latched onto his hind leg, bringing him down to the ground again. Before he could retaliate I ripped out his throat.
I could feel the glare of the last wolf and I turned around slowly. We stared at each other, sizing up our opponent. He was one of the biggest with thick sooty fur, smudges of grey and brown through his coat with dull blue eyes. I felt my legs shake from exhaustion and starvation so I made the first move before my legs could give up. We were a blur of fur, teeth and claws, a jumble of snarling, growling and snapping as we fought.
It soon became a game of cat and mouse and I could tell that he was quickly getting sick of it. As I dodged him this time I spun and jumped onto his back, clawing his flank and biting his scruff. He threw me off into the dust and I felt a snap and intense pain from my ribcage.
I hissed and snapped at the male who was so intent on killing me. Don’t shift, don’t shift, don’t shift. I doubt the people above knew that we were werewolves and if they did, I doubt they’d care but I didn’t want to be the one responsible for bringing a shit storm of more hunters; because they, just like all those other narrow minded people, would kill my kind for being different.
The wolf circled me as I tried to get up but I just felt so tired, so cold, so much pain. My body slumped backwards to the ground as he approached, standing over me with a victorious glint in his eyes; not today. Mustering all my energy I raised my head up and latched onto his throat. Blood gushed out of his neck and his heavy body slumped on top of me, moving my broken ribs around more. I held in a whine as his blood rushed over my body, soaking my thinning coat with the crimson gore.
Black spots covered my eyes and I think I passed out because the next thing I remember was someone pushing the dead wolf off me.
I opened my eyes and a strangled gasp left me when I saw hundreds of wolves behind the bars of the arena watching me with respect and admiration; werewolves.
I was dragged into the middle of the dust arena where they wrapped chains around my beaten body, chaining me to the floor and landing a few kicks on my broken ribs and that was all it took for me to pass out.
-
“Pst.” A low rumble escaped my lips as my eyes fluttered open, blinking from the light that assaulted my eyes. “Pst, Alpha Knight.” I tilted my head to the side to see Cole and a male I’d never seen before.
They approached slowly and I watched them with distrust. They slowly took the chains off me and I nearly sighed in relief when the silver stopped burning me. The strange man looked down at my side and then at my face. “May I?” I searched his eyes for any sign of treachery I nodded; I really had nothing left to lose.
He re-broke and aligned my ribs as I whined in pain but afterwards it felt better; once the pain began wearing off.
Cole laid out a pair of grey sweat pants and a muscle shirt for me and so for the first time in months I shifted back to a woman; I’d stayed wolf to avoid the roaming eyes of wolves and hunters alike.
My hair had grown another five inches and was a mangled, bloody mess. My frame was thin and I looked like an anorexic stick, my skin was pale and I knew that I would have dark bags under my eyes.
I stood and slid on the clothes before cracking all my joints; I loved being wolf but not for that long and not in these conditions; it’s inhuman to lock up such beautiful wild beasts and that’s exactly what the hunters had done.
“Antonov’s taken most of the men out to search for new fighters and there’s only a skeleton crew left; this is your chance to escape.” Cole said as he turned around with the man, doctor I assume, who’d fixed my ribs. Cole passed me water and food and I wolfed it down; it tasted so good, and I was only a protein bar! “There’s a car parked right outside the entrance with a map and keys; you can get away, but you have to take me with you.”
I shook my head and handed him the canister back. “I’m not leaving yet; how many other wolves are being held prisoner?” His eyes widened in shock as he registered my words.
“Three hundred werewolves and a hundred wild wolves; what are you going to do?”
“Make them pay.” I muttered.
-
“Those who want to leave may; but those who stay and fight the men who have stripped you of your freedom, taken your pride and beaten your body will all have a place in my pack.” I told the men who stood before me. “This is your chance for retribution; a chance to fight back, a chance to be free.”
I had let the werewolves out of their cages and Cole had provided them with food, water and clothing before I asked for their help, while the wild wolves had been released into the Russian wilderness, only the ones who were greatly injured had stayed.
I’d found out that the compound was in Russian, specifically Blagoveshchensk. Twenty years ago it had been the main operating base for the hunters, led by a man named Rieker; the men who killed my mother. They’d built over the top of the rubble and now it was an illegal dog fighting ring; but not anymore.
There were shouts of agreement and I watched as their eyes lit up. Many of these men had been here for only a short period of time but the hunters had managed to put out the light in everyone’s eyes through their actions. These men had been forced to kill others, beaten, some even sexually abused; none of us would ever be the same and the only thing I could do to help them was give them a place to call home and a family to help them heal.
I knew that I wouldn’t be the same; I’d done things, I’d seen things. I felt like even though this hell was about to end, it would never be over; I’d relive it every night and wake up alone. I was the leader of so many people but I’d never felt so lonely, so forsaken.
I hid this all behind a tight smile as I watched them. I was worried, scared as to what was to come; there was no way to call for help either.
I was alone; once again.
“Who here is a good shot?” I asked, silencing the crowd.
A few men put up their hands and I nodded. “Good, I want you set up around the arena with snippers; Cole please make sure that they’re set up. I need you to lure the hunters into the arena and lock all the doors, make sure that they can’t get out and then soak the entire arena in fuel and kindling.”
He paled but nodded. “What are you going to do?” He asked quietly.
“Burn them all.”