Art looked around the dungeon and was surprised at how clean everything was. A funny thing to take note of when your soon to be torturer was busy with his preparations.
"No you don't!" growled Charlotte when he opened his mouth to make a snooty remark.
"Do you notice how calm he is? Like he has all the time in the world?" Art asked with a sad smile. "That's because no one is coming to save us."
He sucked in a deep breath.
"So if he's going to have fun, please let me have mine."
Charlotte shook her head.
"I love you, Art, but I really don't understand this side of you. Don't you see that you'll only make things worse?"
Art looked at the silver tipped whip.
"I really don't see how."
A small sting made his head snap to the right.
Nox had injected him with something. By the smirk on his ugly face it couldn't be something good.
"I just injected you with one of my own concoctions. It heightens your senses and slows down your healing ability."
"How is that even legal?" Art yelled at the court appointed witness who just ignored him.
The small glint of excitement in the man's eyes left him sick to his stomach. Apparently Nox had an accomplice.
Nox smiled at the expression on Art's face and leaned closer.
"Now I'm going to give you the fifty lashes you were sentenced to. Although killing you today is not my primary objective, I wouldn't be surprised if your pathetic Omega body gave out."
He walked back clearly basking in the hateful stare of Art and picked up his whip.
"Now, this is going to sting a little", he gloated before unleashing Hell.
It took all Art had not to cry out while the silver tips of the whip slashed his back open.
Deprived of the delicious cries of his victim Nox hit him harder. No response. Faster. Still nothing.
"How much makes that?" Nox asked the Official taking this time to catch his breath.
"Thirty-two, Sir."
Nox dropped the whipped now soaked in blood with pieces of flesh sticking to the silver tips.
"Time to up the game", he said walking around Art who hang slack in his restrains again filling his veins with a foul mixture.
"I have a special treat for you", Nox hummed with a new found glee. "This injection keeps you from losing consciousness so you don't miss a thing."
After slipping on black leather gloves he opened a small rectangular box and pulled out a nine cat.
"What is so special about this whip, you ask?" he purred lovingly stroking the nine tails. "It's laced with an unique form of wolfs bane that targets your wolf directly."
Nox loved the look in his victims eyes when the realization of his words sunk in. Pleasure tore through him when he saw the fear in Art's eyes.
"Now, SCREAM!", he yelled.
Charlotte, already at the end of her strength because she was trying to take as much of the pain away from Art, screamed at the mind-blowing pain the wolfs bane caused her.
Art yanked on his chains, tears streaming down his face knowing that his beloved Charlotte was in agony and there was nothing he could do to protect her.
White heat and rage filled his body. Just when he thought he couldn't take anymore something incredible happened. Starting as a small point in his stomach and then slowly spreading throughout his body a new power awoke in him. Actually it felt more like a dormant power. Like it had always been a part of him and Charlotte. Embracing this miracle he let it overtake his senses and immediately tried to shield Charlotte.
"No!" she screamed. "You can't. If Nox finds out we have this ability he will kill us for sure."
Feelings of failure overwhelmed him while he listened to Charlotte excruciating cries.
"Fifty", the Official called and stepped in to halt a frenzied Nox.
"Take him down", Nox ordered, his hands shaking from the amount of force he had used.
"Is he still breathing?" he asked nonchalantly.
"Barely, Sir", the guard reported.
"You can remove this piece of filth and drop him on his Masters doorstep. Let him die there", Nox spat with utter disgust.
Wren smelled the blood before he saw Art lying unconscious on his doorstep. His back was completely destroyed. Even for a werewolf with healing ability's it would take some time to restore so much damage.
"I've got you now", he whispered.
A quick visit from a loyal guard told him everything that he needed to now and it shocked him to the core.
Wren blamed himself for everything that happened. After Art ran off the field he had no choice but to accompany Prince Alexi and make his report to the King. If he had done his duty in the first place, none of this would have happened.
Even without thinking about it he carried Art into his bedroom and placed him face down on his bed. Not knowing if Art would allow him to tend to his wounds, he sent a runner to fetch Moira.
Seeing him in obvious agony was almost too much to bare.
"What the hell did Nox do to him?" Casper snarled.
Wren flinched.
He always ignored the rumors about Nox and his sick experiments. Not that he condoned them, but most of their prisoners were very bad people that did very bad things. Using the same technique on a young boy who just made an error in judgement was unforgivable.
"I hate repeating myself, but it is time to take care of that miserable excuse of a Beta, once and for all", Casper stated in a deadly voice.
"I agree", Wren nodded. "But how? He was very smart to get him officially sentenced and have a court appointed employee to witness the punishment. If I made a complaint to the King now it would look like I did it because of Art."
Kneeling beside the bed Wren let out a long and whimpering sigh.
"I can't feel Charlotte", Casper said with an anxious voice.
"Me neither", Wren admitted. "It's almost like she's locked away behind some kind of shield."
"To protect Art?" Casper sighed uneasy being kept from her.
"Actually I think it's the other way around. Look at the signature of the shield. Tell me what stands out."
Casper pushed away his worries about Charlotte and solely concentrated on Art. The signature Wren spoke of was faint but unmistakable.
"No more guessing", he growled. "Only an Alpha can do this and only a very strong one at that."
Wren ran his hands through his hair and did nothing to shield his desperation from Casper.
"Art is no longer safe here. Nox clearly left him for dead. His survival would raise to many flags."
When Moira arrived she was accompanied by Spike.
"I'm sorry Captain. Your Beta incapacitated me with some kind of poison. Please tell me what I can do to help."
After showing Moira to the bedroom he took the bodyguard aside.
"Art has to leave. As soon as tonight if possible. Is there some way you could arrange this? I'm sure Nox has eyes on me."
Moira was in tears when she left the bedroom and cried even harder when she heard the plans to move him.
"How about the stud farm were Art grew up?"she suggested softly sniffing and wiping the tears from her face.
Wren shook his head.
"When Nox finds out that Art is still alive that would be the first place he'd look. Next would be my parents farm."
Moira paled.
"Why are you so sure that Nox wants my son dead?"
Wren took the shaking woman in his arms.
"He used a poison that was meant to kill his wolf. It's really a miracle that he's still alive."
Standing so close Moira could hear the pain in his voice.
"You really care for him, don't you?" she whispered.
"That's another reason why he should leave. Nox knows Art is under my protection and will use him to get to me."
She leaned back and looked in his troubled brown eyes.
"That is not what I meant."
Wren's tan skin colored red under her knowing gaze.
"Maybe you two could continue this conversation some other time", Spike urgently intervened. "I know a place where Art will be safe to heal. It's about half a day's ride West from here. A buddy of mine owns a Sanctuary. We would have access to medicine and enough protection to keep him safe."
Wren nodded.
"Thank you, Spike."
"And maybe we should let out that Art died", the bodyguard suggested. "You know, just to be safe."
"No!"
Three heads whipped towards the bed.
"Please don't. It would kill Alexi and make him do irrational things. I can't ...", Art's voice faltered.
Wren rushed to his side.
"Sht. Don't talk. Conserve your strength."
"Nox gave me something to hurt Charlotte. She's very weak", Art whispered grasping Wren's hand.
"We know. You're doing something very special to keep her safe", Wren smiled proudly.
Art looked surprised and a little unsure.
"Do you mean the white light?"
Wren frowned.
"You don't know what it is?"
"Ehm, no, not really. It's something I've never felt before."
Art whined when he tried to get up.
"Don't move", Wren warned him, placing a hand on his cheek since every inch of his back was a bloody mess. "Try to get as much rest as possible. We're going to get you out of here as soon as arrangements have been made.
Tears filled Art's eyes.
"So I was right? Nox tried to kill us?"
Pressing his lips together Wren nodded.
"Yes."
Art clenched his teeth together.
"Then why don't you arrest him for attempt of murder or something? Why do I have to leave all my loved ones behind?"
His eyes never looked away from Wren, who bit his lip holding in the question that seared through him like hot metal.
"Don't go there", Casper warned. "Focus on keeping him safe. We'll deal with everything else later."
Preparations were done within the hour and Spike took in the last instructions.
"Make sure he takes this medicine three times a day", Wren said handing him the vial he obtained earlier that day.
Spike nodded and took the reins of his horse.
"Don't worry. Everything will be alright. Once we reach the Sanctuary Nox and his men can't hurt us."
Moira stood close to her son stroking his hair.
"Find me after you come back. Once you've turned seventeen I need to tell you things about your heritage. Normally it's a father son thing, but I guess I'll have to do", she whispers.
Art kissed her palm.
"I promise I'll come back and find you."
He lifted his head and looked intensely at Wren.
"And that goes for you as well."
Before Wren could respond the two horses rode off into the night.
Moira smiled at the dumbfounded expression on the man's face.
"Quite a handful, isn't he, Captain?"
He looked beside him.
"Handful, yes. Omega, no!"
He left no room for denial.
Moira paled.
"We did what we did to keep him safe. All we be revealed after Art turns seventeen. Until then...Please...I'm not at liberty to say anything", she pleaded.
"Now is not the time", Wren agreed.
She took his hand and squeezed it.
"I'm scared what the future will hold for my son", she confessed. "He is so much like his father. Always ready to fight for a just cause. Word around the Palace is that a war is coming just in time for my boy to get caught up in", she added with a sad smile.
"Yeah, I know", sighed Wren, staring in the distance where Art had disappeared into the night.