Chapter 15| An Unlikely Friend
As soon as I came back to consciousness, I was up on my feet and snarling at darkness. My eyes dilated, and I looked around wildly, seeing anyone was going to attack me.
Where was I? Who was that girl?
I snarled again, backing up into a corner of the dark room, listening to things around me. I heard the constant drip of water on the other side of the room, and I could smell something rotting. It had the smell of a basement.
I looked down, noticing that I hadn't shifted out of my wolf form when I was knocked out. Maybe it was because my natural instinct was to stay in the strongest form until I was safe. I was definitely not safe right now, and I had to protect myself in wolf form.
My eyes snapped up as I heard someone cough in the room, and I looked around once again, raising my hackles as I heard a slow heartbeat on the other side of the dark room.
"Please be quiet. They won't feed us if you keep snarling." I heard a woman's voice whisper, and my snarl halted instantly. I let my eyes adjust to the darkness and then I saw the woman sitting in the opposite corner as me, her legs pulled up to her chest. My hackles flattened and I chuffed at her, licking my muzzle as I sat down. "You've been asleep for about two days and they were beginning to think that the blow had killed you." She added, and I looked her over critically. She was wearing torn clothes and there were bruises all over her body. She looked beaten and tired.
My head snapped over to the left as I heard a groan and then a light began to flood the room as a door was opened. I scrambled over to the corner where the light didn't touch, and I sat down and waited for the right moment to strike. Through the darkness of the corner, I saw that my eyes began to glow. The woman looked terrified as she stared at my looming figure.
"Get up!" Someone barked and the woman stood up, "Where is the bloody rat?" He snarled, a buff man stepping into the room. I looked around the room in the light and there was nothing but puddles on the ground.
"I–I–" The woman stuttered out, and she must have taken to long to answer because the male strode over to her, and slapped her hard. I raised my hackles at his violence and because I smelled wolf on him. He was threatening me by being close. I had never felt it with Rese or his family, but with this male, there was a strong urge to defend myself and attack him.
"Where is she, bitch!?" The male snarled at her, and a low, threatening rumble vibrated in my chest as I decided now was time to announce my presence. The male spun on his heels at the sound, and he froze when he saw two glowing amber eyes glaring daggers at him.
He then smirked, and I snarled at him as he flicked out a knife. I pushed myself further into the corner, my nails scraping against the floor as I grounded myself. There was nowhere to go.
"She's awake!" He taunts, walking towards me. I give him a warning snarl, but he keeps coming closer and that defensive instinct swells inside my chest. As soon as he gets within swiping distance, I lunge at him. I hear the woman gasp in surprise and fear as I sink my teeth and the male's shoulder, causing him to roar at me angrily, his knife trying to find a home in my flank. I whipped from side to side, tearing through his skin as he stumbled back.
The woman stuck a foot out and the male fell backward, his head hitting the wall. I took the chance to release him and bite down again on his chest, my claws digging into his skin. He screamed in pain as I viciously tore through him, holding nothing back as I did so.
I heard boots running down the hallway and people yelling right as I felt the knife dig in through my flank, sinking between two ribs. I let out a sharp whine, my bite loosening as my eyes went wide with pain.
I let out a screeching yowl as he sank another knife into my side, making me effectively let go of him. I scrambled as far away as I could get from him, backing into a corner.
I raised my hackles as he stood up, snarling at me furiously. I snarled back with ten times the sound and anger, the power rippling through the room. I watched in angry confusion as the male backed down instantly, taking a step away from me. I snarled once more to make sure.
The male backed into the doorway, his eyes wide as he watched the light catch my fur coated with blood. I growled as he was shoved to the side, two other wolf males coming into the room.
"Enough! Enough!" Someone yelled loudly as I snarled at the two males when they tried to approach me, and I went wild as they flicked out knives of their own. I had gotten stabbed three too many times. Both males froze in their spots, standing to attention as I saw that girl walk into the room followed by none other than Ceasar, the man from my dream, and another man.
I barked at them as they tried to come closer than the two males, and Ceasar raised a hand, stopping them both. I growled lowly, not letting down a single defense. They stood there, watching me. As a male grabbed the woman by the arm, I let out a sharp bark, snapping my teeth together at the male. He let go of her instantly, scrambling away from her. I rumbled lowly, keeping an eye on everything happening around me.
"Caline," Caesar said, taking a small step forwards. I backed myself up as far as I could into the corner, my chest rising and falling quickly. My felt panic wrap itself around my heart like a rope, and my heart began to beat wildly as a panic attack consumed me.
My ears flattened against my skull, and my hackles flattened down as my back legs began to shake and then my whole body followed suit, shaking a little.
"Caline, it's alright." He says, taking another step closer. I growl at him, before I cut myself off with a whine, my body curling to the left as the knife felt like they were digging in deeper. I licked the blood away, whining at the burning pain in my whole side.
"That's a fucking demon! That's–That's an Alpha Demon!" The male I had injured yelled, and I turned back around, scrambling up against the wall as I found Caesar standing right in front of me. I snarled at him, my glowing eyes reflecting against his.
"Yes, Yes," Caesar murmured, "She's an alpha and I told you not to provoke her!" He added, snarling back at the male, who cowered at his angry tone. My eyes snapped over to the girl as she took a step forward and I began to bark at her wildly, my eyes burning with absolute hate. She hesitated, before she took a step back, looking guilty as ever. I stopped barking at her after that, only rumbling low in my chest.
If she was guilty, then she had a soul.
"Father, she's hurt." The girl says quietly, and Caesar's eyes fly over to my flank where blood had already soaked my whole back leg. I growl at him as his hand reaches out to touch it. He reeked of other wolves and I snarled at him defensively.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Caline. Your wolf has never been around other wolves not of your pack, and everyone is a threat to you. I only want to help." He says, and I growl at him lowly.
He was right about me being around other wolves, but it wasn't my wolf who saw everyone as a threat, it was me. My wolf was just an instinct bolted down deep inside my mind.
I felt my muscles coil as I bent down a little, my ears going up straight. I heard the bark seconds before a small, brown creature jumped on me, latching its tiny jaws around my neck. I snarled, scrambling around instantly. I managed to grab the animal by its tail, and I threw it into the ground furiously, and just as I raised it up to do so again, there was a scream. I froze, the creature crying as I held onto its tail tightly.
My eyes snapped up, and I saw the girl staring at me in horror, and my eyes flashed with the picture of Russet's horror when saw me shift.
I instantly let go of the small creature, taking a step away from it. It was just a small lap dog.
"Brownie!" She cried, lunging forwards to grab the poor dog. I took another step away, my ears flattening against my skull. My eyes stopped glowing and they widened a little in realization.
Before I had killed two dogs, killed two men, injured another, and now I hurt a tiny lap dog. I was a wild animal with no direction of what was right or wrong. I attacked first and asked later.
The girl grabbed the poor dog, and I whined a little, taking a step closer to the animal. I stuck my head out, sniffing at the poor creature in her arms. I jumped back a little when she snarled at me. But then I calmly lowered myself to the ground, laying on my belly. I started to army crawl forward until my nose touched the girl's leg. This time she didn't snarl at me.
She only watched as I scooted forward a little more and let my nose touch the dog's body. I closed my eyes, feeling a warm sensation travel through my veins and up to my nose. I heard the girl stifle a gasp as she stared at me.
My nose twitched as it began to itch with a cold chill, and after a few seconds, I opened my eyes, seeing the dogs brown eyes staring at me inches away.
I lean back away, and a second later, a needle pierces through my thick skin, and whatever was inside flows right into my bloodstream. I growl, whipping my head around to grab the person who stuck the needle in me, but I stopped when I found no one there. I turned back around and growled at everyone in the room before everything went dark.
∞∞∞
I woke up, thinking for just a second that what I had just witnessed was a dream. Then I opened my eyes and looked around an unfamiliar room, and realized that it was no dream I had been in.
I looked down and found myself in my human skin. I pushed the sheets away from me, pulling my shirt up a little and panic flashed across my face as I saw the three knife wounds side by side. But instead of stitches, all that was left were scars.
"You healed yourself–wolf powers and all." Someone says, scaring the crap out of me. I jumped up a little, letting my shirt fall down as I looked up to see the girl standing at the end of the bed. I scoot back a little bit, my eyes darkening.
"Who are you?" I ask her, and she sighs, glancing over at the closed door before trots around the bed, sitting down on it. I stay far, far away from her. I look over the bed to see the little brown lap dog trotting around the room.
"My father told me you were just a wild wolf," She whispers quietly, and I go on edge instantly, my eyes darting back up to her, "He said you killed someone and needed to be hunted." She adds, and my gut twists as I think about the idea of being hunted. But then...
"Wait? Is your father–" I started to say, but she cut me off firmly.
"Caesar." She says, and my face goes pale as I suddenly feel like I'm going to hurl.
My shoulders relax from their tense position, and I look around the room for a minute before I look back at the girl who holds some characteristics I had.
Everything was piecing together slowly. First, Ceasar knew my mother, he even loved her. Then he appears for me the second I become a wolf. And now this girl, who held some resemblance to me.
"My name is Caline." I whisper, and she nods, looking down at her lap.
"I'm Sidra," She says and I nod, looking her over, "It's illegal to hunt another shifter wolf. I realized–I realized that you were not just a wolf when you were already here. When you helped Brownie. No wolf has the compassion to save another animal's life when It tried to destroy it. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. This isn't going to end well for you." She added, trying not to cry. I reached over suddenly, grabbing her hand.
It clicked in my mind then.
Sister.
My wolf was screaming sister at me as I stared at Sidra.
"Don't cry–It will only make things worse on yourself. You don't have to apologize for something you didn't mean to do." I tell her, and she nods, holding back her tears. "I have a younger sister, Talia. She would love you." I add, pulling my hand back, and she laughs quietly, standing off the bed to go grab something from a dresser.
"Why? I am not a wolf, I disgrace my family constantly. What is there to love about me?" She asks, turning around for a second to smile at me curiously. I felt my whole body relax at that smile. I had a gut feeling–like most times–that she wasn't a threat.
My sister, holy shit.
"Because you have compassion, and because you're related to me." I tell her and she chuckles, coming back with a needle in her hand. I go stiff, looking at her.
"Oh, don't worry," She says, snapping her fingers, "No one can hear us now–It was a shot that would give you back your primal strength. I wasn't supposed to give it to you, but I will. I just wanted to ask you that when you get out of here, could you bring me with you?" She asks, and I hold my arm out skeptically. As she pushes the needle through my skin, I shiver as I feel the wolf ignite in my veins once again, roaring and awake. I look up at Sidra and I nod once.
"When I get out of here, I'll bring you with me." I tell her and she smiles in relief. But then her smile washes away and she snaps her fingers, standing far away from me as the door opens. I go rigid as Caesar walks in, looking smug and in charge of everything. I wanted to bash his head in.
Man-whore.
"It's time for tea." He says calmly, placing his hands behind his back. I glance over at Sidra, watching her wince at his words and then I look back at Caesar and curl my lip into a snarl. It wasn't a good phrase then.
"Like hell, bastard." I growl at him, and Sidra gawks with me with wide eyes. Caesar's lips curl up into a grin, and he chuckles a little.
"You're wolf friend gave me the same vibe." He drawls out, and in seconds I was on my feet, standing in front of him with my hackles raised and a low, rumbling snarl coming from my throat.
Caesar's grin only seemed to widen at my dominant stance.
I was always quiet and passive whenever I was around people who were dominant, but I was mad. I was furious.
"Touch him and I will fight you until I die." I growl at him, and he steps closer, sighing.
"Well that wouldn't be a very good idea, would it, darling? Fighting will get you nowhere." He says, his tone making me even more irritated and angry. Did he have the wolf here? Was he hurt?
"I don't give a shit if I get hurt. Touch him and no one survives." I repeat, and he stays silent for a moment, his smirk making me see red. The nerve...
"We let him go last night after he killed four of our own while trying to get you here. A vicious killer wolf, that one. A good friend to have if it's loyal." He finally says, but I don't relax from my angry position. If anything I go even more rigid.
'He's lying...' a voice whispered in my head.
"What do you want with me?" I ask him after a second of thought. He takes a step back, motioning to the door where two wolves were standing. They looked tough.
"I want to have tea, darling. That's all I ask." He says, and I glance between him and the two males before I march for the door, snarling at one of the males as he tries to grab my arm.
"Touch me and I'll rip your throat out." I snarl at him and he goes pale, stepping away.
My wolf side was heightened and I was making more life threats now then I had in five years.
I wait for Caesar to lead the way, staying back with Sidra who began to explain exactly what tea time was. Unfortunately, there was no tea involved in it.
It was a battle between two wolves and I was the main attraction. I didn't know how to correctly fight as a wolf, but I had taken down two hunting dogs in a matter of minutes, so maybe this would be easy.
Caesar left without a word, leaving the two males with me and Sirda, who stopped me a ways away.
"Don't let the wolf get to your back. Here, this is a protective coat. No one will see it, but it can stop a few bites, but then it dies out and you have to really fight them." She says, handing me a blue pill. I nod at her hesitantly, taking the pill dry, knowing the males were noticing us behind.
Sidra pulled me with her until we got over to the males. She then gave me a parting nod before she disappeared after her father.
I sharpened my senses, feeling the fight spinning around in my mind, making my body get ready for it. I could hear the roar of a crowd and I could smell the stench of a whole other pack. It made my wolf defensive and jumpy.
"Boss didn't really let your wolf go," One male says as he shoves me into a cage, "he's down on the fourth floor of the dungeon, sixth cell. They beat your friend up pretty bad. I don't respect those who beat down friends to get to someone."