VI

Kaiya

One month of searching and I still have no luck with jobs. Alpha Maxim is fine with my presence but requires all adult residents to get a job before joining his pack officially. Until I am an official pack member, I don’t have all the rights and protections of one. 

Freepelt pack is a small pack and they don’t have a lot of work, but I overheard a shopgirl this morning saying she would never hire me, because Alpha Ace would destroy anyone who helped the “traitorous whore Kaiya Ember”. 

My last name is because of the main city of The Red Shadow Pack. As far as I know, I have no true last name. Even in a different pack, I was doomed.

I don’t want to bring Ace’s wrath on Amina, so I need to find a job and get out of her place for her sake.

So now, I have driven into the neutral city and am looking into bartending at a human owned establishment. I get offered the demeaning job, with the skimpy uniform and agree to come back tomorrow night. 

Walking out of the building, I make my way out to Amina’s beat up old car when one of my headaches strikes. I reach for my bag, but find my pain relievers are empty. 

I wait for the worst of the pain to die down and attempt to start the car, but it won’t turn over I helped Gordon, the pack mechanic once or twice, and can at least check on the starter, so I squint and get out of the car to open the hood for a peek when rough hands grab me and a bitter scent fills my nostrils as something covers my nose and mouth. 

I struggle, just a moment and feel my body go limp. A man I don’t know grumbles something I can’t discern to someone as he ties me and I am tossed into the back of a car with little regard for my well being, my head makes contact with the door on the other side, just before everything fades to black.

My body is sore and stiff. I can barely move as I wake up in a dimly lit room. I am cold, and wet and suspect they used a bucket of water to awaken me.

“Alpha Ace, I have her here for you,” a gruff man’s voice grunts.

My eyes come into focus on the tall man in front of me as a chill goes through me at the coldness in his once tender voice as he says, “Kaiya, long time now see!”

“Ace! I…” I start but his Icy glare comes into focus and I stop and switch gears. “Ace, you have changed so much!”

“I have changed so little compared to how different you are from what I had thought you to be, little mouse,” Ace says. “I pitied you, I cared for your well being. I left you extra blankets in your room and gave you sweaters I outgrew to keep you warm in winter, but you never knew, did you? But your jealousy nearly killed MY future Luna!”

I swallow hard and attempt to dry the tear that escapes my eye, however my arms are tied to a chair and I can do no such thing. I had suspected the extra blankets and warm sweaters were from Ace and had treasured them. He showed me small kindnesses no one else dared to. Then my brain catches on the last part.

“So what Amira heard was true,” I mumble. “Go ahead and reject me.”

“I don’t think I will, at least not yet,” Ace laughs with a cold wickedness I never expected from him. “You see, I want you to suffer before your possible death. Maybe if you are lucky you and that miserable brother of mine can live in exile together if he doesn’t get his shit together, but…no…I think not! I think he will join in my fun then we can reject you and watch your pain tear at you before we send you so far away your shadow will never again cross our packlands!”

Ace seems almost unhinged.

A fiery rage grows in the pit of my stomach and I don’t think about what spills out of my mouth next.

“I hate you, Ace Ashcroft! I hate your stupid face and what you have become!” I scream before I feel a hand sting my cheek with the first blow, the tingles are still there, though fainter because of Lilly’s dormant state.

“Shut up, you traitorous bitch!” Ace snarls. “Rebecca was in a coma for years and she still has not regained all her memories, nor the ability to walk! Do you understand what you did?”

“Fuck you and your bitch!” I spit before a fist slams into my stomach from one of the men I can’t get a clear view of because one has me in a head lock that keeps my head from lolling forward.

My eyes water and I grunt, trying to get an explanation that I know he will never believe out, to defend myself, but the punches and slaps keep coming. I can see Ace pacing and adjusting his jacket cuffs.

“Don’t kill her yet, boys. I have plans for her,” Ace says in a cold tone.

“What do you want us to do with her boss?” A deep voice of a man…no thug…who sounds a bit slow on the uptake grunts.

“Knock her unconscious and bring her to the pack hospital to patch up her cuts. I don’t want her bleeding on my carpet on the way in. Then we will move her to my personal dungeon,” Ace says in a dark and foreboding tone. “You will love my playroom, little mouse!”

I feel something blunt make hard contact with the back of my skull before everything goes black, once more.