Chapter 04

Star's pov

I opened my eyes, taking in the surroundings. The room was dark and damp. Pain surged through every limb of mine. I groaned and tried to sit up, only to fall back, gruff expletives escaping my mouth. The floor was so damp and cold, and I placed my cheek on it to ease the burn I felt on my face. Burns from the scratches on my face. I closed my eyes again, grimacing at the pain, tears ran down the corners of my eyes. 

My mind drifted back to the dreadful scenery that had played out in front of me when my new mate's minions had taken me out of my dungeon cell. 

After hearing that Alpha Duncan had been killed along with his men, I had expected the outside to be in some sort of disarray but nothing I had ìmagined prepared me for what I saw. 

It was a massacre. Bodies pulled apart with their internal organs spilling out. 

The brute carrying me like a log of wood didn't seem even a bit bothered by the gruesome scene or by my heaving and vomiting. I puked out everything I could find in my empty stomach and had to force myself to stop for fear that my organs would fall out just like the bodies I had seen. 

The stench was almost visible. I clamped my hands over my mouth and nose as I held my breath till I was slowly losing consciousness. This seemed to draw the brute's attention as he suddenly threw me to the floor causing me to scream out in pain. At least that got me breathing and conscious again. 

He picked me up like nothing happened and we continued our journey through the sea of deaf bodies. Dead bodies of my people. I may have been hated by many for being weak and not being able to wolf-out but they were still my people. And though I've never been respected as one, I was still their Luna. Their weak and helpless Luna who could do absolutely nothing for them. 

New set of tears had gathered in my eyes, threatening to fall when I heard the loud howl from the Lycans. It was deafening and frightening. I could tell from the sound of it that they were feeling fulfilled at their bloodied victory and I was the trophy to prove that.

After spending what felt like hours wallowing in self-pity, I finally sat up. I looked at the tiny window protected by iron bars. I could tell that this tribe definitely spent a lot on their prison cells. The bars looked far stronger than the ones from my village. Everything here looked stronger and much more scary and whatever thoughts of escaping I had formed in my mind, slowly disappeared as I stared hopelessly at the window. 

It was already night time. I could tell from the brilliant shine that filtered into my dark cell from the moonlight. The moon was definitely full tonight and I ached to see it. I tried standing up, but immediately my feet connected with the ground. A shocking wave of pain which was almost unbearable hit me, causing me to instantly fall back to the ground. 

I fell back on the same ankle that was the source of the pain causing me to cry out in pain. If the guards heard me, I wouldn't know as they paid no mind to me. I think my ankle is now shattered. The pain was blinding. Many thoughts run across my mind as I crandle my ankle, stifling my sobs. Will I be able to walk again? 

I layed down and drew my knees to my chin, circling my arms around my knees, large loops of tears dropping from my eyes. I hummed a lullaby my mum always sang to me as a child and willed myself to sleep. But sleep was beyond me at this point. I can't tell how long I stayed there in that position, as a matter of fact, I couldn't even tell what day it was. I have been more unconscious than I was conscious. I had been given stale bread as food just once since I've been here and not once have I had the privilege to take a bath. I couldn't tell day from night since it was always dark in my prison cell. 

I felt a piercing gaze directed at me which forced me to seat up and snap to the entrance of my cell. I couldn't tell who was there but I stayed alert watching the darkness and waiting for whatever wanted to happen next. In the dark I could hear the clanging sound of keys rattling against my cell gate.  Someone was opening it. I shifted back, wondering if the Lycan Alpha had decided what he'd do with me now.

The last time I had seen him was when I had slapped and angered him. I wonder if he would have treated me differently if I had kept my hands to myself then. I shook my head quickly against that thought. He was a ruthless killing machine who murdered my people both old and young. Nothing good can be expected to come out of something like him. He was anything but human.

The gate finally opened and two guards walked in. One holding an oil lamp and a bunch of keys while the other who was much bigger in size was empty handed but far more terrifying. They were here to drag me to another room. To my surprise this room looked a lot better. Unlike the cell, this room had a bed and a small wooden chair. In fact, compared to Alpha Duncan's cell and my previous cell, this was princess treatment.  

I quickly noticed the tray of food on the chair. It wasn't just molten bread this time. It was some kind of corn porridge. I walked to the chair as slowly as my pride would allow and eyed the guards suspiciously. Surely if they wanted to kill me they wouldn't need to go through all the trouble of preparing a poisoned meal for me.

I stayed there standing and staring at the food till the guards locked the door and left. I rushed the food fearing that they might change their minds and take the food away. Tears fell down my eyes as I burnt my tongue with the hot food but I continued eating till there was nothing left on the plate. It took all my strength not to lick the plate when I finished the food. I drank water from the cup of water that they had dropped along with the food. It was probably weeks since I had eaten.

When I had finished with my meal, I focused on the next pressing issue. I tore off the sleeve of my dress and used it to wrap around my ankle. Hopefully, that would reduce the pain and stop the swelling. I layed on the bed and begged sleep to take me. Anything to stop myself from thinking of how horrible my life is or the scene of dismembered bodies that refused to leave my head. 

Just as sleep finally came, I was jerked back to consciousness by the noise of the cell door being opened. A young girl came in with a bucket of water and a washcloth. She didn't say anything to me. She waited till I understood her intentions and took off my clothes or the remnants of clothes I still had on. 

She quietly washed my body, taking time to clean all the wounds on my body and applying an ointment to them, bathing was hell. This wasn't the bathing treatment I expected from this tribe. They were monsters like their Alpha and I had expected the guards would take me to the river and push me into the water as if to drown me, and they would stand there watching me as I scrubbed my skin. I had imagined that scenario many times when I thought of having a bath. But to my utmost surprise,my reality was quite different. 

I sat quietly as the girl washed me. I realized that was the reason for the chair in this room. The girl worked quietly and quickly. When she was done, she collected my tattered clothes and layed a simple garment out on the bed for me. She stood and waited till I got dressed, then she left. Minutes later, the guards were back.

The one that looked much scarier grabbed the chain that was lying by the bed, fastened on my hands and dragged me up with it. I whimpered as pain shot through me again. He clearly didn't care if I was in pain. The other guard didn't seem to mind either. He simply made way for the first brute to pull me with the chains. I didn't need to forcefully move my body so I wouldn't stir the anguish, but they didn't care. They dragged me with them, the chains around my feet making noise as they moved across the floor. Soon, we were outside.

We walked by a passage packed with lycan guards who were talking in hushed voices as I was pulled past them. It felt like I was walking down the hall of shame. They seemed to be members of the tribe army both young and old. Some smiled slyly and used their eyes to strip me as we made our way to wherever they were taking me. Some watched me with intense curiosity while others, with outright lust. 

In my village, I was considered one of the most beautiful ladies but that did nothing to pacify their hatred for a weakling like me, and here was the same thing. I saw the lips of some of them twitch up in snares. If given a chance, these people would either rape me or stone me to death. I don't think they even need the stones, they would rip me apart with their bare hands just like they did to the people from my village. 

My mind and senses were more awake today probably because I had finally eaten a decent meal for the first time in weeks or maybe because I had taken a bath and my wounds felt a little better. I couldn't help but wonder if I had the Lycan Alpha, my new mate, to thank for all that. 

When I was brought into my previous cell, I had no idea how the rest of this mansion looked since I kept slipping in and out of consciousness from shock and fatigue. I had never noticed many things before when I was dragged out of my little prison, now I tried to study my environment. I would need to know every detail about this place if I hoped to escape someday. We finally left the scrutinizing eyes of the tribes' guards and went into a large room. 

The room looked more like an office with  a large muscular man seated on an armchair writing something in a book. He looked up when we came in. Carefully eyeing me then his eyes drifted to the guards that had brought me in. He kept staring at them till they visibly felt uncomfortable. I know him; he was the one with the Lycan Alpha the day of the invasion. He was really huge but had a gentle aura around him. He was probably the one that instructed the slave girl to bathe me. 

He got up and walked to where we stood. He gently inspected my wound, sending cold stares at the guards who kept their eyes glued to the ground. 

Two girls that seemed to be above slave rank from their dressing were in the room when I arrived. They all looked at me with scorn and moved away as I approached. Their stares scared me but not more than the stares of the pack of guards that we had passed by. They were glaring daggers at me. Just what exactly have I done to deserve so much hate. Why has the moon goddess decided to push me from the frying pan to the fire. It wasn't my fault that I'm weak or that I came from a clan that they hate. I would have been dead from their stares if eyes could shoot arrows. 

"Remove the chains from her," the large man instructed. The guards who had been uncomfortable doing nothing quickly jumped at the opportunity to be busy with anything. They quickly uncuffed me and set the chains aside. The large man who they referred to as the Beta turned to the girls who were still glaring at me.

"Take her to the Alpha’s quarters. He has ordered her presence."

Wait what! I visibly shrunk as I thought of what the Alpha would want from me or what he would want to do with me. I knew I had no escape from the savage Lycan Alpha.