3. What's happening?

Cold and of dampness smelling air fill my nostrils while my hazed mind is trying to come to senses. Something seems wrong, but I’m unable to make out what it is. My limbs feel heavy and cold. A cold breeze causes me to shiver and goosebumps to rise all over my body.

I try to open my eyes, but they seem so unbelievably heavy. It’s as if I’m in a state between being awake and sleeping and yet different. Something seems familiar about this, but I’m unable to put my finger on it.

In the background, I can hear voices and muffled sounds, but my mind is too far gone to make out what it is or make any sense out of it. Trying to focus on it only seems to make things worse.

Instead, my focus shifts to something else. Why does my back ache like this? Everything feels so hard and cold underneath me, causing an ache and soreness.

I try to hold on to these feelings and thoughts, trying to make sense out of them, but I seem too dazed to be able to hold on to anything. In the back of my mind, I think I’m able to make out footsteps coming closer before I drift away totally again.

“She’ll be waking up very soon. Do you want me to put her under again?” I hear a familiar voice next to my bed. This time waking up I seem to be able to comprehend a little of what is going on around me. My body still feels extremely heavy, though. I'm unable to move or to pry my eyes open in the slightest.

Put me under again? What does he mean? Did something happen to me? I try to remember the last thing on my mind before this.

My baby boy! I gave birth to my beautiful Adrian. Did something go wrong? I know I lost a lot of blood. Trying my hardest, I only remember falling asleep after they left me to take a rest.

In my mind, I try to feel into my body, what possibly could have happened for them to put me under. But there is nothing. I feel soreness from the birth and aches in my back, but other than that there’s only cold and heaviness.

The replying voice tares me out of my thoughts.

“No. Let her wake up. It’s time for the fun part to start," a deep voice replies with a laugh, causing an ice cold shiver to run down my spine. “She’s secured now and right where she’s supposed to be. There is no reason to waste any more sedatives on that piece of trash than necessary.”

The voice, it’s a voice I know too well. It’s our Beta James. Shock flushes my entire body. Just as the instant question, of what’s happening here?

As more and more of the numbness leaves my body, I try to move. It’s only in this moment that I feel the heavy cold metal restraints on my wrists and feet keeping me strictly in position, unable to move an inch.

Panic taking over, I finally manage to pry my eyes open and tug at my restraints as strong as possible. The heavy chains rattle, and I feel a strong burning deep into my flesh. Flesh, which I only notice now to be sore already.

Silver and wolfsbane? Is he fucking kidding me? Unlike what many people think, wolfsbane doesn't just work for vampires, but for us werewolves equally.

“Finally awake, I see. Seems you are a werewolf, after all. To be honest, I really wasn’t sure this was going to work. After all, you have no other traits from us. Even the sedatives worked on you way too long.” He laughs bitterly, and I can hear a clear despise in voice. Something I have never ever heard from him before. I mean, he’s James, my best friend next to Alana. What is wrong with him?

“James, what’s going on? What are you doing?” Tears sting in my eyes as he looks down at me with nothing else than disgust towards me.

“Don’t call me that. I’m Beta for you. You never get to call me by my name again. Is that clear?” he firmly spits at me.

“And I am your Luna, James," I make sure to emphasize on his name. Before I am even able to speak on I feel a sharp pain as his fist comes down in my face. I feel and hear my jaw break in an instant, and my lips bust open with blood pooling from them. Unable to hold it back, I cry out in pain.

“This is going to be so much more fun once the sedatives have fully left your body, and the wolfsbane has weakened you even more. I mean it’s actually hard to believe you could become any weaker than your pathetic rogue body is anyway. Let’s wait and see. This would nearly seem mean and too easy. I mean, look at you, all weak and pathetic. None the less I’m going to enjoy it until the very last moment.”

He smiles at me in an extremely creepy way, as if he hadn’t just threatened to torture me to death.

“Drake is going to kill you for this," I try to say as strong as possible, while blood is spilling from my mouth, and a part is running down my throat, causing it to sound like gurgling.

His loud laughter echoes from the cold, solid brick walls. I know this place. This is the dungeon where we bring our prisoners. Not just any, but the worst ones. This is a place of torture and death. The thick walls deep under the ground make it impossible for any sounds to escape this place. Screams get muffled into nothing for anyone above the ground.

It’s a place no one ever leaves, who’s not supposed to.

“You stupid little thing. Do you really think I’d be dumb enough to do this without my Alpha’s consent? Who do you think sent me?”

My eyes widen in disbelief. No way. There’s no way Drake would let this happen to me.

“James get Drake here, right…” Another strong blow to my ribs takes my breath away while I feel them break under the force.

“It’s Beta and Alpha to you, you fucking rogue. Don't take our names in your dirty mouth ever again. You hear me? And you don’t get to demand shit.” His voice booms angrily.

“Adrian," I cry. “Where’s my baby?” Is he safe? I need him with me. They can’t do this to me.

“Oh, don’t even think about him. He’s where he belongs. But honestly speaking under us, I’m not too fond of our future Alpha being half a useless rogue. I have no idea why Drake wanted this so badly.” He shakes his head with displeasure. “Let’s hope he doesn’t get your useless traits.”

Tears stream down my face from deep physical but also, especially mentally, pain. My baby, I need my baby. How can he even say these things?

“I trusted you," I spit this time, anger getting the upper hand. “You were one of my dearest friends.”

He cuts me off. “Friend? Do you have any idea how much it disgusted me or Alana to be even near you?"

Let alone pretend to like you and gain your trust? The love for our Alpha is all that kept us from ripping you apart right then and there. But I guess what’s coming now is partially going to make up for all of it. We’re going to have so much fun together.” He flashes me his fangs without fully shifting, just to demonstrate what he means with fun.

When we need to torture someone, he is our first choice. No one enjoys it as much in our pack as he does.

Did he just mention Alana? My heart sinks even more. This can't be true. This is a nightmare, right? Or he's lying.

"Alana’s my best friend. She would never do this to me. She's at my side with everything."

"Then where is she?" He laughs again. "In what world could a worthless piece of shit, a rogue like you have friends? All we want is to see you suffer, lose everything you love, and then watch you die." He emphasizes every single wort laced with nothing but hatred towards me. "The last thing you'll see is your baby being taken away from you. Maybe at some point, I'll even get the chance to kill him once Drake realises he's got the dirty blood of a rogue and is just as useless." The look on his face is telling me how much he'd love to kill my baby.

“I’m going to fucking kill you," I burst out fuelled by more anger than I have ever felt in my entire life.

A deep, loud growl and cracking bones is the last thing I hear, while I take another full blow to my head and blackout instantly.