Chapter 3

VERONICA.

Too late for me, as I stepped out, I noticed that our hideout has been surrounded by men with lamps in their hands. Many people were held hostage; I feel they searched every other house before stopping at mine.

I see a man approach me; he looks exactly like the man I escaped from earlier.

"You won't run again; don't worry; you can't even if you wish to," he mumbles. His voice is the same as the man I bumped into; there is no doubt he is the one. He seized my hands and tied them both to my back, and then he bundles me into a trunk with the others. I feel like something is repeating in my life.

I remember grandma; I will never forget how she died. And why she did that, I still can't figure out, especially why I suddenly was able to mind- link her. Although she wasn't my real blood, she took care of me and treated me like her real granddaughter. We were isolated by people. Everyone calls her a witch, including me, the daughter of a witch. I cared less and paid deaf attention to their claims, but at some points I really felt that Grandma might be a liar. not a witch but something powerful. I even had to find out that we were not related in any way.

Tears flood my eyes, making my vision blur. I tried so much to hold it up, but that was impossible. I just lost the only family I ever had. I buried my head in my lap, ignoring whomever was there, and then sobbed silently. I stayed in that position for a second and then sat upright after realizing that those huge Lycans guiding us at the back of the trunk might think that I was too weak and resolve to weep because I was abducted. I clean my eyes with the back of my hands and then stare at the blank space, hiding the other tears within me.

One of the Lycans guiding was instructed to come to us and start injecting something into our bodies. I watch as others drift to sleep immediately they were injected, so I had to refuse to be injected. However, a heavy slap to my cheek weakens my whole body, and I can't fight back. I gave in unwillingly. I only see dark clouds, and soon I become rather unconscious.

About an hour later, I feel cold shivers run down my spine. I open my eyes quietly, although I flinched a bit, but I acted too calmly, remembering that I have been captivated. Sadly, it was water that was emptied on us. About ten of us lay down on a bare floor. I didn't even realize it when we got inside. If I had been awake, I would have mastered the road and planned for my escape, if I ever got a chance to live.

My throat burned out of thirst; we hardly see water in the town; that whole container of water that was emptied on us is something I and Grandma could use for three whole days. I guess the Lycan channeled all the water to themselves and left one dirty dug well for the whole other communities. They weren't trying to discomfort the vampires since they only feed on blood—our blood most times or human's blood. It was us, the remaining werewolves, and the humans too they they plan to discomfort

"Stand on your feet!" A husky voice commands. I turn around to see someone different from every other person I have seen that night. About twenty of us, humans and werewolves, were lined up in a single file, giving each other about six meters of distance. Good. He is definitely a lycan.

I look around to observe the place we were in. It was dark, but not totally, because at different points of the cave-looking room, there was light, or rather a lamp that brightened everywhere a little, enough for me to see the person standing next to me clearly.

"Strip!" The man says My heart jumps to my flat belly. There were murmuring sounds among the captives. I held my clothes tight, not wanting to obey the order. I have never been naked in front of anyone, not even my grandmother.

"He said strip." Are you all deaf? "Or you don't want to live anymore?" One of the men who abducted us shouted. No doubt the man before us is someone of a higher rank. Maybe the beta, or Gemma, or... He might even be the Lycan King.

Everyone starts to remove their clothes at once except me, of course. I would rather die, but then the man raises his hands, signaling that they should stop.

Luckily, I am at the other end of where he stands.

"You. Strip," he says to the girl in front of him.

Tears drop from her eyes as she hesitantly takes her clothes off. I notice how her body is shivering out of fear.

He nods after inspecting her and then pushes her away while the girl falls hardly to the floor. She covers her chest with her two arms as she sobs silently.

One thing is weird around here: everyone kidnapped is a girl; not even a single boy is there. I remember my grandma also saying that the Lycan's female specie has gone into extinction. This is because of something they said werewolves did years ago; she even said that a war happened when she was younger. It's all making sense right now. I think they will also be looking for a bride for the Lycan king, if that's not what they are already doing.

"Kill her," the man orders after checking on the third girl. She was still in her u dies and covered her chest with her hands, refusing to let it go.

I see someone move forward with his canines sticking out of his mouth. He moves to the girl, and even with the crying and pleading from her, he ignores it all and sucks her blood until she drops dead.

The room was in an uproar. There was mumbling, and I felt my leg, which was already on the cold floor, go numb from the winter cold. Every other person hurriedly took away everything covering them, including their hands and undies. I feel ashamed looking at them being disgraced. I wish I could do something to help them, but, sad to say, I can't even help myself. I am already expecting my blood to be sucked by that crazy blood sucker.

The inspection continued, and two more girls were killed along the line, maybe because their bodies weren't mature enough; instead of letting them go, they were killed instead.

Finally, he got to me, and before anything else, a hard slap that left me clashing to the ground landed in my cheeks. I felt my heart stop beating for a while, and then I got myself and my dizzy brain together again.

"How dare you defile my orders?" I understand you want to get yourself killed, but disobeying me will get you murdered even in your death. You will die" to "die again." He pulled me up from the ground with one hand. I didn't even flinch a bit. as he growls in annoyance.

"Reap it off," he orders the blood-sucking vampire. He came close to me and almost inserted his canine into my neck.

"I mean her clothes, you fool!" The Lycan man yelled.