Chapter Four

Lydia 

The thirst that racked my body was unbearable. It felt like my throat was on fire and my tongue was swollen. I could barely whisper as I pleaded with the guard for water to drink. 

"I beg of you, can I please have some water to drink?" I pleaded with my cell guard for the umpteenth time in the last hour.

It had been almost three days since I was thrown into this cell, and I hadn't been given a single drop of water since then.

The guard, as usual, ignored my request and continued pacing back and forth, tapping his feet impatiently on the sandy floor. The only time he acknowledged my existence was when he brought me food, which was hardly edible. It tasted like dog food, and I could hardly stomach a spoonful of it.

Exasperated, I asked the guard again if I could have some water to drink. "Can I please just get some water?" I pleaded. 

 I tried my best to sound polite, so he wouldn't get angry and lash out at me.

But he was unyielding. "You can only get water if the Alpha approves of it," he said brusquely. "And unfortunately, we weren't given such an order. So stop bothering me with your talking if you don't want to be gagged."

I could feel my anger building up, and I knew I had to do something to get him to change his mind.

"You do realize that gagging doesn't mean I'll stop insisting, right? I have nothing to lose, so why don't you just show some mercy and give me water to drink," I said, hoping that my mediocre attempts at frustrating him would at least make him cave into my request.

 "Orders are orders, young lady. Now stay quiet and stop being a nuisance!" he yelled back and I quietly gave up on saying anything else. 

Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through the air. "Isn't that such a cruel order, Marcelo?" Lady Martha said, appearing out of nowhere.

"Do you not have a mind of your own to at least give the girl a little bit of water?" she asked and I almost couldn't believe my ears. 

Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through the air. "Isn't that such a cruel order, Marcelo?" Lady Martha said, appearing out of nowhere.

"Lady Martha," I called out desperately, not even realizing when tears welled up in my eyes and started to fall. I hadn't seen her since the day I was arrested, so I thought that she couldn't help me, which was why she didn't show up.

"You're not allowed to be here, Martha. If the Alpha sees you here, he'll make sure you're thrown in jail too, and I'll get in trouble for not reporting your disobedience," the guard warned her.

I couldn't understand why the Alpha was being so cruel to me and trying so hard to make my life a living hell when I had never done anything to offend him. It felt like he resented me for some unknown reason, and he was doing everything in his power to make sure I paid for a sin that only he knew of.

"You don't have to worry, Marcelo. I didn't come here to stay for too long, and I promise not to get you in trouble with the Alpha. I just want to speak to the girl for five minutes or even less, and as soon as I'm done, I'll leave," she assured him.

 Even though I was relieved to see her, I couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. Martha wasn't supposed to be here, and I knew that she was taking a considerable risk.

Marcelo reluctantly agreed to let Martha speak to me, but he made it clear that he was keeping an eye on her. 

"You have three minutes, Martha, and the only reason I'm allowing it is because I know you. If you try anything at all, I'll report to the Alpha, and you'll be jailed as well," he warned her sternly. 

I could tell that Marcelo was not taking any chances, and his words only added to the tension in the room.

As Martha approached my cell, I could see the tears that had welled up in her eyes. "Lydia dear," she said softly. Despite the dire situation, I found myself in, I was grateful for the familiar voice and the hint of compassion that came with it.

"I'm sorry. I should have done more to prevent this from happening to you. I should have warned you to be more careful," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Don't say that, Martha. I'm the one that should be sorry for not listening to you. I should have just stayed put like you told me to. If I hadn't been so stubborn, I wouldn't be here," I replied, not liking the fact that she was feeling sorry over something that wasn't her fault at all. 

"Oh, don't be so silly dear! Why should you be apologizing? It's normal to get curious and wander off, and you don't have to apologize for anything. I'm the one that should be sorry for not being able to do anything for you. It's tough, isn't it?" she asked, her voice filled with empathy.

I nodded, feeling the weight of my situation settling heavily on my shoulders. I've always hated being in confined spaces, but now, I was locked in a cell that was as small as they could come, with no end in sight.

"Do you know what's going to happen to me? Did the Alpha let go of previous offenders, or did he also punish them like this?" I asked, trying to understand the process so that I could mentally prepare myself.

She sighed. "Unfortunately, this has never happened before Lydia, and no one knows why this is even happening, or how it's going to end," she answered, her voice heavy with worry.

I could feel my heart sink as Martha's words echoed in my mind. This had never happened before. What did that mean? Was I some sort of experiment to the Alpha, a guinea pig for his cruel and unusual punishments?

The uncertainty of it all made me feel sick to my stomach. I had no idea how long I would be stuck in this cell, or what would happen to me once I was let out. Would I be exiled from the pack? Banished to the wilderness with nothing but my wits to survive?

I shook my head, trying to shake off the negative thoughts. "Do you think there's any way I can talk to the Alpha and plead my case? Explain that it was just a mistake and that I didn't mean to cause any harm?" I asked Martha hopefully.

Martha sighed, her eyes filled with pity. "I wish it were that simple, Lydia. But the Alpha is not one to be reasoned with. Once he has made up his mind about something, there's no changing it. And right now, he seems to have it out for you," she said, her voice heavy with emotion.

"So, does that mean that I'll be locked in here for the rest of my life?" I blurted out in fear, my voice echoing in the space. 

I don't think he would lock you in here forever, but is there something that happened between you guys that could have gotten him upset or is there something else that I don't know about?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.

My mind raced as I tried to recall if there was anything that could have caused Alpha Nicholas to lock me up like this. 

"I didn't do anything besides trespassing, but something did happen when I ran into him in the hall that day," I replied, hoping that Martha could help me make sense of this situation.

"What did you do, Lydia?" Martha questioned wearily, and I let out a heavy sigh. I knew that telling her the truth might not be the best idea, but I didn't have any other option at this point.

 "We both found out that we were mates, Martha, and that is the only big thing that happened that day besides the trespassing," I admitted, feeling a knot form in my stomach.

Martha's face fell as she heard my words. "You're Alpha Nicholas's mate? Are you serious?" she asked incredulously, and I nodded my head in confirmation.

"You're so screwed, Lydia. I'm sorry," Martha muttered under her breath, and confusion clouded my mind.

 "What do you mean I'm screwed? How is it my fault that we're mates? Don't tell me he's punishing me just because of such a silly reason?" I asked, desperate to understand what was going on.

Before Martha could respond, Marcelo, the guard who had been watching us, interjected harshly. "You have to leave now, Martha," he instructed, cutting off any chance of me getting an explanation from her.

"Please Sir, give us one more minute, I beg you," I pleaded, my voice cracking with desperation. I needed answers, and Martha was my only hope of getting them.

But Marcelo was unrelenting. "Not granted. Leave now, Martha," he demanded, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

As Martha got ready to leave, she handed me a piece of bread and a cup of water that she had brought for me.

 "Make sure to eat and drink what I brought dear 'cause you'll be needing strength for the coming days," she advised me in a low voice. 

"I don't know what's going to happen to you, but I'd advise that you prepare yourself for the worst," she added. 

I clutched the meager provisions to my chest as Martha turned to leave. "Before you go, tell me, Martha. What's the worst that can happen to me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Martha sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping. "You may be put on trial, and believe me, that is the last thing you'd pray for," she replied, her voice laced with fear and sadness.

 "Let's hope for the best, my dear. Take care."

As she walked away, the weight of her words settled on me like a thick fog. A trial? Here? I had heard stories of what happened during trials, and the thought of being put through that made my stomach churn with fear.