New Prison

             Sapphire couldn’t believe they’d locked her in. She was their prisoner, and no one would care or notice. She wanted to cry. From bad to worse, why couldn’t she catch a break? Why did Magnus bring her here in the first place?

             What did they want from her? She couldn’t tell. Now she finally got around to looking at the surrounding space. She’d expected a small room that she probably would need to share with others and fight for space. But as she explored, there was no sign of anyone else living in this room or have lived ever lived in this room. The closet was empty except for the bag she placed on the dresser. In the bathroom, every bottle and tube she found was brand new. They even wrapped the toothbrush and hairbrush in plastic. The garbage cans were empty too. Sapphire got the impression that not only was that enormous room for her, but the bathroom was only for her use.

             She struggled to accept this. Clearly, she was a prisoner, but such fancy accommodations. It made little sense to her. So, she figured if her bathroom came with hot water and no line to wait in. She’d make sure of it. Sapphire was hesitant to sure the items in the bathroom, so she took out the few things she brought with her and stepped into a steamy shower. For the first time in her memory, she could take her time with no one banging on the door or shutting off the hot water.

             When she got out of the bathroom, dressed in her clothes again, she tried the door. Even so, the door’s lock was locked. Going to the window, it was a no-go on opening it. But the view. She’d never stayed in a room with such a beautiful view. Trees and flowers as far as the eye could see. Pups playing among them, people just walking and talking to each other. She could even see a couple of men sparing in the distance.

             As she watched, the people came closer and closer to the packhouse. Even the sparing men stopped and came toward the packhouse. Soon enough, it left no one outside. Did they all come to this meeting? Magnus ordered? If her uncle ordered something like that, everyone ran to get there on time or else. No one wanted to explore them or else.

             Ivory locked her in a closet once before one of these meetings, and she’d been late. Her uncle strapped her before everyone as an example. Ivory got away with being late for everything, and no one dared to say a word about it.

Would she get in trouble for not being there? No, of course not. She wasn’t a pack member. But was she a slave of the pack? Nothing made sense to her. She needed answers and she couldn’t get them locked up here in this room.

             *                                      *                                      *

Sarah Ann found Magnus in his office, poring over several reports. Nothing new for this man. He had more surfaces than a set of gamer dice. “When are you going to tell me what to do with the girl, oh great alpha?”

“Funny Sarah dear. That girl, as you call her, is my future mate. I need you to gain her trust and help her adjust, because I’m desperately trying not to kill her abusive and neglectful uncle. Or end up in a pack war with them.”

“I’ll need a little more information than that to go on. What am I working with?”

“A wolf who’s sweet, honest, and abused at every turn is my suspicion. If I understand, she’s paying for her parents’ audacity to walk away from the abuse and take her with them. Now her cousin uses every opportunity to shove this down her throat by forcing Sapphire to do every chore and dirty job no one else will. That’s after she works at the Black Hole Café all day. She’s been sleeping in a pantry closet among the dry goods to boot.”

“So, you’re saying this meek mouse needs to find the wolf inside? Great, and how did you get her away from this uncle? Inquiring minds want to know.”

“I took her from there. After I dropped the self-proclaimed future alpha in front of that whiny, spoilt cousin. Then I walk into her uncle’s office, still covered in that wolf’s blood, and refuse to sign the non-aggression treaty. I may have let slip that the wolf I dropped planned to take over by the end of the week. It appears that someone failed to tell Alpha Kilburn about his retirement at the end of the week.”

“Well, you are making a statement as soon as you enter this region. Is that injured wolf still alive?”

“That’s unclear. Now please have her get ready for the meeting in an hour. I’d really appreciate it. I’d like to present her to the pack that’s here.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll be getting the bills for this one. The poor unfortunate dear. This won’t be easy on her. If Alpha Kilburn comes after her, it’s going to be hard for her. The pack may not let her stay, or they will make her life miserable until she’s forced out.” Sarah Ann warned Magnus of all the possibilities.

“That’s their Luna, so they either adjust or leave. You know the rules. I didn’t create the traditions of a wolf pack. But I will enforce them.”

“You could make a mistake…” Sarah Ann didn’t get to finish what she was saying when Magnus cut her off.

“I know she’s my mate. They either support me or leave. That’s how packs work. My mate will be their Luna, and we both know fate doesn’t make mistakes.” Magnus growled in response to Sarah Ann’s words. His every instinct screamed to him from the time he’d walked into the Black Hole Café and saw her smiling face. This was the woman who’d bare his pups and stand beside him for the rest of his life. She’s battered and broken like him. Which made him feel they suited each other perfectly. “Just make sure any bills end up on my desk. There’s no budget. Just get her whatever she needs and make it the best.”