Chapter 5: The caged mate

ROSE

I woke up the next morning, hoping that last night's events were all just a dream. Unfortunately, reality came in the form of a brunette with green eyes- Carina. She insisted on "talking" with me about throwing my mate in the basement. I truly didn't see what was wrong with it. I just threw my mate into the cold, windowless, foodless basement along with his pack. Absolutely fine. I mean, it wasn’t as though I’d let him die or anything.

Of course, Carina harboured something called compassion. A horrid thing to harbour, if you ask me. It made one quite weak! She went on and on about how mates are amazing and how my mate will make me stronger and take some of my work load off because I was, and I quote, "cranky".

"I'm not cranky. I'm just..."

"You're just lacking love. And a mate comes with that!" She said as she sat on my bed and watched me search for a pair of shoes in my cupboard.

I turned around and sighed, "I don't know how many times I have to tell you this, but I'm not lacking love. I don't need it, just like I don't need him."

She shook her head and got up, nearing me.

"Then why don't you reject him?" She almost whispered this. I guess she was still curious as to why I didn't.

And so, I sighed and explained, "I made a deal with the Moon Goddess... I get to keep my title as alpha as long as I don't reject my mate... which I was never supposed to have."

This seemed to confuse her.

"So... I'm not seeing the problem." She said.

I hit my hand on my forehead, "You and seeing things are enemies. The Moon Goddess only controls our werewolf magic and keeps it in balance. Balance means that mates stay together, accepted. If I reject him, not only is the deal between the Moon Goddess and I null and void regarding me being alpha, but I also would become weaker. I thought making a deal with her would be easier because she didn’t recall matching my heart with anyone else’s, which she said sometimes happens.

You see, she only pairs hearts together. She doesn’t know who they belong to, she can only sense their magic and pair them accordingly. Mine was apparently strong enough to survive a mate less life. Maybe she-“, But I cut myself off before saying something insulting.

The moon Goddess only kept balance… she was never really in control. All the power in the world, and her only use for it was to give it away. What a waste.

Carina sat down again, sighing.

"Okay... I see your point now. But I'm sure she knows you have a mate now? Won't she want him to become our alpha?" She asked. My blood boiled at that and my hands began to shake. It was werewolf tradition for males to become alphas. That was why if an alpha and luna conceived a daughter, she was “blessed” with a strong mate to become alpha. However, in this case, I became an exception. Power was the only thing a craved more than anything and I was not letting it go.

As I thought this, I felt my hands begin to shake in worry of my title being taken away from me.

I shook my head after regaining my own sanity, "She told me she wasn't sure I had one, which is why she made me alpha in the first place, and again, why I made that stupid deal with her. As far as I am concerned, she still thinks that I am mateless... or she would have said something when she saw me that day when Deamian visited.” That was what I hoped.

Again, she asked why, if the Moon Goddess was unaware of my mate, I did not just reject him.

“I can’t risk it. And besides, as I have already said, rejecting him would make me extremely weak… you know how many males here are itching to become alpha.”

 " Do you plan on hiding this forever?" She asked.

I shrugged. I was still trying to get over this whole "Mate" thing.

She then sighed and rested a hand on my shoulder.

"At least check up on him..." She blinked numerous times and tried to make a pouty face. I scrunched my nose up in disgust.

"Please stop, I'm almost to the point of losing my breakfast. I don't want to check up on him." I shrugged and folded my arms, showing her how much I actually cared- not at all. At least, that was what I tried to convince myself.

She looked taken aback and replied to my stubbornness by saying, "You're only checking up on him... besides, he needs to stay alive, otherwise you will become extremely weak." 

She made a point.

"I hate that the Moon Goddess chose my best friend to become my Beta."

She just shrugged and smiled but I could sense there was something bothering her. She knew I was keeping things from her. So, I said goodbye to avoid her sceptical gaze.

I placed my head in my hands and sat down as she left, finally being able to sit down to regain a bit of strength. I hated to admit it, but not having my stupid mate near me was really frustrating. I was becoming weaker and I could feel it.

I sucked in a sharp breath, tied my laces from my recent finding of shoes and walked out of my home.

My home was located in the far corner of the pack grounds, away from the residential area. Away from everything including my office. I liked space.

After I walked quite a distance, I reached the residential area and I noticed that the pack members were up and about, eating breakfast, visiting neighbours, or getting ready for school. It was an average day for them. As they saw me, they saluted and nodded in respect for me and I acknowledged them with a slight nod or faint smile. I could tell that their respect was false though, it always was. 

Soon, after passing the training grounds, local stores, restaurant, and the school, I reached my office. I walked past it towards the entrance of the woods. I carried on, entering the densely wooded area, making sure I wasn't followed. The further I walked, the thicker the plantation became, and I knew I'd find what I was looking for. I eventually found my "special place". I fumbled between the plants on the ground until I found the hidden lever. Wrapping my cold fingers around the metal thing, I pulled hard, revealing a hole in the ground. A ladder was against the walls of the hole and lead into an underground room. I climbed down and entered. It was as I always remembered it, cold, dark, stuffy, and wet. As I walked past the huge cages, chills ran up and down my spine as horrid memories bombarded my brain.

My shoes made clicking sounds against the cold concrete floor and I could hear them echo against the almost emptiness of this room of isolation.

Soon I reached the cages with my mate and his pack members. They were very quiet and very few. Only about twenty of them survived my pack's vicious slaughter last night. Looking back, I guess I was lucky I found my mate before any of my other pack members did.

Ryker looked up as I neared his cage. His blue eyes which seemed to be the only thing I could actually see properly were filled with pain and hunger.

"Come to torture us some more?" He hissed. He looked so angry at me... okay he looked like he was ready to kill me.

I shook my head, shifting my weight to the left leg and folding my arms. I was trying to show my disinterest in his pain, but there was a part of me that wanted to open his cage and bury my head in the crook of his neck and wrap my arms around him so I could just take in his scent. That part was however almost non-existent.

Why was I actually here again? Oh yes! My best friend slash beta made me.

"I'm just here to um..." great, I didn't think of an excuse. Now he's going to think that I actually care.

I shook my head, regaining my thoughts, "I came here to tell you that I'll bring food later. I can't let you starve to death. It's against my pack rules.... And since you're part of the pack now, I need to make sure you are at least... Fed." I said. Although Carina had suggested I come here, I was my plan to visit him all along. I needed to gather information on why Ryker and his pack had come to attack my pack.

All hope of answers was however thrown out the window as I stole a quick glance around the basement. The rogues could barely keep their eyes open, let alone talk. I knew Ryker would not have any information. Omegas were never trusted enough.

Ryker walked closer towards the side of the cage, towards me. His blue eyes fixed on my own eyes. I was already standing so close to his cage, now he was just making the distance less. Eventually he was mere inches away from me, he bent slightly to match my height and wrapped his fingers around the holes in the cage. He was so close I could just kiss him.

"Alpha... is this your worst? Because this is paradise compared to what we've been through. Your torture is nothing." 

I rolled my eyes and said, "Look omega, I'm not in the mood for your... actually I don't know if you're trying to scare me or make me pity you more than I already do. All I want is to tell you that yes, you're my prisoner, but you are still part of the pack. Don't make the mistake of thinking I actually care. Your existence is a burden enough to me, caring would be illogical."

And with that I attempted to leave... emphasis on attempted. The omega decided to squeeze his bony, long fingers through the holes and graze them against my skin. Shivers ran through me at the sudden contact and I turned back at him. He looked at me in shock. It was however clear that his attempt at physical contact was just to get my attention, and, unfortunately for me, it had worked.

"What could make such a beautiful lady like yourself so... cold. I've never met someone crueller than you. You lock your own mate in a cage and insult him. I get that you are disappointed that I am an Omega, I get that you hate the fact that you and I are bound. But can you really be so heartless as to not even try to... get to know me? What are you so afraid of?"

I refrained from answering and instead said goodbye and left. He was slowly getting under my skin. I hated him... I hated him more than I hated anything. And I hated that he asked that question… He had no right.

Slowly I went to my home and gave instructions to Carina to feed the new additions to the pack. I then went to my room and had to sit down. Seeing him was too much... being down there and hearing what he had to say was even worse. I couldn’t even get his face out of my mind. The way it felt when he touched me, those sparks. I could still feel them crackling against my skin.

Life just got a whole lot more difficult. I felt for the first time in a while that I needed an escape... I needed to... leave. This was too much; he was too much. I started pacing around my room with his question ringing in my ear until an envelope on my desk caught my attention... It was Deamian's invitation. Slowly I moved towards the desk and held it in my hand the soft paper tempting me to open it. Tempting me to go.

Could this be my escape? My escape for one night?