Author's POV:
The sun was totally out in its full capacity, shining like it was warring against the city and its inhabitants when Olivera and her best friend, Jeremy, walked tiredly into an open field filled with a large amount of bricks and sand, and of course, labourers.
"I'm thirsty." Olivera muttered, wiping off bead of sweats from her forehead. She could also feel a pool of sweat at her armpit and chest region. She needed water, to drink and to swim. She needed to cool off.
"We will find water soon, perhaps from the man." Jeremy replied, swallowing his spittle to quench a growing thirst. He hadn't even be sure of his words. He just wanted to make her hopeful. A hopeless Olivera was not needed now.
"Okay. What are they doing?" She asked, referring to the labourers working their strength out in the field.
"Seems they are building something." Jeremy noted, citing the throng of labourers working effectively, mixing sands, breaking bricks; though some sighs of fatigue could be seen on their faces. He could also tell that they were prisoners, this was part of their punishment; working endlessly for the Alpha till he releases them, if he ever would.
And for this, he was scared; but he didn't let this known to Olivera yet. Her last seizure attack had been too nerve wracking for him.
"Wickedness.." He muttered, as he saw the silver bracelet on each of the labourers' arm.
"Did you say something?" He heard Olivera ask, and shook his head negatively.
"No, I didn't say anything. It must be the wind." He replied, looking ahead,into the field; fearing for their lives. The silver bracelet was to weaken and cripple the strength of werewolves. In larger amounts, it could kill them off. He doubted it would have any effect on Olivera though. But then, He wasn't seeing any female yet. Were there no female prisoners? or were they given some other work. He thought, hoping for the latter. He didn't think, he could bare to see Vera doing this strenuous work. She wouldn't last three days.
"Yeah, it must be." Olivera said, noting the far away look on her best friend's face.
"Penny for your thoughts.."She asked with a smile.
"Nah,it's nothing." Jeremy mentioned, putting up a faux smile, which of course Olivera noticed.
"At least we are together." She said finally, locking their hands together, already putting up herself ready for whatever the Alpha of the pack would throw to them.
She had of course heard stories of the ruthless Alpha of the Dark Shadows Pack.
His name rang far and wide the whole continent in werewolf regions. It was rumoured that he had affliation with notable humans, that is, president and governors, and that kind of calibre. He was known for his all round fighting and business skills, and then his ruthlessness; she had heard one time that he had wiped off an entire village of humans because their king had disrespected him. And how could she forget? His love and disrespect for women. He treated them like trash, but of course they don't care.
She had heard tales of his pride and riches. He was handsome too. She had heard. Girls falling over him, daily. Girls of different calibre and realms.
She couldn't wait to have glimpse of him. To see whether the stories about his beauty and build were true. Perhaps he might even notice her. She thought, now in the fantasy realm. Perhaps he might like her.
"What!" She suddenly shrieked as she snapped herself out of it, smacking her forehead, totally forgetting that she was still with Jeremy.
"Olivera, what is that?" Jeremy asked, his face clothed with sheer worry and concern.
"Nothing. Just some useless thought trying to have its way in my head." She said, with a shrug.
And Jeremy laughed.
"You were fantasizing again?" He queried, finding it funny but okay, that her mind could conjure up fantasies in this perilous time.
"No, I wasn't." She lied vehemently, rolling her eyes.
"Oh, yes. You were. Tell me about it." He said, actually curious to hear; curious to hear anything that would take his mind off an impending doom.
"I said it's nothing." Olivera whined, trying but failing to hide the blush which painted her cheeks red.
And Jeremy noticed. He always did.
"What the hell were you thinking that got your cheeks red as tomatoes? He asked, laughing out loud.
"I told you nothing." Olivera stubbornly said, secretly happy that Jeremy could laugh.
She was totally aware of their bad situation, even though her best friend had been trying to reduce the effect for her. She also knew that the labourers working in the field were all prisoners.
"You finally made it."
A voice said, cutting into their thoughts.
It was the man that had led them out of their cell. When had he come here? She thought. She never noticed.
"Yes." She heard Jeremy say, and sighed. This was it. Their enlistment into slavery.
"Good. So..."
The man was saying, before motioning Jeremy with his eyes, that he didn't know his name.
"Jeremy." Jeremy answered. "My name is Jeremy."
The man just nodded, before casting a glance at the girl whom he thought was unfortunate enough to be here, apart from her frail nature.
"My name is Olivera." She muttered.
"Okay then. Jeremy..you see those people out in the field. You will join them to work daily. If you behave well, I won't have to make you wear the silver bracelet." He said, staring at Jeremy.
"I will behave well." Jeremy replied, his lips quaking at the thought of doing this hard labor, everyday of his life.
"Off you go then." The man said, eyeing the interlocked hands of the duo in front of him.
Their hesistation to part ways, almost brought a smile to his face. It reminded him of someone, somewhere, in a better place.
"Are you mates?" He asked, looking at them unassumingly.
"Not really." Jeremy answered, unentangling his hand from Olivera's reluctant one.
"I would be going now." He said, actually referring to Olivera, and walked away towards the worksite.
" Can I go with him?" Olivera asked, while watching her best friend walk to the worksite.
But the man smiled.
"You can't work there. You won't last for long." He replied.
"I'm strong. I will last." She said, her eyes totally involved in the plead, her thirst totally forgotten.
" No, you won't. Don't worry. You will see him at the end of each day." The man said.
" Okay." Olivera muttered, even though she thought 'the end of the day' was too far.
"Follow me then." The man said, before walking away, towards the other side of the field.
Olivera's POV: I soughed for the umpteenth time as I trailed behind the strange man tiredly. Are we really going to another part of the earth? I thought, feeling very jaded from all the walk. I was sure we have been walking for three hours. I knew it's a total exaggeration, but c'mon it felt like ages, and I was very thirsty. "Stop whining. We would soon be there." The man said suddenly, startling me to a halt. Does he read minds? I questioned myself, staring at the back of the man's head like I could see through it. He was still walking, not turning back even for a second. "Be fast. The earlier, the better." He added, still walking, looking straight ahead. I shrugged off the creepiness, and followed him, deciding to ask him some questions. He had been quite lenient with me; and I didn't think it would hurt to prey on that. "Hello...I don’t know your name. could you tell me?" I asked, gathering strength from an unknown reserve to keep up the walk. I was sure he wouldn't carry me
Olivera's POV:It was a smaller field, than the one Jeremy was working at, and as I walked behind Leonard, I wondered what my work here would be.We walked for a couple of more minutes across the field till we came upon girls in the same funny attire in a very large opening in the field, numbering not less than thirty, wheezing around, involved in one activity or the other, ranging from washing to cooking to threshing, and they all acted like we weren't there, like we were invisible.I was already uncomfortable with the atmosphere, sensing a brewing trouble."This is simpler than Jeremy's work, but still tasking." Leonard said, interrupting my thoughts." Yeah." I muttered."But why are there so many clothes?" I asked, noticing the large heaps of clothes which I was sure was dirty, standing by the corner of a girl, who couldn't be more than 17 years of age.Was she going to wash all that? I thought, still waiting for an answer from my captor."Clothes of pack members. I think I should
Author’s POV:Olivera walked behind the woman steadily, her head and chin up high, depicting a confidence she was sure that she didn’t have, while her eyes darted all around the field, taking note of the girls of varying ages doing one hard work or the other, donned in light brown gowns that stopped nearly at their mid-thigh. A welcoming plea for sexual abuse. She thought. She wouldn’t be surprised if the girls had had experiences of molestation; the gown left nothing unrevealed especially whenever the girls bent down to pick up something. They might as well be sex slaves.She came to an abrupt halt when she saw a little girl of about five years in the same garment, pushing a truck filled with sacks of grain. Did the wickedness of this pack and its Alpha have no limit or end? A girl of barely five years old too?! She couldn’t wash her own socks at that age. What manner of slave ship is this? She thought, her heart breaking at the sight, especially as she saw the little girl fall on he
Author's POV:Olivera straightened the invisible creases on the short thin gown with her fingers, sighing all the same. She was a slave. The realization soaked her in and out.But for how long? Would it be forever?A step at a time. She thought to herself as she took in a deep breath, and let out some more.She will survive. She has to."Are you planning on sleeping in there?" She heard her taskmaster ask with a loud voice, and gulped in saliva. This was it. Her work has started.Sighing again, she turned the knob of the door and walked out, her face down, her eyes concentrated on a dark brown stain on the waist band of the gown.She jerked her head up as she heard the woman cuss."You don't even know how to wear a gown? Are you serious right now?" The woman asked, as she trailed her eyes all over her."I..." Olivera stuttered, then shut her mouth. She wasn't sure of what her crime was. "Come here." The woman ordered, and Olivera stilled at first, unsure of why the woman was calling
Olivera's POV:"Have a seat." The man called Nick, said to me as he sat on a stool close to the wall opposite me.I obliged, and took a seat on one of the sofas in his sitting room, mainly because he looked and sounded kind.But I wasn't stupid to think that every member of this evil pack was the same. After all, their alpha was evil himself."How did you come here?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest.I paused before answering his question, knowing that he was expecting a narrative on how I had managed to find myself in the wrong pack at the wrong time, that is if any time was right."Our pack was attacked. I was escaping with my best friend when we were hijacked by members of your pack. End of story." I said, picking up to courage to look at him, since he was the only person in this pack, apart from Leonard, interested in knowing about me; not that I have met a lot of people here though.When I had been coming with my taskmaster, Rose, we had walked through the other side o
It all made sense now.The herbs and the plants all over the place. It made sense that he was the Pack’s doctor. It just hadn’t made sense to me that such a person would want to talk to a slave in a kind manner.The woman hadn’t noticed me yet. Her head was still lowered. I could sense the amount of sorrow she was drowning in. The child must be a special one or an only child. I thought.“Let’s go.” I heard Nick say and turned sharply to stare at him.I caught his eyes on me.Had he been referring to me or the woman?Already the woman was standing. But he was still looking at me.“Is she coming with us?” I heard the woman ask; her question echoed my exact thoughts. But I could hear the skepticism in her voice. I knew then that I shouldn’t be running rounds with a doctor.“Yes, she is,” Nick replied, and I balked. Was this man trying to put me in trouble?Turning aside to look at the woman, I could see her reluctance in the drooping down of her shoulders, and in the scrutiny of her gaz
"Let me have the bag." Nick said to me as he stretched his hand toward me. I nodded, already sliding the bag off my shoulder, although my eyes were still stuck on the little boy who seemed to be in some kind of agony. His mother stood at the far corner of the room, darting her eyes between us and her son. Shouldn't she be sitting closer to him? I thought, whilst stretching the medical bag to Nick. I stretched the bag towards him, but before he could collect it, a loud voice boomed across the room, causing me to shudder and drop the bag to the floor. "Who let in a dirty slave near my son?" Immediately, I shut my eyes tightly, partly from the fear of what would happen next, and the consequences of the crack sound I had heard when the bag had fallen to the floor. Something had broken, and I felt so guilty and afraid. I was sure that Nick would have my head for whatever it was. So much for concentration. "Stop bellowing Mark. You have frightened the girl into dropping my medicine ba
We have been working for three hours now on a stretch, or rather Nick has been doing so, while I had just stayed close and watched, making sure to pick up some details which might be important in the nearest future, since I had more of a photographic memory; one good thing that the goddess blessed me with at least, and which had helped my transition into the nerd’s base during my high school days.The boy was sleeping now, as Nick ran a purplish liquid around his skin like a snail. Perhaps, to cover up the sores or something. I’m not sure.Before we had started the treatment though, Nick had made sure that we had taken a potion from a small bottle. According to him, the sour liquid was supposed to make us immune to the plague. I had almost asked him why he hadn’t made it in large quantities and distributed it to the whole pack. That way, the plague would be curbed. But you know me, I had kept shut, waiting for the right time to broach the topic.“We are done now.” Nick stated after he
When they clambered to the surface of the ground, away from the lab, the girls breathed in relief, freed from the nightmares they had been subjected to for years. It was then that Olivera took a blood bag from the polythene in her arms, feeling better in the night hair, and took a sip, wary of how the blood would taste. She had heard Jacob talking about the heady feeling, worse if it came from an ancient. But it still hadn’t prepared her for the kick of pleasure. She found herself moaning as she greedily drank the blood, until she drained the bag. When she was done, she looked at the others. They were staring at her with unexplainable emotions on their faces. At least it wasn’t disgust. Olivera thought with a shrug, before handing the bag over to Miriam. When her friend hesitated in collecting it, she piqued an eyebrow. “You want to do the dismantling of the structure, without alerting the soldiers?” Miriam huffed, and took the bag. As much as she had great magic, she didn’t want
The first thing Olivera saw when she stepped into the hole where the passageway stopped was the largeness of the space, which could contain more than five thousand people. Then she saw the tubes, the boiling liquids and the lab rats. A modern lab.‘Where are you?’ She asked the girl, needing to get out of here; it was making her nauseous. Ten more minutes here, and she might be vomiting all over the place. And there was the fact that she didn’t know when the soldiers would be waking up. ‘At the far end of the cave…’Olivera nodded as if the girl was speaking to her physically. And gesturing with her head, for Miriam to follow her, she sauntered toward the end of the hall, making sure not to look at the tubes housing different organs and parts of an organism. What the hell! She screamed mentally when she saw a full brain at a table which looked like a butchering table. “Oh, my god…what are they doing here?” She heard Miriam ask beside her and sighed. Whose brain was that? A human
Miriam’s heart pounded erratically as she followed Olivera, who seemed very confident on what she was doing, and on where she was going. Three times she thought of grabbing Olivera and walking away from the region, but she also knew it would have been a futile attempt. Her friend’s mind was already made up. She watched as the latter walked past the last barrack, and stopped by a pole, the only pole in the backyard. Behind it were the gates towering them. They have come to a dead end. “Olivera, there is nothing here? Are you sure this girl is real?” Olivera gave Miriam no answer, instead she concentrated on looking around her, waiting for the signal. When she got nothing, she traced the vibration residue, touching the girl’s mind. A jerk in her mind path told her that the girl was surprised she had breached her mind guards. But should she be surprised? Or was something else at play here? ‘Where next should I go?’ She continued, because she knew she was at the right place, that t
“How are we getting past that?” Olivera asked Miriam as they came to stand before a huge gate that towered many feet over them. She could now see why Miriam had wanted the journey to be done in the privacy of the night. As much as she could see—as they had zapped to this point—this area wasn’t open to the city dwellers, only to the special few. She looked around her again. Barracks with soldiers sleeping within. None was even standing guard at the gates. She didn’t believe such a thing would exist at this time. City gates. Where did it lead? She piqued an eyebrow when Miriam smirked. What was the latter thinking? “As if you don’t already know…which other way, if not by mist…there is no way I am climbing that. I don’t think I am ready to fly with you above it…” Miriam spoke, covering the distance between them, and wrapping her arms around Olivera, her mouth fixed in a pout. Olivera shook her head, yet unable to stop the smile that cascaded her lips. It seemed that her friend was g
A knock woke Olivera up from her deep slumber. After bathing and eating off the snacks she had bought earlier in the day, from the shops in the new city, she had fallen like a log of wood to the bed, and hadn’t even stirred after that. Still groggy from the smooth sleep, she let her hand search for her phone which was the only thing that had gone to bed with her, should Miriam call for her. She peered at the screen. It was one in the morning. It was time then. She yawned like a hyena, causing Miriam to chuckle from behind the door. The chuckle dissipated the remaining fog fostering around her head. Taking a deep breath in, she stood up from the bed, flung a sheet around her naked body, and walked to the door. When she opened it, she saw that Miriam was alone, and carrying a tray of steaming food. “You are a lifesaver.” She muttered, opening the door wider for her friend to come in; the rumbling sounds that emitted from her stomach in agreement with her. Miriam chuckled again, an
“Where are we heading next?” Olivera asked Miriam immediately they stepped out of the borders of the town, into a city sprawling with people. After they had left the males who had tried to detain them because of her eating habits, they had walked to the largest building in the town, because if Clooney was a big name, it was probably because the man was rich. They hadn’t been right in their deduction, but they had at least gotten away from the unsettling males. Olivera had taken her friend behind the building, and had quickly switched to her mist form, turning Miriam into the same, and together they had zapped the remainder of the city without stopping, till they were out of it, till they were in a new one which looked more modernized than the previous. She looked at Miriam, who was staring at the city with artificial skylights, and wondered if her friend had ever been here before. “I never get over the culture shock, you know, seeing the drabness of the town we just left. The cont
What now? Olivera thought, looking at the six males that couldn’t be a year older than twenty five years old. What were they doing in front of her? “State your names, and what you are doing in this town…” The male, slightly in front of the others, spoke with a steel voice, causing Olivera and Miriam to exchange furtive glances. What was going on?There was a minute hesitation before Olivera spoke. “I am Darcy. My friend is Lilian. Who are you?” She patted herself mentally for names well cooked and delivered. Darcy and Lilian? How had she come up with those seemingly true names? She watched the male that had just spoken, looked to his comrades behind him, and judged that he was the leader of this small group. Were they the police? She looked at them again. They didn’t look like the police. Vigilantes? Maybe. But why were there vigilantes in the town? She kept a seal on her thoughts when the male returned her attention to her. “My name is Luke, and these are my associates. Our job is
“We will kill him right?” Miriam asked, as they stepped out of the camp, and turned around to look at it again, reliving what they had seen in there. “We need to. He is evil. Why will a sane man work with a vampire? Is he crazy?” Olivera just couldn’t understand the foolishness, no matter how much she tried. Why would one make a deal with an almost eternal wickedness? Had he no fear for his life, for his family? “I think he is crazy. Evil-y crazy. But that’s by the way. What are we going to do now?” Olivera looked around the camp, and spat in disgust. “We will burn it down. We will burn it until it’s nothing but dust. We will eradicate this curse from the face of the earth.” Miriam couldn’t agree less, but then she remembered that the ancients might have use for the materials in there. Olivera, having sensed the latter’s thoughts, shook her head. “They won’t be needing it. I’ve already transferred the necessary details to Raul, and Jacob. They can take it up from there. The mater
“Do you think anyone is in there?” Olivera asked Miriam, immediately she shifted to human self. Miriam looked at her clothed self and smiled. “Seems you have gotten the best hang of shifting, and still keeping your clothes on.” Olivera shrugged her shoulders. “There was no other choice. I can’t keep going up and down with my clothes in my hands or mouth. Since I’m part ancient, I have to improvise.” She took in a deep breath, inhaling the air tainted with magic and something else. “This place is tainted with magic. You smell it?” She shook off the imaginary dirt on her clothes, just in case, whilst waiting for Miriam’s reply. When she looked up, her friend was smiling. “What’s tickling your fancy? I don’t think my question has that much prowess…” Miriam cackled. “I never thought riding on a wolf would be so exhilarating. If I had known, I would have befriended a werewolf, and snagged rides every week at least. It’s quite freeing and therapeutic.” Olivera nodded. It was just as