Chapter Two

Alanis POV

Two years later

I have been in this basement, trapped in this cage, for so long. I am not sure how long it has been since I saw the light of day. I think it has been about two years, but time is hard to keep up with down here. I close my eyes to sleep, and then open my eyes in the morning so a wolf can throw food at me and refill my water bowl. I am like a dog that no one wants around. They keep me around to torture my soul.

Ashton, the young wolf that locked me in here, occasionally brings me extra food. I have always been thin, but being in this cage for so long with little food has made me a frail skinny version of my former self.  He has been kind to me. Not kind enough to let me out, even though I have begged him to kill me and get it over with for me.

My mind and body cannot take much more of living in this basement, alone and afraid. I am thankful that Alpha Raymond has never come down here. He probably has forgotten I am done here. I am his prisoner for as long as he wants to keep me, and there is nothing I can do about it.

I lay down on my mat to go to sleep. Ashton brought me a piece of cake earlier from a celebration. The wolves and Alpha Raymond are celebrating again. I am sure they murdered someone innocent or did something horrible to celebrate. At least I got a piece of cake out of the deal.

I curl up and eat my cake on my mat. I leave a few crumbs for the little mouse that is down here with me. He is a prisoner too. At least he can crawl out of here and leave, not me; I am stuck. I think of my mother and my father as I do every night when I close my eyes. I cannot remember what she smelled like, but I can remember her voice. I hear her voice as I drift off to sleep.

I wake to a loud noise upstairs. Something is happening up there. There are screams and fighting. I curl up tighter into the most miniature ball I can make myself. I pull the old blanket over me and begin to cry. I do not know what is happening, but I know it is terrible. The screams and fighting get louder, and then it just stops. It is silent. Someone probably got drunk and pissed Alpha Raymond off.

I hear footsteps and then talking. Maybe the party got out of hand. The door opens, and someone is coming down the steps. I look to see someone I have never seen before. She walks toward my cage and looks at me like she is sad for me.

"What is your name?" she asks.

I hang my head and look to the ground. She is not scary, but I do not understand what is going on, and I am afraid to answer her. She opens my cage. What is she doing? Why is she coming close to me? Will she hurt me? I back as far away as I can.

"Come with me," she says.  She extends her hand for me to come with her.

I back up to the back of my cage. I am terrified. I look up to see others coming down—several wolves in their wolf form and some as men.  I scream, even though I do not know why I am screaming. The man comes close to my cage. He closes it back and locks it.

"I am Alpha Sebastian. What is your name?" he asks calmly.

"I ... I ... I ... I am Alanis, daughter of Merril and Mary," I answer.

Alpha Sebastian looks at the woman who tried to let me out of my cage. He touches her shoulder and then looks back at me. Does he know who I am? Did he know my parents or is this a cruel trick?

"Alanis, this is my sister Julian. She wants to help you out of this cage tonight, but if you are afraid, it can wait. I will leave it unlocked for you, and if you want, you may come out on your own," Alpha Sebastian says.

I shake my head. "He will kill me if I leave this cage," I say with a tremble in my voice.

"Alpha Raymond and his wolves are dead. Their reign of terror is over. He will never hurt anyone again," Alpha Sebastian says.

I take a deep breath and go to my knees. He is dead. He is dead! I begin to cry. I cannot stop crying. "He killed my parents!" I yell.

"We know, we know of your pack and what happened to them, but we did not know you were still alive," Alpha Sebastian says.

"He has kept me down here since that night, locked in here," I say.

Alpha Sebastian and his sister, Julian, gasps, looking at one another in disbelief. "You have been down here for two years?" Sebastian asks me.

I shake my head, yes. Tears roll down my dirty face. I look at my hands, filthy. I am filthy. They know my father, and they are seeing me look like this. I am embarrassed. The daughter of a council member should not look like this. I close my eyes in disgrace for what I am now.

Julian opens the door to my cage. "I could help you out of here, and we could get you cleaned up if you like?" Julian asks me.

"Are you going to hurt me? Are you going to take me somewhere and lock me in another cage?" I ask.

"No, my sweet wolf. You are safe, and please let me help you," Julian says to me.

"I ... I .... I am afraid. I am sorry. I am just so afraid," I cry.

Alpha Sebastian stops Julian. "Give her time; she will come out before we leave to go home," Alpha Sebastian says.

"Where will I go? I have no one. My... My... family is all dead. What will happen to me?" my voice trembles as I ask.

"We will protect you, Alanis. You are under my protection now and I take care of my people," Alpha Sebastian says.

"Thank you. I am afraid," I say. For the first, I admit that being down here in this basement, I am afraid. I am so scared of living without my parents or being the girl in the cage. I have no idea who I am anymore. The words sting my soul. I have said I am afraid before but this time they mean something more, I mean the words. I am afraid of what is outside this cage.

The wolves start going up the stairs. Alpha Sebastian follows them. Julian stays with me. She finds something to sit on and takes a seat outside my cage.

"I will stay here with you," Julian says softly.

I look at her, and she is so beautiful. I cannot imagine what I look like to her. I have been hosed off with cold water weekly. I have not had a bath or a good meal in so long. I cannot remember when Ashton brought me clothes last.  Julian sits with me for hours. Why is she so concerned for me? I should leave this cage. I can leave this cage.

"Julian, I would like to leave this cage and clean myself up," I say softly.

Julian stands up from her seat. She opens the cage and reaches in to take my hands. "You do not want to touch me. I am filthy," I say as I pull back from her. I do not want to get her dirty.

"I can wash my hands, shower, and change my clothes. Nothing is more important than you right now.  Let me help you, little wolf," Julian says.

Julian helps me to the stairs. I start to climb them, but it is difficult for me after being in my cage for so long. It hurts as I make my way up a few steps. I scream out. "ARGH!" My knees buckle and I begin to cry. The pain is so fierce. I feel like I am falling.

"Sebastian," Julian calls up the steps.

Alpha Sebastian rushes to his sister's aide. He scoops me up before I can protest and carries me up the stairs. He takes me to the first bathroom he comes to and sets me down in the tub. “I insist that Julian help you bathe, okay. I do not want you to get hurt,” Alpha Sebastian says.

“Yes, Sir,” I say.

Julian comes into the bathroom as Alpha Sebastian leaves. She helps me undress and turns on the water. The water that runs over me turns black as it goes down the drain. I cry as I watch the water. The nightmare is over. It is finally over.

“Let it out, I cannot imagine how you are feeling, little wolf,” Julian says as she helps me scrub the dirt off of my body.