Five

We all quickly ran to the south of the pack town, meeting up with my mother, the present Luna, Kate. She stood in front of the pack orphanage home and had a basket of food in her hands with two children beside her, clinging onto her wrists like their lives depended on it.  

“What’s wrong?” I asked her.

She didn’t utter a word but gripped onto the hand of one of the quivering children really tight. 

“What happened?!” I demanded in a louder voice. 

“Luna Kate was here to give us sweets and home made food, then we all heard someone scream. When we ran outside, we saw that the beautiful lady who follows the Luna around as the Luna's assistant had blood around her and her head was no longer connected to her body.” The child explained on Mom’s behalf. 

“What?! Where is her body?” 

“Her body’s here, Alpha.” Scarlett said, walking out from the side of the orphanage building with a few men behind her. 

We all followed Scarlett’s lead and to the dead body of one of our pack members, Maddie. Her head had been cut off from her body with thick red blood staining the ground. 

“Who dared to attack the Dark Stone pack?!” I barked, balling my hands into fists. “Search everywhere!” I ordered and shifted into my wolf form before Scarlett, Mason, Shane, and a few other guards shifted too. 

We all ran in separate directions and into the forest, sniffing around for any strange scent. After a while of searching and sniffing, we returned to the orphanage home. 

“Anything?” I asked through mind link. 

“No, Alpha. No one could find anything. Not even a hint of any scent.” Scarlett replied. 

“How’s that possible? How could they hide their scent?” Shane asked. 

“We’ll look into that.” I assured them, feeling rage building up in me. How could any creature have the audacity to attack my pack? “Return to your human form.” I ordered. 

I took my leave and switched back to my human form, throwing on a pair of gray sweatpants before returning to others. 

“Alpha, I did say we shouldn’t be lenient with it.” Mason said. 

“Don’t try to worsen my rage, Gamma. The security should be extra tight now. We’ll need to train more pack members to increase the security here. First thing you need to do is to deal with Maddie's body. Secondly, inform her family members. Also make sure they're compensated and assured that the culprit will be found and punished till death.” My veins had risen and my jaw was clenched.  

“Okay.” Mason said and took his leave. 

“Where is the Luna?” I asked Scarlett. 

“She was attended to.”

“Where the fuck is Grant?” I frowned, remembering that he had made the announcement. 

Grant was called for and came running to me. “You called for me, Alpha.”

“How did the attack happen? Weren't you supposed to be in charge of securing the orphanage today?”

“Yes, Alpha, I was, but I had to hurry up to use the restroom and when I returned, I only saw a shadow run into the woods.”

“Couldn’t you follow the direction of it?”

“Yes, Alpha, I did, but it was gone sooner than normal. I couldn’t even catch a glimpse of it for a second. I made an announcement immediately then returned to protect the Luna.” He was speaking boldly, not a hint of prevarication in his eyes. 

“Leave now. You'll be called for further investigation.” I said and he took his leave. 

After Maddie’s body was attended to, everyone was dismissed. The security was going to be tighter and further investigation was going to be held. 

Mason and I left for the pack hospital while Scarlett left to ensure that the children in the orphanage home vacated there to a shelter closer to the pack house.

 It turned out that the Luna had been shocked to see her favorite personal assistant being murdered, so she arm had been hurt while she almost fell. 

“How is she doing now?” I asked Crystal Kentwood, the pack Doctor who was also Mason’s mate and wife. 

“She’s getting better. She was in a temporary shock and had a slight cut from falling, but she’s fine now.” She explained, her chocolate eyes possessed that glint of joy as always. 

I left for the room where the Luna was, staring at her with my hands locked behind me. “I guess you’re fine now?” I asked and she nodded, keeping her gaze on her fingers. I also wanted to ask how she was feeling and if she was okay from the shock of seeing her favorite person's dead body, but I didn’t want to seem too nice. “We’ll speak later and will make sure we capture the culprit. He won’t be spared from my wrath.” I frowned. 

Without another word, I left the hospital and back to the pack house. 

Scarlett joined me in the pack office, dropping another file on the table. “That’s the map to the Night Shadow pack house. The red prints are spots where there’s mostly danger and cunning rogues, the green sprints are where there’s protection of different form or spots to keep cover from danger, the purple prints are shelters where you and the pack members going with you can stay in for the night, while the gray prints are trees with clothes in them, if anyone decides to shift and needs new clothes.” She explained. 

“Okay. Did you give a copy of this to everyone that’s going with me?” 

“Not yet, Alpha, but I’ll do that soon.”

“Okay.”

Mrs. Bea Sherlock knocked on the opened room door, bowing her head. “Alpha, your bags are already packed. I still haven’t selected a maid to go with you. Most of the weaker females or males are scheduled for training.” 

“I don’t need—”

“Yes, you’ll need someone to cook and clean for you.” Scarlett interrupted. 

'We can take our mate along.’ Drex suggested. 

‘The omega.’ I corrected him.

‘She can be freed, so she doesn’t die.’

'And when did you start to care about such lowly people?’ I rolled my eyes at him. 

‘Never. I only want us to teach her a lesson by punishing her, in our own way.’ He smirked. 

 “I’ll take the omega. I’ll inform Shane.” I informed her. 

“But she's under punishment. Wouldn’t the pack members think you're showing mercy to her?” Mrs. Bea asked. A glare at her from me and Scarlett warned her to shut the shit hole she called a mouth. “I’m sorry.” She quickly added. “I’ll take my leave now.”

“Is there anything else?” I asked Scarlett who didn’t stop gazing at me. 

“No.” she shook her head, wearing a smile. “I was just wondering if you’re ready to eat. There’s no one to make the pack meal yet, so you can tag along with me and Mason for lunch or dinner tonight.”

“Fine. Please leave. Your presence is bothering me.” I dismissed her.

*** 

~ JANE ~ 

“Let's take her back in.” One of the guards I could recognize as Casper said. 

I raised my head to him and the other guards, the darkness of the night had blurred my view of everything. 

They unchained me from the bench. I could have attempted to run but I was too weak from crying all day and from the lack of food. They carried me back to the dungeon and let me fall to the cold ground. 

“Please, can I at least have something to eat?” I pleaded, permitting a teardrop to roll down my face again. 

“No. Shane said we shouldn’t give her anything to eat. He claims it’s the Alpha’s order.”

“The Alpha wouldn’t want her to die.” Casper frowned. 

“Do you think that man cares about anybody? He doesn’t even care about his mother, why would he give a shit about a mere and useless mutt? Let’s leave.” The other guards responded and they both took their leave. 

I wanted to hate Alpha for letting me go through this, but something at the back of my mind warned me not to. I knew that I wasn’t even worth being punished, so I ought to be grateful that I was receiving attention from my punishment.

‘You’re so stupid.’ That voice in my head spoke again. 

When I had first started hearing this voice, I had thought it was my wolf, till I realized it was just my inner thought. I couldn’t have a wolf; I was tagged as cursed. Plus, the voice was only present once in a blue moon. I figured out that one's wolf was always with a werewolf, pestering them at all times.

My stomach grumbled from its lack of food for a few days. I knew I was going to die soon from and rot in this dungeon, I just didn’t know when and how long I could bear this pain for. 

*** 

“Hey!” The sound of a gate being dragged open drew me out from my sleep. The beam of light from the window struck my eyes, making me shut them really tight. 

“Bring her out.” Shane ordered. “Why isn’t she chained?” He barked. “Weren’t you in charge of chaining her back last night?”

“She was too weak to be chained.” Casper explained. 

“You’re stupid.” I heard the sound of a hard slap sent to Casper’s face. “How then is this punishment relevant? Bring her out.”

I raised my head to them and watched Casper trudge to me. With a frown on, he chained my wrists and pulled me out of the dungeon with him. 

I was dragged back to the center of the town again. I had never felt this weak before; my stomach was rumbling angrily from its lack of food and my throat was dry from dehydration. 

It started again with mocking laughter and a few things being thrown at me. 

“Please, Mr. Shane. Can I have something to eat? At least water to drink?”

“How is that my problem? You rejected the Alpha, so you’ll have to pay for it.” He smirked. He made it seem like my punishment was not only for rejecting Alpha Keegan, but also for an offense I had committed against him and he was taking revenge.

I lowered my head to cry again. Why did I ever cross paths with Alpha Keegan? At least there’d have been no mate bond if we never met. 

“So she hasn’t had anything to eat?” Alpha Keegan’s voice made me snap my head to him. 

“Uh… no… yes—” 

“No, she hasn’t.” Casper cut Shane off. 

A frown formed on Alpha Keegan’s face. I couldn't tell whether his frown was because I hadn’t eaten or it was just his normal expression. It was definitely not because of me. Why would he care about me?

“Unchain her.”

“What?” Three of us asked in unison. 

Was Alpha Keegan sparing mercy on me? How was that even possible? 

I locked my eyes with his amber eyes, the fury burning in his eyes made me take my gaze off him immediately. 

“But, Alpha… it’s against the rules to release criminals.” Shane reminded him.

“I made the rules and I remain firm on my words that I won’t break the rules. She has to come with me to serve as my maid during my journey. I’ll make sure she receives extra punishment, even in another pack territory.” People around were staring at him in doubt and it clearly pissed him off even more. “She’ll definitely return to this punishment as soon as she returns.” He assured everyone. 

An entire journey with Alpha Keegan? I’d prefer if I rather died here than go with him and face his personal torture again.