I jolted awake. Initially, I hoped for a fleeting moment that the events of yesterday were all a dream. Or more accurately, a nightmare. But, of course, they weren't.
I pulled myself upright from the floor, letting the blanket drape over my lower half. I had slept surprisingly well on the hardwood floor, already accustom to sleeping on uncomfortable surfaces. I spared a glance at the door. My heartbeat sped up, immediately noticing my dinner tray missing from where I had left it last night.Someone had come in here while I was sleeping.A quick scan over my body confirmed that nothing noticeable had changed during my slumber. There wasn't any new scratches or marks on my body that I didn't already have. It must have just been a member of the staff doing their job, but yet it still left an unsettling feeling in my tummy.I don't know what to do. I am trapped in a locked room with no way out and no way to entertain myself. I sat with my back pressed against the wall for most of the day, keeping my eyes trained on the door. I don't know what I'm waiting for. I suppose anything at this point.Knock, Knock, KnockI knew it was the older woman before she opened the door, identifying the familiar scent. She stood by the threshold, holding a similar tray as yesterday. "Good morning, I have your meal." She didn't ask me this time before coming inside. She placed the tray in the identical place she had yesterday, moving to stand in front of me. "When you're done, you can leave it here. I'll be coming back soon to accompany you in getting cleaned up. The Alpha wishes to see you."Immediately my eyes snapped up to meet hers. "The Alpha?" I squeaked; a bit ashamed at how timid my voice sounded."Yes," She gave me a grim smile, nodding her head. "Alpha Benji and Beta Alaric wish to see you and discuss the situation. I'll give you sometime to eat before we get started."I waited until I heard the click of the door locking before I let out a lengthy breath. I continued to breathe through my anxiety until, suddenly, I let out a dry laugh. I couldn't stop the almost cynical laugh that escaped my lips. The way the woman had worded it - discussing the situation - made it seem as if we were to talk on pack business. When in fact, I was the situation.What am I supposed to do? Apologize that they took over my pack, kidnapped me, and I just so happened to be mated to the Alpha? How inconvenient of me.Somewhere in between wallowing in own self pity and thinking over my situation – as they so kindly liked to call it here – I scarfed down the meal given to me. It was a piece of fruit, a small breakfast sandwich, and another glass of water. I had eaten more in the past 24 hours then I usually got fed over the course of a week. At first, I was happy, but once my usually empty stomach was filled to the brim, I couldn't help but think of Gwen.I had the sudden urge to hurl but managed to keep the food down. I didn't have a bathroom to go to, so I would just be upchucking all over my bedroom. Plus, I would feel selfish if I threw up – just a waste of food.The knocks came quicker then I anticipated, with the older woman standing in my doorframe once again. "You can follow me, Miss." She called out, not moving from her spot by the door.I slowly pulled myself up from my sitting position, trailing behind her. Something about the way she addressed me bothered me. She didn't address me like I was a prisoner kept in their dingy cells – which I am. And she didn't address me like a supposed Luna – which, apparently, I also am."Aria.""Excuse me?" She faltered in her step, opening a door leading to a private bathroom. She looked at me hesitantly, her hand wrapped around the doorknob."Aria." I repeated, following her inside the door and letting it close with a thud. "My name is Aria. You don't have to keep calling me Miss."Her crow-feet eyes analyzed me for a second, before she gave me a curt nod. "If you would prefer, Miss Aria." There was a click of the door locking before she gestured to the tub in the corner. "There should be everything you need there. When you are done you can change into this." She gestured to the clothes folded neatly on the top of the sink.She took a few steps away from me after I acknowledged her instructions with a nod. Instead of walking out the door and giving me some privacy like I expected, she simply turned on her heel and faced the door away from me.I sighed, diverting my gaze to the tile floor. I let the water run in the tub as I pulled the dirty clothes off my body. I wasn't trusted here – that much was made clear.♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕"You look much better."It wasn't the glowing compliment I would have preferred, but it was the truth. After scrubbing my body clean twice in the tub, I dressed myself in the clothes laid out for me. It was a simple pair of black cotton leggings and a grey oversized sweater. I used my fingers to comb through my soaking wet hair before I cleared my throat to let her know I was done."Thanks." I crinkled my nose, anxiously wringing my hands out in front of myself. I had always been a rather nervous person to begin with, so adding all of this on top of it wasn't helping my case. I tried my best to contain the constant need to bounce my leg in anticipation."You can follow me. Please do not stray."She eyed me carefully before opening the door and beginning our journey through the hallway. The fact that she considered me a flight risk was laughable. If I were to run, it would be a suicide mission. There are guards at every corner, not to mention I am unfamiliar with the foreign land. But it doesn't matter. I have nowhere and no one to go to, even if I survived an escape.We walked in silence the whole journey. As we made it further into the pack house, we started to pass more and more guards. I diverted my gaze to the ground, watching her feet in front of me to guide me. Pack houses were meant to be filled with exuberance and noise from pack members. This pack house was hollow and void of life. It was unsettling, to say the least.We came to a halt at a set of double doors. On either side of the frame stood yet another set of guard wolves. "State your name, ranking, and business here.""Belinda, guardian." The older women, now known asBelinda, spoke her name and ranking in a rehearsed fashion as if it was second nature. "Beta Alaric requested I bring her here. She has pack business to discuss with the Alpha and Beta."It made sense now that Belinda was catering to me. She wasn't a simple pack maid or servant – she was a guardian. Guardians were common in more rank focused packs. They were people with a natural inkling to care for others. They didn't have any specific skills when it came to healing, however, they usually care for sick or injured packmates.The guard's eyes switched from Belinda's to my own, narrowing in suspicion. "State your name, ranking, and business here." He barked at me, keeping his eyes trained on my face.I opened my mouth but faltered for a second, unsure of what to say. What even was my business here? Was my ranking from my former pack carried on over here?Belinda was quick to answer for me, putting a warning hand on my shoulder. "She is not part of the pack. She is a guest." I crinkled my nose at the term she used to refer to me. Hostage or prisoner would have been more suited to describe my situation.The guard held Belinda's stare for a moment, before giving a curt nod. "Adequate. You can wait outside for her." He took a step to the side opening one half of the double doors.I couldn't see anyone in the room from my angle, but I could smell them. I knew he was in there. Despite all my natural urges to throw myself in there, I was rooted to the ground. My bare feet curled into the carpeted floor, attempting to secure myself into the spot. Maybe, just maybe, they would find some humanity and let me stay here.But luck was never on my side. With a huff of irritation, Belinda gave my shoulders a shove, sending me stumbling inside. I have officially been betrayed by my so-called guardian.I stumbled over my footing, managing with some luck to remain upright. The door behind me swung shut with a thud of finality. As soon as the door was closed, my senses were overwhelmed. His scent was everywhere. Burnt firewood and fresh leather. His presence was strong enough that I could sense him without looking up. My breathing was shaky and uneven, catching in my throat in anticipation. I went through the calming motion of clenching and unclenching my fists. It was a habit I picked up as a child to help deal with my trauma. After I lost both my parents, I felt like I was spiraling. But the motion, while small, helped ground me and bring me back to reality. "Ah, hello, glad you could make it." A humored voice spoke up amongst the silence.I swam through my memories to help put a face to the vaguely familiar voice. I remembered the voice from Cleaning Day. He had calmed down the Alpha and broke up the earlier altercation. He must be the Beta Belinda was referring to earlier. B
For the next week, my life followed the same mundane routine.Wakeup. Stare at the wall. Eat breakfast. Stare at the wall. Pace around the room. Eat dinner. Stare at the wall. Go to bed. Repeat.It was a form of torture to be in this room. Maybe that was my mate's plan this whole time? Drive me mad before rejecting me? Anything is plausible at this point.I curled my fingernails into the baseboard of the wall, scratching a pattern into the weathered wood. The bed in my room has remained unused, instead opting to sleeping on the floor. It started out as fear, not wanting to ruin the sheets when I was dirty. But, by now, it's just what I'm more accustom to.Plus, I feel guilty knowing that somewhere underground Gwen is still sleeping in a moldy, concrete cell eating soggy bread. I can't bare to snuggle up in a bed thinking of her conditions.There's no clock in the room but if I must guess it's some wee hour into the night. I never had a regular sleeping schedule to begin with, but
♕ The Imperious Pack ♕I was sitting on my bed, braiding the loose threads from the throw blanket to keep myself busy. No matter how hard I tried, sleep wouldn't find me last night. I was once again a ball full of neurotic energy that couldn't be calmed down.I woke up early this morning before Belinda had even come to drop off my breakfast. The door was still locked, so I couldn't freshen up but I opted to change out of my sleepwear to get a head start to my day.I didn't wait much longer until I heard the familiar three knocks, signaling her arrival. Belinda came into frame, her salt and pepper hair pulled away from her aging face. Unlike most days, she didn't have a tray in her hands."You're up early." She noted, an eyebrow quirking upwards. "Would you like to go for a walk?"My lips parted in surprise at her question. I hadn't been allowed to leave the room all week except for using the bathroom. I didn't know what randomly made them want to let me have some freedom, but I wasn't
♕ Dotty ♕I'm not sure what I realistically was expecting when I walked through those doors.Maybe Alpha Benji would be waiting for me with a pitchfork, ready to run me out of the pack after rejecting me. Perhaps he would be sitting at the table, devouring a breakfast of raw meat from his enemies – which, to be fair, is a rumor that they whisper down in the cells.What I wasn't expecting, however, was to walk into a small room where three wolves already sat around a dining table, peacefully chatting like any normal morning."Ah, finally, you came. I'm starving and he's making us wait until we all got here to start." Alaric noticed me first, jabbing his fork toward Benji to signal who he was talking about.I followed his line of direction, making eye contact with the Alpha. I could feel my cheeks heating up from embarrassment. Memories from last night came rushing into my mind at once. The spark of electricity when he touched my skin. The sound of the door locking behind us. The way hi
His words sobered me up, erasing whatever tension that remained in the room. He gestured his hand out towards the set of plush chairs tucked in the corner of his office. I apprehensively took a seat on the chair closest to the door, tucking my feet underneath me as I settled in the chair.Benji lowered himself in the chair adjacent from me, linking his hands together and leaning his elbows on his knees to stare at me. He didn't waste any time beating around the bush – he was direct as he got straight to the point of the conversation."Belinda is moving your belongings from the guest pack house. You will no longer be staying there."I tried my best not to react to his words. I mean, I wasn't that surprised. Afterall, I knew my situation was just too good to be true. Why would he keep me locked up in his guest pack house when it should be occupied by real guests? I was just a stranger in this pack."And where will I be staying, then?" I thread my fingers together in my lap, picking at m
"Interesting...I wonder why he did that..." He hummed, furrowing his eyebrows before physically shaking whatever was troubling him from his head. "We can move on. What former pack did you belong to?"I thought about voicing the real reason on why I was pulled from the lineup. I was the Alpha's mate, after all – the rightful Luna to this pack. But I didn't. Alpha Benji clearly didn't want people to know who I was to this pack and I wasn't going to fight him on it.It'll only lead to more embarrassment when I am eventually rejected."The Sandstone Pack." I spoke softly, fondly thinking back to spending my time at my old pack chasing the children through the land after nap time. My time there wasn't perfect, but it was better than here."Beautiful pack grounds there," He hummed, nodding his head. "I see here on your file that you are an Omega. When was the last time you shifted?""Um...I don't know – maybe a year or two?"His dark eyebrows furrowed, looking up from his file with a look o
I woke up with a start. The room was still dark, barely illuminated by the early morning light. I wasn't normally an early riser, but I had fallen asleep rather early yesterday. A stale smell found its way into my nostrils, causing me to crinkle my nose. I was still dressed in yesterday's clothes and my hair was greasy.Yuck. I silently praised Belinda when I noticed the pile of clothing left in the corner of the room. I retrieved a set of clothes before retreating to the attached bathroom. There was an assortment of standard hygiene products in the bathroom that I assumed were for me. If not, they were now.After thoroughly cleaning myself up, I opted to wear a pair of dark wash jeans and a simple t-shirt. My hair was soaking wet and with no source to help dry it, I quickly braided it down to the middle of my back to get it out of my face. I cautiously opened my door, listening for any sounds around the house to show life.The house was silent but there was a faint glow of light from
The remainder of the afternoon quickly came and went. Time flew by while I was entertained by Dotty's antics. She was a character and nothing like her brother. It was refreshing to be around someone in this pack that acted normal and didn't treat me like a pet. She insisted on giving me a full tour of the house, rambling on about how I needed to be comfortable in my new home. Dotty was brave in her tour, throwing open the door of his private office to show me the inside. I managed to convince her to leave his room alone. I didn't want our scents all over his private sectors when I was told to stay away.Dotty's tour eventually came to an end at the living room couch. The hum of the TV provided background noise as we talked over it. Dotty insisted we play a game to get to know each other, which is how we settled on 21 questions."What's your favorite food?" I knew it was a boring question to ask, but I didn't want to overstep my boundaries. Dotty didn't seem like someone who would care