WHEN THE WORLD SAYS, "GIVE UP",
HOPE WHISPERS, "TRY IT ONE MORE TIME".

-unknown

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ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟡

𝕋𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕟

Being unaware is such a blissful feeling. Especially when you're blanketed in the comforting darkness of sleep.

But not when your eyes feel so heavy and hot that it might just burn off, and every single part of your body aches incessantly and painfully.

The first thing I felt was the hard cold ground beneath me and the stench of urine and sweat.

Where's Eleanor?

I shot up and gagged at the horrible overwhelming smell. My head was beating faster than a hummingbird's wings at this point.

As I looked around, I noticed I was in a surprisingly large, but dingy cell with cement floors and a heavily dripping ceiling. Three of its walls were covered in red brick coated with fungus, while the fourth side was just a huge door made of iron rods placed a few centimeters away from each other.

A cold draft from the dark hallway after the door, made me shiver uncontrollably and realize that I still wasn't clothed.

And I was in a pack.

I bit my lip when I felt the oncoming tears, as I remembered all the horror stories that Zaire had told me, about the werewolves; wars, Alphas killing each other, forced matings, torture, the suffering of the Omegas.

My heartbeat accelerated as I noticed Eleanor wasn't in the cell with me. Panic crawled it's way up into my heart and I shakingly stood up and stumbled my way to the iron door.

Clutching the ice cold iron bars with my bloody hands, I gazed into the endless darkness of the hallway in front of me.

No matter how hard I squinted, I couldn't even see the faintest glimmer of a light or heat, even the smallest of footsteps.

It was so silent. And dark. Except for the torchlight in the corner of my cell emanating a dull glow, that lost the battle against the darkness.

It reminded me of the time when Zaire put me in the isolation chamber where I had to stay for a week. Let's just say I wasn't me when I got out of there. All I remember is being curled up in the lonely cell I was in, and crying my eyes out. I recalled someone had entered the cell after what felt like a month, and had scooped me into their arms and shushed me as I cried all the way back to the agency.

I was eight when that happened. All because I gave my food to one of the scrawny and desperately hungry helpers that served me my breakfast that day.

Was I back at the agency? They surely wouldn't give as lame a punishment as isolation.

If anyone tried to escape the agency, they were hanged. I've seen it happen with my own eyes. It happened to my first and only best friend, Quinn.

I do not think he ever considered me as his best friend. Ever since he saved my face from getting pummeled by a bully, I've stuck to him like glue.

He tried his best to get rid of me, but his efforts were in vain. Though he hated me following him wherever he went, we both had something in common; our hatred towards Zaire.

We both could see how much we were suffering under the living conditions. Then, one day, he just came up to me and asked if we could run away. Together.

My childlike brain had loved the idea of her only friend finally accepting her presence. Only, I never saw him again.

When I woke up the next morning, that day, I was told that he was hanged for the attempt of escape, and for trying to influence me too. That did not mean I got off the hook though.

That was the second time I was put into the isolation chamber. I don't think I was really conscious, during all my time in the confined space. All I saw, was the same darkness everywhere, and I developed a pretty serious acute case of claustrophobia.

I vowed to never have another friend ever again in my life.

I heard voices coming from the endless void behind the bars.

"Why is she awake?"
"Kane is going to be so ma-"
"Shh, she can hear you."

I curled up next to a giant fuzzy spider, its web getting tangled in my hair, as I heard the voices getting closer.

The dull creaking of the metal door swinging open, only made me contract even more. My form still did not protect my bare body from the cold.

As I heard only silence, I peeked up and saw the shadow of a huge bulky figure, just standing there, and watching me.

"This is protocol." He said, and plunged a needle filled with a weird purple colored liquid,  into my arm, and I was unconscious once again.

——————-

I came to, as I felt the warmest I've felt in years. A feeling so rare, I immediately knew something wasn't right.

As the thick haze of sleepiness faded away, I slowly became aware of everything around me;the incredibly soft bed I was lying on, and the unnatural heat in the room, which I guessed was caused by the fireplace, judging by the crackling and spitting of the fire I heard from somewhere in the room.

I slowly opened my eyes, half scared and half curious about where I was. The beds at the agency were never this comfy.

The first thing that caught my eye, was the humongous, giant black colored square hung on the wall parallel to the king sized bed I was lying on. It looked like a bigger version of the device Alfred had held in his hand.

The red colored silk sheets slid against my bare legs as I got out of the bed. My feet immediately sunk into the cloud like, plush white woolen carpet spread across the probably freezing cold floor.

There was a huge glass door leading out to what I guessed was the room's balcony. My breath hitched as I walked closer to the breathtaking view outside.

I seemed to be on a floor that was quite high off the ground, as I could see the tips of pine trees covered in the fluffiest, purest snow.

The sound of someone clearing their throat, had me whirling towards the door, and backing away as I saw the largest male I had ever seen so far.

The smell of something burning made me look down, to notice that the wool around my feet was slowly starting to heat up. Some strands were even on fire.

I glanced up to see the man staring at the burnt carpet with a knowing look. Suddenly, he met my stare, with his dark brown eyes that seemed to be able to penetrate my soul and read my mind. His hair, was a rich chocolate brown, and fluffy, cut unevenly. Some of his hair fell over his thick eyebrows, as they raised in amusement.

No matter how good looking, I still don't trust him.

As he stepped further into the room, I could see more details of his physique: his broad shoulders, thick arms, toned legs. All of it was covered in layers of muscle, and his body looked like it was cut, by the gods themselves.

Just like the man in the forest.

I could feel my eyes filling with pain filled tears, as I remembered the strong arms holding me down, the thick thighs keeping me in place.

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, as he saw one tear escaping the confinement of my eye.

Shivering, despite the warm atmosphere, I noticed I was in a sheer white nightgown, that reached only till my knees. Noticing him stepping closer, I said with a shaky voice, "Please don't hurt me. Please. I did not mean to step into your territory."

He paused his motion.

At least he respects what I said.

He shook his head as he seemed to be thinking of something. He started towards me again. As he saw my alarmed face, he held up both his hands in surrender. "Mate, I would never hurt you." He didn't stop advancing towards me as he said this.

I backed into a corner of the room, burning heat flying through my body. My eyes were wide, and I placed my palms on the wall in order to hold me up. My legs couldn't handle it anymore.

As I closed my eyes shut tightly and turned my head away, I heard nothing but silence.

Good. He must've gotten bored and left.

I squeaked as I felt one large, warm hand gently gripping my upper arm, and pulling me forward. I focused my best, to increase my heat again, but the concentration was broken, when I saw his heartbroken face. "Shh, it's okay.", he said.

Those three words reminded me so much of home, so much of my mom, that I broke into tears immediately. It was not the type of crying, with a lot of gasping and mucus everywhere. It was the crying you did, when you wanted no one to notice you. Silent tears.

He pulled me into his arms, and wrapped the same thick arms I was looking at from a distance earlier, around me. He didn't say anything. He didn't even question why I was crying. He just held me close to his warm, warm chest.

His chest rumbled, as he made a weird sound. For some reason, the thoughts in my head and my heart, were contradicting each other.

As I clutched to his shirt, I breathed in the comforting fragrance of his clothes and tried to burrow myself further into his arms.

Why do I trust him?

Just as I lifters my head away from his chest, I remembered Eleanor. With rage filling up my head with its ugly heat, I pushed away and brought my temperature up higher than I had ever before.

He stumbled back in surprise, and looked at me with calculating, narrowed eyes. "What is wrong?"

I could feel the fire flowing through my veins, destroying everything in its path, like lava. "Where is Eleanor? What did you do with her?!"

His face scrunched up in confusion, before realization dawned upon him, and he snarled, "You mean that mud covered bastard that you were protecting?"

He waited for my answer, and once I nodded, he spat out, "Pathetic. I killed it."

I charged at him. I knew he must have been a good twenty pounds heavier than me, but I still punched his body with as much strength, as my skinny fists could manage.

To be honest, my fists were hurting more than I think I was hurting him.

Before I could aim for his face, he grabbed both of my fists in his right hand. "Stop, you're hurting yourself, love."

I couldn't even see anymore, because of the constant tears flowing down my cheeks. Even though I wasn't a big fan of babies, I had grown quite close to Eleanor.

Through the fog of my rage and regret, I heard him say, "You will need your energy for the night."

I continued struggling against him until I realized what he had said.

For the night? He can't mean...

I looked up at him, with so many emotions swirling in my eyes. I hoped it wasn't what I was thinking about. As I pleaded with my eyes, I saw him look down, and gently shake his head regretfully.

"I'm sorry, but as Alpha, I am required to consummate our new bond, by the earliest possible time. You are also required to carry my heir as soon as possible, as we need a future Alpha for the pack."

All I did, was gape up at him.
Consummate? Heir? New bond?

"Let me start by introducing myself, so this process is easier for you. I am Kane, Alpha of the Obsidian pack, and you are my mate."

My mind was racing at a million miles per hour, thinking about the night that was to come. I started trembling incessantly, and kept pushing at his chest to get away.

Though my heart kept telling me to accept him and to go with it, my brain, was sending out a million warning signals.

Kane growled at my struggling and held me tighter. Leaning down he whispered into my ear, "I will take care of you. Don't worry. It will be the most pleasurable experience you've ever had."

Now, I was just in full blown panic mode. My lungs felt like they were being squeezed under the pressure, and my chest started burning as my body stopped receiving oxygen. Without giving it a second thought, I lifted my leg back as high as it would go, and slammed it right into his nether region.

As he fell down whimpering, and clutching his injured part, I didn't even bother looking back, as I ran right out of the room I was in.

All the corridors looked endless. Every corridor was decorated with bright crystal chandeliers, and the floor was covered in a long, rich royal blue carpet. Every single inch of the walls were covered in portraits of important looking people.

Just as I rounded the corner, I slammed into a familiar body, that surrounded me in his arms immediately as I started pulling away.

Kane's face was as red as it could be, and the glare he directed at me didn't make me feel the most confident either.

He dragged me kicking and screaming, back down the corridor, but a different one this time. The walls were no longer covered in portraits. Instead, it was covered in beautiful wallpaper, that consisted of light golden swirls, against an off white background.

At the end of the corridor, was a huge oak door, reaching from the floor to the ceiling, that I was dragged through. It's face was covered in the same intricate swirls I had seen on the walls.

Gripping my arm tightly, he closed the heavy door behind him, and paused, as his eyes glazed over.

Mind link.

I noticed his arms were covered in bleeding scratches, most probably caused by my struggle.

I used the limited amount of time I had, to observe the room. It was covered in the same plush woolen white carpet as the last room, and even had the same oversized device stuck to the wall. The only difference, was the size of the rooms.

This room, could hold ten of my rooms at the agency. And let me tell you, the rooms at the agency were pretty big.

I was brought out of my reverie, as a creaking sound alerted me of the huge door opening once again. Breathing in deeply, I noticed it was just an aged man, most probably in his sixties, and he seemed to be dressed in a doctor's coat.

I smiled as I realized the doctor could save me.

At least, that's what I thought, until I saw the metal chains, and ropes in his hand, along with a few clean white towels.

I started screaming, and struggling, using up all my energy to bring up my heat. It dawned upon me too late, that, that was exactly what they wanted me to do. They wanted me tired and worn out, so I would be easier to tie up.

No matter how tired I was, I still kept up the heat, while Kane pulled me roughly towards the gigantic four poster, black colored bed, made out of the same oak as the door.

Why is he not affected by my heat?

Only then did I realize, that he was immune to it. All because of the stupid chain necklace he was wearing on his neck.
The neck I wished to slice.
There was no other explanation for it.

I kept on screaming, even as my throat grew hoarse. Until suddenly, a rough slap had me shut up. My head went flying backwards from the force of impact. Holding my tender cheek with my palm, I looked at Kane fearfully.

He looked like he'd had enough. His face was as bright as the carpet in the corridor, his eyes wide and filled with anger. The hand he was not gripping my arm with, was formed into a tight fist.

He didn't even bother looking at my tear streaked face, as he threw me into the bed. I whimpered as the claw marks on my leg (that had not fully healed yet) started throbbing.

Paying no heed to my cries, he stretched out my arms, and chained them to two of the posts of the bed.

I pulled my arms towards me, hearing the chains rattle.

There was no escape.

Kane stepped back, and scanned over the chains, making sure there were no loose pieces, then he turned towards the doctor.

The doctor looked at me in sympathy, and then turned his gaze to his Alpha. "Alpha, as the pack doctor, and the health advisor of several generations of your family, I must give you some advice." He waited for Kane's nod of approval before continuing in a hushed tone.

"Alpha, you must be gentle with her, even if it is not her first time. She seems terrified at the prospect of intimacy. Introducing it to her roughly, will just create a negative impression of it in her life."

Kane snarled threateningly at the doctor, his mouth stretching wide. "That will not be possible, doctor. Though I respect your advice, you know as well as any other pack member that, I am already several years late in getting my mate."

He then spat out one sentence that had my blood boiling with rage. "Besides, since she's already lost her virtue, there is no more reason for me to not get rough with her."

"But Alp-" The doctor was cut short, as Kane's eye started darkening further, his wolf rising to the surface. "Are you questioning my decision, doctor?"

The doctor backed away, and bared his neck in submission. As he turned to leave, he gave one last request. "Alpha, if you may, I would like to give some advice to the Luna."

Kane nodded and motioned for him to get on with it. The doctor looked at him uncertainly, and said softly,"Privately."

With a huff, Kane was out the door, and I was alone once again. The doctor cleared his throat, as he tried to gain my attention.

He placed his wrinkly hand on the red handprints on my arm, and rubbed it gently. Seeming deep in thought, he whispered, "Kane i-is a g-great Alpha. But I'm afraid I cannot help you in this situation here. There is no guarantee that he will be gentle, as he seemed quite angry about you having already lost your virtue." He sighed, noticing my lower lip trembling.

"Try imagining you're somewhere else, child. It might reduce the pain. And make sure you do not resist him. Resisting him, especially during such a private moment, might bring his wolf out, which could worsen your situation."

He nodded his head firmly at me, and I nodded back, indicating that I understood. He turned back to a table, and gathered the white towels he was carrying earlier, towards the bed I was lying in.

Gently lifting my legs up, he laid the towels across the lower part of the bed. "Good luck." He whispered, and left promptly.

A short while after, Kane entered the room, and started undressing. I kept my eyes closed the whole time. A warm weight on top of me, made my eyes shoot open.

He didn't even wait a second , before he pierced my neck with his razor sharp canines, blood filling his mouth and dripping down my shoulder. My mind travelled back to when, all that my world ever consisted of, was joy and happiness.

I was not mentally present, that whole night.

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Have any of you ever been stood up by a (ex) friend? It does not feel nice. Especially when it's a friend you trusted.

Anyway, this is my longest chapter yet. I hope you didn't find it too lengthy.

What would be the one advice you would give to Zephira right now?

For those of you who are still with me, thank you! :)

For those of you dear readers, who voted and actually bothered to comment, I love you <3

On an ending note, do pat that star [#preventstarabuse] and don't forget to leave a comment!