t h r e e
t r a p p e d
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"LIKE I SAID, this was a terrible idea," Tia reinstated as she thrust her palms against the tangerine-rusted bars separating her from the dull grey corridor.

The air was cold and frigid like oncoming winter. Walls, wet with water dripping through the cracks in the ancient ceiling, were stained with the brown of dirt and neglect.

Tia had been in the basement where they held the prisoners of her old pack, but she had always been on the other side of the bars. She had always been privileged since birth, and she hated it. She didn't deserve to be deemed better than anyone else because she was fortunate to be the daughter of a ruthless alpha.

Colton, who was propped up against the far wall with his eyes closed and legs stretched out in front of him, grunted. "And like I said, this was your idea," he murmured, half asleep. His eyes didn't open.

Eretria narrowed her eyes as the skin on her right palm was cut by the rusted metal. "I said I wanted to go clubbing," she replied. "You chose the club, remember?"

Colton pathetically shifted his hand towards her. He shrugged his shoulders.

Eretria turned furiously on her heel. "Hey! Come on, my brother's Alpha ceremony is soon if it hasn't been already," she shouted, although she didn't need to. The walls echoing her voice well enough. "So are you going to help me or what?"

Colton appeared disinterested. She would have to do this by herself.

The she-wolf heaved a sigh, having lost track of time. Down in the darkness, day had merged into night inconspicuously, minutes growing into agonising hours. For a time, Tia had counted the seconds to try and keep herself from going insane and getting lost in her tunnel of winding thoughts. But it hadn't worked. The only signal of time was when the guards came with two small glasses of water and disgusting rations they both turned their noses up at. Tia couldn't tell whether one hour had passed, or two days.

Tia sat down in frustration. Her throat was raw with yelling: her calls of anger had done nothing to beckon anyone over. And just like she had first anticipated, no one had come.

But as soon as her bare legs hit the stone floor, she heard the familiar squeak of the door at the top of the basement stairs.

Her heart sprang to her chest, the familiar thump thump pulsing against her skin. Whoever was coming, she knew that this was her chance, and she needed to make the most of it.

Tia reached out with her foot, poking Colton who opened one eye. She waved a hand at him to get up, but he refused. He knew better than anyone that he was stuck in the cell for a long time, and nothing was going to change that.

Tia stood exactly one meter away from the blackened metal grating her vision. She folded her arms across her chest as two pairs of approaching footsteps reverberated off the concrete. Her body tensed unwillingly with anticipation.

Finally, the pair came down the stairs, and into view. The basement was small, holding only four cells in total. Tia and Colton were the only prisoners.

The two men walked confidently towards their cell, both notably pack wolves. One was well dressed, almost matching the Alpha's looks and formality with a clean navy suit of his own, and long black shoes. His hair was dark; almost black. But the feature that made Tia gasp were his eyes. They a were beautiful Amber pigment, appearing gold in the limited light.

The second man wore jeans and a T-shirt. His fiery red hair was the only sign of colour - aside from Tia's ruby painted lips - in the dilapidated surroundings.

Tia gazed at the men. She reckoned she could take them.

The eighteen-year-old pouted her lips. "And to what do I owe the pleasure?" She enquired, glaring at the ginger man's face before turning to his comrade. "Come to gloat? Because I'm not really in the mood to be told how powerful you are." Tia gave them an apologetic smile.

The man in the suit walked forwards, straightening the cobalt material. She distinctly remembered him as the one who had thrown her in the cell, and with a few silent seconds, his name was brought to the surface. Jared.

Jared laughed. It was low - unnatural. "I could go on all day about how I am much more powerful than you or your pack will ever be, but I'd rather not waste time," he spoke calmly. Tia narrowed her eyes at the male before her. If she knew better, she would've guessed he was the beta. His formal attire suggested as much.

"You don't want to waste my time?" Tia pressed, stepping forwards in one swift motion. "Then let me - let us - out of here."

Jared stared at the girl, taking in her posture and dominating stance. She would not talk easily, but he could make her. He was certain of that. "Not until after you answer my questions," the male replied in a sour tone. His face was taut; unnaturally strained as though he was doing something he wasn't supposed to.

Tia pinched her eyebrows together. She didn't even want to think about what her face looked like. "What?" She retorted. She took another step forwards so that the bars grated across her face, obscuring vertical lines of her vision. "Your pathetic Alpha couldn't come down and talk to us himself?"

Tia expected the man to lash out. She expected him to reach into the cell and squeeze her throat until she was dead. And everything she expected didn't happen.

Jared clenched his jaw. Tia could see the battle against acrimony rage in his hazel eyes.

"You're not supposed to be down here, are you?" She questioned with a slight laugh. Her hands fell to her sides as she glanced over at Colton. He still appeared dormant.

"What is this?" The woman pressed, sneering. She was sick of the grey trap closing around her. Slowly, she was finding it hard to breathe. "A break out?"

The supposed-beta clicked his knuckles. Tia scrunched her nose at each ear-wrenching noise as it reverberated in her eardrum. "Hardly," Jared laughed. "Just an interrogation."

"Really selling it."

Jared surged towards the bars, latching on to two with his hands. His face was wild with momentary anger, but in a blink, it vanished.

"Shut up!" He shouted, chest heaving as he breathed to calm his racing heart. Tia heard each beat, his face a meter away from her own. "What's a Mexican werewolf doing in Canada, anyway?"

Eretria snarled at the comment. "What does it matter? Wolves never belonged in Mexico."

Jared seemingly nodded in agreement, loosening his grip around the metal. His hands had turned white. Tia could almost smell the suppressed anger rolling off his body.

Silence etched itself into the room like permanent ink. Tia awkwardly fiddled with a loose strand of her knotted hair, the tresses soft to the touch.

"So if this is an interrogation, why aren't you asking any questions?" The she-wolf pressed. She had grown impatient.

Jared scowled, but then smiled in a menacing manner. "You're right," he stated, rolling up a sleeve of his suit. And, without any warning, he grabbed his pack member's neck, and jerked it to the side with one swift movement of his arm. The pack member fell to the floor, his eyes wide open.

Tia opened her mouth in shock, staggering away from the door to the cell unintentionally. The other wolf was certainly dead - she was sure about that. But why? What the hell was going on.

Jared shot Eretria a sympathetic smile, his index finger and thumb forming a circle around his right wrist as though it ached. "Don't worry, he betrayed us," Jared sighed, stepping over the body without so much as looking down at the man's corpse. A trail of blood ran from his nostril, staining the dilapidated floor an even darker pigment. "Now, I believe someone has an Alpha ceremony to get to." He smiled at Tia.

The girl blinked. Once. Twice.

"What?" She stated in disbelief.

By this time, Colton was on his feet, holding onto the wall for balance. He looked discombobulated, his eyes wearily drooping. He ran a hand through his hair, freezing at the body by Jared's feet.

"What the hell?" He murmured, as equally disturbed as Tia.

Jared tapped the bars to the cell, gazing up at the ceiling. "I used to be packless," he spoke through the silence confidently. "Until your pack took me in, Tia." Jared placed both hands on the door before wrenching it open.

The girl being addressed shook her head. "I don't know you." He took a step towards her. She took a step back.

"No," the boy gazed into her dark eyes. Tia felt as though he could see straight through her skin and deep into the pits of her soul. "You don't."

"Then what the hell!" She shouted in frustration. She saw the open door dead ahead of her. All she needed to do was defeat Jared and get out of this hell hole.

Jared rested a hand on the cobblestone walls of the prison. "I left quickly," he continued. "But I owe your pack." Tia blinked once again. "Take this as a thank you. Next time I won't be so... Generous," he smirked. The male waved a hand towards the door, standing back to allow the pair to pass.

Tia felt her skin crawl as his eyes landed on her. She was still in her black Bodycon dress, her legs exposed, face covered in a mask of smudged makeup.

"Thank you?" Tia spoke in a questioning tone. She neared Jared, his stunning gold eyes so close to hers she could see the flecks of grey suspended in them like smoke.

Jared smirked. "You're welcome."

Tia wanted to rip his cocky smirk from his face. She felt the agonising pain of tearing skin as her nails threatened to elongate into claws. But she didn't need any extra weapons for her planned action. A simple fist would do.

"But," she bit her lip. Her hand fell on his cheek, caressing the skin. Touching the young werewolf made her cringe, but it was necessary. "I don't trust you," she stated, using her heightened speed to push the man's head into the nearby wall. The two collided with a sickening crunch.

Unconscious, Jared fell to the floor like a stone falling through water. A pool of blood was indented in the side of his head. Not that Tia cared.

The she-wolf glanced behind her. Colton didn't look surprised.

Tia jerked her head towards the exit. "Come on," she muttered, wiping her sweating palms on her dress. "Let's get out of this shit hole."

Hope you all enjoyed! Hopefully updates will be weekly, so be expecting an update soon ;)

Lotte x