"Are we there yet?" I sang.

"No."

"How about... now?"

"No."

"... Now?"

"No!" Harold snapped.

I huffed, clenching my teeth. From what I overheard in the car, we had crossed at Salkyr, over the Ali Sea, into the Middle Sea, and docked in Drolmuun. The wolves at the dock were rather intimidating, with big armoured suits. I even saw one in fur!

The beast was massive and sent a shiver down my spine. It was the size of Neo, but with added muscles and fewer feathers. Neo was strong as a cat, not a damn bear-dog.

It had taken six hours to cross the water, which was six hours of no toilet or food breaks. The moment we got into the forest in Drolmuun; I was begging for a pee break. I couldn't believe how much I needed to pee despite not having any nutrients for over a day.

Safe to say, it had been... a while since I last peed. Meaning we had been in this car way too long.

"How much longer?"

"Fucking ten minutes. We're coming to the border. Shut up!" Bleak snapped.

I grinned, unfazed by his language. "Yay!"

Harold's growls didn't faze me either, as I rose onto my knees to catch my view. It was a load of sparse trees and fields before we came to some enormous gates with massive fucking fences.

"Beta Giometti, back so soon?" A cheery male grinned through the open window.

"Yes, we found what we wanted in enough time."

"Great!" His eyes scanned Bleak with curiosity. "Anything else to declare?"

"One prisoner." His voice was dark.

The cheery male's eyes snapped to mine in the back, widening before his nostrils flared. These wolves sure like sniffing.

"A... human?"

"Yes."

"Must be a big deal to bring it all the way here."

"Yes."

Lips pursed, he nodded and stepped away. "I will let you through, then."

Harold just grunted, closing his window. The gates slowly slid to the side, allowing enough space for our car to travel through. The car fell quiet as we travelled up the road and I watched the passing fields and shrubs with mild interest. I wonder what berries they grew here. I've always wanted to try a grape.

It took a few minutes before buildings came into view. We drove past a large looking village, going around the outside rather than through the middle, all the way to a top of a slight hill. At the top of that hill sat a house. It was magnificent. Made of a mixture of brick and wood, the various vast windows sat in brown panes that matched the orange brickwork.

It was two stories high and stretched as far back. It may as well have been a castle for a house, because I sure haven't seen a house so large before.

Harold drove the car around the front, before stopping down the side of the house. There were already two cars, and only two doors for them, which made me wonder.

"Did you steal this car, Harold?" I tutted.

He grumbled, cutting off the engine. "I bought it since we have a prisoner."

"Person." I corrected him.

"Street rat, thief, pest..." Bleak growled.

I sneered at him, dropping onto my ass as they all climbed out of the car. They came around the sides, opening the back and letting sunlight melt my very soul.

"Geez, warm here, isn't it?" I muttered.

"We are thirteen hours east of Salkyr. It's going to be warmer," Harold sighed.

"Well, golly gosh, slap me silly!" I taunted.

"Are you going to get out or what?" He cocked his head.

I stared at the stone floor, wrinkling my nose at the sight. "I suppose."

"I will have to tie you," He warned.

"Foreplay?" My eyes brightened.

He groaned, grabbing my ankle and dragging me out of the car until my ass hit the floor. I let out a sound of pain as the awful ass-digging rocks penetrated my fucking skin. My torso burned with my fury, the sore wounds angered. Harold was fast to grab my hands and cuff them, and I gasped at the tightness. I was enjoying my no-cuff freedom.

"Silver cuffs? Just for me?"

"Get fucking up."

"I would rather not fuck a dog, not into that kind of thing."

He huffed, pulling me up by the elbow and dragging me toward the side door of the house. "I will be glad when you are gone."

"That's sad. I was having fun playing games with you, Harold."

His jaw flexed, and he yanked me harder. I was grateful he didn't tie my ankles up, because I would've surely fallen over with the speed his long-ass legs were going. I was huffing incomprehensibly as he dragged me somewhere else. Emre and Bleak were behind me, their footsteps loud and determined as Harold dragged through the amazing house I never got to look at.

I saw white tiles, wolf heads, magnificent paintings, and then wooden doors.

Oh wait, the wooden doors were right in front of me.

"Be quiet," Harold growled.

I nodded mutely, raising an eyebrow at his seriousness. He raised his fist and knocked on the wood thrice, causing the chatter inside to quieten.

"You may enter, Harry," a deep voice vibrated through the wood.

Harold passed me over to Emre, who was hesitant to grab me before he wrapped his hand around my right bicep. Harry straightened his shirt before casting me a warning glare and pushing open the door. I only glimpsed the room since it was dark; a faint orange glow of a lamp sitting on a huge wooden desk. Then the door closed until only an inch gap remained.

"I have the human thief here, Alpha." Harold's voice was quiet.

I frowned, huffing as he titled me a thief. How else was I meant to survive if I didn't take things? Before money, the word was your oyster! I had no money, therefore nothing to exchange to buy. How else was I meant to survive?

"I don't have time today, Harry," Alpha sighed. "I have enough problems with Mordred. Is he here?"

He?

I tensed at the gruff voice, and I saw Bleak frown. Emre eyed us with suspicion before adjusting his grip to my elbow.

"Yes. He's here." Harold sighed. "But Alpha, the human-

"Place it in the cellar. I will deal with it another time."

"The cellar?" Harold's voice grew wary. "I don't think that is wise, Alpha-

"I do not care. Put him in the cellar." The Alpha snapped with authority.

Harold muttered a yes, rather begrudgingly, and sighed. He left the room with his head hung low, shutting the door softly behind him.

"Take her to the cellars," He muttered.

"Are you sure that's fair? She's a female." Emre wondered.

"Alpha commands it," Harold avoided my curious eye. "He would not let me speak."

"The cellars?" I wondered. "Is that going to be my room?"

"Oh, you'll get a room, alright." Bleak snorted.

The way his voice turned sarcastic had a small slither of unease creeping into my body. Was a cellar not a storage place? Was there wine and cheese down there? There always was in the books...

What was down there?

Emre was hesitant to get moving and instead palmed me off to Harold before dismissing himself from the group. I watched him go for a brief second before turning to Harold, whose grip was tender despite having bruised my skin so much before. He took me out of the house and into the trees, passing no other people as we went. I would've thought the cellar would've been under that huge house, but I guess not.

Just off into the trees, there was a small cabin. I cocked my head as we grew closer, curious if this was the place I would be staying. Bleak opened the door; a cocky smirk sent my direction as Harold pulled me inside.

It was a small, singular room, with nothing inside other than a wooden chair and a strange door on the floor.

"This isn't so bad," I muttered, eyeing the rickety window.

"This isn't your stop," Harold grunted.

I scowled as Bleak pulled open the hatch, peering down to find some wooden stairs.

"After you." He waved.

Harold grumbled at him before going down first. Bleak sandwiched me between him and Harold, pushing me to go before him. Harold was tall, but Bleak's shadow had goosebumps crawling on my skin. What did their mother feed them? Mountains? Trees?

A small hallway at the bottom of the stairs held a second staircase.

All of this walking was killing my arrow wounds and my head. I could still feel the stickiness of blood down my neck.

I wonder if the wolves would heal me.

At the last step, Harold's hands came back to my arm, pulling me alongside him. I followed begrudgingly, having no choice but to limp along the dark and strangely stinky hallway. There was a large silver door at the end of the hallway, which Harold magically opened without touching. It groaned with its weight, revealing another male stood on the other side.

He observed the three of us, his nose wrinkling when he saw me. To my surprise, Bleak received the same reaction, his stature tensing behind me. Harold said nothing, his hand tightening on my arm, but the male's eyes darted back to him and nodded. We moved again, going down another hallway. The cement was cold and grey, with slight dark puddles that my eyesight couldn't understand. There was barely any light, a faint flicker of a lamp every so often that had me question my lack of sight ability.

"What's down here?" My voice grew shaky as growling met my ears.

"It's the cellars," Harold mumbled.

"Right..." I drawled. "Doesn't look like a holiday cabin full of wine."

"It's not. It's a cell." Bleak murmured.

"A what?" I squeaked.

"Shush," Harold growled.

I cringed at the sight of his canines so close to my face, his now dark eyes challenging my own. He jostled me, rounding a corner that led to another silver door. Another wolf man stood on the other side, observing Bleak and I with the same dismayed expression as the previous. As we stepped through, Harold's grip turned bruising again, just as the same stale, piss-tinged scent grew stronger.

I squeaked a complaint. "Why must you be so rough?"

"Keep your voice and your head down," He grunted, eyes flickering around.

I noticed he had lessened his hold, though.

My nose wrinkled as we passed by some jail cells. The lack of light and comfort severely alarming. We passed various cells, which soon grew busy. There were people of all kinds, covered in dirt and dried blood. Most were quiet, but a few would throw their bodies at the bars and snarl. I barely flinched, blinking at them with an odd fascination.

Were they man or animal?

Harold was observing me with a poker face as we passed by some rowdy ones who promised Harold's blood on their hands. Seems somebody was unhappy with their time out.

I smirked as we passed them into a quiet end of the hallway. Harold stopped at the last cell, eyeing it with observant eyes. I grimaced as I looked ahead, taking in the mostly empty room. There was a bucket in the corner, a drain in the middle of the room, and nothing else. No bed, no blankets, nothing. The stench of blood, piss, and even faeces had my stomach churning, but I pushed it aside. I was just glad I had human senses.

"This is your cell."

"No shit," I grunted.

Harold huffed, unlocking it with an attitude before pulling me inside. He placed me in the middle, looking around the room with interest. The cell was three walls of cement, and the fourth wall was half silver, thick bars, half solid cement. It wasn't the most light-giving space, but at least it wouldn't be drafty.

"It stinks," I pouted.

"You are a prisoner, a thief, a street rat... This is your cell." Bleak growled from the hallway.

I huffed. "Do I at least get my hands back?"

"I suppose." Harold frowned.

I grinned innocently as he unlocked the cuffs on my wrists. "Why thank you."

"Shouldn't you be unconscious about now?" Bleak snarled.

"Shouldn't you be doing something actually worth my time speaking to you?" I sarcastically drawled.

He growled, cursing and stepping through the open door. "Say it again, rat."

Harold's arm darted out to stop him, and I grinned, crossing my arms with triumph.

"Not the time nor place. Let's go," Harold warned.

Bleak growled but followed him out, the door creaking shut behind them. He stuffed something in the lock before pocketing what looked like a key.

"Enjoy your stay." Bleak smirked before walking away.

I watched him go with a raised eyebrow, before flickering my eyes back to Harold. "So, what now?"

"You stay here," He shrugged.

"In here? Forever?"

He shrugged again. "Until the alpha decides what to do with you."

"Where do I sleep?"

"The floor."

"Eat?"

"One meal a day."

I frowned; but it didn't seem so bad. I lived in a cave most of my life, and only ate once a day anyway, twice if I was lucky. So, I shrugged, and walked over to the cleanest looking corner to sit down in. My wounds screamed at me as I bent, my breath hitching as pain sent shockwaves across my body. Blood was seeping through my fresher wounds, the one on my head pulsating, and I frowned at the warmth.

I had been living on pure adrenaline, and now I knew it was time to rest. I just dreaded the pain that came with it.

Still having a spectator, I rolled my eyes. "Bye, Harold."

He blinked, confused. "Uh, okay."

He turned without another glance, his footsteps echoing down the hallway. I sighed, resting my head against the cave.

It was going to be fine. I could live here perfectly. A roof, no terrible drafts, a meal per day... Seemed pretty good to me, especially when I didn't have to cook or hunt it myself! This is what hotels were like, right?

My body sagged, aching and tingling in all the wrong places. I didn't notice how sore my ribs were until I tried to breathe deeper, or how painful my lower back was from where I lay cramped in a car for an entire day. The blood coating my skin was disgusting, but at least the one at the back of my head kept me warm.

I went to remove my hair tie but stopped when I remembered my wound. My hands hesitated before I let them fall into my lap, taking my own advice. Plus, it would provide comfort against the solid walls and floor.

Scooting down the ground, I curl into a ball and willed myself to sleep. It wouldn't take long; I was far too exhausted and aching to prevent it anymore.