CHAPTER 2 - THE FIRST DEATH
1130 Words
I woke to chains.
Heavy ones . Thick iron around my wrists, bolted to the stone floor. My mouth was dry, my throat burning. My body felt like it had been
dropped into flame and left to c***k.
I blinked. Dim torchlight flickered against jagged walls. A cell. Underground.
Stone walls. Iron torches. A heavy wooden door.
And across from it, standing still as a statue, arms folded over his broad chest
It was the guy. The who who had saved me.
“You’re awake,” he said.
No hello. No questions. Just that voice, low, calm, dangerous and interrogating.
I sat up slowly. The chains scraped loudly. I could still feel the pain all over my body, it felt heavy to lift.
I could feel pain on my head. Very painful one.
“Where am I?” I finally got the strength to ask.
“You crossed my border. You're in my territory. Vale stronghold.”
His tone was flat. But something in his eyes shifted. Conflicted. He seemed curious.
His gaze alone gave me goosebumps.
“You saved me,” I said slowly. “Why? I'm…I'm grateful, but…. Why?”
He didn’t answer right away.
Then: “Because I touched you.”
He paused.
"It felt familiar." He added.
Something flickered across his face. He crouched low in front of the bars, elbows on his knees, studying me.
“You jumped into a ravine. You weren’t supposed to be at the bottom. You are lucky to be alive.”
I laughed under my breath. Bitter. "I wasn't trying to be lucky."
“You screamed,” he said, “like something was tearing you open from the inside. You felt something too. The burn. You were also in pain.
Right?"
I looked away. My neck ached. The mark, the one that flared when he touched me, was hidden beneath a crust of dried blood.
What was I supposed to say? That my touch kills Alpha's and I didn't know why that happens? Or that he wasn't supposed to be alive, but he is?
“Do you remember what happened after?” he asked.
“I remember pain.”
“And the mark.”
I didn’t answer. I looked away at nothing in particular.
“I touched you,” he continued, voice like flint and ice. “And it felt like the gods themselves were screaming in my veins.”
A silence bloomed between us.
Then his voice dropped, softer, deadlier.
“You shouldn’t be alive.”
I met his eyes. “Neither should you.”
"What are you truly? You have the scent of a human but I can feel something more in you. Something beyond being human."
"Sounds fun,” I muttered. “Can I go now?”
His eyes darkened. “You think this is a game?”
I bit the inside of my cheek to stay calm. “I think if you’re going to kill me, you should just get it over with.”
“I don’t want to kill you.”
“Could’ve fooled me.”
His voice dropped even lower. “I want to understand you.”
To understand me? I scoffed. My first time of hearing that.
And then the door slammed open behind him.
A young boy stood in from of us. Panicked. His heart was racing. Blood, not his, on his hands.
“Alpha! Outside, something’s wrong!”
Ronan turned, instincts on alert. “What is it?”
“It’
s… it’s Jael. He—he’s not breathing.”
Ronan was gone in an instant. Hurriedly. His boots pounding down the corridor.
The speed at which he responded was enough to prove how much he cares about his people.
The guard didn’t even look at me.
They left the door open.
That was a perfect chance to escape.
But instead, i was transfixed to the spot.
My mind went blank. I was terrified.
When I finally came to my senses, it was late. I crawled to the edge of a pillar, and just before I could continue with my escape, I heard
footsteps.
One of my wolves just dropped dead,” he said coldly. “No sign of struggle, just vomitting blood. This hasn't happened here before.
I froze.
“I don’t know how,” he continued. “But it started the second I brought you here. Tell me what you did."
"Me? You think I did something? How is it my fault that one of your wolves died because you didn't do you job as their Alpha to keep them
safe?" I snapped
Then his hand was on my neck, not trying to kill me, but trying to take out his anger.
"Don't. You. Dare. Question my leadership." He said angrily.
God , I could feel my legs shaking.
Luckily, someone stepped in.
It was a woman. Tall, sharp-eyed, hair braided tight against her head. She wore black leathers and a silver dagger at her hip.
She looked at me like I was already dead.
Ronan released his hands.
Phewww. That was a close one.
“I’m Beta Reina. Around here, respect isn’t optional. Especially from women who stumble where they don’t belong.”
“Noted,” I muttered.
“You’re not cursed, are you?” She said. Her voice loud, clear.
“No.” I replied
“You’
re worse.
” Ronan added, hands on his waist. He looked like he was going to burst my head anytime soon.
I swallowed hard. “You said you didn’t want to kill me.”
“I don’t,” he said.
And then, almost to himself—
“But I might have to.”
"What do you mean you might have to? I did not run miles, jumped into a Ravine, with bruises all over my body. Get saved by who I thought
was a Godsent, only to be killed cause of something I didn't do. Not possible."
" Baby, there's nothing that isn't possible." Beta said. Her eyes glued to me.
"You guys sort your problems yourself. Don't drag me into your mess, cause I ain't do nothing."
"Who knows if you did some spell or magic. All I know is that this hasn't happened before. Not until your arrival."
God. Why is this Beta getting on my nerves? For goodness sake, don't involve me. Moreover, my curse hasn't killed any wolf who isn't an alpha
before, and I'd need to touch the Alpha to kill him.
"Trying to shift the blame to me huh?" I smirked
I can't die after everything I've been through. And definitely not this way.
"Quiet!!" Ronan shouted, shifting his gaze at me. "I'll find out what you are. In the meantime, you are to remain chained." With that, he stormed
out, with Beta following suit.
- Writer
