No Wolves Found

Chapter 3

Kenna

Waking up, my surroundings were dark and damp. I wasn’t sure if I was outside or inside but the stone flooring told me that I was inside, inside of something. There was water dripping in the distance, as I try to move my ears are filled with chain metal and I’m bounded.

Looking at either side of me, I could feel my arms weighed down. The heaviness caused my bones to stiffen. I couldn’t see past the darkness. I lay there silently, my mind churning with every passing second. After a minute had passed, I could hear steel doors and heavy footsteps splashing up water.

“If all fail, at least she’ll be dead.” An unfamiliar voice spoke harshly.

“In due time, but first, maybe a little experiment can help us progress further.” My father’s voice joined in.

I couldn’t think straight. What were they talking about? What did it mean? Why the hell was she being kept captive?

So many questions and not even a clue to the answer to a single one.

A dim light turned on and I stared off to the side, seeing my father and a woman in a medical coat. Steel bars separated us, I was surrounded by stoned walls. My father peered s eyes into the cell, his eyes cold and unfeeling. If could say he used to be a better man it’d been a lie because it was all a façade.

“Are you out of your f*****g mind!” I gritted, pulling against the chains.

My wrists ached.

“Shut your mouth, you’ve roamed long enough.” He sneered.

Being treated as an animal, a caged animal.

“Take some blood samples, be quick about it.” He instructed the woman.

When he unlocked the cell, the woman neared me with a phony smile. I shrunk into myself more and more with each step. There was no place to run, no place to hide. I was stuck.

“Don’t worry, this part won’t hurt at all.” The woman smiled, “Can’t promise anything else after this though.”

I watched as she prepped my arm, searching for a healthy vein. Once she struck me with the needle, I couldn’t help but stare, to watch my blood be bottled up. Confusion seeped further into my mind while my father stood there and watch intensely.

“Thank you, doctor. You’re doing a great service.” He smiled.

“Anything for you Mayor.”

The cell door closed behind her as she left but my father stayed. I watched him and he scoffed and opened the cell door. He stared down at me as he stood over my head.

“You better prove to be useful; it might give you a couple more years on your life. But if not, you’ll end up just like your ungrateful sister.” He seethed.

“You’ll hunt me down like a f*****g animal.” I fumed.

He chuckled, covering his face, his taunting laughter got louder and louder until it was uncontrollable.

“You’re not worth living.” He hissed.

The loud clank of metal signaled the opening of the steel door, he turned away from me to meet whoever was coming down. Annoyance covered his cruel features when my mother stopped in front of the cell. Her doe eyes round and wide, she looked at me and then to her husband before her eyes settled on me.

“Darling, you shouldn’t be down here. You’re much too soft for this.” He told her.

“What—why is she chained up to the ground?” She questioned.

“None of your concern, go back upstairs. Have you taken your medication, hmm?” He hummed as he coaxed her.

She twisted her neck to catch a glimpse of me, “What are you doing, Maverick?” She asked.

“Some experiments. Now what I need for you my lovely, wife, is to stay upstairs. Never come down here again.” He walked her away from the cell.

× × ×

From the poking and prodding, I’ve been struck with multiple needles and had my blood drawn. I’ve been refused food and water, and other cruel punishment for things I don’t understand. Long interrogations and questions made no sense to me at all.

I’m confused and I’m scared.

It’s the fourth night and I’m craving the moon, for it to shine down on me.

The clanking of the iron door woke me from my partial sleep. I turned my head to see who was my visitor this time. Surprisingly it was no doctor, it was my mother.

“What are you doing here?” I chuckled, “Are you drunk? You stumbled around and got lost down here?” I rolled my eyes.

She wrapped her hands around the bars of the cell door, staring at me. I hated the way that she’d stare as if she was feeling sorry for me. She should.

“I tried to protect you, both of you. For so long and still, you can’t be saved.” She shook her head.

“Protect us? We raised ourselves! Oh, and let’s not forget the nannies, you know your husband’s mistresses.” I pointed out.

She reached up her sleeves and revealed keys, unlocked the cell, and stepped inside. “You think I didn’t know about them?” She scoffed.

The closer she came the more I wanted to run, I was never truly scared of anything or anyone, only what they could be capable of.

“I knew everything, more than you thought. You have my genes, so I knew it could’ve happened.” She whispered.

“What? What could’ve happened?” I questioned.

“You need the moon, don’t you?”

I stared at her, she poked at the holes in my body from the needles. She washed away the dried blood too. My body ached even from the soft touch.

“You don’t know what I need,” I muttered.

She moved away and I twisted my head to find her, there she was sitting against the wall. Her eyes closed and her head leaned backward.

“Let me out, please,” I begged.

“I can’t, you’re cursed. He’ll, we all are but you, you and Enya were—are monsters. We had to do something, it was too late for her.” She rambled.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I gritted out.

“It’s a curse, we have to get rid of them. A bloodline of cursed children. Our blood is tainted, it’s no use. It’s the only way.” She trembled.

There was a feeling, deep in my stomach, that churned the more she spoke.

The loud metal door opened again; the footsteps were light as if they weren’t touching the ground. The splash of water when stepping into a puddle and a dim light flicked on. My mother remained on the dirty floor while she muttered words unknown.

“I knew you were down here.” I tensed at the low and dark tone of my father’s voice.

My mother didn’t mind him at all, she continued muttering nonsense. He stepped inside the cell, pulling a switchblade from his pocket. I crane my neck around, following his every move.

“Bethany.” He called out to her.

He tapped the blade against the stone wall, “Bethany, do you realize how much I love you?” He asked.

She paused her muttering; I could hear her shift against the ground.

“We could leave, you don’t have to do this.” She told him.

“You know just as well as I do, that the curse will follow unless it’s destroyed. I’ve explained this to you.” He hummed.

His tone was sickeningly soft and sweet.

“I’ve protected you, all our lives. Are you trying to ruin everything?” He gritted, yanking her up from the floor.

He pulled her around and I glared at him as he grabbed her chin roughly.

“Look at it, you think it’s worth risking our lives?” He hissed.

Her eyes glossed over.

“Can I still trust you?” He hummed.

She nodded frantically.

“No, I can’t.” He said, pressing the blade against the front of her neck.

“No! You can, I promise!” She screamed, struggling against his hold.

He dragged the blade across her throat, I watched in horror as she bled out. My father laid her body on the ground just a couple of feet away from me.

“In case you get lonely.” He chuckled.