IN HIS CAPTIVITY

ZOFIA’s POV The sun was scorching, and my skin itches and begged to be away from its merciless view, but I couldn’ppt help it, I knelt there and begged my inner wolf to cooperate with me; her name is Agata, aside from my best friend, Agata has been a strong form of support to me, I need her support today too. People were going in and out of the Gorgeously designed and big entrance hall, but no one paid vital attention To me, they all pretended not to see me or sneered or laughed at me, nobody tried to hide their disgusting feelings toward me. Another w***e of Alpha Bodgan rushed out with her maids to take a look at me, I rolled my eye in frustration, it’s not like I’m an art in the museum, this would be the seventh woman coming out to take a look at me since my arrival in his estate, she squeezed her face and made a disgusting face at me before walking away with her clutters of maids running after her to catch her glowing red gown, some of her maids even eyed and mocked me as well. My wolf; Agata wasn’t so pissed, she yearned to get up from the kneeling position in which we’ve been in for the past six hours but I didn't allow her, I have come a long way and I won’t give up now. My problems are far bigger than being too embarrassed to kneel or beg for help, also for the first time, since my uncountable visit to Alpha Bogdan Nadezhda mansion, he had finally let me into his estate today, and my wolf and bad luck pride wanted to get in the way? I have never made it past his outer gate. I gritted my teeth in new resolution as my sweat kept dripping, drenching my cloth, my body ached from all the kneeling but I won't give up. Everywhere was rowdy as usual, most of the pack members, especially the young matless ones, always come to the estate to have fun and just enjoy the goodness of life, my pack Alpha is very rich and loves to party, every day is like a circus here. I let my eye wander around, it was indeed beautiful with people chattering and laughing, everyone seemed to not have any problems, unlike me, I call myself, a “sack of problems and bad luck. I’m just nineteen but my problem is that of a fifty-year-old woman. Staring sadly, I took in the beauty of the estate. Big and colorful buildings stood proudly side by side with fresh and healthy flowers which were used to beautify the whole place, the flowers had surely seen better love and care than myself, with the way they all stood neatly and healthy. Some gardeners were even trimming and pouring water on them, each building has its packing space with various types of expensive-looking cars scattered around. Kneeling in front of Alpha Bogdan’s main building; four tall and strong-storey buildings, richly designed and painted, I was directed to kneel outside in front of the main building entrance, by the guard who led me in, I swallowed in the richness and beauty of the scenery, wishing hard to be given the smallest opportunity to give my little brother just a little comfort from all that I’m seeing. “Who allowed this filthy thing in my house?” That was definitely Alpha Bogdan's voice, I jerked my head immediately away from the beautiful golden water fountain running not so far from where I knelt and looked up at him. His presence was so unexpected, after kneeling for six hours I had almost given up, but why was he asking the question of who allowed me in his compound again? he was the one who ordered his guards to let me in, after perambulating his estate for the past three months, he finally allowed his guards to let me in and now he’s asking? “Is this woman deaf?!” He threw the question at me and every other person around him, I didn’t want to say anything that would upset him so I kept mute, few crowds had gathered around him, most of which followed him from where ever he appeared from, they were laughing and making pure jest as he shouted and barked at me. “Zofia…. Zofia! What do you want from me, I don’t deal with bad luck and cursed people… stop coming to me!” He shouted again at me, doesn’t this man know more than screaming and shouting, I asked myself in my head of course. Now he finally knows who I am, I shrugged and quickly bowed my head again, “Alpha please help me… I can work here as a maid or .. or even your s*x slave, I just want merek to have comfort and live a good life, you banned him from going to school like the other kids”. It was just as if everyone there was expecting me to beg like I just did, the loud laughter that erupted from all sides was deafening, even the guards and maid who pretended to be passing by stopped to laugh at me, everyone there had been waiting for me to beg out loud. Alpha Bogdan raised his shoulder proudly and moved closer to me, smoothing his hair with his left hand. He stopped at the very first row in the staircase, probably staying away from me so as not to be infected with my so-called plague. “So you think you are good enough to be my slave or to breathe the same air as all these people here…you really think highly of yourself?, you are just a waste! A total bad luck, I don’t want a witch like you anywhere close to me!” He finally stopped his cruel speech to take a fresh breath. “Don’t go close to her, one of his supposed women caught his hand and dragged him back to herself, he smiled at her and looked at me again with intense disgust and annoyance. Hot tears welled up in my eye at once, I hardly cry because I realized in time that it wouldn’t change anything, instead, it would only make me look weak. I didn’t even have time to cry because before I knew it, two hefty guards caught my hands and dragged me up from my kneeling position. I wasn’t able to wear my tattered slippers, I was dragged out without it. The mockery and laughter that followed me were the most painful, everyone there called me very rude names and some even cursed me, I looked back to see Alpha Bogdan stare intensely back at me, he was looking at me as they dragged me away, his intense gaze had a meaning to them like I suspected. He definitely knows more than he’s letting out, he’s my last hope for security and good life, why then isn’t he keen on helping me, why to hate me so much to the extent of banishing me to the end of the town, if he will end up to give me such intense and seductive gaze? he just said he didn’t want me. ……………. …………… The two hefty guards dropped me in front of the big shiny gate, outside Alpha Bogdan's estate and I finally allowed the threatening tears out, “What will I do now!” I asked myself as I wailed, passers-by were looking at me with the same disgust and hatred, but I didn’t mind, they could all look! To hell with all of them! After sitting there for about another two minutes, my wolf; Agatha finally spoke to me as usual, asking me to be calm and hopeful, I smiled sadly and stood up to go home to my little brother, the only source of joy and light in my life, my heart beat increased and my smile widened at the thought of my little marek. I dusted my very old blue gown and made my way home. My thoughts drifted back to my little prince, Merek is the main reason I’m still breathing and living, I can’t leave him in this wicked world all by himself. Our parents left us when I was just nine years old. He was two months old. Some people came into our home and killed them, they intentionally had the plan to kill them, it wasn’t like a mistake or stray bullet. The killing was done before my very young eyes, I could still picture that deadly day, I froze and was unable to do anything, I couldn’t even scream. For about four hours, even after they had left, I just sat there and stared at my parents' cold and lifeless body. My best friend; Joanna and her parents were the ones who rushed in to pour cold water over my shocked body to bring me back to reality, I was just numb and emotionally drained for weeks. The family has taken care of me and my little baby brother. Thanks to them my childhood was bearable, my best friend is the only sister and companion I have in this world, aside from my little merek, my heart warned again at the thought of Joanna. She’s just like the physical version of my wolf, I chuckled to myself at the thought, the two sincerely know how to make me feel better, they are always positive and have something good to say about every bad experience. After my parents' death, my bad luck didn’t end there, as if it wasn’t enough that I was an orphan, I realized just last year that I would also be mateless for the rest of my miserable life! My mate died the same day he met me! “oh Nathan…” his name slipped out of my mouth. I stopped walking immediately at the thought of him, there was a tree close to me so I rushed to rest on it before I fell. He died the same day he saw me, the poor innocent young man, he promised to give me shelter and love, we fell in love immediately we saw each other but death again came and took him away, just like that and I wasn’t even able to spend a full day with him. I crouched down in pain as the thought of Nathan and his strange death crept back into my mind, holding my chest as if it would help relax the pain that was beginning to build up there again. As if that wasn’t enough, other men who tried to bond with me also followed the same path as Nathan, they all died immediately after they made their intentions known. “What type of life did I come to live!” I sobbed as the thought kept flowing in, no wonder people call me bad luck and cursed, even the spiritual doctor I went to for help couldn’t help me. Instead, she confirmed my worst fear and told me that I have a very strong death curse looming over my head, such that no man would be able to love me, well except for Alpha Bogdan. I see all the seductive and lusty looks he gives me every time he comes close to where I was, he wants me but he’s pretending not to, I don’t know why but have tried to make him take me in, he’s my only hope of security but once again, like always, he rejected me. This time with so much public Shame and mockery, I know without anyone telling me that I’m a beauty with a sinful body, the main reason all the young ladies in the pack hated my guts, they are so jealous of my natural and effortless beauty. But what’s the use of beauty if I’m being avoided like a plague? I can’t even get one man to stay, even with all my body features and beauty. hissing angrily at myself, I jumped up to continue my journey home, “to hell with beauty!” I muttered to myself, my mind drifting to my little merek, he must be waiting for me. I doubled my speed and closed my mind to any bad memories, I still have good people in my life, who care for me, and I should be grateful for that at least.