Lost and Found

chapter 4

 My eyes open and I see that I am laying face down on cold concrete. I take a moment, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness, trying to blink away the double vision I have. After a moment everything is visible again, I slowly roll myself onto my side and push myself to a sitting position. I try to ignore the pounding headache threatening to rip my head in half. I steady my self by controlling my breathing as I look around, taking in my surroundings. Its pretty clear I am in a dungeon of sorts, in a cell I guess. The entire room is hard dark gray concrete. I see dark stains on the floor and wall, there are heavy chains against one wall  and they look strong enough to hold a bear. The wall with the chains seems to be completely stained. I can smell the stale blood in the room and I even get a hint of some not so old. I do a once over, checking my self for blood or anything broken, I seem to be in one piece. Well at least that's good news. I look at the cell door which is ridiculously thick and made of silver. "Hmm maybe some urban legends are true." I think to myself. 

    "Ah look whose awake." I hear a deep voice and then a man comes into view. 

 He looks tall, maybe around 6ft, with close cropped hair on the top, the sides are shorter seems to be a fade, hard to tell in this lighting. He has dark brown eyes that match his skin, his facial hair seems perfectly lined from his hairline, to his jaw line, going around his mouth. He just stares at me, waiting for me to say something. 

    "Wh...what is going on? Where am I? I ask trying to maintain my composure. 

    "That's what I would like to know. A rogue crosses our borders, you are lucky to be alive. What do you want?" he asks, cutting to the chase. 

    "I don't know. Its strange but I have this locket and I think I am supposed to be here." I blurt out. 

    "Supposed to be here? hmm that's a new one."  he seems almost amused.

 What could be so amusing right now? This isn't a joke. I just sit there. Unsure what to say, I am the one in the cell so I don't have any cards to play. I just wait for him to say something else. 

 After a few minutes he seems to decide something. He says "Well better let me see this locket then." He holds out is hand reaching through the bars and I can see he has a thick glove going from his hand up to his shoulder. 

 I fumble with the clasp to take off my necklace. I slowly reach forward dropping it in his outstretched hand, careful not to make any contact with him. His gloved fingers close around the locket, for a moment I feel fear that I have now lost the only connection to the past I have. I take a deep breath, I didn't even know I cared that much.

 He flips it over inspecting it, before he takes off his gloves and attempts to open it. He tries digging his short nails into the side trying to pry it open. I don't know what to do, it has only opened once for me, I don't even know how it opened the first time. He struggles with it, flips it over again looking closely. He looks at me, I can tell he thinks I am messing with him. I start to panic worried that he will just smash it when Amaris says "say open."

    "Open" I repeat under my breath.

 The locket clicks open showing the stranger the secrets within. I am shocked when I think "how did that happen."  

    "I don't know, I just had a hunch. " Amaris responds. 

 The man doesn't seem to notice I said anything, as he looks at the contents. He pulls the locket closer to his face, to read inscription I assume. He pulls out the picture,  I have to stifle the anger that washes over me and the urge to try to snatch my necklace from him. A look of shock takes over his face, he looks at me stunned, he turns on his heels and rushes out.  "What was that?" I think to myself.

    About 5 minutes later another man strolls in like he owns the place. He has an air of arrogance as he stops in front of my cell door and stares at me. The look on his face makes my skin crawl, he is shorter then the last guy, he is probably closer to 5'9"ish. He is just as bulky as the last guy though and being shorter he looks stockier, his dark her is starting to gray a little on the sides, he has longer shaggy black hair that reaches his shoulders. I can tell he is older, but his skin seems to tight on his face, his eyes are cold and dead. He licks his puffy lips as he eyes me.

    "Hmm I thought you were gonna be out longer, Beck must be losing his touch." he chuckles a little, but there is no humor in it.  He puts on a glove, fumbles with some keys as he unlocks the cell door. He slides it all the way open, making it apparent he doesn't see me as a threat. He steps into my cell and I start to back away. He smiles at my retreat, he likes the fear. I can use this in my favor. I hunch myself in an attempt to look afraid.  He closes the space between us swiftly, I anticipate his move and counter with a blow to his groin. My knee comes up quick as he reaches me, I make contact and his face contorts in pain. He shrinks down to cover his manhood, so predictable. My fist comes down and connects with his cheek, hard. I take off running, I figure it will take him a few seconds to recover,  so I need to move now.  I head down the hallway, passing cell doors on both sides. I hear movement from a few as I book it down the corridor, I reach the door at the end and I twist the handle, it turns half way but wont open, Its locked. 

    "Of course it is, dammit why didn't I grab the keys?" I think to myself. Suddenly my head jerks back and I fall to the floor. I look and see the pissed off guard standing over me, with one hand he grabs me by the throat and swiftly holds me up against the wall, my feet dangling off the ground. I claw at his hands, trying to break free, he just sneers at me. I see a light in his eye, the cold dead eyes have now come alive with the chance to kill me. Right before I feel like I am gonna pass out I stop clawing at his hands, instead I grab his wrist for support as I jerk my hips swinging my leg around, my foot hits the side of his head, he releases me in surprise. He seems to have reached a whole new level of anger. He grabs me by the back of my head, getting a full grip of my hair, he pulls tightly to position my face so I am looking up at him. He rears his right fist back and brings it down with such force, I feel like my eye is gonna pop out of it socket. He pulls his fist back preparing to hit me again when the door behind him opens. 

    An imposing figure stands in the doorway, the light behind him blinds me and I blink to adjust to it. 

    "Stop." he says the one word and it is as if everything freezes. Nobody moves a muscle, me included. He walks over to me and kneels down in front of me, grabs my chin and forces my face inches from his. He searches my face for something, I don't know what it is. I am looking down trying not to make eye contact, he jerks my face, the shock forces me to look at him, he looks in my eyes and a moment or recognition passes his face, then sadness. He finally steps back. 

    "Bring her upstairs, my office and don't lay another hand on her." He then turns and walks out. The greaseball that hit me just walks down the corridor, heading back the way he came without another word. The large guy that I first saw reaches out his hand. I get up on my own, making a point to maintain eye contact as I do so. 

    "Independent, are we little one?" he chuckles. "Are you alright?"

    "Yea I'm good, I have had grandma's hit me harder." I say in defiance. 

    "Oh tough too I see."  he responds still laughing at me. I can see the surprise and the amusement on his face. I have decided if they were gonna kill me they would have let greaseball do it, why take me upstairs? the clean up down here would be easier.  

    "I am Idris" he says, extending his hand again. 

    "Selena" I say with a nod. I shake his hand giving it a firm squeeze.  He just smiles at my attempt.

    "Shall we then, Miss?"

    "I said my name is Selena. Where are we going now?" I need some answers. As I follow him out the door, and up some stairs, looking up the stairs spiral going for a while, we continue up and it takes about 15 minutes before we reach another door. The door is thick and heavy, like something from a bank vault. Jeez these guys are serious about their security. They have a handprint and a retinal scanner, Idris does both and the door opens. Well even if I had made it out the first door there is nothing I could have done about this one. As I walk through the door we are standing in a very small room, my arm brushes Idris as we stand waiting for the vault door behind us to close. Once it does the only other door in the room opens and we are outside. 

  I follow Idris out the door and I come face to face with a large gray wolf, although it is more the size of a bear. He just sits and watches me as I walk, I stay close to Idris but I don't take my eyes off the wolf.  I see a couple other wolves at the tree line, presumably keeping watch as well. 

    "Are you frightened little one? not as tough as you thought, huh?" He says looking down at me. I gulp and keep walking. 

    "They aren't gonna bite me, are they?" He stops walking and focus's on my face. He is quiet for a moment.

    "Are you serious? Have you not seen a wolf before?" 

    "No, I didn't grow up around this, I...I..This is all new to me.? I stutter. He still seems confused but he doesn't ask any more questions. 

    "We will hear everything when you speak with the Alpha."  Well, I guess that's the end of our conversation. 

  We reach a house, I guess that's what it would be.  Although I guess it looks more like a mansion. We go in through a side entrance and I am standing in a huge kitchen, there are a few people cooking, cleaning, chopping things up. I want to stay and get a better look but Idris keeps walking. We walk through a swinging door and now I am standing in, I guess a dining room. There are several tables all set up but they are more picnic bench style,  there were 3 tables next to each other and they probably each seat 15  people comfortably. There are a few people mulling around, a couple eating, some just talking. They all stop and stare as I walk by, I lift up my head, I wont walk in shy or afraid. I walk through with confidence pretending not to notice them as I glance around. We make it to another set of stairs, we go up the the first landing. 

    We turn down the corridor, and stop at the first door on the right. Idris knocks, a voice on the other side responds "come in."