I answer to no Alpha

Gaea

My heart hammers against the cage of my ribs as my feet slap against the sodden Earth beneath me. The trees rush past and the rain storms around me as I pick up my pace. FASTER. I feel the blood pumping through my veins. There are howls in the near distance coming from all angles. The sky has darkened, giving more than enough cover to hide - but I don’t know how many wolves are hunting me out here and I’d sooner turn to fight than die a coward’s death. I search my surroundings for literally anything to get me out of this mess but as I continue my pursuit I realise I’m getting disturbingly close to a cliffs edge. Morbidly aware of the sound of snapping jaws gaining on me, I evaluate my current situation and what the hell went wrong in my life for me to end up here.

———————————————————

“Come here little cub,” Dolion sneers as he places himself on the leather black couch in his office, “I’m bored - let’s play a game.”

A shiver runs up my spine as I slowly make my way over to him, it’s better to just go to him rather than making him come to you. It’s always worse that way and I had enough scars scattered along my body from where he would not let me heal. As I get closer he pulls me onto his lap with a little too much force, resulting in me tripping over my feet and almost falling face first into his hard chest.

“Careful cub, we wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself now would we?” He chuckles to himself, “I have a present for you.”

With a click of his fingers, two wolves come in carrying something that looks like dark black metal. Upon further inspection I realise it’s a cage, a really big cage. The type used to contain large dogs outside. Or a wolf.

“Now here are the rules,” he begins as the wolves leave. “You’re going to get in the cage, but don’t touch the metal,” he smirks, “it’s laced with wolves bane”

“Why…”

“Shhh little cub, I haven’t finished explaining the rules…” he stands behind me so that his chest is pressed against me, all the while stroking my arm in a way which makes the hairs spike. He lowers himself to whisper in my ear, “if you’re a good girl and do as I say - you’ll get a reward. But if you fail to do as told…” he walks toward the fireplace and grabs his favourite discipline in the shape of a silver poker and points it at me, “you’ll receive a punishment.”

At once his eyes darken, “get in.” He demands.

“But the wolves bane…” I stutter

“This isn’t a democracy, what are the rules?”

“I do as I’m told,” I answer with my head hung low - I climb into the poisonous prison.

He slams the door closed and locks it with a sinister smile. “Now to empathise the rules… when you fail to listen…” he thrusts the poker into my side with such speed and brute strength I didn’t even have time to brace for the pain, “you’ll receive a punishment,” he grits - twisting the silver inside of me.

I scream in agony, my legs buckling from the pain before he pulls the weapon from my flesh.

“Now let’s play my game…”

————————————————

The wolves are closing in on me now, I hear their paws ascend as they tear through the woods. I look to see what is beyond the cliffs edge, nothing but murky water. There’s no way they’ll find me in that, even if they were to jump in after me. One quick split decision and I’m plunging into the deep cold waters. It takes everything in me not to succumb to the bitter chill, though it felt good on my aching muscles for a second. I push myself to swim as hard and as fast as I could. I travel to the other side of what seems to be a giant lake and climb out, taking a moment to look back. There is about ten wolves circling the cliffs edge but there’s a man stood before them, glaring down at me in anger. Dolion.

“Stop running little cub, I will find you,” it came as a whisper in the wind that caused anxiety to turmoil inside of me. Fear.

I scramble to stand in the unforgiving thrash of air as my wet clothes stick to me - practically weighing me down. I can’t continue to wear these, else I catch a cold. Out here on your own getting an illness wasn’t an option. The weak die quickly. I drag the clothes from my body and toss them aside, they’re useless to me now. I shape shift quickly and dart into the cover of the trees - away from the prying of those crimson eyes. I continue on like this for hours upon hours until night turns to day again. Finally I come to a clearing, a small stream of water trickling through. I stop a moment to drink, I didn’t realise how dehydrated I was until now. My legs give way under me as I sip from the stream, finally too tired to support me. I am nowhere near to being safe but for now I could rest and get my bearings.

As if I had tempted fate, I hear the snap of a twig behind the tree near by - not long followed by a low and menacing growl. I force myself back up facing the direction in which it came.

I rumble back, a warning to back off or I will fight. A brown wolf with bright green eyes trots out into the clearing and looks straight at me. A Beta. Great. That means I’ve stumbled onto some random pack’s land and I’m trespassing.

“Submit rogue,” the Beta linked.

I scowl at the wolf and growl a warning, baring my teeth. Then I turn and run back the way I came. Naturally, he gave chase. Zigzagging through the trees, I try to disorient him but he shows no signs of confusion or of backing down. I grit my teeth in annoyance before coming to an entire stop, taking the Beta by surprise and allowing me the chance to body slam him into a tree. I bare my teeth again, bracing myself for an attack.

“SUBMIT,” he commanded, “or be killed.”

“Never,” I snarl before snapping my jaws at his back legs.

He dodges my attack and comes back to storm me through my side, sending me hurling to the ground. I shake it off and take stance again. He runs at me, ready to bite, but I stand on my hind legs and use the weight of my body to crash down onto his head before slashing at his sides with my claws. He whimpers in pain before growling at me once more and using the opportunity to bite down on my back leg. I yip in pain, then use my paw and claws to box his snout, forcing him to release me. I limp a distance away, my chest heaving with adrenaline.

“I’m not here to fight,” I reason, “I was just travelling through.”

“Tell that to the gash in my side Rogue,” he spits before charging at me once again.

I muster all the strength I have left in my body and flip his entire being over me, just as we go to collide.

“I tell the truth,” I force out. The world is spinning now and I’m struggling to breathe.

“If you tell the truth, then submit!” He demands before running at me again.

But this time I had no strength to brace myself and I am flung through the air before my back snaps against a tree. My vision is blurry and my breathing laboured.

I’m going to die.

“Submit,” came the Beta’s human voice but I barely make out his silhouette before I succumb to the darkness.