Episode1
CHAPTER ONE
The cell surrounding me was cold, damp, and dark. The mold and decay in the air wafted around me, attaching to my skin. I paced restlessly in the slight illumination where silver chains attached themselves to the metal. "You think these chains can hold me?" I snarled, my voice lower, more menacing. My wolf stirred; her voice echoed in my mind. "Break free, Juliet. We will not be held captive."
I gazed down at the shackles infused with wolf bane. "You are weakening me, but you will never break me," I whispered to myself. My wolf growled in agreement. "We will rise above this. We will escape."
I recalled Alpha Ryker's words: "You're being punished for disobeying your mate." Mate? Marcus was not my mate. He was a blatant liar, whom no one could trust. "I'd rather die than submit to him," I said.
My wolf's voice grew stronger. "We are strong, Juliet. We will not be holding back." I felt there's oppression from what it could have been from what it is. They would pay for what they've done to me and make sure Marcus and Alpha Ryker paid for it.
And then I began to plot, taking me into rapid-fire thoughts. My wolf's presence ignited me that very second. "We will rise, Juliet. We will be free." I smiled, a plan forming in my mind. The chains might hold me now, but I'd soon be the one holding the reins.
Ryker's voice dripped with venom as it hovered above me, the gleam of a cruel light in those eyes. "You're getting to learn obedience now, Juliet. That's good." He sneered, curling a lip. "You think you are above the pack laws, above me? You're nothing but a disobedient pup and will be treated as such.”
I glared at him, while my wolf snarled from within me. "You can never break me," I spat venomously.
Ryker chuckled, its cold sound running a shiver across my back. "Oh, but I already have. You are trapped, Juliet. Trapped in these chains, trapped in this cell. And soon, you will be trapped under Marcus's paw once more."
My wolf growled, furious at the mere mention of the name Marcus. Out came the burst of hatred, directed at Ryker, directed towards a system that allowed him to even get to us in the first place. "You shall never win," I hissed, my eyes smoldering with defiance.
A wider smile spread on Ryker's face. "We'll work on that," he promised, his voice dripping with a bad pleasure. His footsteps dying into silence were my only company while anger and resentment burned inside of me as he swung around and got ready to leave.
With Ryker gone, the dimness of the cell appeared to have become deeper, wringing shapes out of shadows that writhed on the wall in an intimidating manner. I could almost feel his cruelty hanging in the air-an undeniably commanding presence was over me like a shroud. Anger rumbled inside my wolf, urging action-bust this cell and take revenge on the ones who had wronged me. But for now, I was stuck here, biding the slow ticking of time and the weight of Ryker's oppression. I closed my eyes, honing in on the plans forming in my mind, strategies that would be employed in the eventual escape and bringing to their knees Ryker and Marcus. The chains might keep me captive, but my spirit remains unbroken.
The sound of footsteps made a noise from outside my cell, and I adjusted, expecting Ryker or one of his Beta wolves. But instead, a young woman with green eyes and black hair slipped into the room. She moved confidently, her gaze upon me. "Juliet," she whispered, almost inaudibly. "I've brought you food and water." She quickly released a way into the small compartment in the door and slid in a tray.
I noticed a symbol sign on her wrist, showing a lower-ranking pack member. Yet, everything she did showed great bravery and loyalty. "Who are you?" I asked in an undertone. "My name is Elara," she replied, her eyes rolling nervously as she looked around the cell. "I have been watching you for a while now. You are...just not as the others. You do not deserve to be treated like this."
Elara's words echoed in my head for far too long after she left, adding a bit more of a spark to my will to escape. I paced the cell, my wolf checking my restlessness. I remained chained, yet my mind remained free, filled with plans and strategies; I would not remain a captive forever. I shall not break.
With Elara's trust and my own power, I would rise above anything this world threw at me. I would escape this hell, and Ryker and Marcus would pay dearly for being the problem of my existence. My wolf roared in my mind, spurring my action. A rush of strange feelings went through me once more, the hope of being strong. I would not be the victim; I would be the victor.
Every passing day, Elara's visits became more frequent and the bond between us grew stronger. The pack was restless, whispers and doubts of Ryker's leadership, she brought to me. I listened carefully, my mind churning with endless possibilities. The longer I was here, my determination to leave grew stronger. I would not be imcelled forever. I would not break.
I began to plot in earnest, mind racing to find c****s in the cell's security. Elara's knowledge of the pack layout and guards' schedules was proving most valuable. Together, we worked towards my escape. Chains would be strong to hold me now, but soon, I would shatter the chains and nothing would hold me back again.
As things were be going well, Ryker walked into my cell, a strange smile carved around his face. "I guess you have time to think about it, Juliet," he scorned me. "Tomorrow, you'll suffer for your disobedience." He nodded toward the guard, who stepped forward holding a whip. I braced myself for the pain to come as the wolf growled in me.
The lash cracked against my skin, shooting spreading pains throughout my body. I gritted my teeth, unwilling to give Ryker my tears though it hurt like hell. At the end of the punishment, Ryker said, and his voice dripped with malice: "Tomorrow, you join the judgment of the pack."
My skin crawled at his words, and I wondered what was going to happen to me. Would I escape, or would the judgment of the pack seal my doom?