Zane - Confessions of a lycan

Chapter 3

Lily

1 week earlier

I felt myself slowly waking up, the fear of opening my eyes and facing reality was overwhelming.

I could feel that I was lying on a hard, cold floor. My whole body felt stiff, and my throat felt like it was on fire.

My hand automatically went up to my neck and my hand was immediately burned. A silver-collar? Be calm, be calm, be calm....

I could feel the panic taking over! Where was I? Who brought me here? Then it hit me.

The last thing I remember before everything went dark, my stepmother...

"I saw you out there, you disgusting abomin*tion! When you shifted for the first time, I had hoped that a tiny little mouse like you would die from being forced to shift by yourself, alone in the woods. I made sure you got just enough food that you survived and that it would be too much today when you turned 18 and your wolf would surface”

I looked on in bewilderment at my stepmother, Delores. Who was standing screaming profanities so close to me that I could feel spit hit my face. I already knew she hated me. That she was reminded of her mate's disloyalty every time she looked at me.

I've tried to make myself invisible, to always avoid her and my brothers as much as possible.

But it has never been good enough for her. I´ve heard that an unfaithful mate is the worst kind of pain and that it can even lead to death. So I do not blame her for her resentment towards me.

Lost for words, I just stared back at her as she continued her onslaught.

“But you refuse to give up, don't you? You just have to keep polluting our existence!! She shrieked.

"I don't understand what you're talking about, stepmother? Are you mad because I got my wolf?" I asked, confused.

I didn´t have time for one of her scolding`s. My best friend, Cassie, and her parents have promised to help me escape tonight.

I had no money of my own, but I had a few changes of clothes packed in a duffel bag, hidden under my bed. And Cassie's family has offered to give me some money. I refused at first, but after some persuasion and with threats of not helping me if I didn't take it, I accepted their offer. But this escape plan depended on me making it to the pack borders at 12pm sharp.

Which meant I only had 20 minutes left. This was my only chance at freedom, a life without being constantly bullied, beaten and belittled.

She came even closer. I pulled back but ended up with my back against the wall in the hallway.

Which lead down to the cold, damp basement where I was forced to sleep in a small storage room.

When I looked into her eyes, all I saw was coldness, hatred and something akin to complacency.

What reason did she have to be smug at this moment?

She gave me a wistful smile. "You don't know, huh? what you are? I can promise that you nor anyone else will never know either. No one will be allowed to come and threaten my son's position in this pack!"

The woman had gone mad, I thought to myself.

"What are you talking about? I would never threaten to take anything away from you or your children, I know my place!"

I felt totally confused, what is this all about?

"You'll have to excuse me, stepmother, but I'm completely exhausted. And I got to get up early tomorrow to make the pack members breakfast." I said as calmly as I could.

As I started to push past her, she grabbed my hair painfully and pulled me backwards.

"Not so fast you little harlot!" I took a deep breath and braced myself for the pain I knew was coming...

"Your time here is up, killing you would be easy, but I have a better fate planned for you"

I felt how panic began to rise. I was about to scream at the top of my lungs when I felt a prick in my left arm and everything around me went black.

Oh my god, what has she done? And what had I done to deserve this more than being born? Even with everything I've been through, I've tried to think that she was only hurt, so wounded to the core that she couldn´t see an innocent child in front of her, but only bathed in her own unhappiness. But now all I could think was that the wretched woman must be downright evil.

I felt a tear roll down my cheek and all I wanted to do was break down. Cry for everything that has been lost in my life and how close I was to getting a chance to get out of the shackles in the god forsaken house where I grew up.

But breaking down wouldn't help me. I had to be strong. I slowly opened my eyes to take in my surroundings.

I tried to sit up, but my body was still too weak. I was in some kind of cage.

It was so small that I wouldn't be able to stand straight in it.

Everything was pitch black and the only light was a dim light bulb further down the hall.

I tried to communicate with my wolf but got no answer.

She had been weak since before, when we were forced to shift all by ourselves without the support of other werewolves.

We were natural pack animals and need each other to feel good and stay strong.

A lone wolf could go crazy and go into depression when lonely. The only ones that could handle a solitary existence was a Sigma Wolf, but they were extremely rare.

When I looked down at my feet, I almost had a heart attack.

A girl sat there with streaky blonde hair, hollow eyes, staring at me.

"You're new" was all she managed to say between her chapped lips.

" Where am I?" "In hell." Was the only answer I got.

"What do you mean by that?" My panic was creeping back in, but the collar made me so weak that I wouldn't be able to do anything against the iron bars anyway and I had a feeling screaming wouldn´t get me anywhere either.

Best to save energy and think logically about how I could get out of this.

"Do you know anything about the people who are holding us captive? Where are we? What are they going to do with us? Something!?" She just looked at me with resigned eyes and just when I thought she wouldn't answer, she said "They come in every week or so, when they've caught enough she-wolves. They round up the ones they want and sell them."

The shock of that statement made my entire being go completely cold.

"What do you mean, sell? Sell as what, to whom?" Again, she just stared at me. I raised my voice and yelled "Answer me!!"

I could see a tear roll down her cheek as she replied "As s*x slaves"

I felt myself shutting down, falling back into darkness...

***

Zane

Present time

I leaned back with my arm draped over the dark leather couch. Legs crossed in a relaxed manner, as if I didn't have a care in the world. But on the inside I felt none of it. I wanted to roar and mutilate until I got the answers I was looking for.

I hated having to sit here and smile at a bunch of leeches inside the famous vampire-owned gentlemen's club, Nolan's.

The club had 2 floors, it was dark but elegantly decorated with a bar and tables made of dark wood.

Chesterfield sofas and wingchairs were strategically placed in secluded booths for maximum privacy but with the best view of the stage where half-naked women danced erotic dances. But none of that interested me, I just wanted to get this over with and move on.

Our intel said there should be a third floor, a basement floor. But what happened down there was still a mystery.

Our task tonight was to gain access there. I left that task to Lucien. I could back him up if needed, but I was not one to butter up people to get my way. Some might say I lack charm, and that might be true. I was charming, once upon a time.

Now I reserve it only for those who deserve it, which are few.

Two men came over to sit down in our booth with us. Both were well-known noblemen within our community.

One was none other than his lordship, Earl José Gualtiero. Weak and slippery in my opinion, but with a lot of influence at the Lycan court and one of the king's closest advisors. The other man was Edward Wilson, an Officer and close friend of several high-ranking Lycans who rule in our world. We had made sure to meet these men at several parties over the past few months to create a false bond with a sense of solidarity for them to let us into more illegal activities. I could only hope for my fu*king sanity that we could reap the rewards of this insufferable task here tonight.

Lucien, being the ever polite, politically correct vampire that he was, stood up and took both men by the hand and greeted them.

All I gave them was a nod of recognition. If it had been anyone else, these gentlemen would have taken a lot of offense.

However, as a prince you get away with a lot of crap that would never have worked for anyone else.

"Gentlemen, I'm glad you could meet us here tonight" Gualtiero began by saying in his proud, noble voice.

Already I could feel the veins in my neck starting to pulse. Lucien gave me a stern look that told me to pull myself together quick as hell. I clenched my jaw and tried to think happy thoughts before I did or say something stupid.

Those cocky id*ots forced to wear neon colored mankinis in Time Square, singing I´m sexy and I know it. Jumping around like chipmunks entered my mind, making me chuckle to myself. That sh*t was fu*king funny.

At least that thought made my growing anger subside a bit.

“We invited you here for a reason” he continued. That statement made my ears perk up and my mind to sober.

“We think you would enjoy a more private type of entertainment.” Gualtiero uttered with a gleam in his beady eyes.

"What kind of entertainment are you referring to?" I interrupted him and asked, to which he replied "The kind of entertainment you can't find anywhere else. The kind that is unspoken and unseen. Have I been clear enough, your highness?"

"What makes you think we're interested in the kind of entertainment you offer, Lord Gualtiero?"

We couldn´t seem too eager, for whatever happens we could not reveal our true motive in this.

I took a sip of my whiskey and raised an eyebrow at the loathsome man, and immediately he started to twist a bit in his chair.

Officer Wilson, however, was man enough to dare to sit relaxed. With his alcohol in one hand and the other calmly resting on the arm of the chair, he looked me straight in the eyes. Not many men had the balls to dare to do that in my presence.

But with his big frame, shaved head, black piercing eyes and a scarred face, he could make most people piss themselves and he knew it. Add several hundred years of combat training and he had become a Lycan few men could take down. But I was not most men.

“Let´s speak more plainly, your grace. We know both of you well enough by now to know that neither of you can stand clingy, loose women or seductresses who only want your titles. Your tastes may not be the same, but neither of you want other men's leftovers and you both have kinks that a noble woman would never agree to or be capable of handling.”

Edward's straight forward answer put me on the edge of my seat. I kept my face and tone completely neutral as I answered.

"what do you know about any of our kinks, Edward?" When I looked at Lucien, he looked almost amused by the conversation.

I was not as amused.

"Without disrespect your highness, but your reputation is widely known" My temper flared again, and I was about to bite back when Lucien replied with a mischievous smile. "I have to say this sounds fascinating, but I have to wonder what you might have that is so enticing that I haven't seen or done before?"

The malevolent Gualtiero seemed to spring to life again with this development in the conversation.

With his angular face and greasy hair on a thin body, he didn't look like the typical Lycan. Yet he had so much scheming going on that he still managed to get to the top of the hierarchy.

"If you gentlemen would please come with us to a more private room, we can discuss this further. Nolan has a very special show here tonight, only for specially invited, wealthy men. We hope to find something that will get your attention and that our friendships can continue to prosper as the evening progresses." Gualtiero said in such a satisfied voice that I had to try not to shudder with disgust.

"If you'll please follow me, I'll introduce you to something you'll never forget."

Me and Lucien looked at each other. I'm sure we both felt the stakes just got higher and the pressure to perform and keep up the charade increased.

So, with rigid strides and a terrible feeling of what we would find, I got up and followed the men to finally find out what was on the basement floor…