chapter three
1060 Words
chapter three
They were ranked one at a time.
Spoken numbers.
Futures sealed without much thought.
Then Lady Valeria came to a stop in front of me.
Every muscle in my body was screaming for me to look up and meet her gaze, but I didn't. No, I didn't. Being disobedient, even in silence, was risky.
I heard a soft laugh.
"Oh, they'll like you," she said in a nice way.
The cold metal touched my ankle.
The cane moved up, inch by inch, lifting the hem of my dress. I flinched. The eagle's beak made small, exact cuts along my thigh and hip on purpose. The blood flowed down, getting colder as it did.
"Spin."
There was an instant change in her voice; it was cold and serious. Just give orders.
I did what they said.
As I turned slowly, the pain kept me grounded. The dress rode up higher, and the wind brushed against my bare skin. I could tell that her eyes were watching every detail, every flaw, and every advantage.
She said, "Very nice." "Eight."
I felt both relief and fear in my chest.
Someone grabbed me from behind.
Captain Marco DeLuca tied my hands together with wolfsbane-soaked rope. The poison burned into my skin, and I gritted my teeth. My wolf backed off right away, feeling weak and scared.
I said to myself, "Good."
A wolf that is weak doesn't stand out.
Then came the blindfolds.
The world was swallowed by darkness.
This was it.
My parents were probably happy. My sister was hiding behind my dad's legs. I didn't get to say goodbye to any of them.
It was hard to make the change—grading, grabbing, and moving. I was suddenly sitting on a wet wooden bench, and the splinters were hurting my thighs. The air was thick and sour with fear. Everyone could smell it. We always did.
The truck moved forward suddenly.
Each bump made bodies rise from the benches, and taller girls hit the low ceiling. The walls didn't let any light through. Time dragged on, with no point.
The truck then stopped.
Footsteps.
Ground that is wet.
Grass that was too wet was crushed by boots.
The doors opened.
The blindfold let in some light, and the smell of oak, bark, and damp earth filled my nose.
The woods.
Of course it was the trees.
One by one, we were pulled down and led over rough ground until we reached the stone. Someone pulled me to a stop. My arm touched another girl's.
I still heard people laughing.
I gritted my teeth.
Did they not get it? This wasn't the start of a story. This was the end of one.
There were no princes in this area. No help. Just predators.
Alphas are the strongest and meanest leaders in our world. Hunters who liked the chase before they got their prize. A few got married. Some acted like they loved.
And then there was him.
The King of the Lycan.
A dictator who is wrapped in power. People said that the ruler's mercy was less than his patience.
A shudder ran through me.
"Bring them in."
The voice came from above.
I could feel the authority in my bones before I even realized it.
Hands took off my blindfold.
The light hurt my eyes, so I squeezed them shut and made myself breathe through the dizziness. I didn't want to admit it, but losing my sight when I was already weak shook me up more than I wanted to.
"Get out of the way!" Captain DeLuca yelled and pushed my shoulder.
The other girls eagerly looked at the forest, which had moss-covered rocks and tall trees that fascinated them. I paid attention to where I was going instead, but I still fell.
I hit a stone with my toe.
As I fell forward, pain exploded.
Captain DeLuca pulled me up roughly and glared at me as I tried to hold back a scream.
Trissi said, "That b***h needs to be put in her place."
"Don't," I said in a low voice.
People died because of words like that.
The door slammed shut behind us.
Locked.
The house was nothing like what they said.
It was rotten. Not working. A lie laid bare. The sky, the only place the sun could reach, was visible through a hole in the roof. There was dust on everything. Falling apart furniture leaned against the walls. One hinge on the closet door was broken, and the clothes inside were half-eaten by something that had made a nest there.
Then the smell came.
Rot. Blood. Old s*x.
The curse of having sharper senses made it impossible to stand.
We were put in a cold room with broken windows that looked out over the forest.
Captain DeLuca stayed outside and told everyone to "face the wall."
We did what we were told.
A white linen sheet hung from the ceiling, and lace pieces caught the wind. If I looked at the shapes for too long, they looked like women dancing and making fun of us.
People walked in.
Heavy. Under control.
It was over.
We were no longer by ourselves.
Our wolves reacted right away: pressure crushing inward and instinct screaming for submission. Trissi bowed, not thinking about how it would show off her neck.
No, I didn't.
I put my head down, but I stayed standing.
He walked slowly behind us, and his gaze burned into my back. Taking off our clothes without touching us. The thin linen didn't hide what he wanted to see at all.
Before the Hunt, only one man was allowed to look.
I had never heard of him doing it on his own.
He stopped.
"Turn."
The command was calm. Without a doubt.
I turned.
I saw him for one breath.
And the rumors weren't true about him.
Eyes that are cold. Not mean—calculating. Very old.
Trissi pushed my head down right away, like a predator.
My legs shook, but I stayed standing.
Fear ripped through me, sharp and real.
He put his hands behind his back and looked at us like we were pieces on a board.
Then
For a moment
He looked straight at me.
And I was aware.
I hadn't gone away.
I had not fit in.
And whatever came next
He had seen me
- Writer
