Crimson Luna

Chapter Four

I must have stood there for hours, gripping the bars of my cage until I could no longer feel my fingers. I watched the three of them, never once taking my eyes off them. They were gathered at Bekah’s head now, just whispering to each other, and it was beginning to grate on my nerves. I hissed with frustration, knowing I couldn’t hear a single word they were saying. I finally released my grip on the bars and started to pace back and forth.

“What the hell do you want with us? Let Bekah go, she’s done nothing to you!” I forced through gritted teeth. “Whatever you want, just take it from me,” I demanded as I curled my fingers around the bars once again. I kept my eyes glued to Austin’s, afraid that if I so much as looked away, he wouldn’t agree. I could admit, through the haze of fury, I felt a small twinge of fear. I had no idea what they had planned, but I knew that whatever it was, I could probably handle it better than Bekah. I didn’t want them to hurt her or even touch her. The whispering stopped as they turned their heads towards me in a synchronizing manner that made my stomach roil. Nolan's beady eyes bore into mine as he tilted his head to the side. I fought back a gag at his attention. Austin didn’t say a word but slowly stalked towards me. I took a step back when he stopped in front of my cell. I shouldn’t have. Never show weakness. Austin stuck his hand through the bars, bringing his fingers too close to my face for comfort. I took another step back, watching as his eyes darkened.

“Look, doll, Imma be honest with you. Boss says we need numbers, otherwise I might have let your little friend go.” He smirked down at me, his eyes roaming my face, waiting. For what? A reaction? I smiled internally, a reaction that he would never get from me.

Numbers? I had to admit that I had no idea what he was talking about. Austin looked at me with disappointment, as if I should know exactly what he was talking about. I panicked internally. Did he know? He couldn’t know I had taken every precaution that I could to hide my secrets. I forced myself to meet his gaze, but all he could do was roll his eyes as he walked away and returned back to Bekah’s head.

“Alright, let’s begin.” Austin nodded his head at Connell and Nolan, and they reached into their pockets to pull out small pocket knives, each different in size than the last. Austin was holding the largest one. My eyes widened in horror as I watched Ausin nod to Nolan first, who slowly brought his knife down to Bekah’s abdomen and made a small, shallow cut. I opened my mouth to scream, but I couldn’t force out the air. My throat was tight, and tears were welling in my eyes. I flinched when Bekah wailed in pain. I couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks. Austin’s eyes found mine, and he smiled before nodding to Connell, who was more than happy to make his cut in the same spot just on the opposite side of Bekah’s body. A part of me wanted to close my eyes, to block out the horror, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t do that to Bekah, sweet Bekah who had never had a mean word for anyone ever. She didn’t deserve this. It was all I could do to keep myself from heaving up the rest of my stomach’s contents when Austin made his cut, just above Bekah’s breasts. Bekah’s wails pierced the silence of the basement? Dungeon? I had no idea where we were. I sobbed and screamed alongside her and thrust my shackles against the bars. My fury grew as I watched the three of them bring their bloodied knives to their mouths, flicking their tongues against the blade with their eyes shuttered. Either they were completely insane, in a cult, or they weren’t entirely human.

I narrowed my eyes as Austin pushed a pill in Bekah’s mouth, forcing her to swallow before he stepped back. He raised his eyes to mine, and then he started to take his clothes off. What the hell?? I hissed at him. Were they really going there? Bile rose in my throat. Yet, he never took his eyes off me, and I stared back. I couldn’t look away, I refused to look away. He smiled at me just before his face contorted with pain. I gasped as he began to change in front of my eyes. First, it was his hands, his feet, shifting, changing into paws with sharp claws. Then his body shrank and contorted, sprouting tufts of brown hair. Within minutes, I was no longer staring at a man, but at a chocolate colored wolf. His brown eyes shone with flecks of gold, ears stood straight and pointed at the tips. His head tilted curiously, and I realized I didn’t scream. I didn’t have a reaction at all. But of course I didn’t. Wolves weren’t new to me. I shifted my eyes to find that both Connell and Nolan had shifted into wolves as well. I let my eyes wander back to Bekah, sobbing and bleeding, and I felt a few more tears fall. I didn’t know how much time I had until the medicinal herbs wore off; I had no sense of time in the dark cell with no windows. There was no light but the flicker of the lamps lined along the walls.

The sound of claws scraped against the stone, and I tore my eyes away from Bekah. The wolves were moving slowly towards her. I dropped to my knees at the first bite from Austin’s wolf. I knew what they were doing now, and it was too late. There was nothing I could do for Bekah but watch them leave several bite marks along her body. She screamed and bucked against her restraints as the venom laced through her veins.

They were changing her.

After several minutes, the wolves stalked from the room, leaving Bekah silent and bleeding. And leaving me on the floor of my cell, cradling my knees against my chest. Fresh tears rolling down my face. Would I ever run out of tears? I eased my body to the floor and let the silence lure me to a sleep full of nightmares.

*******

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when I awoke to loud footsteps stomping down the hall. Easing myself to my feet, I stood and watched Austin round the corner. I didn’t open my mouth; there was nothing I could say. The damage was already done. He stopped in front of my cell, his hands linked behind his back, and smirked down at me.

“I had a hunch that you might know about us.” He snickered. I watched him clench his teeth when I didn’t answer him. His eyes flashed. “You will answer me when I talk to you, human!” He spat the last word at me like it was an insult. I shrugged my shoulders and leaned back against the cold stone wall, keeping my eyes on him. I knew it would piss him off, and I was right. But instead of lashing out in anger, he took a deep breath.

“Fine. You don't have to talk to me yet, but when it's your turn on that table, don't be surprised when I don’t give you a sedative. I want you to feel my teeth on your flesh, to hear you scream and beg.” He grinned at me, showing the blood trapped between his teeth. I curled my fingers tightly. “Just a few more hours for her to turn, and then I will enjoy dragging you from your cell. And no food or water, gotta keep you weak. But you understand.” Austin had the audacity to wink at me. I never hated anyone more than in that moment. All I wanted to do was to tear him apart piece by piece until his blood was dripping from my fingers. I turned my body away from him, dismissing him, and I heard him growl, slamming his fists against the bars before he stomped away. Good riddance. I needed to conserve my energy anyway if I wanted to escape, and then find a way to come back for Bekah. There was no way that I could carry her out. She would be unconscious for a few days, and I didn’t have that kind of time. I lowered myself to the floor, closing my eyes and letting the dark consume me. I was met with a familiar nightmare, white eyes flashing behind my eyelids. The nightmare continued as the memories forced themselves upon me. I thought that I had finally escaped it all, but I should have known better.

I would never escape.