Chapter 4 – A Prison Called Protection
976 Words
Maya’s POV
The light in front of me is soft and strange.
It shines without fire. It was pale and calm, like the moon had gotten tired and decided to sleep on the ground. Curved and smooth tall rocks rise up around us, blocking the view of the city above. The air here is different. More clean. More weighty. Like it knows things I don't.
We go inside.
People—no, wolves—get out of the way as Darius walks. They bow their heads. Some of them bend at the knee. Some people put their fists on their chests.
They bend down.
My steps are slow.
I've never seen that before. Not for anyone.
Darius doesn't pay attention to them. He keeps walking with a hard face and eyes straight ahead. His hand is still holding mine tightly and warmly, like he's afraid to let go.
I pull away.
He stops.
"What is this place?" I ask.
He turns, and his silver eyes are sharp. "Safe."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you need."
I shake my head. I feel like words are stuck inside me, and my chest is tight. "My house was ruined. People came after me. Wolves tried to kill me. You brought me here without asking. "I need answers."
His jaw gets tight.
"Later."
"No," I say. The word comes out stronger than I thought it would. "Now."
The pack slows down around us. People look at us. The silence gets thicker.
Darius moves closer. His voice gets lower. "Not here."
I look around him. At the people watching. At the eyes that glow. The way they stand ready, as if they would move as soon as he tells them to.
I whisper, "You said I was safe." "But this feels like a prison."
There is something moving in his eyes.
Gone just as quickly.
He says, "You are alive." "That is safe."
"That's not enough."
A low sound goes through the room. Not a growl. A warning.
Darius raises a hand.
The sound stops.
That little move has a lot of power that makes me shiver. He didn't yell. He didn't make any threats.
He didn't have to.
We walk again. This time, I go along because I have no other choice.
We go by stone houses that were built into the rock. There is a warm light coming from inside. Kids look out, interested. A little boy with dark curls and bright gold eyes stares at me. He grins.
My heart hurts.
We stop at a big stone building. It is different from the others. Strong. Not loud. Cautious.
Darius says, "This is where you'll stay."
I fold my arms. "By yourself?"
"No."
That makes my chest feel bad in a way I don't like.
The inside is simple. A bed. A table. A small hole in stone. No bars. I can't see any locks.
My skin still feels tingly.
"This isn't my world," I say softly.
Darius is standing by the door, as if he's protecting it. Or keeping an eye on me.
"Now it is."
I look at him. "You don't have the right to decide that."
His eyes get hard. "I already did."
My chest is hot with anger. "You won't even look at me."
He does then.
For a second.
Something dark is moving behind his eyes. Pain. Fear. Something tight and deep down.
Then it stopped.
He says, "This ends here." "You will rest. You will stay in this place. You won't get lost. "You won't ask questions that could get you in trouble."
"And you?" I ask. "What are you going to do?"
"I will keep you alive."
I laugh, but it's short and bitter. "That's it? Is that all I mean to you?
He shudders.
A little bit.
He says, "You are safe with me."
"I didn't want it."
He snaps, "You don't know what you are."
"Then tell me what it is!"
There is a sudden silence between us.
I can hear footsteps outside. Wolves are on the move. Life goes on.
Darius looks away.
He says softly, "I won't make the same mistake again."
I move closer. "What mistake?"
He doesn't respond.
He opens the door instead.
There are two wolves outside. Big. Strong. Warning.
"Keep this place safe," he says.
They bow.
Again.
My heart sinks.
I whisper, "You're locking me in."
He is facing away from me. "I'm keeping you alive."
The door closes.
Not shut.
Be careful. Last.
I stand there, shaking, and listen to my own breathing.
A jail.
Made with strong walls and kind words.
I sit on the bed and put my hands on my face. It hurts all over. My head hurts. My heart. My wrist still hurts, soft and warm, like a secret that no one knows about.
Time goes by.
I don't know how long.
Then I can feel it.
The air has changed.
Pressure. Thick and deep.
I look up.
The door opens.
A woman in her 60s walks in. She has silver hair. Her eyes are sharp, kind, and gold all at the same time.
She looks at me like she knows me already.
She says softly, "So, you're the girl who made our Alpha forget himself."
"I didn't do anything," I say quietly.
She grins. "That's what he's afraid of."
She gets closer. Talks more quietly.
She says, "He built these walls to keep you safe." "But walls work both ways."
My chest is getting tight. "What do you mean?"
Her smile goes away.
"Protection can turn into a cage," she says in a soft voice. "And cages make wolves uneasy."
A deep howl echoes through the area before I can ask more.
Not upset.
Not calm.
Claiming.
The woman's eyes get bigger.
She takes a step back.
"Oh," she says softly. "It has already started."
- Writer
