Luna's Lament: The Caged Healer

CHAPTER 3 - THE PIT - LYRA'S POV

I heard a noise, it broke through my dream, and I blinked several times in the dim light of the candles of the tower, where I was imprisoned.

As I sat up, I saw a shadowy figure. I screamed and jumped up, but terror seized me, and my heart hammered against my ribs, as strong hands held me down and blindfolded me.

''Who are you!?'' I screamed and kicked, but my legs were held down, and my wrists bound behind my back. ''What's happening? What do you want?!''

''SHUT UP B*TCH!'' I heard a woman's voice as I was stabbed with a needle and injected with something that made me feel instantly weak.

''We're relocating you. Cooperate, or we'll cut your throat!''

I was suddenly pulled up, and the intruders started dragging me out of the tower, and for the first time in a month since my captivity, I was feeling grass beneath my feet.

''Please!'' I pleaded, ''Where are you taking me?''

Someone roughly grabbed my hair and ripped my head back.

''One more word, and I'll cut out your tongue!'' They released my head, shoving me forward, and I gasped in pain. I could smell horses, and then I was thrown into a silver cage. I hit the bars, and it burned my skin, so I quickly cringed back away from the pain, and then we began moving.

We traveled for an hour in the freezing air of the evening, while I struggled with my bindings, but I was still weak from whatever they'd injected me with. My heart was pounding in my chest, as I shivered in both fear and cold, and then suddenly the movement stopped, and I heard footsteps.

I tried to peek under the blindfold, but could only make out dark figures. One of them pulled open the creaking cage door, and then I was being pulled out.

''They're going to kill us!'' My Lycan Penny started to cry.

''We should have never helped any of them,'' I told her as we were dragged forward, ''I'm sorry, Penny, I'm so sorry.''

''Don't be,'' She wept, ''It's not your fault. I just... I just wish we weren't pregnant. I don't want our son to die.''

My response was cut off, but the putrid smell of blood and urine, and what I thought, or rather, I hoped, was rotten meat from an animal.

I was shoved onto some kind of wooden platform that started moving, and one of the guards pulled off the blindfold, and I realized we were in the pit, and we were being lowered into the center on a platform, connected to a pully.

''What is this?!'' I screamed and tried to shove the guard who was holding my arm, ''There is no way Tyson agreed to this!''

The guard slapped me in the face, cracking my lip and leaving a hot, stinging burn on my flesh.

''How dare you use the Alpha's name!'' He shouted at me ''Your murderous c*nt!''

''I DIDN'T KILL THE KING!'' I screamed, but just like the first time, no one listened.

The platform stopped abruptly, and we all stumbled slightly.

''Jump.'' One of the female guards ordered.

''NO!'' I shouted, ''Ty... The Alpha said I could stay in the tower; he'd never have sent me here. And... I'm pregnant with his son!''

It was the first time I'd said the words out loud. A week after being locked away, I started throwing up, and realized I was pregnant. I should never have slept with him during my heat.

''Nice try b*tch!'' Sam, the only guard I actually knew by name, laughed.

''You know me, Sam. I wouldn't lie about killing the King. I wouldn't lie about being pregnant. Please, just let me speak to the Alpha!''

''The Alpha doesn't give a f*ck about you!'' The girl said in disgust before she shoved me.

I screamed as I fell, my arms and legs flailing. I quickly spun and tried to land on my feet, but when I did, I felt my ankle snap when I hit the ground, and I fell forward, hitting my head hard, and cracking my skull above my eyebrow.

''Have a good life, c*nt!'' The guard shouted and laughed as the platform started being raised again. I looked up at them, crying softly to myself.

Why did my life have to be in pain? My mother was right all those years ago. I should have let Tyson die.

As I gasped in pain, I looked around at the Pit. The stone walls seemed to press in, they were high and seemed never ending. Cold and damp. Suffocating. Dust motes danced in the limited light coming from the opening of the Pit. The air hung thick with the stench of sweat, and blood and despair, and chilled me to the bone.

I attempted to stand, but my ankle ached. Luckily, with my healing ability, I'd been back to normal soon, but I needed time, and looking around at all the men and women coming out of the darkness. I feared I wouldn't get that time.

''Well, would you look at this.'' A man with rotten teeth and big smile said as he came closer. His clothing was ripped and terribly stained, and he smelt like he hadn't bathed in months, ''Fresh meat.''

''And she's a pretty little thing too!'' Another shirtless man with a massive scar down his face to his chest, laughed, as he rubbed his d**k through his pants, ''I can't wait to play with this one.''

''F*ck off Benny!'' Another blond man growled, as he too came out of the darkness, ''I get first dibs on this one, you got that last b*tch.''

''Oh, Claudia.'' Benny laughed, ''Now that b*tches screams still get me hot, but this one. She looked like the type to beg.''

I trembled as more men and a few women came.

''DO NOT TOUCH ME!'' I shouted, but everyone laughed.

One man grabbed me, and despite the pain of my ankle, I thrust up my knee, making contact with his crutch. I wasn't much of a fighter, but I knew some basic tricks. The man cried out in pain, while some of the other men laughed, and shoved him out of the way, and then they were all on me.

I was being thrown around by the laughing mob. I tried to fight back, but I was already injured, and they beat me senseless. Each blow felt like a hammer. My ribs were broken. My head cracked open, my arm dislocated, and my clothing ripped off me.

I'd only ever felt fear like this once before in my life. The day my pack was destoryed by the very King I'd been accused of killing.

My attackers were ruthless, their eyes, hungry and cruel, bored holes into my soul. Someone punched me in the skull, and I finally gave in, and fell to the ground, when I heard a loud growl, and then a man came forward.

''GET OFF HER!'' He ordered, and every one of them fled as if this man was the most terrifying creature in existence, and the last thing I saw before my vision blurred and then went black, was terrifying gray eyes.

I don't know how long I was out, but I was fully healed when I woke up swinging my arms and screaming.

''Sit down, and shut up, girl.'' The man ordered, ''They won’t hurt you. You're safe here with me.''

''And who are you?''

''You don't recognize me?'' He asked, ''I should feel offended by that. Though you were just a child when the pack was attacked. I remember you though. I noticed that birthmark on your collar bone when they ripped your clothing off, You're Lyra Arowen.''

''How do you know me?''

''You don't forget the girl your pack was destroyed to get.'' He looked over at me.

I frowned and looked him over, and then it dawned on me, ''Alpha Kael?''

He was ten years older, and worn down by the conditions in the Pit, and he was sporting several thick scars, one of which deformed his bottom lip. But it was him.

''In the flesh.'' He told me, as he fussed over something cooking in the fire, ''Or at least what's left of it.''

''I thought you'd died the day we were attacked?''

''Near enough, and then Keres threw me in here when I wouldn't give you up.''

''It wasn't my fault that he came for me.'' I said angrily, ''I was eight years old. I didn't even know others would want my powers.''

''I don't blame you.'' He shrugged, ''You're not responsible for the greed of others, but it doesn't change that you were why they came.''

''I'm sorry.''

''Don't be,'' He said as he lifted a knife and I cringed away from him.

''Relax, if I was going to kill you, I wouldn't have waited for you to wake up. Here, eat this.'' He said as he cut some of the meat and offered it to me.''

''What is this?'' I asked hesitantly.

''It's best you don't know until you're too hungry to care,'' He shrugged.

''Thank you, Alpha.'' I said as I took the meat.

His hands were calloused from years in this hell, and his eyes seemed empty and broken. I cautiously ate the meat and moved a little closer to him.

''Alpha.''

''You don't need to keep calling me that.''

''Yes, I do.'' I smiled, ''You're still my Alpha, no matter what happened that day.''

''The day I failed my pack you mean?''

I frowned and said, ''You didn't fail us, they attacked unprovoked and ambushed us. None of us that survived ever blamed you. Just as you don't blame me.''

''What were you going to ask?'' He said, ignoring my statement.

''I was pregnant when I was thrown in here.'' I told him, ''And your hearing is better than mine. Can you still hear his heartbeat?''

Alpha Kael leaned his head down, and placed it against my stomach, ''He's still in there.'' He told me, and I started crying in relief.

''Oh, thank the Goddess!'' I wept.

''Thank her?'' Kael laughed, ''What has that b*tch ever done for you? For any of us? What do you thinks gonna happen when that boy comes out of you? Do you really want to raise him in here? You should have wished that he'd died. I can take care of that for you.''

''No,'' I touched my stomach, ''I won't let anyone hurt him. And I will get out of here.''

Kael laughed as he bit into the meat, ''Good luck with that Lyra.'' He said as he began to chew his food. ''Men stronger than you have tried and failed.''

''I can get stronger.''

''Can you?'' He asked, half amused, ''You are pregnant, that kid is only going to weaken you.''

''You could help me.'' I suggested that he pass me some more meat. ''You used to train the others in the pack. I remember. You're a great fighter.''

''I've already helped you enough.'' He told me, and bit into more meat, ''If it weren't for me, you'd be half dead and being passed around by the others. You're safe as long as you stay in my territory, that I've claimed, go outside those red symbols and you're fair game. That's all I'm willing to do for you.''

''What is that red? Blood?''

''Yes.''

I gulped and looked back at him, ''I can pay you for training me.''

''Pay me in what?'' He asked, ''Do you think gold means sh*t down here?''

''I can heal,'' I told him, ''I can't fully control it yet, but I can do it. I can help fix your body, make you stronger, and we can escape together.''

''Escape to where?'' He asked, ''My home is gone.''

''I... I can heal the others.'' I said, as I looked out into the darkness, ''I'm sure some of them have things they can trade for being healed, and I will give it to you.''

''The only thing you have worth bartering for is between those legs, girl.'' He commented, ''And unless you're willing to give that up. You have nothing they'll want.''

''I can smell that most of them are dying from internal sicknesses. They'll barter to heal. I know they will.''

''Just eat and go to sleep.'' He said as he passed me another piece of meat. ''You can sleep next to me in my bed. The night can near freezing, the body heat will keep you alive.''

''Sleep together?'' I said nervously.

''I won't touch you. I have no interest in anyone but my mate, and when I see her again in death. I want to look her in the eyes with honor. I've never touched any of the female prisoners.''

''What do you think Luna Kirsten would say, if you tell her you could have helped train me to get stronger, so I can free myself, and you said no?''

He glared at me, ''Don't try to pull on my heart strings, girl, or I'll throw you back to the others.''

''Please, Alpha. I'm begging you. Please teach me.'' I pleaded, ''It's not like you have anything else to do.''

He growled at me, ''I tell you what. Once a month, supplies are sent down to us. The next time is in two weeks. Not even I can control the mod when everyone tries to get to the food to hoard what they can for the month. Get me one of the chickens, and I'll train you.''

''Deal.'' I said quickly.

''We'll see.'' He said, as he continued eating.

''Thank you, and thank you for saving me and keeping me safe.''

''It's the least I can do.'' He shrugged, ''Your father once saved my life, and I never got the chance to repay that debt. Now I have.''

''Did he suffer when he died?'' I asked.

''No. He died quickly.''

''Good,'' I said, as tears fell down my eyes.

''What about your mother, where is she?''

''She hung herself on my thirteenth birthday.'' I answered, as I wiped the tears away, ''I am going to lay down. Thank you for the food.''