chapter 10 Zeke
2053 Words
Zeke POV
A large hand landed heavily on my shoulder causing me to jump and shudder. A cold breath tickled my neck.
"What was that and who is Tay, Zeke?" Nate's cold tone told me how on edge he felt.
Taking in a deep breath, I shrugged out of Nate's grip and lept forward landing at the bottom of the creepy long stairs woth a large clap to sound my arrival. Waiting on my wolf eyes to adjust, the corridor had been just as I remembered the first time I had been thrown down here. Dark, damp and cold. Doors lining each side of the stone wall.
"Zeke." Nico hissed as they followed with more caution.
Movement in front caught my eye and I stilled grapping Nate's arm as he tried to pass me. Holding my index finger to my mouth I signalled for them to be quiet.
"What is it, Zeke?" Nico whisper yelled at me.
"Ssshhh." I answered.
Taking a deep breath I approached the first door. The mental slighly rusted around the edges and a bar missing from the small window that gave any jailer an easy view of its prisoner. Movement jolstered further down the corridor but I continued to strain into the dark room.
Nothing. Not even a bed.
Nate had moved quietly to the opposite door and mirrored my actions while Nico stared ahead. Ready to pounce on anything that moved. His eyes darting from down the corridor to me, show his lack of trust. Nate turned shaking his head signaling that the cell opposite stood empty. Creeping forward I stepped lightly and held my breath until I reached the second door.
This room slightly furnished. A rusty bed and a bucket. The smell rancid making me gag. In the corner, a small form curled in a fetal position.
My stomach dropped and my heart pounded hard. Breathing harshly the sound echoed in the room. A screech sounded from further down the corridor and the walls slightly shock moving the dust once again.
"Fuck." Nico hissed glaring at the darkness.
Nate turned to face me as I spun away from the door, my eyes clamped shut as I tried to hold my composure.
Breathe.
That's all I have to do. Breathe.
Slowly turning back to the barred window I slowed down my own beating hard and stared hard at the person on the floor.
"Please." The whispered word failing to bounce off the wall.
Concentrating, it became clear that the person wasn't breathing. No movement being made and finally. No heart beat could be heard, even if I concentrated so hard that Nicos heart beat became clear and I wasn't even looking at him.
Large tears rolled down my cheeks before I could register.
Refusing this reality, I studied the person. Small. Skinny from the lack of food. The hair cropped short but jagged as though cut purposefully. The hair looked dirty but to my own relief small tuff of dull blonde fought through the dirt.
Sickening relief set in. Relief followed by guilt. This may not be who I'm searching for but this had once been a person. Left to rot and die. Some who had probably been innocent.
Nate stood slightly behind me veering into the cell. His eyes turning pitch black in some sort of demonic frightening way. The change so noticeable from his unique eyes.
"Dead." Nate stated
Nico growling while Nate placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezing slightly.
Shaking my head and managed to choke out, "not Tay."
The moment of comfort vanished when a low snarl sounded ahead and I pushed on. Twelve more doors, six each side then there was the end room.
The thought made me shiver.
The lurking growler causing a fear to make my knees almost give way. The next room had more furniture, not so rusty but empty of any persons. Living or dead. Nate confirming the same as we moved quietly through the corridor. As we moved further into the darkness, the more the monster became agitated but I pushed on.
Two more rooms. One with chains that had been ripped off the wall and the door lock bent out of place. The other filled with books and what looked like an old reading chair. The chair looking odd, more for the fact that it looked used but in pristine condition without an speck of dust.
The next room had a flap on the window. As if the cover gave some sort of privacy. The crease in my brow causing Nate to falter at the door opposite.
The growling master further down the corridor now scrapping it's claws on the concrete floor. It's agitation growing as we inched forward. My fingers flexed as I reached for the black rubber flap.
A roar startled us as we jumped in unison. Each if us stilling like statutes. Two glowing ocean eyes flickered in the darkness staring directly at us.
Everything shifted as the growl spat out fear and hatred. Nico barged me into the side of the concrete wall slinging open the broken door. Nate had disappeared from my sight when a crash of mental sounded off in the abandoned room.
Fuck.
Did they just force me to fend off this f*****g monster alone. Standing slowly I watched the blue eyes taking my warrior fighting stance.
The glowing eyes starting to move as I tried to work out the monsters form.
That fucker has warned me about the mo ster that lurked down here. I had heard it once or twice but never actually seen it. I had always thought it must have been some loyal deranged wolf.
Two legs.
Wait. How is it on two legs?
Tall but slender.
My wolf pushed forward to shift as I chanted, 'I'm a warrior. I'm a warrior.'
Before I could take my wolf form a shoulder slammed into me pushing me to the opposite wall.
The eyes moving faster towards us as nate ran up the wall with what looked like a metal bar in one hand and a wooden slat in the other. The timing so perfect that as he twisted to come back down, he kicked out catching the monster causing it to be thrown into the empty room.
Just as perfectly timed, Nico rushed out pulling the broken door with him, taking the metal bar from his brother and slotting it through the hand and against the wall.
The monster screeched causing us all to wince at the high tone. The metal door and bar shifted as the monster threw itself against it. Then it went deadly silent.
Nico taking the opportunity to try and peak at the monster when a hand flew out between the bars.
Not a claw.
Not something hideous.
A dirty hand.
All three of us stared as it pulled back and shuffled into the darkness. Out of all our sight.
"What the f**k was that?" Nico yelled in my direction.
"Ummm..." I scratched my head, momentarily distracted from my own mission.
"Well." Nate stated sharply.
"I don't really know. He never told me. I just throught it was a wolf." I spluttered out.
Nate stared at the bars, his face distorted in confusion.
"Its not a wolf. It smells like.... death." Nico stated his face mirroring his brothers.
Something seemed to shift with them and Nico stormed out of the basement.
Without asking any questions I ripped off the flap to the room and a scream startled me.
"Tay!" I shouted in relief.
"Zeke?" A cracked voice answered. "No. No. What are you doing here? He'll be back. He knows everything. Run. Zeke. Run." Tay's boney hands grabbed the bars.
Her face more clear. Yellow bruises dotted her caramel cheeks. Her raven hair wild and dirty. Her black big eyes glassy with a hint of crazy.
"Tay." My voice broke as tears ran down my face grabbing the bars and her cold hands.
"Run. Zeke. If he doesn't get you it will." Tays voice lower and raspy. Her eyes darting from left to right.
Her face looking gaunt.
Guilt swirled in my stomach and sick burnt the back of my throat. Looking into the cell, the furniture looked far better than what we had seen. The bed holding a thicker mattress with woolly blankets and a small light at the side of the bed showed books scattered throughout. The light going off a purple hue. The walls covered in patterned sheets. Almost making the cell feel homely.
Anger boiled over and I shock the cell door causing Tay to run to her bed throwing the think blanket over her head. Her slender hand darted out to turn off the small lamp.
"Tay. I'm sorry. I'm getting you out. I'm here to save you." I shouted.
Growls and screeches bounced off the cell walls. Other prisoners further down becoming restless in their cells.
Tay peaked out from behind the red woolly blanket.
"Ssshhh Zeke. Monster lurking." Tays voice horse as her eyes darted from me to the dark ess behind my head.
Tay shrieked and covered her head with the blanket once again. Confused I looked round to find Nate staring through the gap.
"We have much to discuss bur first. Who is this? Your sister? And why is she down here, Zeke?" Nate stated with accusations lingering in his tone.
"Help me get in there." I stated back, closing down my emotions.
Nico ran down with camping lanterns lighting up the corridor. The stone walls even more intimating and the metal doors more daunting.
"No. You answer my questions, now." Nate spat as he squared up to me, his nose brushing against mine.
"Please. I need to get her out. Look at her." I unashamedly begged.
"Zeke. What is this place and why are these down here? What the f**k was that...?" Nico started until a growl behind the barred cell door surprisingly cut him off.
"I'll tell you everything as soon as...." I begged looking into the cell but Tay had disappeared from her bed.
"NOW ZEKE." Nate shouting losing his infamous cool.
Tays hand flew through the bars scratching Nates face with a growl.
"RUN. ZEKE." Tay shouted as she trie down grab at Nate who had stepped back and now too far out of reach.
"Tay. No. They are going to help. The Alpha. He's dead." I tried to remain calm wanting her to stop growling and scratching.
Nate grabbed her wrist and yanked forward casuing her to slam into the door.
A growl escaped the back of my throat and my claws extended.
"Don't." I warned him.
"Who is this woman?" Nate growled back, his Alpha power pushing my growl back down the throat.
Nico had started to wander further down the dark corridor now he had light, his head slightly twisted as though half listening.
"Please. Let her go." I asked calmly as Tay scratched at Nates hand but he remained unmoving.
Nothing.
Tay started to spiral throwing her own body against the metal door. Each time the sound causing me to wince and edge closer to a break down.
"Let her go. Please. She's my wife. Now let her go." I begged.
Nico stumbled into a metal door and Nates face went stoic.
The cat out of the bag but I had made promises.
The taste of sick prominent as Nico eyed me with some confusion and even disgust.
"I can explain everything but first, help me. Please." I begged once more and prayed my mate would understand even though I knew I burnt the bridge even more.
I shook my head. I couldn't think of Scotty right now. He made my whole body ache. This, right here, I could do. I could change this situation.
I could help.
I could be useful.
More than the traitor everyone believed I had become.
Nate opened his mouth, curling his lip in distain.
"Everything. Zeke." Nate demanded.
Without letting me even nod, Nate let go of Tay's wrist and pulled open the door with frightening ease.
Before I could turn, Tay jumped out the cell and ran for the stairs. My heart lepted into my throat.
"Tay, no. Wait." I shouting giving chase.
The twins growling behind me.
Fuck. Well I'm in so much trouble.
- Writer
