The War for Love- a Collection of Short Stories

Living Nightmares - Jess

A/N: I hope you all enjoy these short stories, and make sure to talk to me in the comments- tell me your ideas, how you felt. These little things encourage writers to keep writing.

    Also, the chapter songs are no more. In this one, there will be a full playlist typed up as the second to last chapter.

    This chapter will start out with microstories for the flashbacks, and then Patrols is where the current time begins. I will warn you- this chapter is long. The others will be shorter or the same length.

    With those things out of the way- HERE WE GO!

********************

    Suppression- 

    Winter squirmed below my skin, struggling against my control. Her grey-brown fur began to push through my arm, and I smacked the patch. Glancing around the room, I could tell my eyes were flashing when the colors randomly cut out and flickered back in.

    Tearing at my lip, I used my tongue to press her canines back in. 

Damn it, let me out, Jess! 

No! Winter stop this now! We are in the school- you know the punishment for Shifting when it’s not allowed! 

I don’t care! Jess, he’s hurting her, please let me out!

Sorry Winter- I can’t! You know I can’t!

But- but he’s…

I know. I see it.

    Swallowing and taking a deep breath, I let it go slowly, still struggling with Winter. I turned my head back to the scene everyone was staring at so blankly, cementing my mask back on. 

    Annabeth was being beaten by the schoolmaster. Her hands were locked in with silver cuffs- I could smell her burning flesh and blood from where I was standing. A whip, short but comprised of several strands of leather and each tipped with silver, was being slapped against her back every other second. The headmaster was barely giving her time to breathe between strikes. 

    I didn’t even know what she had done wrong- if anything. Sometimes they would pick random students- almost always a female- and claim they had broken a rule. It was just to show us that they were in control- respect your Elders, respect the laws, obey at all costs, or be punished. 

    Severely.

    My resistance wasn’t helped by my own feelings for Annabeth. I’d had a crush on the Alpha’s daughter for longer than I cared to remember. 

    And that was my own personal, daily punishment. 

    Being gay was not allowed in the Snow Howlers Pack. Punishable by up to two years in prison, having your title stripped, or even banishment, I knew I had to keep myself together for just two more years- then I could leave. I would go south, and I didn’t even care where I ended up, because anywhere is better than here. I just had to keep a hold on Winter, on myself, and my thoughts.

    Even if this suppression made me want to kill myself. 

    Daily.

    Caught-

    A week after Annabeth was whipped and she still hadn’t returned to school. I had asked her brother, Coldin, and he brushed me off with a gruff, “Not your business, Iota. Leave.” 

    Anger heated my blood as he used my rank to insult me, place himself, the mighty Alpha’s son above the lowly Iota girl. He knew my name- I’d been to his house for f**k’s sake! 

    Instead of picking a fight, one that I would not win, I turned away quickly, not daring to let him see my glowing eyes. 

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that his name contained the word “cold”. 

No kidding- just stay away from him.

I try, Winter. I try.

But you’re worried about Annabeth. 

Of course, I am- it’s been a week. And don't leave yourself out of that count of concerned people.

Yeah yeah... But it still isn’t your place and you know it. So unless you want to end up like her- stay quiet.

    I was lucky. He was throwing a Winter Solstice party at his house, and everyone was invited. It was a Pack celebration, meaning no one could be turned away. Unless the Alpha just really hated you- so none of the Omega families were allowed.

    Later that night, after the sun had set, I showed up to the Alpha’s house with my Mom. I wandered around the party for a while, before I was able to slip upstairs. 

    A couple of months ago, Annabeth and I were assigned a project on sentence diagramming for English. Mom abhorred having guests over, so we worked at her house- in her room. Winter had been ecstatic, and I was too to be completely honest.

Third door from the right.

    I knocked and waited for her to open the door- she hadn’t been anywhere downstairs, so I assumed she was up here. It took a couple of minutes, but eventually, the door opened a fraction, and Annabeth’s ice-blue eyes and white-blonde hair shone in the low light. “Oh, Jess, it’s you. Come in.” She backed away and I entered, closing the door firmly behind me.

    The air felt more charged than it had when we were working. I thought it was just me reacting to her being shirtless and the dark until I saw her eyes flash and goosebumps break out on her arms. “Are you okay, Anna? You haven’t been at school.” I whispered, following her back to her bed. “Yeah-yeah, I’m fine. Dad isn’t happy with me, so he put me on lockdown. Not supposed to leave the house.”

    She was drunk. I didn’t question where she’d gotten the alcohol, especially when she handed me an unopened bottle, and began to chug the dregs from her own. Following in pursuit, I was quickly too drunk to tell right from wrong. Anna made fun of me for my intolerance, but I’d never had wine before. Or any alcohol for that matter.

    “Can I tell you a secret, Jess?” she whispered in the dark. Distantly, I heard someone on the stairs but ignored it. Winter was singing from being this close to Anna. “Of course,” I whispered back, lying down next to her. Our pinkies touched, and she caught me by surprise when she laced our fingers together. “I think we might be Mates.” 

    Rolling onto my side, I stared at her. She was beautiful- all pale soft skin and bright eyes that I could stare into for hours. Pulling on her arm, I sat us upright again and brought myself closer. “How can you know? We- we’re only 16...” Anna inched herself even closer, our chests now touching, and our faces separated by only a couple of inches. 

    “Sometimes, you just, know.” Quickly, she pressed her wine-stained lips to mine, and I kissed her back instantly. Running my hand through her fine hair, she bit down on my lip, holding me where I was. 

    Some days, when it's bad, I wish she hadn't. I wish she had pushed me away, told me to leave. 

    It only took three seconds for the best night of my life to be ruined. The door unlocked and opened, the lights came on. Coldin, carrying a plate of food from the party, walked in, and we sprung apart as he began to yell. “Anna, I brought you some dinner- HOLY f*****g s**t ANNABETH WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” 

    The party below died.

    We were caught.

     And I was as good as dead.

    Prison- 

    She blamed it all on me. The lowly Iota who was in love with the Alpha’s daughter. Of course, she was believed- and I didn’t bother trying to fight it. No one would believe me over her. Why should they anyway? I was just an Iota, and I wasn’t even born an Iota, but a promoted one!

I hope they kill me quickly.

    That singular thought circled my head as Coldin detained me and threw Anna a shirt. He spat in my hair and dragged me down to the party, Linking the Alpha and Elders- an immediate trial was to be held. A five-minute explanation, one testimony, and an instant decision. 

    100 lashings in the Center, demotion to Omega, one year in prison with no Shifting. I dared to inquire why they didn’t just kill me- I had stolen the Alpha’s daughter’s first kiss, something that was rightfully her true Mate’s to claim. 

    “Death would be too easy for what you have done.” 

    Month One-

    I felt like death. As an Omega, and born Kappa, I didn’t heal nearly as fast as a Delta or Gamma wolf. It took three weeks for the wounds to stop breaking open at night. Though, it didn’t help that the torture was continued in the prison. The guards made no attempt to hide what they were doing to me- bruises and bite marks were displayed by my uniform, which was barely more than a tank top and shorts. 

    They let me freeze, then threw me in boiling water for a five-minute bath every day. They fed me, but only enough to keep my heart beating. I lost any extra weight I had by the end of the second week. The food was coated in powdered silver to keep Winter from surfacing and trying to fight our way out. 

    It also kept me from Shifting on the full moon. 

    The most painful of all my experiences- the denied Shifting. Winter screamed at the unnatural feeling- though we had only been shifting for a year, it quickly became routine to Shift an hour before moonrise every two weeks. To have her be deprived of that caused me so much pain there were no words for it.

    It was only made worse by being forced to listen to the sounds of my former friends, their wolves out and having fun under the light of the full moon. 

    Months Two through Seven- 

    That became my new routine- the pain. It was daily, though slightly better in the summer months- if only because I wasn’t shivering and in immeasurable internal pain. The guards grew bored of me when I stopped fighting them, only one stuck around after the fourth month, though he too left after the fifth- I was now too bony for him. 

    It could be considered a miracle I hadn’t gotten pregnant. I suspected they were drugging me through the water, my three allotted glasses, and at this point, it didn’t even bother me. Instead of spending my time with the guards, I spent it building my tolerance for touching silver. I would lean against the bars that confined me until I passed out, and repeat the process when I awoke. The burns became infected, and they called the Pack doctor to give me supplements to help them heal. 

    He said that supplements wouldn’t work- I needed intense IV medications. And more food- he claimed I was so thin that the antibiotics would only kill me. Dr. Lewis was the first person to show me any kindness since my conviction. He had me moved to the hospital while I was being treated, and despite the zip ties at my wrists and ankles, the bedding and gown alone had me living in ecstasy, replacing the numbness that had settled in my bones while I was in the prison. 

    I was given more food, not a lot more but more. It was still dusted with powdered silver, but I barely noticed the burn now, and I stopped throwing up. 

    Months Eight and Nine-

    I spent these in the hospital, receiving treatment for my self inflicted burns. The nurses talked to me like I was a normal wolf, instead of a convicted felon. One confided in me that she believed I had been punished far too severely. I was only a child, and it was my first official transgression. 

    But it was the Alpha’s daughter, and that changed everything. 

    Now that my captivity was nearly over, I began to think about what I might do with my time- once I was freed. I knew I would leave, but where would I go? Would I remain a Rogue- or find a Pack that accepted me? Should I check on Anna? 

Anna.

    She hadn’t even come to visit me, despite having the right to face her “attacker”. She hadn’t even written, and while it was unsurprising, it still stung. The girl who thought we were Mates had landed me in prison with scars that would never heal. 

    All because of one kiss.

    Months Ten through Twelve-

    The Elders visited me often during the last three months of my sentence. They took measurements of my body, pictures of my scars. It felt like a violation, although now that it was cold again, and I was back in the prison proper, I couldn’t find the energy to care. 

    During my last week, I was introduced to my soon-to-be husband. Selected by the Elders, Owen was ten years older than me and still UnMated- which apparently made us perfect for each other. My escape plans hardened, and I knew when I could and would. Now, I just wondered if I should.

    It was the Winter’s Solstice again, and again, the Alpha- Coldin had been given the title during my prison sentence- was throwing another party. Everyone was invited this time- even the Omega families. 

    Everyone except me. 

    It was perfect.

    Escape- 

    My "husband" was reluctant to claim me as his wife- I suspected he was gay, like me, only he was smart enough to not have been caught, unlike me. 

    As he got himself ready for the party, I prepared a small bag to run with, something that Winter could carry. It ended up being a waterproof blanket I found buried in the guest room closet, which would come in handy out in the cold. When he found me, I claimed I had just been exploring and he shrugged my odd behavior off. 

    He left me home alone- his first and last mistake. Tying the blanket into a pack with three loops up top, I created a backpack of sorts that Winter could put on. It would be easier than trying to carry it in her teeth. Inside, I stuffed a couple of cans of vegetables and fruits, as well as stealing several packs of beef jerky. The two changes of clothes I was given upon release filled up the blanket, and I left the house.

    I walked for two hours before I called Winter. Having been denied Shifting for a year, she had buried herself in my mind to protect herself from the silver. It took her several minutes to respond, coming up slowly. 

    The Shift itself was excruciating- the worst I’d ever had. Because it had been so long, it took Winter nearly a half-hour to fully come forward and finish the Shift. Nosing our way into the pack- thank Goddess I learned one thing in prison, how to tie knots- we took our time, building back up to our full speed. 

    There was a slight pop, and a mere hour after Shifting, Winter and I were off Snow Howler lands. 

    We were free, and we were never going back.

They’ll have to kill us first.

    Patrols-

    It was three months after we left the Snow Howlers, and we’d run out of supplies fairly fast. With no money to our name, Winter and I had taken to hunting in wolf form to feed ourselves- something that only worked half the time. We were lucky to have not gotten rabies at this point, with all the scratches and bites that now bloodied our coat. 

    We’d run down the coast, straight south, past the US border. Through Maine, to New York, we got all the way to West Virginia before we had our first brush with a Pack patrol. The Golden Moon Pack is pretty tight on their borders, I should have been keeping better track of where we were. 

    From there, Winter and I decided to head out west- those Packs are generally better on accepting new members. At all costs, I wanted to avoid the Dark Runners Pack border- there was no way that Winter and I would survive their infamous Rogue Trial. Six days of challenges on speed, agility, strength, tracking, evasion, and final battle. You didn’t know which event was first, just that your main goal was to survive. 

    No wolf had ever lived through all six days in the nearly 40 years since its start. 

    There was only one problem. There was no way around Dark Runner territory without going far north through northern Alberta, Canada or into the Deep South and through Mexico. Winter was too worn out after three straight months of wolf-form life, she wouldn’t make those trips. Mexico was a death sentence- no wolf entered without first getting approval from the Alphas there, and to try and go north was too dangerous for us. 

    The Snow Howlers had put a mark on my head out to the other Canadian Packs- orders were to kill on sight if either I or Winter were seen in their territories. No one in the US cared about the Snow Howlers- they were too small and too far away to affect the large Packs here- which is why we had gone south. 

Jess, we’re going to have to go through Dark Runner lands to get to the west coast.

I know.

We’ll probably be caught.

I know.

So why are we doing this?

Because you’re exhausted. 

So are you.

I’ll be fine. I’m worried about you. Now, let’s do this.

Will you take control?

Sure.

    Stepping forward, I took full control of Winter’s body, allowing her to rest a little. Pausing a mile out, I took several breaths before running at full speed through the unclaimed area and into Dark Runner lands. 

    It took a while for me to pick up the scent of a tracking patrol group. The Alpha had probably sent one out after I continued to avoid towns and civilizations instead of attacking. Knowing we were caught, and that I couldn’t outrun a group, I sought out a nice, sunny spot beside a river and waited. Twenty minutes after I first picked the scent, seven wolves burst onto the bank. Meeting their eyes for a second, I kept my head down and stood slowly before kneeling to show submission. 

    I’m certain that not only the signs of submission and Winter’s appearance startled the group into aborting the kill-on-sight mission they were undoubtedly given. One stepped forward, and I heard a light, tinkling voice through an open Link. The Alpha had granted the leader privileges to speak to me without having to Shift. 

State your name and business here.

Jessica Claire Loves, and I am trying to get to the west coast. 

Why? You have no Pack affiliation there.

I am seeking refuge from my former Pack, the Snow Howlers of New Brunswick, Canada.

So you are a Rogue?

I suppose, yes.

Jessica Loves, Shift now. We are bringing you to Alpha Marcus.

    Unfortunately, I had lost my backpack in the brush with the Golden Moon patrols, so I had no clothes to put on once I Shifted, but I followed the orders anyway. Most of the party went behind the treeline to Shift as well, though three wolves stayed behind. The men were respectful and turned their backs once they came to the same realization I had. The woman Shifted as well, putting on her clothes quickly and calling out for a shirt from one of the men. 

    Even the leader was unable to hide her horror at the sight of my bitten, scratched and scarred body. Pulling on the shirt quickly, I found that it covered me from neck to mid-thigh. She approached cautiously, as though I would suddenly attack. “Jessica, I have to put these on you. You must understand, they are just as much for your protection as they are for ours.” She placed a zip tie on each of my wrists, then bound them together with a third. “Can you walk long distances?” I nodded slowly, my body starting to shake from the memories of my incarceration. 

    “Timothy, Jason, walk with her. Make sure she doesn’t fall,” she ordered the two men who had remained wolves to walk beside me, a deep chocolate brown wolf on my right, and the brindle and grey wolf on my left. They each reached my hip, their bodies offering support for my shaking legs. We walked for forty minutes before coming across two cars. “She’ll ride with me, Tim, you’re up in the front, Jason, you sit next to her. Holly, Greg, Ethan, and Taylor- you guys take the other car. 

    Jason, the brindle wolf, made no motion to Shift, even as Tim did and helped me inside the car. The leader opened the other door, Jason jumped in as a wolf and laid on the seat. His head landed in my lap, but I didn’t mind. It was comforting, and I understood why service dog handlers trained their pets to do this. Every time I would jump at a bump in the road or my leg would begin to bounce, Jason would whine and press his chin down. 

    A couple of hours into the drive, the leader received a call on the blue-tooth speaker. Answering it, she began to explain, “Alpha Marcus, this is Rose. I have the Rogue in the backseat of the car with me, Tim and Jason are here as well.” 

    “Hello, Rose. How did the capture go?”

    “Incredible, sir. She identified herself as Jessica Loves, and she claims to be seeking refuge from her former Pack, the Snow Howlers. Sir, I believe this is the girl they contacted you about previously. However, there are certain…. things you were not made aware of. I have made the decision to bring her to you for judgment.”

    “Very well, Rose. When are you set to arrive?”

    “We will be at the airport soon, though we need to get her something to wear first. Blake’s shirt is currently covering her, but she has nothing else. I would also like to stop by Dr. Hollis’ practice quickly- she has some severe scratches and bite wounds that should be taken care of. It is my plan that we should be at the Pack House in Washington by midday tomorrow.”

    “Okay, thank you. Do what you feel is necessary. I will see you then.”

    “Yes, sir. Goodbye.” Rose hung up the phone and locked eyes with me in the rearview mirror. “Tell me about yourself, Jessica. How did you get here?” She had asked the question with a genuine look of curiosity, she actually wanted to know. 

    “Well, I go by Jess, and let’s just say that I didn’t agree with the antiquated government of my former Pack, so I ran away,” I explained as quickly as I could while staring out the window. Rose cleared her throat, prompting me to continue. When I stayed quiet, she frowned slightly before saying, “You’re going to have to tell the Alpha everything. I hope you’re prepared for that.”

I’m not, but it might be better than dying.

We’ll see.

    Winter mumbled her reply before going back to sleep. It was taxing for her to stay as a wolf for so long, and I was ready to join her, but far too edgy to sleep. I didn't know these people and their unanticipated kindness was suspicious.  

    Pulling up a long driveway to a semi-secluded house. “We’re here. Tim, I want you to take Taylor and go to the nearest Walmart or Target and get her some proper clothes, and pick up food for all of us. I’ll Link you when we are done here. Tell the others to go get us a hotel, four rooms, and get Blake to call and order the plane to be ready for 9 AM tomorrow. Jason, come with Jess and me.” Opening Jason’s door, he jumped out and stretched before walking into the forest. Rose walked around the car and helped me out.

    The others shuffled around the cars before splitting off and leaving me alone with Rose and Jason, who had come back. As they guided me up the steps, I blurted out, “Are you always this nice to your prisoners?” 

    Rose knocked a pattern into the door and turned to me. “No. We were given orders to kill you on sight. But you… I couldn’t order a team of trained warriors to attack you when you were giving us complete submission... I couldn’t do it.” 

    She whispered the last sentence and appeared lost for a moment. Then the door opened and her normal face was back in place. 

You need to trust her, Jess. We do.

I know I should… but how can I?

How can I trust a stranger’s kindness after the year we’ve had, Winter?