INDIRA: RISE OF THE ALPHA QUEEN

CHAPTER TWO

Indira's POV

"Your hair needs to go shorter if you want to be more convincing." Beta Louis said, and the maid cut the hair shorter.

As I sat there on the broken chair, all I kept chanting in my head was that I was doing everything I was doing for my brother. As each chunk of hair fell on my body, I told myself that I had to be strong for him, and for the pack.

Flashback

My wolf woke up before I did. My head ached so bad that I wished I had never even woken up to begin with. But the moment I opened my eyes and the reality of the situation I was in dawned on me, my brain picked up and the blinding headache almost disappeared.

My uncle had passed out from too much drinking and Beta Louis brought me here. That was all I knew before I really went unconscious.

The room was so dark that I could barely see anything even with my heightened sense of sight. Panic flooded through me when I realized that my wolf wasn't responsive. I couldn't even move any part of my body either.

What the f**k did Beta Louis knock me out with? My hands and legs were bound, making me restricted to the ground.

"Hey." I tried to call out to my wolf, and I heaved a sigh of relief when she perked up in my head.

"I've been here since, but that substance made me weak and barely noticeable. How are you feeling?" She asked me.

"I'm okay. What's the situation? How are we getting out of here?"

"It seems we're in a basement. But first of all, you have to cut off the ropes around you. Your dagger is still beside you, they didn't take it." She told me.

"This is going to be hard," I said, trying to get a hold of the dagger. The ropes were so tight that I could barely move my body at all.

"You have to try. I was barely conscious when they brought us here, so I don't know the directions. Let's get you unloosed first." She said, and I zoned out as I struggled with the ropes.

Why wasn't I killed directly? Beta Louis or anyone else could have easily killed me after knocking me out. Was it to preserve me for the Alpha Lord? Oh, no. There was no way I was going to willingly go to that man.

A sense of helplessness washed over me as I realized that I could really be sold off to the Alpha Lord from this basement.

"You have to act quickly, Dira. Someone is coming in this direction." My wolf said, snapping me out of reverie.

True to her words, I sensed a familiar presence coming towards the room. I needed to unbind myself before they entered the room.

I flailed around till I got a hold of the dagger with my hands still behind me. It was hard, but I managed to slice through the rope on my left hand using my right hand. After I had done that, it was easier to cut through the one on my right hand.

Immediately the ropes came off, the door opened and the person's scent got stronger.

"Pretend like you're asleep." My wolf told me just as I wanted to jump into action immediately.

I had to press my hands to my back and act like the ropes were still holding them together. Then light suddenly flooded the room, almost blinding my eyes. I squinted a bit involuntarily, trying so hard not to show that I was awake.

"No need to pretend. It's just me here, and I know you're awake." The voice came on as the footsteps stopped right before my head. I ground my teeth together in anger, really holding back from making use of my dagger at that moment.

I could easily slice through his legs with how close he was to me. He talked as though I wasn't pretending because of him.

"You really won't open your eyes?" Beta Louis asked. I still didn't respond to him.

The next thing he did was to kick me with those god forsaken legs. It seemed he didn't value them anymore.

"Do you want to protect your brother's life? We don't have time to waste."

I didn't just open my eyes at that, I sat up and glared really hard at him. I wished I could just jump up and slice his throat right there. I needed to see his eyes roll back as he took his last breath. They deserved to die, for they killed my father. Beta Louis and my uncle deserved death.

"If a single strand of hair goes missing on Aiden's head, I'll kill you and end your entire bloodline even if it's the last thing I do on earth." I threatened him, my voice came out colder than I intended it to.

"I think it's a little too late for that." The corner of his lips rose in a deep smirk.

My heart dipped, and my wolf tensed up in my head. I stood up, not bothering to pretend like I was still immobile. I held the dagger stealthily in my hand and faced him directly. He let out a very dry laugh and brought his hand closer to my neck.

I tried to dodge it, but he was way faster than I was. His swordlike hand wrapped around my neck and he lifted me, suspending my legs in the air. I used my free hand to my advantage and tried to use the dagger on his stomach, but he threw me down before I could do that.

I didn't stay long on the ground before I got up again. I threw myself at him, targeting his weak spot which was his left leg. The dagger managed to draw blood from his leg as I threw it at him, but that only enraged him.

He threw himself at me and once he had a hold of my shoulders, he flung me across the room. I didn't brace myself for that at all, and I closed my eyes as my body hit an abandoned furniture in the basement. I heard a crackling sound, but I didn't think that it was from me.

As I tried to stand up, I realized that my body wouldn't budge. Pain exploded in my right leg and I winced out loud. I tried to move it again, but it was too stiff to be moved.

Beta Louis chuckled loudly, "Don't bother to stress the poor leg. I think I broke something there. Just sit your ass there like you should have done from the beginning."

A huff of frustration slipped through my mouth as my wolf told me that she couldn't heal me quickly. The bone was badly broken. Once again, I just wish I had ended the life of the man before me in that study.

"But why did you betray my father this way? He trusted you so much, you were pretty much a brother to him. Why are you doing all these to him?" Angry tears burned my eyes as I realized that I was really turning docile just like he wanted me to.

I had to channel the anger into words since I couldn't use my body for the time being. The pain coursing through me was mixed with with much anger as the level of betrayal dawned on me again. It shouldn't have been either of them…

He chuckled, "Well, if your father's blood brother can betray him, who am I? Blood is thicker than water after all." He shrugged, coming to sit on the broken chair before me.

"Besides, he had it coming his way. I had always been the winner, he was just luckier than me. But I see something in you though, there's a fire in you that I need to tame or steal. And guess what, Indira?" He asked, his brows rose.

I didn't respond, but he proceeded anyway. "I always get whatever I want. You'll do my bidding, whether you like it or not." He said with a final tone.

My body went weak, and my mouth was too tired to give a response. I just watched him talk. The only thing I could do was to cry, tears flowed freely down my cheeks.

"For the sake of old times, I answered your questions. But henceforth, you don't speak unless you're spoken to. And if you do otherwise, I'll make sure there's nothing worth fighting for, and neither your dad nor your brother gets a resting place."

A deadly silence followed his words. I badly wanted to ask why he was doing all that he was doing again, but I remembered that I was at his mercy right there in the dungeon. He could decide to end my life right there, and no one would query him.

But my brother…. Was he really dead? My mouth went dry as I envisioned Aiden lifeless on the ground. No, it wasn't possible. Maybe he was just bluffing. That had to be it. Or he could have said it to make me scared and listen to him.

Beta Louis started to speak again, "I'm willing to give you two options now. You'll have to pick one of them if you want to live. The first one is the one your uncle gave in the study which I'm sure you heard clearly."

That Aiden would be killed in a competition and I would be given to the Alpha Lord?

I shook my head, silently telling him that I didn't want the first option. No sane person would even pick that one.

"Or you get into BlackWing academy. Then when you come out, you can challenge your uncle and get back everything he took from you."

I frowned, "But I'm a girl, and that's an all-boys academy." I blurted out, completely forgetting his instructions.

Beta Louis shook his head and stood up. My eyes widened as the realization of what was about to happen played out in my head. I mumbled a lot of 'sorry', but he still proceeded to do what he wanted to.

I couldn't move my legs and that meant that I couldn't move most of my body too. He hit my other leg against the broken furniture I was sitting on and another crack resonated in the room. I screamed out loud from the pain, my two legs were completely numb.

"Don't speak unless I tell you to." He reminded me.

I didn't acknowledge his words, I badly didn't want to show him that he was getting to me. I hated being at the mercy of anyone, especially an enemy.

"Once you cut your hair and wear a f*****g disguise, you'll pass for a boy. I've arranged everything else, don't question me any further." He said through gritted teeth.

I kept on staring at him like a mute, not strong enough to dare him at that point.

"And remember that there'll be protection for your brother if you take the latter option. All you have to do is attend the academy and make a name for yourself."

Wait, protect my brother? That meant he was still alive and hearty right? Happiness flooded me immediately and I picked the latter option without thinking otherwise. I should be able to navigate my way around if I attend the academy.

**Flashback ends.**

The maid cutting my hair trimmed the edges, the vibrating sound of the clipper felt foreign against my head but I sat still. It wasn't like I had another option.

"Remember that you have just one year to make a name for yourself in that academy. Once it exceeds one year, the protection on your brother will fall off." Beta Louis said as the maid primmed the hair.

I nodded, but my wolf shook her head. She had been shaking her head since Beta Louis gave us those options, she was against both of them, and I just didn't understand her.

"He's only using us. He has nothing to lose, Dira. That man is too cunning to be trusted." She told me.

"We don't have a choice. It's either this or I get shipped off to the Alpha Lord. I'm sure I'll survive at that academy. Let's do it."

"I'm done, sir." The maid said, dragging me back to reality.

"You have done a perfect job. We'll still do something about her chest, but get her a makeover first. But before that, you should have some water."

He handed a cup of water to her, and she took it greedily. She looked starved actually. I watched as she chugged down the water, and something didn't just sit right with me.

As soon as she brought down the water, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell to the ground.

The water was laced with poison. But that was very effective and sneaky. I didn't even smell it in the water. That could be the kind of poison used on my father.

"Why did you have to kill her?" I had asked the question before I realized his instructions. But he didn't take that one to heart. Thank goodness.

"I can't risk having our plans exposed. Every witness has to die." He said, then he helped me to stand up. The legs were healing, but slowly.

"Let's go now, time isn't on our side." He added.

"Can I at least see my brother before I go?"

"No." He answered instantly.

I swallowed thickly, "I'll just write a letter to him, please pass it to him." I pleaded.

He didn't respond, so I took that as a 'yes'. He allowed me to write the letter and I gave it to him before we left for the academy.

Maybe life would be better there.