CAGED FLAME
1500 Words
Diana stormed down the corridor toward Kantos’s private den, her heart pounding with a mixture of anger and dread. Her boots echoed on the stone floor, the rhythmic sound only slightly masking the whirlwind of emotions she battled within. Rage, guilt, determination. She rounded the last corner and nearly ran into one of Kantos’s hulking bodyguards. A wolf twice her size stepped forward, blocking her path with an outstretched arm.
“You can’t go in,” he growled.
Diana didn’t hesitate. She seized his wrist, twisted it sharply behind his back, and shoved him aside. His grunt of pain bounced off the cold stone walls as he stumbled out of her way.
“Out of my way,” she snapped, her voice hard as steel.
Inside, Kantos sat relaxed in a tall, high-backed chair, his posture casual but his eyes alert. Morning light streamed in from the narrow windows, casting golden hues across the room—and lighting up the faint traces of blood on his knuckles from the morning’s training.
He didn’t seem surprised to see her.
“Let her in,” Kantos voiced out to his guard. “It’s okay.”
Diana stepped forward, brushing a few strands of hair behind her ear as she entered his chamber. Her face was calm, but fire burned beneath her skin.
“Good morning, brother,” she said coolly.
Kantos smiled, but it was the kind that never reached his eyes. “Oh, sister, what calls for this unusual early-morning visit?”
Diana folded her arms. “You know why I’m here. I came to see Linda. Release her to me. I promise she won’t be a threat to you.”
Kantos rose from his chair, his expression hardening. “Release her?” he scoffed. “Release her you say?. You must be mistaken. Don’t think because you’re my sister you get to test the limits of my generosity. No one dares question my decisions. She remains here—as my handmaid. And there’s absolutely nothing, I mean nothing you or anyone else can ever do about it.”
Diana’s jaw tensed. “She’s just a child, Kantos. She lost her mother. She’s lost everything. Have you no heart left?”
Kantos tilted his head, his smirk gone. “Heart?” he repeated. “That died a long time ago, little sis. Her mother made me look weak, made all of us look weak. Letting the girl go would mean I’ve learned nothing from Angela’s mistakes. I won’t be that fool.”
His words struck Diana like a slap. She stared at him, searching for some trace of the brother she once knew. But all she saw was a man consumed by power and fear of losing it. ‘’What happened to you brother, I remember you being a kind and peaceful wolf, when we were young, what changed now’’. She said to him.
Kantos with a smirk on his face. ‘’Kindness is for the weak little sis, soon you’d learn that being kind only makes one vulnerable and I would never succumb to that’’.
With nothing left to say, Diana turned and walked out of the den, her fury trailing behind her like a cloak. As the heavy door closed behind her, a new determination settled in her bones.
She would not rest until Linda was free.
A PLAN TAKES SHAPE
Outside, the hallway was still, the torches along the stone walls casting long shadows. Diana paused, took a deep breath, and leaned against the cool wall. Her mind raced. She couldn’t act alone. Kantos had eyes everywhere. If she was to save Linda, she would need help—and discretion.
Her first stop was Clara, the eldest of the council scribes. A quiet woman with a sharp mind, Clara was known for her discretion and deep loyalty to their previous Alpha Angela and the old ways.
“Clara,” Diana said softly, finding her in the library stacking scrolls. “Can we speak privately please?”
Clara looked up, saw the weight in Diana’s eyes, and gave a small nod. “Of course, my lady. Come with me.”
They slipped into a quiet bay.
“I need your help,” Diana said. “Kantos is keeping Linda like a prisoner. I want to get her out—safely and in one piece. But I need people I can trust and rely on.”
Clara pursed her lips. “Angela’s daughter should never have been reduced to this. I feared this day would come.” She nodded. Exhaled “I’ll help you. But tread carefully. The pack is watching.”
Gratitude flickered across Diana’s face. “Thank you Clara, you don’t know how much this means to me.”
Clara smiles. ‘’I never really liked Kantos ways”.
Next, she found Jake in the stables, grooming his horse. A seasoned scout and one of the few not blinded by Kantos’s charisma, Jake was silent and loyal to those who deserved it.
“Hey Jake, what’s good” Diana said
Jake turned back to see who was behind him.
“Diana” he said and he smiled back. “Nothing much”
“I know you saw what happened yesterday,” Diana said, brushing a hand along the horse’s mane. “Linda. She’s not a threat, yet Kantos treats her like a traitor.”
Jake said nothing for a moment. Then, without looking up, he muttered, “If you’re moving against him… You sure know I’ll ride with you.”
“Alright see you by dusk”. She replied back
By dusk, Diana had gathered three allies: Clara the scribe, Jake the scout, and Maria, a kitchen maid who had quietly been slipping Linda extra food. They met in Diana’s quarters, voices hushed, eyes wary.
“I’m grateful to have you all here to help plan Linda’s rescue”. It’s really a great privilege and honor”. “We’ll need a distraction,” Diana said. “Something to keep the guards busy while we move Linda out.”
“I can create a scene or noise in the storeroom,” Maria offered. “A fire, maybe. Something small. It’ll draw a few guards away.”
Jake nodded. “And I’ll guide you through the hunting paths—quiet, narrow, rarely watched. But we must leave before first light.”
Clara frowned. “Where will you take her? The borders are watched.”
“We’ll hide her in the old ruins near Hallow Creek",(stone bones of an ancient temple swallowed by ivy and mist where dead wolves were once buried). Diana replied. “For now. It’s not far, and Kantos has forgotten that place even exists.”
INSIDE THE CAGE
In her dim room—once meant for guests—Linda sat on the floor, arms wrapped around her knees. Dust swirled in the thin rays of light that passed through the barred window. Her stomach ached from hunger, but she barely touched the dry bread and water left by the guards.
Every corner of the room screamed confinement. She could still smell blood in the cracks of the stone floor—old blood, maybe her mother’s, maybe others’. It was a cruel joke, being kept in the heart of the palace once ruled by her family.
The door creaked. Matthew, a younger guard who hadn’t yet hardened into cruelty, stepped inside and set down another tray.
“Eat,” he smiled and said gently.
Linda looked at him, her voice hoarse. “Why are you kind to me?”
He glanced at the door before speaking. “Because I remember what it was like when your mother was the Alpha before Kantos took over. And because I don’t want to see you die in here.”
Linda gave a small nod, tears pricking her eyes. “Do you ever think things could change?”
He hesitated, then said quietly, “Maybe. But only if someone is bold enough and dares to act.”
After Matthew left, Linda sat in silence, the small crust of bread hidden under her mattress. It wasn't much but it was something. A small act of hope.
She stared at the sliver of sky through the bars, her arms wrapped tight around her knees. The room smelled of old blood and stone. Maybe her mother's maybe not. It didn't matter
Tears burned her eyes, but she didn’t let them fall. Not anymore.
Matthew's words echoed in her mind. Only if someone is bold enough and dares to act.
She didn't know if Diana was coming. But she just couldn't give up. Not yet. Not ever.
Her eyes hardened as she looked toward the door. If help was coming, she would be ready. And if it wasn't then she would find her own way.
She was Angela's daughter. Alpha-born. And even in this cage, her flame hadn't gone out. It was only waiting for the right moment to rise
- Writer
