Song of the chapter- It Has Begun by STARSET
EMMA'S POV
Screams.
My own screams of pain and anguish.
That's all I heard now a days. I don't know how long I've been here, how long since I left behind everything that I once thought was mine. The first few days here, that I thought were bad, now felt like a much better option than the torture and suffering I had to go through everyday. The day the dangerous looking man, who was their Alpha, visited me they turned my life into living hell.
Now they only lowered the chains when I needed to eat, waking me up by a bucket of burning hot water probably mixed with alcohol as the burning on my tender skin was something I've never ever experienced, the only familiar thing was the dry bread I got as my meal, as they did some additional changes in my life making it more colourful. Note the sarcasm.
Everyday I was tortured. By tortured I mean being whipped with whips covered in wolfsbane for hours, even getting randomly slapped or punched by the guards if they were in bad moods; and their favourite pass time was carving random patterns on my skin with knives and guessing what it was before it healed, but it stopped as my skin was now unable to heal me because of my lack of energy.
I was shocked myself as how I was even surviving on bread and water but then I did nothing, not even trying to escape or even fight against them. My wolf was now tired and it was barely alive so I tried to save as much energy as possible despite their daily torture and wierd herbs they gave me. Zoe and Ivan rarely visited as they must be busy with something else. Usually I tried to listen to what the guards always talked about as my cage, this is what I'm calling this cell currently, was their favourite gossip spot because they didn't have to worry about anyone else listening; atleast that's what they thought but I tried to listen as much as I can before the herbs made me pass out.
"You know this lake was named after one of the ancestors of the vampires, Alisberg Everston", I heard the guard who just punched me a few minutes ago speak.
"Yeah everyone knows that you dumb-ass", the other one said. That's when it clicked. They literally just revealed the place where they were keeping me. The Alisberg lake ofcourse, the lake that was haunted according to humans, and which was originally owned and then abandoned by the vampires as it was pretty close to the werewolves area.
Nobody came here as vampires didn't want to mess with the wolves and they wolves didn't want to mess with the vampires. Plus the abandoned manor near the lake which also once belonged to the vampire, and was now abandoned, was literally a bonus.
All I had to do was to inform my pack, but how? As if to indicate its presence my mark started burning, reminding me of the mate bond and the strong link between two mates. That's when it clicked it was my wolf helping me to tell Ethan where I was as he'd obviously come for me. I tried, to think about him, to channel my power in one place and then focus it on just delivering it to him. I knew I did this once when I was about to pass out and I even got a reply, or atleast it felt like that, so I tried again.
"The Alisberg Lake", was my last thought before I again fell into dreamless slumber.
I was woken up with the feel of cold fingers on my bare shoulder, but then I remembered I was wearing a full sleeved shirt when they took me, the thought caused me to open my eyes when I found a pair of dark eyes looking back at me. It was one of the guards, one sleeve of my shirt was torn, he was standing close to me, too close, one if his hand grabbed my face as he leaned in, the realisation that he was trying to kiss me kicked in as I pulled back.
Suddenly I felt his sharp claws digging into my cheeks as he pinned my head against the wall, his predatory eyes looking into mine with a creepy smile on his face as he kissed me, for the first time I tried to fight back. The tiredness, sleepiness was all gone, I had this power surging through me, running through my nerves, it felt like my body was burning, my blood boiling and when he tore my shirt open it was the last straw as suddenly a bloodcurdling scream left my mouth and I had him pinned against the wall. My body wasn't in my control, it felt like I was watching all of this from the attackers point of view but in reality I was the attacker.
Within seconds this head and body were lying on two different corners of the room, I realised I broke free from all the chains but my body wasn't healing, all of a sudden I felt weak again, my legs gave up, my vision got blury when the door opened and from what I can tell, it was Ivan. He said something, I saw his mouth move but I heard nothing, I felt nothing, and this feeling of feeling nothing was great. Peaceful, calm, and just like that I passed out for the second time that day.
When I woke up again with the familiar burn of chains covered in wolfsbane digging into my skin, when I opened my eyes my surroundings were bright, too bright, as I hadn't seen any kind of light since I was locked up in the cell. When I opened my eyes again, I realised I was sitting, in a room much more better than the one I was being kept in. In fact, this one looked like some kind of royal meeting hall or something, the old wall covered in torn up wallpaper, the furniture was also old yet beautiful. Everything around me looked pretty vintage and expensive, I was snapped out of thoughts when I heard footsteps from behind me.
I tried to turn around but I couldn't when the footsteps came to a stop just behind me, the persons breathing on my neck caused me to tense up as the events from what happened earlier came to my mind. "Relax", the voice said it was oddly familiar, the speaker finally moved in front of me as I realised it was Ivan. A sigh of relief left my mouth, I don't know why but there was something about him that made me feel like he wasn't going to harm me.
"He'll be here soon. I need you to listen carefully, don't let him complete the spell, you have to get out of here before the second stage okay? I'm losing these chains enough that you can do something. But you have to work fast", he said in a hurry slightly wincing as his bare fingers brushed the wolfsbane but the did lose them up.
"What are you talking about?", I finally asked as I didn't understand a word he was speaking.
"Look, he is going to do something very bad. You have to get out before completes the spell okay? Just get out of here as fast as you ca-", he stopped speaking and then put a finger on his lips to tell me to keep quiet probably because someone was coming. I wasn't even able to hear them as my senses were pretty weak.
He tensed as I too finally heard some footsteps coming towards us and the door opened before I can even process what happened, Ivan's hand wrapped around my neck, his grip was too tight but enough to cut of most of my oxygen. I was confused but then their Alpha came into my view standing behind Ivan with a creepy smirk on his face.
Ivan blinked twice at me and then loosened his grip but I still acted as if I was chocking so his Alpha won't doubt him. The words that came out of his Alpha's mouth made me rethink about everything I knew, "Ivan this isn't the right way to treat your soon to be wife, now is it?", He said.
Ivan stepped back and turned to look at him as he titled his head slightly not saying anything. "Wh-what are you talking about?", I asked.
"Oh don't worry dear we have enough time to catch up and make up for the father-daughter time we missed", he said directly looking into my eyes. I wasn't ready to believe it but then we literally had the same eyes.
Plus I looked different from anyone in my family. My dad had green eyes but our eyes weren't totally identical and my hair matched my mum's but there still was a bit difference, where as Zach had my mum's brown eyes and my dad's light brown hair causing us to look not related at all but I never thought too much about it. Until now.
"Who are you?", I asked again. Trying not to think too much as my head was already throbbing.
"I am Donovan. The strongest wolf ever created by the moon goddess, and you my dear had the fortune of being my daughter", he said smiling darkly at me.
"That-that isn't true, my dad is-", he cut me off by saying "who are you talking about? That poor doctor? As if he could ever be compared me", he said with a challenging look on his face showing that I probably hurted his ego which didn't affect me.
"Why are you doing this? All this lying? Kidnapping me? Pretending to be my dad? What do you want?", I screamed. I was trying to keep my calm but I don't think anyone in this situation would have been able to do that.
"Patience", he said in a dismissing tone. The fact that he wasn't even bothered about me screaming and I was desperate for answers made my situation worse. He talked to Ivan for a while and then he asked him to leave.
When we were finally alone he sat on the huge throne which was in the centre of the room. "So you think I'm lying? If you weren't my daughter and the one who had what I needed I won't waste my time on you, you fool", he barked in a harsh tone making me flinch as his forest green eyes stared back at me.
"Why are you doing this?", I tried to speak again but it came out as a mere whisper though he might have heard it as he chuckled. He stood up from the throne walking towards me like a hunter a trudging towards his prey.
"Let me start from the start. Years ago, when I was the new Alpha of my pack I met your mother, Selene. She was different, magnificent and enchanting; and then I found out she was a witch, sent to kill me, by the moon goddess. Despite that, we fell for eachother. It was unfortunately a mistake, because you see, love is for weak and helpless people who prioritise these mere feeling and emotions over power. I think we both realised that because when you were born she ran away. With my child. My belonging, my power. You are the key to my power, I can rule the whole world", he said with a smirk on his face.
"Then why wait till now? You could've found me years ago? And what is it about me? I'm just a normal wolf how can I ever make you that strong?", I asked. I stil was trying to process this information but these questions were surfacing one after another and I was desperate for the answers.
"You see, that foolish witch was not really that foolish afterall. She casted a spell on you to lock away your powers, until you yourself needed them, when you were in a desperate need for help, only then those powers were to be unlocked. Also she did do a pretty good job in hiding you. We searched almost every coven but we found you living in a pack", he said shaking his head as if he didn't approve the witch Selene, my mother probably, out smarting him.
"And those powers? Ah, they my dear are the gift by the moon goddess, to the daughter of a wolf and a witch, it is the key to rule the world. Not only the wolves, but the witches, the vampires all of them would be under me, under my rule. All of that, just because of you", he said leaning down to eye level to me. I was scared, not because of the big bad Alpha standing in front of me but the greed, the evil, the need for power, the hunger I saw in his eyes was what scared me.
And I knew I had to get out of here.
Before he can move I managed to get one of my hand out of the chains and punched him, with everything I had. My wrist felt like it was broken that was how much it hurt but I didn't stop, I turned around and smashed the chair against one of the huge pillar and it broke, I got out of the chains but before I can even move towards the door a hand pulled me back. Donovan had his arms around my neck in seconds as he pushed me against the pillar. He lifted me, with one hand, my feets dangling off of the ground and to think Ivan was chocking me, then this should be considered something much worse.
"I was nice to you. You should be grateful that I haven't killed you yet you little brat", he spat.
"Then do it, kill me", I managed to speak. Even I didn't know where I was getting this strength from but something in me didn't want to give up.
"Oh I will. I was thinking that I'd let you live, even join my army but not everyone deserves the fortune, and specially ungrateful brats like you should learn their lessons", he said smiling at me darkly. Then he continued, "Your mother, didn't know her place, and that cost her her life. Now you are just like her. Ungrateful, unworthy, selfcentered bitch and you will learn to bow down to those who are superior than you."
"No I won't", I said looking him dead in his eyes. I knew I was getting a one way ticket to my death but my wolf was encouraging me to keep going. I wasn't speaking for just myself but everyone out there who was oppressed or deprived of their rights.
He slapped me. It wasn't like one of the slaps I'd get from the guards, it was much more worse, his extended claws scratched the side of my face, I felt blood running down my right cheek, my neck turned with such force I was afraid that if a bit more harder it might have snapped.
Before he can make another move the door opeaned, revealing Ivan, Zoe, and other guards who were carrying some books and candles.
"What happened?", Ivan spoke in a cold and detached voice even though you can see some curiosity in his eyes.
"Oh nothing. I was just teaching her a lesson", Donovan said casually and dropped me as I fell helplessly on the floor.
"Stand up", Donovan said with urgency.
I tried to stand up with my hands supporting me but I fell backwards when too much pressure was applied on the wrist which I had used to punch Donovan.
Ivan moved forward probably with the intention of helping me but was stopped by Donovan as he himself pulled me to stand, his strong grip might've left bruises but I didn't care as I knew I was sporting many of them on my whole body.
"Now, lets get started", he said and pulled me to lay down on a table that was brought in by the guards. I was wearing the black tank top that I was wearing under my shirt, that had been torn up by the guard, making me more vulnerable.
"What are you doing?", I asked not looking at someone specially as Zoe tightly tied my hands again. Ivan was just standing there, emotionless, motionless.
"You know, this power you have isn't your, you don't deserve it, it should've been given to someone more deserving, more worthy and that's exactly what we're gonna do", Donovan said as he pulled out a sharp dagger from a bag.
"This belonged to your mother, she left it for you, so you can make a good use of it. And that's exactly what I'm going to do", and with that he started build a circle with some white substance around me and all I could do was to watch. I knew he was going to do some witchy stuff now to take away my powers and then he'd kill me, so I had to get out as soon as possible. What Ivan had said came back to my mind, if I managed to get out before he completes whatever he's trying it'll be incomplete and I'd have my powers with me, hopefully.
I tried to free my wrists but they were tied pretty tightly, so were my legs. I needed someone or something to break these. Donovan had started to mutter something already meaning he was starting the spell, I tired to think how I managed to break the chains in the cell I was kept in. The power, the energy I felt. But nothing happened. I knew that was my last chance and I had to do it.
I thought about dying and the things I'd lose if that happened. The pain, the torture they put me through, all the bad things; and I felt the same sensation of energy running through my whole body, I knew I didn't have much time so I pulled my wrist with all my will and they broke but then everyone's attention was also captured by this act of mine.
Without wasting anytime I freed my legs and jumped off of the table, but then I felt a sharp edge digging into my skin, tearing it apart from my left shoulder to my wrist, the same one which was broken.
Everything happened too fast, guards running around, the door of the hall opeaning but my focus was on Donovan as I released all the power I had, a heart wrenching scream left my mouth and I passed out for the third time that day, the last thing I remembered was Ethan's voice.
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Published on:- 1 September, 2021.
The biggest chapter I've ever written is here snowflakes. I hope you enjoy it, if you feel like somethings aren't clearly explained or are confusing pls kindly comment your doubts and I'd try to clear it up.
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Love,
IceQueen