Chapter 49: The Dungeon

Lucinda

Ouch. Ah, my neck hurt badly.

I opened my eyes with a groan.

What the hell?!

I shot up. I was on a cold gray floor. In a cold gray cell. The bars at the entrance gleamed. It was a fair size though, and I saw a torch outside. It looked like i was in the last cell in a passage. A small, barred window was situated high on the wall. Long, iron chains bound me to the walls.

"What is the fucking meaning of this?" I cursed.

I painfully stood up.

I staggered to the door. The chains were long; I could reach the door and even maybe step out a little bit and still have a lot of slack.

These bastards locked me up? This had to be some sort of dungeon.

The sunlight slanted in through the square in the wall. I saw that the walls were almost a whole foot thick. Solid stone. The key hung on a hook on the wall right outside about a meter away. Just out of reach.

I will not deign to describe the sanitary situation.

Why was I even here? "Lexi, I'll have your head," I whispered, my lip curled in scorn.

Metal clanged, echoing through the dull gray place. I looked out warily.

"I can see you're awake," said Luna.

I growled.

"Oh don't try to intimidate me," she laughed. "Being mated to an Alpha has its perks."

"Don't even remind me," I answered dryly.

"Oh, I suppose you hoped you were my son's mate," she sneered.

I gave her nothing but a blank stare. "Where is Tyler?" I asked flatly.

"Alive and safe," she answered, "which, I'm sure, is less that what you were expecting."

I shut my eyes and sighed. "May I see him?"

She laughed. Actually laughed. I wondered what was funny. "You, young she-wolf, want to see my son. After everything you did, you of all people want to see my son. Why would I let you? You've brought him nothing but harm in the time he's been exposed to you—"

"Why are you speaking like I am some kind of bad air, I wonder? And as to your other question, because he wants to see me. I'm pretty confident about it. Besides, I'm almost sure you can't stop him, so if he says he's walking in here it's not in your job description to let him."

"Don't you dare speak to me like your equal, you little traitress," she hissed. But I saw the pain hiding behind her quivering grey irises.

Whatever that was about...

I shut my eyes and took a deep breath. "You are fortunate to be Tyler's mother," I murmured as softly as possible.

"First, you couldn't hurt me even if you tried, and second, don't pretend like you care for Tyler. You don't even deserve to speak his name." Anger burned in her eyes.

I wondered what had got her so worked up. Luna was usually a lot more cool and collected than the people around her. She was one of the people I was sure had mastered the art of showing no emotion... so why was she so expressive all of a sudden?

But I couldn't help reciprocating her mood. "I would like to know why I am here," I growled.

"You are in the pack dungeon because we believe that it was through your communication with the shifters that we have been losing young wolves to them over the past few months."

"And Tyler believes that too?" I asked incredulously.

"Quiet, young she-wolf," she growled. "If you must know, it was Tyler himself who saw you that night as you had a little chat with one of the creatures."

"Listen, I didn't even know it was a shifter at that time! I couldn't pick up any scents and it just looked like an ordinary boy in extraordinary clothes!"

"Did you really expect me to believe that?" Luna sneered.

My anger grew and grew. "You were not there," I growled, "and if your precious son has an ounce of self respect, he would tell you the truth about what happened in that clearing. If he was worth anything he would man up and look me in the eyes, and tell me why the hell he would believe that I orchestrated that attack. If he can't, though," I snarled, "then you just happen to have a very pathetic wimp for your next Alpha."

Luna's eyes were now glowing brilliant white and her jaw and fists were clenched in anger. Searing pain latched onto my chest. I clutched it, violently coughing blood as I fell to my knees.

"I healed you," she stated coldly. "That doesn't mean I can't tear you back apart from the inside out."

Her shoes echoed on the stone walls. I wiped the blood off my face and retreated to the back of my cell, where there was a blanket and some straw. I sat down panting.

I tried connecting with my wolf, to no avail. Whatever this place was must have been built for werewolves; I still had my wonderful senses and healing but I couldn't sense Veli's presence.

Meaning I couldn't shift.

I growled lowly to myself. Tyler turned out not to be quite what I had hoped. What was he doing, remaining silent and allowing his pack to accuse me like this? Luna said he was okay— which was quite relieving considering how I had last seen him— so why was he so cold? Did he still not believe me after everything I said to him? I thought he actually felt remorse for that. Otherwise, why did he save my life and take the stab himself?

And... I had at least expected that he would come visit his mate...

Was I being too presumptuous? What if mates didn't always love each other the way they were supposed to? My mother's experience would prove it.

My mother, I thought wistfully. Tyler had not given me any news about her. Now, I wondered if he had even looked.

How ironic— both mother and daughter had despicable mates.

The only difference was, mine was too cowardly to even mistreat me face to face.

The sunlight disappeared, and I was given some food. Morning came. A small breakfast was given to me. The sun was just beginning to peek into my west-facing window when the metal clanged again.

Lexi's scent hit me. She stood at the door and called to me.

"Cindy," I heard her voice.

"Leave," I barked.

She left immediately.

In a minute, she returned and spoke frantically. "Please just come speak with me, Cindy."

I didn't feel like sending her away at once. Besides, I had to blow off some steam.

Dragging my chains behind me, I slowly approached her at the door.

"Hello," I said with frost in my tone. "Have you missed me, Alexandra?"

She winced visibly. Her eyes showed sadness, shame, guilt, and regret. As they should.

"I suppose I missed you. At any rate, I'm sure I missed having a friend who wouldn't doubt me. Someone who didn't regard me as a land mine about to explode," I continued bitterly.

"Cindy, I know you're mad. And I'm sorry. Honest, I am. You don't deserve to be locked up like this."

"You're sorry?" I scoffed. "Sorry for what? For treating me like a spy? Or worse, for pretending you didn't?!"

"Both, okay? I'm sorry. I guess I shouldn't have called Tyler when I saw you run from the school. Maybe I should have just asked you what was wrong."

"Which would have been a much preferred alternative," I cut in.

"I'm here to give you the benefit of the doubt. I don't believe you would actually organize such an attack, but, well, I have to ask."

"No, of course I didn't," I snapped. "The day I met Donovan I didn't even realize he was a shifter." Her expression turned to shocked realization. Rolling my eyes, I griped, "And anyways, why did you bother coming to give me the benefit of the doubt? Why don't you just ask Tyler dearest what happened?" My lip curled contemptuously. "He's your Alpha after all. I'm sure my words wouldn't be worth shit if they disagreed with his in the slightest."

Lexi's already pale complexion was now paper white. A tear jumped into her eye. "Uh, about that," she whispered, her other eye brimming too. "Tyler," her bottom lip shook as she closed her eyes, causing her tears to run down her face.

I suddenly wanted to hug her and wipe her tear. I wanted to comfort her, but I was too breathless waiting for what she would say next to do anything.

Her eyelids rose again, revealing blue eyes filled with tears and sorrow and very pure fear.

"Tyler's badly injured. He's in a coma and has been this whole time. For some reason his body isn't healing the way it ought. The doctors don't know if he'll survive much longer."