Zara’s POV
I didn’t receive many visitors after Terra left, except for a young-looking rogue girl bringing me something to eat and drink.
Upon initial observation, I mistakenly believed the she-wolf to be a teenage girl involved in a horrific accident, as a scar adorned her attractive face and her left side was severely limited in movement. She didn’t speak at all.
My gaze swept over the same she-wolf as she entered the room. She wasn’t very tall; she stood around 4’9 in high and had dark chocolate brown eyes and blond hair.
“She reminds me of Amelia,” Kaya said. “I wonder what happened to her. It seems like she is hurting.”
I nodded in reply and silently observed the girl as she set down the tray on the table.
I could feel the pain radiating from her.
“Her wolf seems to have some kind of status, but I can’t tell if she is a high-ranked wolf,” Kaya added. “However, I am sure she isn’t an omega. She possesses strength beneath her human skin, likely originating from a powerful pack.”
“I have sensed that too,” I replied, observing the girl intensely. “Why isn’t her wolf healing her?”
“I can’t tell,” Kaya replied.
The girl slowly approached me and hesitated for a moment before she reached out to unlock the cuffs.
“You can relax,” I said. “I will not try and do anything to hurt you. I can see you are in pain.”
A smile tugged at the side of her lips. She nodded slowly and unlocked the cuffs.
She stepped aside, gesturing to the tray of food. I wasn’t hungry, but I knew I had to keep up my strength.
“Thank you,” I said, rubbing my wrists.
I slowly raised myself from the bed and moved toward the table to sit down. The food wasn’t anything special, just a piece of bread and a bowl of soup.
“It smells fine,” Kaya yapped. “There are no traces of any poisons in it.”
I thanked Kaya and reached for the bread. I broke it into smaller pieces and dunked it in the soup.
The she-wolf stood quietly at the door, waiting for me to finish.
“What’s your name?” I asked, stuffing the soaked bread into my mouth.
The girl knitted her eyebrows together and shifted her head to the side. She seemed a bit taken aback by the fact that I spoke to her.
“You don’t need to be scared of me,” I continued. “I mean you no harm. I am simply attempting to initiate conversations. I haven’t spoken to anyone for some time…”
The girl hesitated and looked uncomfortable. She wasn’t sure what to do.
“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” I said, and turned my attention back to the soup.
“She’s coming closer,” Kaya warned. “I think you got her attention now.”
“That is good news; let her approach,” I replied. “She can’t hurt us even if she tries. We are much stronger than she is.”
Kaya nodded in understanding. We have long since eliminated all wolfsbane and silver from our system. We had regained our full strength.
If it wasn’t for the dark magic that protected the room, I would have taken a chance to escape a long time ago.
Kaya noticed the boundary spell when the she-wolf entered with a tray of food the first time she came to visit.
There was no way I could just walk out the door. I would need someone’s help to do so.
“H-Hay-ley,” the soft, timid voice stammered into my ears.
I froze with the spoon in the air, and a soft smile followed on my lips.
“Nice to meet you, Hayley,” I said and set the spoon down. “My name is Luna-”
“Z-zara,” she cut me off.
“So you know who I am?” I asked surprised, and she quickly nodded.
“Everyone knows,” she stated.
“Is she stuttering because she’s hurt or scared?” Kaya asked.
“I am not sure,” I replied, and shifted my attention back to Hayley.
“Seems my name is a popular subject among you all,” I said. “Why don’t you come and tell me what you know about me?”
Hayley hesitated, her gaze shifting toward the door.
“Are you scared of whoever is behind that door?” I asked.
She shook her head.
“Then what is the matter?” I asked.
“I am n-ot-” she stuttered.
“Supposed to talk to me?” I asked.
She nodded.
“We can keep this our little secret,” I suggested. “Besides, I am leaving soon. Terra has already revealed all her plans for me. Soon I will be nothing but a worthless human…”
Hayley slowly raised her gaze to find mine.
“A-are you no-not s-scared?” She asked.
I shrugged. I had moved past the stage of fear. I was now bitter, angry, and even revengeful.
“Why should I be?” I inquired, gesturing to her to sit at my table.
Hayley hesitated before struggling closer, her gaze never leaving mine. She seemed afraid of me, yet I had a feeling she was terrified of what Terra was planning to do with me.
“Here, have some,” I said, handing her a piece of bread.
Hayley gave me a bewildered look. The fact that I had just suggested sharing my small portion of food with her startled her.
“Come on,” I said. “I don’t mind. You looked like you needed it more than I do.”
Hayley nodded, and she reached out to take the piece of bread from me. Her hand softly brushed against mine.
Horrific images of her past flashed before my eyes, causing me to gasp as the pain she endured washed through my body.
I dropped the bread, out of breath, and Hayley’s eyes grew wide.
“Ar-are you okay, Luna?” She asked.
“What happened to you?” I asked, disregarding her inquiry and concern. “Who are you really?”
Hayley dropped the bread on the table, her face twisted in agony.
“I was an Alpha’s daughter from a pack in the Far East,” she said, reverting her gaze to her hands. “The Alpha thought I was you.”
He tortured her. He hurt her, believing she was me. How many others did he hurt? How many others will suffer the same fate?
“How did he get his hands on you?” I asked, anger boiling inside me.
Hayley swallowed hard, and tears welled up in her eyes. However, she shook her head, refusing to share the information with me.
I grabbed Hayley’s arm, and, bewildered, her gaze snapped back at me.
“Tell me, Hayley,” I ordered. “Tell me what happened!”
Something shifted inside me as the anger inside me grew. I care for this girl and her people. I felt their pain and sorrow. I wanted to help them!
“He tricked my f-father into telling him I-I was s-something s-special,” she said, tears spilled over. “Then, when he realized I wasn’t what he was looking for, he slaughtered my entire pack. He took me away as punishment. He made me a slave like the others.”
“Slave?” I asked, letting go of her arm. “Others? What do you mean by that?”
“His pack only consists of members taken from the surrounding packs,” she whispered. “We are mainly young, inexperienced wolves.”
“Why don’t you leave?” I asked.
“We can’t,” she said, her eyes pleased. “Magic binds us to him.”
“The same magic that surrounds these walls?” I asked; my gaze shifted to the shimmer covering the walls.
She nodded and said, “The Beta is a powerful one. He possesses magic that bounds out wolves by invisible chains-we can’t leave. He lets the Alpha feed from our wolves’ magic….”
Hayley suddenly stopped talking, and I filled in the blanks. The Alpha would feed on their wolf’s magic until there was nothing left, then dispose of them.
“That’s why your wolf can’t heal you,” I said.
Hayley nodded, even though it wasn’t a question.
“Her name is Lina,” Heyley said proudly. “My wolf is of Delta rank. She has been serving him for almost eight years. Her time serving him is running out. She wouldn’t live for another year.”
I felt sorry for Hayley and the others like her.
“I am truly sorry to hear that,” I replied and pulled her into a hug.
What happened next gave me a whole new perspective on how strong my magic really was.
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