Kayden’s POV
I stood transfixed staring at her, her eyes grew wet and even more teary while I said no word, still trying to take her words in.
She was a slave? A slave for who? Who made her a slave? Who was still practising slavery in these modern times?
I stared at her dumbly for minutes before my mind and brain returned to their function.
“What… What does she mean?”Jay asked and I shook my head.
“Wh… What do you mean?” I asked her in a stutter.
“I… I am a slave Kayden,” she replied and thus time I could feel my anger start to grow.
Who the hell in the world was practising slavery?!;
“Who is it ugh?” I asked her.
“I… I have no idea.” she sniffed back tears and I wrapped my arm around her.
“No crying Mantha, I am here for you,” I mumbled to her.
“Would you tell me all about it?” I asked softly and she nodded after a slight hesitation.
She pulled her hair off her neck and slowly caressed the mark on her neck.
“This mark … This mark signifies that I am a slave,” she replied to me.
“Can… Can you continue to tell me everything about you?” I asked her as softly as I could.
I did not want to get angry, make her scared and make her stop what she was telling to me.
“I… I have no idea exactly how I became a slave. I was told that I was only 2 years old when I was taken with the others.” she started.
“The ones who took you… They know you are a wolf?” I asked.
“They… They do know… They take only wolves.” she replied and at that moment, Jay growled loudly.
I grabbed the bedstead and clenched hard on it, I was so infuriated at this point. The fact that slavery had been in the Wolfdom angered me and almost pushed me over the edges.
I was so angry that I just wanted to go out and kill every one of them but then I still had to listen to Mantha fully.
“Are… Are you sad that I am a slave?” She asked with teary eyes.
“No, not at all. It has never been your fault, it’s all the fault of those involved in this slave trade.” I seethed.
“Kayden… I am scared.” she buried her face in my chest and I patted her back for minutes while she soaked my clothes with tears.
After a few moments, she raised her head up to look at me, I could feel her intense sadness and fear of the unknown.
“Do… Do you have an idea of who you were before you were taken as a slave?” I asked her.
“Granny said… She said I am the next Alpha of the pack,” she replied and immediately I knew that explained what the witch had said about Mantha being the daughter of an alpha or a powerful beta.
“But… But then what sort of alpha am I turning out to be? Take a look at me, I look so helpless Kay” she mumbled.
“You are not helpless Mantha, you are strong, you are the strongest woman I have ever seen. The contest you had shown that clearly.” I replied her.
“No Kay, all of them, all of my pack, the day that you took me in”
“The ones chasing after you the other day, they are slave masters?” I asked her and she nodded, wiping off her tears.
“My… My granny, they took her away… I don’t even know if she is alive or dead.” she wept harder and I remembered the night she had called out the name of her friends granny in her sleep.
“It’s okay, no one would take me away from you.” I tried to comfort her even though I was raging inside and comforting others was not the best option for me right now but then this was my mate.
“Th… They were going to defile us that night I ran away,” she added.
“Trying to defile you?” I asked quite surprised, knowing very well that might cause the end of the wolf side.
“Yes… That was what they were trying to do, that’s why I was dressed in a nice dress that night,” she added.
“Your mum? Your dad?” I asked and she shook her head.
“I… I don’t have memories of them,” she replied to me with her cracking voice.
It broke me to see her in that state and I could promise that I was going to ruin those who dared to treat my mate this way and even treat wolves in such a way when very well I am the ruling Alpha of Alphas!
“Listen to me Mantha, I know it must have all been hard on you, I promise you I am going to deal with all of this,” I promised her.
“Do you know the precise place where the slaves are kept?” I asked her and she shook her head slowly.
“No one is allowed to go out, the very first time I stepped out was that night,” she replied and I patted her head soothingly.
“You have no idea where it is at all?”
“The place where we met… It wasn’t too far from there, I… I went through the woods to get there, it must not be far from the woods.” she replied.
“Do you know what the slaves are being used for exactly?” I asked her and she slowly shook her head.
“I have no idea, all I know is that once a male shapeshift and he is strong enough, he is taken away from our midst, only the weak and the ones that have not shapeshifted yet are left alone,” she replied.
“Thank you so much for trusting me enough to tell me all of this.” I thanked her.
“I promise you, Samantha of the Green Moss pack, I Alpha Kayden would revive your pack and set everyone free, I promise those guys would not survive what they have done!”