The Lycan Queen

Chapter 6: Trapped

                Abel pulled at the silver chains trying to snap them, ignoring the searing pain. He had no idea how long he had been captive, but everyday he tried to break the chains focused on only getting back to his mate. Who ever was holding them captive was highly educated on the weakness of a Lycan. The chains and bars that held him prisoner were solid silver. Everyday he was left feeling defeated, with no clue as to who was even behind this. The woman in tattered clothing was the only being who even got close enough for him to see. She would slide in a bowl of water and tray of slop three times a day, never getting close enough for him to grab her.  

                Abel had come to the conclusion that the woman was also being held against her will. He could smell and see the fear, not only for him but for the very place they were as a whole. He sat in the damp, darkness of his cell daydreaming of the moment he escaped this place to embrace Rose in his arms. Footsteps echoed outside of the steel door stopping just outside of it. He heard the door creak open on its hinges. “Good your still alive,” the voice from before spoke. “I was worried that worthless human would fail to keep you alive while I was away.” “What do you want from me?” “It’s not what I want from you. It’s what I am trying to stop.” “You sound like a madman,” Abel mocked. “They’ll all call me a madman, but rest assure I will succeed. I will be known throughout history as the Lycan who fooled the Goddess’s precious prophecy.” “What prophecy?” “All will be revealed in due time,” with that the steel door closed once again leaving Abel to his thoughts.

                Like clockwork the human girl delivered his meals. She slid the tray and bowl to him, quickly closing the cell door. “What’s your name?” he asked softly. The girl froze, “I, I, I’m not supp, suppose to tal, talk to you.” She stuttered in response. “He beats you, doesn’t he?” He questioned blindly looking for anything to get her to talk to gain her trust. “Hannah,” she spoke. “Now ple. Ple, please don’t ask me any, any, anymore questions.” Hannah spoke as she hurried out the steel door. “It’s nice to meet you, Hannah.” He said to himself. While it was nothing but a name she spoke, it was still a start. He would have to tread lightly with her if he wanted to gain her trust. The next few days he would greet her by name when she brought his

meals, but she would only slide the food over and hurry away.

                On the fourth day, she paused after locking the cell door. “Are you as hor, hor, horrible, as he sa, says?” “I don’t think so,” Abel replied. “I don’t even know who he is.” She turned and left without another word. He couldn’t help but smile, “baby steps” he thought to his self.  A new determination grew inside of him, he would get back to Rose one way or another. He continued to greet Hannah each time she brought his meals, over the next few weeks she would begin to respond to his greetings. Her stutter even faltered, which he believed to be more from fear than a speech impediment. Overtime he could see her fear of him start to subside.

                “How did you come to work for someone so cruel?” Abel asked as she slid his food and water to him. “When you put it like that, you make it sound like I chose to work for him.” “So how did you end up here,” he rephrased his question. “When I was a little girl, A wolf attacked the small town I live in. Every night he would come and drag off a child. I remember my mother tried to hide me in a cabinet. The wolf was furious, and he killed her. He went to kill me as well, but I guess he decided to keep me as a slave instead. I’ve been here ever since. “I see,” Abel spoke wondering why he had never heard of such a wolf, who hunted humans.

                A few days later Hannah came in, in between meals and sat in front of the cell. “What does he want with you?” She asked out of nowhere. “I thought maybe you knew; I don’t even know who he is.” “I know he comes around more now that you are here.” “Wait, you mean he leaves here.” “Yeah, he hadn’t been here in months before he arrived with you.” “Why haven’t you tried to escape?” “I have,” She quickly responded. “Several times before you came, but he always found me.”

                As time passed the two became close, they discussed their hopes and dreams. Abel often speaks of Rose and how he could not wait to get back to her. She often speaks of memories of her family and hopes of one day returning home. The two-build trust, as well as an unexpected friendship. Often, she would bring his meals and sit a while to talk. The voice in the dark that belonged to the Lycan who was holding him captive, would come here and there taunting him. Abel had learned that he would come every few moons to verify he was still alive and then he would leave again.

                “We have to get out of here,” Abel spoke to Hannah. “It’s no use, he keeps the building locked from the outside.” “You’ve escaped before, haven’t you?” “Yes, but that was long ago. He’s sealed the entrances since then.” “There has to be a weak point somewhere. We can get out of here, I know it. I can get you back to your home and get back to Rose.” “Talking like that will accomplish nothing but get us killed. Don’t you understand? You and I, we’re never getting out of here.” Hannah got up from her spot on the floor abruptly leaving.

                Abel cursed loudly; it had been two days since Hannah had even brought him a meal. He should have been more patient. Now not only was she not going to help him escape, but she was also going to let him starve to death as well. His stomach growled loudly reminding him of how long it had been since his last meal. What was he going to do? He laid in the cell floor prisoner to an unknown Lycan. He would sell his soul to see Rose one last time to tell her that he loved her. He would have never left her that night if he had known that it was going to be the last time, he ever laid eyes on her.

                Abel lifted his head as the sound of the steel doors weight moving against its hinges touched his ears. “Abel,” Hannah whispered, “Are you alive.” “How disappointed would you be if I said yes,” he answered. “Oh, thank God.” She breathed, “I brought you food.” Abel lifted himself up slowly off the cold concrete floor as she opened the cell door. She slid the food across the floor. Not even caring of how horrible it looked he grabbed it and began eating like it was his last meal. He was licking the plate, when he realized that Hannah was sitting cross legged in front of the cell. “I didn’t think you were going to come back,” he spoke now licking the residue of food off his fingers. “I wasn’t,” she responded. “But letting you starve would defeat the purpose of why I didn’t want to come back.” “And what purpose of that be?” “I don’t want to die.”

                Abel awoke the next day to the voice of the darkness taunting him once more. “Your precious Rose is preparing for coming of age,” it spoke. “Only the heir to the Alpha has a coming of age.” Abel replied through gritted teeth. “Ah, you see the Elders believe her to be special. The believe she has a unique power that will aid the Lycans in preventing their extinction when she finds her mate.” “Then you should feel pleased that Elders are holding such a ceremony for the greater good of the Lycans.” “Ah you see, the thing is I happen to know you to be her mate.” “Your lying, you don’t possess the power to know things of an unawaken wolf.” “I guess we shall see on the night of the ceremony then.” His laugh echoed even after he had closed the steel door from leaving.

                Abel charged the cell wall trying to snap the chains only to be jerked back to the cell floor the silver cuffs sizzling against his wrist. It was useless, he was never going to escape. He was going to die here. He knew he was. “Abel,” Hannah whispered. “I’m not in a mood to talk Hannah. I would prefer if you would just starve me again.” “I heard what Master said. Was he talking about Rose?” “It doesn’t matter.” “I’m sorry I’m not brave enough to help you,” She whimpered as she slid the food across the floor. Abel ignored her and the food as he lay in his own sorrow.

                The next three days he did not speak a word to her, he barely touched his food. He had officially lost hope in ever seeing Rose again. “Abel,” Hannah whispered. He ignored her continuing to stare at the ceiling. She opened the cell door stepping inside, “Abel.” He continued to ignore her but could not help but feel his heart start to beat a bit faster. She had never stepped inside the cell door before. She slowly walked towards him calling his name once more. He could feel his heart start to race but remained staring at the ceiling. When she was in reach of him, she stooped down reaching out to touch him. He turned to look at her startling her causing her to fall back on to her bottom. “I thought, I thought you might have, have been dead.” “Death would be the answer to an unspoken prayer,” he spoke coldly. “Can you really get us out of here?” He sat up now looking at her, he saw fear the fear in her eyes that he had grown to know but there was something else there as well. He now saw hope when he looked into her eyes. She had come to him with the hope of escaping this prison. “If I were to get these chains off then yes, I could get us out of here.” He saw the spark of hope falter slightly, “He keeps the keys on him.” “Then we’ll have to take them from him,”

                Over the next few days Hannah would visit bring his first meal and they would discuss throughout the day from there how they would escape. Hannah knew the Lycan who held him captive’s routine. He would visit to check in, remaining two days at a time. The first day they would continue as normal that evening when Hannah served him his meal, she would serve it with a dose of the tranquilizer he had used to capture Abel. Once he was unconscious, she would steal his keys in turn freeing Abel. Once the chains were removed, he would shift in case he the Lycan awoke he would be prepared to fight. Hannah would lead the way out of the building. When they made it out of the building, she would then climb on to his back so that he could travel swiftly allowing them to get as far away as quickly as possible. When they at a safe enough distance he would shift back to his human form. He would then accompany her home. When he was sure she was home and safe, he would then return to his own home hopefully in time for Rose’s Ceremony.

                Abel sat in his prison going over the plan in his head when he heard the familiar voice echo in the darkness. “Tick Tock, Tick Tock. Time’s running out before your Rose is given another.” “So is being a Riddler your part time or full-time job aside from kidnapping,” Abel snarled. “The ceremony approaches quickly; do you think the Goddess herself will risk looking like a full if the mate she chose for our prophecy fails to appear.” “I think if what you spoke was true the Goddess herself would strike you dead.” “A wise wolf but it would be foul play for the Goddess to meddle in free will actions of a Lycan.” Abel charged at the darkness from where the voice coming from ignoring the burning from the chains. “When I get out of here, I’m going to enjoy ripping your head off,” he hissed. “You talk like there’s hope, let’s see how you feel without a few meals,” the voice snarled followed by the slamming of the steel door.

                It was late that evening when Hannah finally arrived with the keys. Abel sighed in relief rubbing his wounds when she removed the chains. He attempted to shift, but found he was too weak from how long he was entrapped by silver. “Hannah, listen to me. I can’t shift so we have to move quickly.” She nodded and quickly began to lead the way. When he stepped out the steel door, he discovered himself to be in a dimly lighted hallway of what looked to be an abandoned facility of some sort. He followed Hannah down the hallway taking a left at the end, and then down another taking a right. They were making their way up a flight of stairs when he heard the growl of the Lycan. He looked at Hannah in time to see all the color rush from her face. “Run,” he hissed as he began to dart up the stairs himself.

                They were coming on to the second landing when out of no where I reddish brown massive wolf attacked Hannah. She released a blood curling scream as the wolf bit down on her dragging her, snarling. The Wolf made eye contact with Abel before he clamped down snapping her neck. “Noooo,” Abel screamed as he watched the wolf drop Hannah’s lifeless body. He turned to run, tears in his eyes but the wolf moved quickly grabbing him. He tried to fight the wolf off, but he was still too weak from the prolonged entrapment of silver. The wolf dragged him back down the stairs to the cell he had just escaped from. Slinging Him against the cell wall hard enough he heard his ribs crack. He fell to the floor gasping for air. The wolf stood snarling, daring him to move. Blood filled his mouth, the pain nearly unbearable. He saw the Lycan began to shift. He could not believe the man that was now standing over him, “It’s you, how could you.” The Lycan now in his human form began to laugh before he kicked him in his already broken ribs. “The pack trust you,” he grunted before being over come by the pain drifting into darkness.