Her Rejection's Revenge

CHAPTER NINE: GIRL IN THE BASEMENT

Even though I had been anticipating the excruciating pain, the words of rejection created havoc inside me. My weak wolf shrieked against the overcoming distress, my whole body shaking uncontrollably. It wouldn’t stop, and it felt like every cell of my body was rearranging itself, and I fell to the floor against the deep anguish which assailed me.

People surrounded me to catch me from falling, but their show of concern didn’t touch me anymore. I could feel nothing but the dark gnawing feeling of raw violent pain inside me, and I gasped when it became too intense to sustain.

My teeth rattled so loudly that I had to grip my fists into two tight knuckles, but I felt the fragile bones crack. My wolf was suffering so much that my ears rung with the pain. When my mind blanked, it was almost a relief that everything came to a stop.

When I came back to myself, it was already in the evening. Was it the same day? I could see the sun setting through my window. My lips were parched, and it took me a moment to get back my bearings after I pried my eyes open. I was no longer in the hall but in a dimly lit room with no light now that the was setting.

I tried to sit up, but immediately winced in agony as the movement backfired on me. Every cell of my body rebelled, and I stayed out, not even making another effort. The mark at my neck was burning, and I could feel my wolf no longer responding.

The betrayal of my boyfriend and best friend was still fresh on my mind though, although I was too much in pain to even move. I refused to cry as tears would be even more stupid now. I allowed all this to happen to me, and I had to assume the circumstances.

Besides, I had no way to stop them. They had me both cornered and whatever defense I would come up with would be thrown right into my face. But I failed to understand what I was doing here. Now that my eyes had adjusted to the darkness, I recognized the room as the basement located in the Cooper’s mansion which was used to stash our old weapons.

My tongue darted to moisten my dry lips. My eyes darted around to check the mess in the room which was not pleasant by the way. I tried to move again but the effort cost me too much and I passed out again.

The second time I woke up, there was movement around me. Thank goodness.

“Who’s out there?” I called out in the dark, and I longed for a sip of water. I still failed to move as the pain overpowered me once again, and I didn’t want to make too much effort in case I passed out again. “Mom, is that you?”

There was no answer, and my heart skipped a beat as I could not even smell the intruder. That wasn’t a good sign.

Terrified of the morose silence, I tried not to let the panic get to me. Were they planning on killing me? It would not be so easy as we lived in the human world and explaining my death would be difficult. But I wouldn’t put it past them to try to remove me out of their paths. My boyfriend and my best friend. Well, exes both of them.

But right now, before I let my thoughts go back to those traitors again, I channeled my fears. “Who’s out there?” I tried again, once again trying to moisten my dry throat. “Why am I being held in the basement?”

Again no answer. I took in a breath to calm myself down, but I could not control my speeding heart. Whoever was out there didn’t have the best of intentions. Spurred, I made another wriggling effort to sit up, biting my lips to withstand the pain which increased with my struggles. I moaned and whimpered, but another cracking sound indicated that another bone had almost snapped.

“Alright, don’t move!” a gruff voice ordered, and I blinked in the dark as I recognized the voice. Isaac, the rogue was also there with me. What were they thinking stashing me in the same room as a rogue? Had Braxton lost his mind?

I knew he didn’t want me around after the things he’d done to me, but did he hate me so much as to imprison me with a rogue? Didn’t he know how dangerous the types were?

“W…. what are you doing in here?” I managed to croak unable to recognize my own voice. It came out husky and thick.

“I am tied up,” he replied briskly. “I am being held captive until they decide my fate.”

“With me?” I asked in horror. Was that what I was reduced to? A meaningless person who did not even matter to them anymore. To anyone? What about my parents? Did they not care about me a little bit?

“Listen….,” he said in a rough voice when I remained silent. I was taking umbrage – I was so offended to be stuck with a rogue that I didn’t know what to say. And I was in deep pain without being fed even water for hours. No one had come checking on me, and even if they had I wasn’t getting any proper medical treatment.

I was craving for something to drink. Even if there were food in the room, I could barely move to pick it up. I was not able to even lift my little finger without wincing in pain. I was unable to guess for how many days I had gone without food or water – only heartbreak and pain inhabited my senses.

“There’s food on the floor if you want,” he offered politely, as if he’d read my mind. I cringed in embarrassment, feeling deeply ashamed of resorting to seek help from a rogue werewolf. That was beyond me. In fact, that was beyond any werewolf who was under the protection of a pack.

But my stomach growled, and I was no longer able to sustain the hunger. I clenched my jaw as tears of self-pity welded up.

“Come closer,” he ordered again in that brittle voice which set me on my nerve, and I bristled in annoyance.

“I can’t!” I exclaimed in frustration as the tears spilled over my cheeks unchecked. Humiliation roared through me as I confessed my weakness to that horrible guy. I couldn’t see him and imagining his pitying look was a thousand times worst. “I can’t move at all. It’s too painful.”

The confession was reluctant, wrested from my mouth in an abrupt blurt. I bit my lips wishing for the spontaneous words to come back, but once it was out, I felt the warmth of shame crawl onto my face. Had I just admitted to a rogue that I was in pain, that I needed his help?

Thankfully, Isaac didn’t say anything and moved towards me still bound in his chains to thrust something in my mouth. It wasn’t a very gallant gesture, but given the circumstances, I could hardly blame him. The man had to strain to be able to reach me.

I started to chew and gagged immediately. Whatever was in my mouth tasted stale and tasteless. Every cell in my body screamed in protest at the foulness, but I swallowed them valiantly. This was probably the only edible thing I would get for the next few days. When Isaac offered me another bite, I shook my head in refusal.

“Water, please,” I croaked huskily, tongue moistening my dry lips again. I gulped like a starved puppy when he served me water, my hands coming up to keep the bowl in place, spilling the liquid all over me in the process.

“Thank you,” I muttered gratefully, averting my eyes when he placed the bowl within my reach. My ears were burning with shame, and I refused to meet him in the eye. It was dark anyway – it wouldn’t have mattered. I was the only one affected by how far I had fallen.

Once again, tears filled my eyes and I allowed them to drop as I lay defeated on that stinky pillow. How could my parents let me live in such a dirty state? Didn’t they have any feelings for me? Did they at least fight for me?

Shudders of pain racked though me as I controlled the tears with great effort. I was not about to howl my heart out in front of a stranger. I didn’t even care what they intended to do with me – I wasn’t to that point yet. I was still reeling from my current predicament.

“First time I saw you, you looked like a scared rabbit,” the gruff voice commented in that same offhanded tone making me wince as I dabbed the hot tears quickly. “You have to admit that you don’t give the vibes of being able to defend yourself.”

Rage trembled inside me. Who did he think he was? How could he judge me when he knew nothing about me? What right did that rogue had to comment on how weak I was? Did I choose to be born this way?

“Is there something wrong with your wolf?” he continued like he wasn’t breaching every unspoken rule by prying into my private life. “Omegas are weak, but so are rogues. We’re weaker since we do not live under the protection of any Alpha. But we rebuild ourselves.”

Clenching my jaw in despair, I looked out of the window wishing he would clamp up his nasty words. Maybe if I ignored him long enough, he would simply take the cue and stop his assumptions about me. What bothered me was the ring of truth which his words carried and which I wasn’t strong enough to contemplate.

I had underestimated myself and stopped myself from progressing into a worthy Luna, but only for Braxton’s sake. What I had missed was that it had been his plan all along – to make me look weak and pathetic in front of everyone to discredit me.

“You seem to have given up on yourself without even trying. You have only yourself to blame for the situation you’re in right now.”

I turned to him in abject fury. “Oh yeah? What do you know about loyalty anyway? You think that rogues would understand their duty and loyalty towards an Alpha? How dare you lecture me when you were the one who’d been rejected by your own pack for your own mistake?”

I felt fierce satisfaction to see him squirm in shame and his head went down as my malevolent words hit him right where it should. Then, I sobered. It wasn’t his fault that I was in that situation – it was wrong of me to let my anger get the better of me.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized quickly, not even thinking about offering my regrets. His eyes jerked up to meet mine, and under the dim moonlight, I caught a sparkle of stunned surprise staring back at me. I didn’t back down. “That was uncalled for. I was cruel. Nobody deserves to be ousted from their pack for mistakes. I think that’s quite a harsh punishment. And I am sorry for hurting you with the information you shared with us.”

He didn’t reply. In fact, the silence between us lingered for so long that I assumed he’d gotten bored with me and forgotten about my presence. I was sorely mistaken.

“I apologize too. I have no rights to judge you as well. Sometimes, physical strength is not the only thing required from a Luna.”

I frowned at the cryptic remark, closing my eyes when a headache started to build when I tried too hard. I was still weak, and it would take days before I recuperate. “Do you know until when they intend to keep us captivated?” I tried. For better or for worse, he was my only ally at the moment.

“From what I know, they intend to keep up here until the next moonlight. Your Alpha is afraid you might cause disruptions in his plan on taking a new Luna and has forbidden anyone to come to your rescue during your penance.”

“The bastard!” I muttered with clenched jaw. “If I was so weak, why are they so afraid of me?” I asked the rhetorical question to the dark room. “Are they afraid that I might speak the truth and that others would start to believe me?”

I realized what I’d said too late. Then, I shrugged. I got nothing more to lose now. “They were lying, you know,” I whispered huskily, my voice breaking over the last two words. “I always wanted to be a doctor. Always. That was my childhood dream. My parents know that. Everybody knows that. Yet, they were only too eager to believe Braxton and Beatrice’s lies.” I snapped as the feeling of outrage and fury overcome me once again.

“I know they were lying,” Isaac dropped his bombshell on me when I was still immersed in my own self-pity mode. “I was paid to attack the Alpha.”