The Quiet Luna

Chapter 3. Odessa

It had been a strange day. The morning started as normal- a sunrise beating from whatever guard had been assigned to me that day. I figured it was one of the younger ones since his heart just didn’t seem to be in it- he only broke two of my ribs. Part of it was probably because none of them wanted to touch me since I was covered in dirt, dried blood, and whatever else was caked on me. I was being punished for something, apparently, even though Alpha Drake never told me what I’d done wrong. Although I hated being so filthy, it did mean no one had r*ped me in days. It felt like a vacation.

I was huddled in the back of my cell, the heavy chain making it impossible to move. I couldn’t remember the last time I ate, and I thought maybe this time Alpha Drake really did intend to let me die. I tried to bring myself to care, but at this point I would welcome death with open arms.

I could hear voices and it sounded like Alpha Drake was showing off for someone. I tried to make myself as small as possible, pressing into the dark corner of the cell, and held my breath, silently praying that they would just leave and not decide to have Alpha Drake show them what those devices were used for. I shuddered at the memories. I heard footsteps getting closer. I tried squeezing my eyes shut, but that just made the fear worse. My whole body was shaking, and I tried to fight off the panic.

Suddenly, it was like a light had been turned on. The man that stopped in front of the cell shone like a beacon, and I gaped at him. A small voice in the back of my head whispered, Mate.

Almost as if the man could hear my thoughts, his whisper echoed, “Mate.” I felt a tear slide down my cheek. He was going to reject me. I had thought I was prepared for rejection, but seeing him in person, I knew without a doubt that his rejection would kill me, and for the first time in my life, I had something, someone to live for.

I couldn’t look away. His brown, shoulder length hair curled slightly at his collar, his broad chest and muscular shoulders tapered down to narrow hips. His loose-fitting pants did nothing to disguise strong legs. A rush of lust hit me and it left me reeling. I tugged my gaze away from the sizeable bulge in his pants, forcing myself to focus on his eyes. In the dim light, they looked like a dark, stormy grey, but they were flickering to a tawny yellow as his wolf tried to surface.

“Hey! I didn’t say you could go back there!” Alpha Drake yelled. Normally, the sound of his rage would have me quaking in terror, but an odd sense of calm had taken over me. Somehow, I knew instinctually, the man staring at me would never allow harm to come to me.

“That’s my mate!” he bellowed, the vibrations of his Alpha tone making the very walls of the cell tremble. “Open the doors immediately!”

Alpha Drake squared up to him, and I smirked. Finally, I would see Alpha Drake get his ass handed to him. He deserved nothing less. “She can’t be your mate. She doesn’t have a mate,” his words stung, but now I knew just how wrong he was. I had a mate, he was standing in front of me.

“She is my mate,” his voice was low and dangerous and I felt myself getting turned on. It was a new sensation, but I wasn’t sure I minded. “I’m not leaving without her.”

Alpha Drake glanced at me. “Reject her, Alpha Torin,” he growled. If I could have, I would have growled back at him. I hated him with every cell in my body. “If you know what’s good for you and your pack, reject her right now.”

Before I could register movement, the new alpha had Alpha Drake pinned against the bars of the cell. The smell of burning flesh hung heavy in the air as the silver hissed on his skin. “Release her now, or I will rip you to pieces,” my mate growled and I could tell his wolf was now in control. His left hand shot out and he threw Beta Castor across the dungeon to slam into the wall without ever taking his eyes off Alpha Drake. Why was this so hot?

“She is nothing,” Alpha Drake’s voice was forced with the pressure being applied to his throat. “Just a wolfless nobody worth nothing but trouble.”

“Then you won’t mind handing her over,” the new alpha, Alpha Torin, growled at him. I was used to being told I was worthless, but I had a feeling if Drake said it again in Alpha Torin’s presence, he’d soon be missing vital pieces of his anatomy. I kind of hoped he said it again.

Unfortunately, Drake must have realized he was outmatched. Some sort of signal must have been given because Alpha Torin suddenly dropped him to the floor. “You will regret this, Alpha Torin,” he said, rubbing his throat.

Two guards appeared at the door to the cell. One had put on leather gloves and the other was gripping the “bang stick” as they liked to call it. I knew if I so much as flinched, he’d press the glowing tips to my skin. I kept my eyes on Alpha Torin, the fear of the pain the bang stick could provide outweighing the sinister urge to watch him tear the guard’s head off if he tried using it on me. As soon as the collar was released, he ordered the guards out and they left without even checking to see if their actual Alpha agreed with the command.

He came close to me and crouched down, his delicious scent wafting over me. “Can you stand?” he asked softly. I shook my head. Not only was I feeling weak from too many days without food, but his nearness was making my legs shake. “I’m going to carry you out of here, ok? I’m taking you home now, understand?”

Tears filled my eyes. Could this really be happening? It felt like a dream. I nodded my head. Yes, please get me away from here! I wanted to shout the words.

He quickly undid the buttons on his shirt and wrapped it around me. I would have wept if I hadn’t been so stunned by his muscles. I was starting to believe he was more of a god than a man. Maybe I died and he was an angel sent to bring me to the Goddess. He picked me up and cradled me to his chest like I was made of porcelain. My skin tingled everywhere he touched and I wanted nothing more than to snuggle into his warmth. He walked to the stairs leading out of where I’d lived for longer than I could count. I knew I had been nine years old when they locked me down here, but I had no way of knowing how many years had passed since then.

“We can call this an act of good faith between allies,” Alpha Drake called out. My breath caught in my throat. Allies?

Alpha Torin froze, every muscle shaking with the amount of control it was taking not to attack. “The offer of joining the accord is put on hold until I find out what you did to my mate,” his voice rumbled through his chest and my heart soared at his words.

He marched up the stairs and outside, the bright sunlight making me wince and shut my eyes. Before I knew it, we were sitting in the back of a car, I was still cuddled into his chest, but now I was on his lap. He brushed the hair away from my face and wiped the tears I hadn’t realized were streaming down my cheeks. I must have looked wretched, but he was looking at me with a softness I had never seen before.

“You’re ok, now, sweetheart,” he murmured. “You’re safe now.”

I snuggled closer to him and took deep breaths of his scent, letting it calm me down. Safe. That was a word I barely understood. I’d never been safe a day in my life.

...

I startled awake as the car slowed to a stop and Alpha Torin lifted me, carrying me into a modern looking building. The smell of antiseptic and sickness hit my nose the moment we stepped inside. Faces turned to watch us curiously as he carried me through the lobby, and into a small room. I focused on my breathing as bile started to clog my throat. This room looked very similar to the torture rooms Alpha Drake had in that horrid dungeon. My eyes flitted around the room, finding all the differences between this room and the source of some of my nightmares to keep the panic at bay. A window, a bed, a picture with flowers.

A pretty woman in a long white coat came in and gasped when she saw me. “Alpha, what happened to her?” Damn, I must look bad.

“I don’t know,” Torin replied. “I was hoping you could help figure that out.”

Oh no, I thought, what are they planning to do?

“Put her down on the bed, Alpha. I’ll do the examination and let you know what I find out,” she said, moving over to the sink to wash her hands.

He set me down gently and started to back away. Panic gripped me hard. I knew I could trust him, every instinct in me told me I could trust him. Everyone else was suspect. I grabbed his hand and shook my head, silently begging him not to leave me.

“No one’s going to hurt you, I promise,” he said. I glanced at the doctor, making sure she wasn’t sneaking up on me with a needle or knife, before looking back at him. “Ok, I’ll stay,” he nodded. I breathed a sigh in relief. At least he understood.

“Alpha, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” the doctor said.

He fixed her with a hard stare. “She’s obviously terrified. She’s my mate. I’m staying,” he stated and my heart skipped several beats.

I heard the doctor whisper, “Mate?” before Torin nodded and looked back at me, his eyes instantly softening.

A nurse came in and she and the doctor took pictures of every part of my body. It was humiliating, but they were gentle and Torin kept whispering words of encouragement. Once they were satisfied the doctor nodded to the nurse who came next to me. “I’m going to give you a shower now so we can get a better idea of what you’ve been through.” Her hands started to slide under me and I panicked again, reaching for Torin desperately. Instantly, I was back in his arms breathing in his calming scent.

“Alpha, we need to get her in the shower,” the doctor sounded slightly annoyed. I felt bad, they were just trying to help me and I was acting like a rabid mutt.

“Fine, I’ll do it,” Torin said. He carried me into the bathroom and set me on a chair. As he stepped back, I gripped his arm and he smiled down at me. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m just going to get you clean, ok?”

I forced myself to release my death grip on his arm, repeating that he wasn’t going to leave me like a mantra in my mind. The water splashed on the tiles and I braced myself for the shock of the cold water. I still flinched when it hit me, but to my surprise, it was warm and soothing. My body started to relax, the heat making my muscles release. He was so gentle, letting the water wash over me, his fingers brushing my skin that was quickly heating up for more reasons than just the shower. If it weren’t for the anger I saw in his eyes, I’d be a puddle of need at his feet.

When he was satisfied I was clean, he moved behind me and started washing my hair. If I could have, I would’ve been purring, it felt incredible. His fingers worked out the tangles before massaging my scalp. I closed my eyes and leaned into his touch, letting the sensation wash over me. No matter what else happened, I wanted to remember this feeling of being cared for.

He turned off the water and dried me carefully with a plush towel before sliding a thin hospital gown over my shoulders and carrying me back out to the waiting doctor and nurse. I blinked up at him wishing I could tell him how grateful I was, and his thumb trailed along my jaw, causing goosebumps to spread down my spine.

I endured the exam, the doctor poking and prodding, her frown getting deeper with every note she jotted down. The nurse had gone pale when she saw me, and by the end of their ministrations, she looked a little grey. I was a little worried she was going to pass out, but no one else seemed to notice.

After taking some blood, the doctor covered me with a soft blanket and excused the nurse before motioning Torin aside. I tried to keep my eyes open to listen to what she was going to say, but I was exhausted from everything and felt myself drifting off.

Tingles spread over my hand and I opened my eyes to see Torin standing next to me. There was pain in his eyes and a hard set to his jaw. The doctor must have told him some of the things that had been done to me. My hatred for Alpha Drake increased seeing how this affected my mate.

“I’m going to take you home now, ok?” his voice was soft, soothing, and didn’t quite match the storm brewing in his eyes. “The doctor will follow up with you, but I want to show you your new home.” I blinked at him as his words settled into me. Home. I squeezed his hand, trying to convey all the emotions I felt into that one tiny act.

He started to pick me up again, but the nurse told him to wait. I wanted to groan. I wanted to be in his arms again! She handed him a bundle of purple fabric and smiled at me. Pajamas? I hadn’t worn pajamas in… well, ever. Torin removed the hospital gown and quickly slid the soft pants over my legs and the top over my head. It felt odd to be dressed, but it was nice.

Torin finally lifted me up, and I snuggled into him as he carried me back outside. The man that had driven us here was waiting.

“Is it that bad?” he asked.

“Worse,” Torin growled and I cringed. “I’ll tell you later. Right now, I just want to get her comfortable.” He slid into the back seat and adjusted me on his lap. He buried his face in my hair and breathed deep. I could feel him calming down and smiled to myself.

The drive to the packhouse was short, but I was still tired from all the activity of the day. The sun had set and the dusk light was making my eyes feel out of focus. Torin carried me inside and up a flight of stairs into the most beautiful room I’d ever seen. There were huge windows that were open, letting in the breeze. He laid me down on an enormous bed that felt like laying on a cloud. I tried to take in the whole room at once. There was a heavy dresser, matching bedside tables, another table with a mirror and a small stool. The walls glowed amber in the light from the few lamps that were shining brightly. And on every available surface was a beautiful bouquet of flowers filling the air with their delicate scent.

“This is your room,” he said with a smile. “If you need anything, my room is just through that door there,” he pointed to a door. After a brief pause, he added, “I’ll get you a bell or something so you can signal for me.”

That look of pain came back into his eyes and I hated it was because of me. I raised a fist and used it to draw a small circle on my chest, “Sorry.”

His panic was instant and almost suffocating. “What’s wrong? Does your chest hurt? Do I need to get the doctor?” he rapid fired questions at me while I cursed myself for being an i***t. Of course he didn’t know I was signing to him! I’d effectively lived outside the pack for so long, I’s started to forget what was normal and what was not.

I shook my head, feeling guilty for making him worry, and touched his arm gently, trying to reassure him. He relaxed immediately, and I smiled at him, thankful at least I could undo that amount of damage. My hand dropped back down to the bed, and I felt my exhaustion taking over.

“I’ll bring you some soup,” his voice drifted through the fog engulfing my brain and I think I nodded, though that may have been a dream.