Bane of the Wolves

Chapter Two - Livid

Chapter Two - Livid

THERE WAS A time when I defended the Wolves from my grandmother, who always told horrible stories about them. I didn't understand at the time why she hated them so much. The ones I knew from school weren't anything like she said. I was always upset with her.

But, now I understand those stories.

How wrong they are to have us be like unwanted gum on the bottom of their shoes they can't get rid of. To look at us as a being that doesn't deserve a chance. As if we were the ones less than human.

We weren't!

I could hear choruses of my name being said through the crowd, slowly being mumbled before eyes started to settle on me. I could feel them searing into my back, face and every other inch of my skin. The Wolf that stood in the midst of the circle observed everyone's faces, following the line of the gaze to me.

I watched those wolfish eyes flash with acknowledgment. He knew I was the one he needed, the violator. He lifted his arm, finger pointing towards me, eyes paralyzing me. Those wolfish eyes, dark and cold holding no warmth.

They are evil, pure evil...

I took a step back, then another one but before I could flee, I was seized. The two wolves that dragged Frank away were beside me, large hands grasping my upper arms hauling me forward. I stumbled over my feet, struggling in their hold.

"Let me go!" I shouted, wriggling around, feet knocking against each other as I tried to stop them from pulling me.

However, it was useless.

"Enough," the Wolf in charge demanded, which earned a glare from me. "Kneel."

Almost instantly, I was brought to my knees, wincing as tingles of pain raced through from knees into my thighs. The Wolves let go of my upper arms but held my shoulders.

"Lenora Davis, you have committed a crime by breaking the law of curfew! A heinous crime," he declared. "You are to be put into the dungeon until-"

"How is that a heinous crime?" I snapped, eyes narrowed. "I was a second late! A second! My mother nee-"

"Quiet!"

I felt a shudder rush over my body, my breath was heavy as if I was running. My hands fisted in my lap, and hot blood rushed through my veins. I was livid. Here I was in the same position Frank was in, nine years earlier, my father was in the same position. In front of everyone being shamed for something that he committed. These laws were never to keep us safe as they claimed in school like I so willingly believed. It kept us caged, to keep us suppressed. It kept us... Quiet.

"I will not! I won't be quiet! I won't be quiet!" I shouted, anger coursing through my trembling body. "A heinous crime you say! A curfew that locks us in our homes by six, before the sun even sets! We work, and work, and work and work! There is no time to do the necessary things we need! I was late, boo-hoo! It's not a heinous crime when it should be you and your kind locked up! You murderous beasts just like your King, who sits on-"

It happened so fast that my mind couldn't even comprehend it. One minute I was on the ground, kneeling. The next, I was in the air held by my throat staring into soulless eyes that seemed to have gotten blacker.

"You will not speak ill of my king!" He spat, his voice horse, thick and completely wrong. His hand around my neck squeezed causing me to gasp, and wriggle from the pressure blocking my airway. I could see it in his eyes, he wanted me to submit that's why he was squeezing slowly.

I was gasping, and soon my mouth was just opening, making the motion of choking but no sound came. My ears rang, blackness seeping in at the corner of my eyes while dots danced in my vision. I could hear shouting, or was it screaming? It sounds far away, so far...