A Luna's Flame

Chapter Forty-Seven

A hushed whisper hidden under the harsh crack of wood that snapped under the Alpha's barely contained wrath was all I could muster before my shackles were undone from the floor. My carefree façade never faltered. It remained when the Council's faces twisted with cold, venomous fury. I maintained it when the Alpha's eyes flickered to obsidian as Elder Anthis insulted just outside my impaired earshot. I kept my impassive attitude despite the stupid look of confusion on Kass' sweaty face. Pack politics, overinflated egos, the false senses of control...it all didn't matter. What's structure and law to the wild and lawless? Silver lashings were child's play. And so, I followed behind the hesitant, gloved warrior with my head held high, proudly giving the Council my already marred yet concealed back. I heard the thunderous steps of the Alpha striding away from me, anger shaking the unforgiving ground beneath us. As they opened the door, I subtly stole a glance, barely catching his retreating form disappearing behind one of those slender doors in the shadowed corner. I let them drag me through the massive threshold, stealing one more look before the solid doors closed completely. My eyes briefly locked with Kass', looking for her answer. With only a sliver of her green irises visible, I felt content when I watched the determination fill them. My words filled the void between us.

"Get the doctor."

--

"Enyo," I called softly, feeling her fight against the silver.

Fallen leaves and twigs crunched under my black flats as I walked between a sea of warriors. You'd think they thought I would try to escape.

"Lisy," Enyo answered, lifting her head.

"I need to ask something of you, and I will not take no for an answer."

She grumbled lowly, already put off.

"Once we get there, I will have to cut you off—" I started.

Enyo let out a threatening growl of defiance.

"Let me finish! I need you to work on reaching Aias to warn him of our absence and this impending war. Take whatever energy that you need from me to bypass his mental walls. And you need to open our connection to Atlas. We are running out of time, and you cannot do that while trying to protect me from the lashing," I urged as the gloved guard harshly pulled at my chains, unsatisfied with my pace.

Yet another wolf to add to the list.

"Lisy, you are human! You cannot handle that all on your own. I will not leave you. We will find a way to do everything together," Enyo protested as she paced.

"You know our past...my past. You know what I can handle. It's more than just my life at stake. We've never gone back on our word."

"And what about our promise to each other?! You cannot leave me in the dark. Not again! Who will protect you if I can't?!" Enyo yelled with a whimper.

"Who will protect them, Enyo? If not us, who will? It wasn't me who pulled you out of that darkness. Hell, I couldn't help myself. I will not break my promise to you. I will lower the wall as soon as I can. Just be prepared for what will lie there. Please, Enyo, I need you to go," I pleaded with a heart tormented with regret and sadness.

Enyo whimpered as her ears lowered.

"You will let me in, or I will force my way back," Enyo threatened before slowly walking away, her presence slowly fading.

I took a slow breath as I placed numerous mental walls between us, desperately hoping to protect her from more pain. I knew Enyo hadn't fully recovered from our rescue attempt, and she would need all of her energy for what was to come. I shuddered at the feeling of her absence, feeling half of me missing, just as we stopped in the thickest part of the forest. I examined the closet-sized, vine-covered stone building in front of me. It was unsuspecting as the building looked outwardly worn, the stone discolored with age and dirt. Despite my internal conversation and limited view between the warriors, I knew the exact path we took, taking mental notes of a few distinguishable path markers. The small building would be easily overlooked if it weren't for the two burgundy clad guards in front of the eerie structure. The warriors began to thin out as I was roughly led toward the closest, scar-riddled man with an unwavering scowl. We paused for a moment as mindlinked messages were passed before the guard opened the creaking door, otherwise ignoring my presence. The gloved warrior pulled my chains, forcing me into the dimly lit, cramped room. At the far end of the empty space, aside from two chairs, was a small stone landing, which opened to a narrow stairwell that led down to a presumed dank lower level. My shoes clicked against the cold stone as I felt my strength fading as Enyo fulfilled my wishes. The only thing that kept my heart light was the thought of tripping and killing the gloved bastard in front of me. The dark stone walls encasing the staircase were narrow, so he would have nowhere to escape his demise.

Luckily for him, I never stumbled. It took 26 steep steps to reach the dimly lit bottom, where a locked metal door stood before us. The gloved warrior fished the keys out of his front pocket as the men behind me made the narrow staircase impossibly smaller. We flooded into the small room behind the heavy metal, catching the attention of every guard relaxing in the makeshift break room. I felt their hatred-filled eyes as they took in my form, paying too close attention to how the satin hugged my curves. Every wolf in the room looked formidable, enough to unnerve the most seasoned veteran. I counted only ten men lounging throughout the room. The smell of one of the men's lunches was almost enough for me to charge at him, but my rationale won. Instead of wrapping my silver chains around his neck, I analyzed the suffocating room for weak points. The gloved warrior was taking too long to unlock the tricky, rusted lock, giving me enough time to see everything discreetly. Outside of several seating options, a microwave, and a TV, there wasn't much to the room. There was a small door to the left. The small crack in the door gave me a glimpse of the still running, white toilet. As the rusted lock finally unlatched, I felt a heated pair of eyes drinking in the sight of me. I glanced over to my left as a low growl filled the room. A bald man with an overwhelmingly muscular build was watching me from his seat in front of the TV, his emerald eyes holding a dark promise. I smirked as the gloved warrior pulled me from the room. Maybe next time.

The chatter of the guards boomed in the break room as the door slammed shut behind us. Now, I was being pulled down a long, dark hallway, with torch-adorned sconces guiding the large pathway between the cramped silver-lined cells. As we passed, the heat from the deadly metal was enough to keep me alert despite my slowly weakening state, the chains digging easier into my skin. Each cell was overfilled with men and women, some shockingly even having children. I breathed in deeply as we trekked forward, my mind groggily shifting through the smell of blood and decay. Just how many wolves are in here? All the prisoners were from High Moon. The pack scent was always unmistakable. I continued to take quick, deep breaths as we walked, avoiding eye contact with the wolves who peeked from their spots on the floor.

"Afraid of your punishment now that we are in the cells, Rogue? Or do you not like cramped spaces?" a warrior taunted from behind me with a snicker.

I ignored him as I continued my breathing technique, subtly glancing from left to right. We took one left turn and then a right before the cells gave way to torch-lit, large stone walls on either side. The only break in the grimy façade was reinforced wooden doors with small metal covered windows. I closed my eyes as my breathing picked up, my eyebrows furrowed with concentration. I heard a soft chuckle behind me from one of the idiots, but otherwise, the dungeon was relatively quiet. As the gloved warrior searched his pocket for the right key, I took one last deep breath. The delicate wisps of cinnamon and oakmoss came from my right, reinvigorating my spirit.

The last time I was here, I was barely conscious. This time, I was going to take advantage of my lucid moments.

Author's Note: Thanks for commenting, reading, and voting! Sorry for the long delay. Long COVID has kept me away, but I'll try my best to get back on track with my scheduled releases. THIS STORY WILL BE COMPLETED!