Bloody and Wild

Bad Things

It was midday and Lauren and Roxanne sat on a grassy verge soaking up the suns warmth. Lauren shifted her emerald eyes uneasily on her surroundings. There seemed to be less people around lately, not that she minded. Her eyes lingered on suspended cage erected within in view of the old pack house.

"How did you get mixed up in all of this," she asked her companion. Roxanne had her eyes shut and had shimmied her t-shirt up to reveal her flat stomach to the sun's rays though her skin was already bronze. She didn't open her eyes to answer.

"My folks were the ones that got mixed first and they just brought me along for the ride. My dad's hoping, like the rest of them, that Ryder will begin his training soon. He wants some of Ryder's magic," Roxanne chuckled lightly, "but Ryder's not foolish enough to give it to him, I bet." Lauren understood more about this training from what Roxanne had already told her.

Her stomach squirmed unpleasantly as she thought about it. Roxanne explained that to get complete brotherhood and trust with those he trained, Ryder created for them a world of pain. It was a world where only he could rescue them. He makes them beg for every comfort. Sunlight, food, drink, freedom all came at the cost of giving yourself completely up to Ryder. Lewis was undergoing this process. Lewis would fight Ryder, she knew he would. But in the end would he bend or break?    

Lauren's eyes darted back to the cage. For a brief moment her eyes locked with those of the woman trapped within. Her bare feet dangled through the bars and she was slumped feebly, her head resting on her shoulder. They had erected the cage for her the night before last. Lauren hadn't been able to sleep that night, not with all the noise the poor woman had made.

"Who is she?" Lauren asked. Roxanne opened her eyes to see who she was referring to. Her face hardened and she quickly shut her eyes once more.

"Claudia, she used to guard the prison. Just don't look at her or you'll get us into trouble." Lauren quickly lowered her gaze and starting picking daisies to create a daisy chain. "They'll die now," Roxanne reproached her when she saw but Lauren shrugged her shoulders.

"They were going die eventually anyway." She wore the daisy chain on her wrist, she hadn't done that in years but today she wanted to.

"We should head back inside and get back to work." Lauren joined her friend in groaning as they got to their feet. The sun beat heavily on their backs as they retreated into the shade. The old pack house was guarded, as usual, by Thorn and he nodded to them as they headed passed.  Once they were in the hallway Lauren moved to the door on the left.

"I just need to use the loo," she explained before ducking in. Once she was in the bathroom she quickly bent down and untied one of her shoe laces. She counted to ten before poking her head around the door. Roxanne had carried on up the stairs and was out of sight. Lauren stared at the back of Thorns head.

He hasn't really stopped me from doing anything yet, he hasn't even spoken to me.

Decided she marched confidently out of the building and fervently avoided looking at Thorn though she could feel his gaze boring into the back of her head. She walked briskly as if she was headed for the green but she had to alter her angle slightly to bring her close enough to the cage. When she was beside the platform erected beneath the cage she knelt down in the dirt to re-tie her shoelaces. "Psst Claudia," she whispered through her teeth keeping her jaw locked shut. She stared straight ahead at the green. "You want to be free?"

"Yes," the voice in reply was hoarse.

"You help me to free Lewis, the Alpha werewolf Ryder's training, and I'll get you out of that cage." Lauren promised. She had already finished tying her laces but she made a show of checking her other lace was secure also.