Black Rose (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 29: Senseless

Lucian

The sounds of low whimpers and the whistles of air currents were now hidden under my constant loud growls.

I was sure that my eyes were already pitch black along with my elongated canines and claws and the few timber brown fur that started sprouting on my skin.

Anger was an understatement to what I was feeling right now. Not only that I felt betrayed by my father but I hated him for wanting to hurt my mate, and Vilkas wasn't helping. But it's my fault too since I had my doubts.

I was tugging at the cell bars, each time harder than the previous, ignoring the pain from my burning hands because of the silver.

I couldn't care less though, I had to get to April.

I tried mind liking Freya but I couldn't reach her no matter how hard I tried. All my calls would just bounce back into my head and after what felt like forever, all the energy was drained from my body.

It was odd though since she was still in the castle when I went to speak to dad.

I slumped against one of the walls with my head in my hands, trying to figure out a way out of this place.

"Prince Lucian." A little girl's soft voice called from the darkness.

I raised my head and searched with my eyes for the source of the sound but to no avail.

"Yes?" I answered despite my situational blindness.

"Is Black Rose going to save us?" The little girl asked.

I furrowed my eyebrows at her question.

"Why do you think she'd do that?" I asked.

"Doesn't she help the innocent people?" The girl asked once again, and once again I was taken aback by her words.

"Don't be so surprised your highness." A man spoke, his sound coming from the left aspect of the cellars. "We might be the serpents that you hate so much but we never hurt your kind in any way. We were taken forcefully from our homes." He explained.

"What are you talking about?" I asked with a light scoff. It was more of an air puff that came out from my disbelief. "Why would we abduct serpents from their homes? These cellars are built to imprison the rogues that atta-"

"Just listen to us will ya!" I was cut short by a female's hiss.

"Ana." A man scolded gently.

"No! He has to wake up." She replied. "He can't live his life continuing to be so oblivious to everything around him and most importantly, to what his damn father does!"

I growled at her words but then took a deep breath to try and calm myself. If I wanted answers, I had to keep my cool.

"Bottom line your highness, your father has been doing this for a very long time. He abducts serpents like us for experiments, to find our weakness, strengths, what kills us and what doesn't. A lot lost their lives because of it and we have no other hope but for someone to come save us." The man stated with an audible shrug at the end.

"And you're wishing that person is Black Rose?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, knowing well that they can't see me.

"Yes." Came a couple blunt replies.

"How did you even know about her?" I asked in confusion.

"Nothing stays hidden, especially with a bunch of gossiping guards." The same man answered.

Figures.

"But Black Rose doesn't know about this. She can't save you if you didn't help her." I told them matter of factly.