Collecting Misery

Chapter 6 - Part 1

A/N: Song Livewire by Oh Wonder.

The yellow lights flickered for the fortieth time in the span of a minute, leisurely bathing parts of the filthy dungeons with their warm hue but warning that relying on them wasn't the safest choice. If only these people invested in daylight lightning. The playful orange contrasted with the tired grey that covered the rough floor and walls. This place was one of those constructions made without much afterthought, a set of cells with a hallway in the middle, simplicity at its finest.

It wasn't such a dreadful place as I had thought. There was something endearing about gazing at faux-sunset bathed vermin. My eyes locked with Alexander's as he hissed in pain and then drifted to the smug pack warriors who had just given him the shot. And, vermin is what this place never lacked.

"So, gentlemen, what brings you here to our humble abode this morning?" I stood up brushing my jeans and signalled around me dramatically with a mocking grin plastered on my face.

"Shut up, Rogue bitch." Jerry's glare was fierce, but I didn't miss the hint of entertainment when his eyes roamed down my dirty clothes. Alexander growled but he was still suffering the pain of having wolfsbane injected into his bloodstream. "Look at you. You'll probably have to cut your ratty hair after this. Should we do it for you now?"

I scoffed and turned my gaze to Rob. "Here I thought that you two were warriors, but it turns out that our Jerry is just an overgrown hairdresser with a nasty personality. What are you? A manicurist?"

Jerry's growl reverberated in the room bouncing off the walls to the floors and back but ultimately ignored by everyone in the room. I took a step back just for good measure. Rob fought to keep a straight face, but the hint of a smile in the corner of his lips gave him away.

"You're in a terribly good mood today, miss." Rob gave me a mock bow which I mimicked. "And the whole last week."

"Why wouldn't I? The sky is clear, the birds sing, the animals of the forest play. It's a great day. Not that I would know." I stared into his eyes. "Since you've kidnapped me."

Despite his best efforts, Jerry's grumbles were too idiotic to deserve to be listened to. Rob smirked and took a step toward me. His face the one of a very entertained man.

"You don't strike me as a miserable victim, considering that you spend the last few days laughing at his bad jokes." Rob pointed at Alexander who had his eyes closed.

They had been listening in to our conversations, uh? So rude. I shrugged. "They aren't so bad once you get used to it."

Rob laughed, turned around and walked away, towing the still annoyed Jerry behind him. 

"So, you actually enjoy my jokes. Good to know." Alexander straightened up, still sitting on the ground with his back firmly against the wall, his eyes on me. 

Once his gaze found me, I could never look away. The vibrant green of his eyes stood out in this room of grey and orange. I sat down folding my legs under my body and resting my hands on them. Tilting my head, I let my lips curve into a lazy smile.

"What can I say? The eternal matches of I spy got tiresome."

He gasped. "How dare you? That's my favorite game you're talking about."

"I thought your favourite game was hide-and-seek." 

That tournament he had organized in the pack when he was nine had been something else. He had been it, against all the other children. The game had been over after only twenty minutes.

"People grow up, Izzie."

"Okay. Okay." The hint of happiness in my voice was evident but unintentional. "I'm sorry."

His deep chuckles filled the room and I closed my eyes letting the sound sway me. This was the reason I'd been in a good mood, like my friend Rob had pointed out. Living the present proved far more enjoyable than pining for the past or fearing the future.

I opened my eyes and stared at Alexander's wide smile. For how long could we stay like this? I didn't care.

He chuckled. "You're in a good mood. Does that mean that you don't hate me anymore?"

Nope. I wasn't going to admit to anything. I looked around. There must be a way to change the subject. "So weird."

"What?"

"Veronica hasn't brought us food, yet."

"Be careful, she's the Luna here."

I straightened my back. If I was in my wolf form, my ears would have perked up. So, I had been right. "Her mate is the strongest wolf here, why would she be bringing us food?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. But, you're wrong about that. Her mate, Tobias Maddox, is a second born Alpha. Anthony is way stronger."

"Why isn't he the Alpha, then?"

"His father wouldn't acknowledge him as Alpha until he took a Luna, but Anthony's mate was his male Beta. They both stepped down from their positions."

I eyed Alexander. Why was he being so talkative today? He wasn't one to gossip.

He flashed me a sincere smile. "Information is power. You need to know what you're facing. This pack is strong and they hate rogues above anything. You'd be better off calling your brother and asking for help as soon as you get the chance. He took my place as Alpha."

"Adam is the Alpha?" It made sense. He was the Beta after all, but he was more loyal to Alexander than to me, his own blood. Alexander must have fucked up bad.

"Yes, call him."

I shook my head. There was no way I was calling that cold asshole. He had turned his back at me once before. I wouldn't give him the chance to do the same.

"Izzie..."

"What else do I need to know?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. His jaw was clenched and his eyes closed. His other hand went to the ground as if seeking for balance, reassurance. I wanted to be that reassurance. His livewire. Blaming it on instinct would be so much easy, but the truth was that I just wanted him, above everything else. I loved him.

He opened his eyes and forced himself to look me in the eye. "Be careful around members of the Silver Fang Pack. Don't tell them who you are to me." His gaze drifted away and his voice broke slightly. "I did them wrong. Like the Mountain Oasis Pack, they're really into physical punishment. I don't want you to pay for my mistakes."

Did them wrong? The way he and everyone have been acting, there's something else to it.

"You mean, you kidnapped and tortured their people, right?"

He didn't answer.

"Right?"

He kept his eyes on the dirty floor.

"Allie, what did you do?"

His whole body tensed up and his right hand went to his chin. He didn't want to talk about it. He rubbed his shoulder with his other hand. He was trying to comfort himself. Several beats of silence passed by and Alexander hadn't been able to pick himself up.

"You said that information is power. They know I'm your mate. Don't you think that I'll be in more danger if I'm the only one who doesn't know what you did?"

He flinched and stared at me with wide eyes. "You're right, but..." He gripped his hair tugging at it slightly. "You'll hate me..." His voice came slurred in mumbles. "Whenever I'm honest, everyone hates me. But, you deserve to know." 

"Then, tell me."