Mates of a Human

Part Six. Chapter Ten. Alex

How many hours has it been? Has it been days, weeks, months... now I'm being silly. Not that many nights have past, but my mind feels so mushy from lack of sleep that I can't quite figure out if up is down or if left is right. Adriel came yesterday afternoon and quietly stood guard over me for a few hours, I must have come to trust him already, for I crashed the moment his large back leaned against the cell door only to wake when the aroma's of dinner permeated the air and drew me from my sleep. Adriel had left me to go and eat, summoned by an angry Alpha... I kind of wondered if that man had any other emotion. Angry, furious, mad... well I suppose he was happy enough when he realised he could use me to summon Michael back.

It was morning again, the bright light piercing through my clouded mind to remind me. The weather looked nice, from what I could tell, but then if the weather was going to be nice it was generally first thing... clouds tended to pour over the sky by the afternoon and all hope lost for the sun worshipers who put the extra effort in and put on a little factor 8. I hoped Eric would remember to put on a little, just in case, so he didn't burn.

A little cough from outside of the cell brought me out of my daydream and my stomach growled, hungrily. Samuel was standing there with that familiar tray. Breakfast seemed lighter than normal, just a few crackers and an apple. "Sorry," he apologised. "The Luna took extra portions away for Michael and this was all I could get for you."

"Michael... Michael is here?" I asked, forcing my watering eyes open and moving to the bars to grab them. "Where? Can I see him? Please?"

The boy shook his head, slightly, his small face clearly unhappy. "The Alpha ordered that he was to be locked into his room. I'm not allowed up to the first floor."

"Oh." I felt my knees give way and I just let myself crumble to the floor. Samuel pushed through the tray and I glanced at the food torn, hungry but lacking appetite. He passed me a glass of water. I ran my tongue over my dry lips and took the glass to slowly to sip. Before I knew it, the glass was empty, but I still couldn't bring myself to eat. I pushed away from the bars and moved back to the cot.

"Alex," Samuel murmured. "You need to eat something!"

I shook my head making myself dizzy in the process. "Can't, just want Michael... and Eric," I muttered. I glanced up at him. "Where's Eric? Did he come too? Can he come and get me?"

But again there was a firm shake of denial. "The tiger didn't come," he replied. "Sorry." There were a few minutes of silence. "Um, how about you eat and I'll see if I can ask the Luna if Michael can come visit you, okay? Please, you need to eat for the babies."

I stroked my tummy, it might be my imagination but it felt just a little bigger than yesterday. "Okay, I'll eat," I said, crawling back over to the dry crackers. It was like eating crunchy cardboard. "Can I have another glass of water please?" Samuel smiled, which made me feel guilty that I had been acting so pathetically. He ran up the stairs as swift as a gazelle with my empty glass, while I bit into the apple, hoping that it's juice would ease the dryness. The food was gone too quickly, but my stomach still grumbled about it's emptiness. I ran my fingers over the swell and murmured; "I know, it wasn't enough for you little ones, was it?"

"Who are you talking to?" Adriel asked, startling me. For a large man, he could sweep down those basement steps like a ghost.

"No one," I replied, quickly snatching my hand from my gurgling stomach.

Samuel appeared behind him a second later with a full glass of water and stated innocently; "To the babies, of course."

Adriel frowned and began to sniff the air, tilting his head in confusion. "But there are no children down here. Not even the Alpha is so cruel to lock little ones in the cells."