The Broken Queen

Chapter 32; Invasion; PART ONE:

Pack Land Border;

Dani's POV:

As we arrive at the border of the Rouge Prowlers' pack lands around 11am, I look around, deep in thought. I turn to the group and speak through the link. "Just stay ahead of me. Sophia, you stand in front and speak to the alpha when he arrives. Do you remember what to say?" I ask her. "Yes Alpha, I remember" she replies, surely. "Okay, triangle formation" I command.

I am determined to elicit fear until it becomes unnecessary to achieve my goal here. My pack steps forward over the bord in their formation, while I duck behind a tree just outside of the border. It doesn't take long for a large group of guards to arrive, all looking on edge and ready for a fight.

"You're trespassing on Roque Prowlers' land, you have all violated werewolf law! and you!" the guards in front addressing my pack points angrily at Lexi, sniffing the air. "You aren't a wolf, what are you?" Lexi looks like a dear caught in headlights but with an encouragement from me through the pack link, her expression relaxes before Sophia speaks again. "Bring us your alpha, we come in peace, we-" she says before being rudely interrupted.

"ANSWER US, otherwise, we have orders to kill now that you have trespassed onto our land" one of the guard shouts, shifting his weight from one foot to the other in wait of orders to hurt my pack. "Oh yes, well I'm afraid that's going to be a problem. You see, our alpha doesn't take very kindly to threats" Sophia says genuinely cringing. "And who might this 'alpha' of yours be hm?" he asks, clearly suppressing a laugh. "Get us your alpha and you won't have to find out moments before your head rolls off your shoulders" Sophia says confidently, squaring her shoulders, exuding confidence. I smile in pride, well done Sophia. The guards look at each other before reluctantly linking with someone, angrily looking around at each of my pack members with distaste and a hint of curiosity in their gazes.

A few minutes pass in a tense silence as the two groups stare at each other with their arms crossed, some with hands on the hilts of their swords. As a wolf, who I assume is the Rogue Prowlers' alpha arrives, his guards visibly straighten their postures, bowing their heads in greeting as he trots into view. "What is the reason for all this nonsense" he shouts after he shifts back into his human form. One of his guards toss him an oversized tee and a pair of basketball shorts as two others stand in front of him blocking him from everyone's view. Once decent, he pushes forward, nose tilting upward, sniffing the air to pick up my packs' scent.

He growls as his wolf identifies it but without an ounce of recognition. I guess a part of me can understand how threatening it must feel to have another pack trespass on your land who are just a tiny group, that you don't recognise The scent of, who stand before you without their Alpha present. It would put any Alpha wolf on edge, alarming their senses. Though if we were still rogues in this moment, there's no doubt in my mind that there would have been bloodshed by now, if not worse.

While these guards obviously couldn't identify my pack's identity when they breached the border, their wolves could clearly tell they weren't rogues, as much as their human counterparts didn't want to believe such a thing. Their unease and doubt of my groups intentions, makes it easier to assume my pack are rogues in order to have what they would deem a reasonable excuse to kill them, no questions asked.

Their little brains clearly can't comprehend another possible explanation for their total lack of recognition of my group's strange scent. I honestly can understand that train of thought, but they are wrong. We are no longer rogues and we are not here to threaten or hurt their pack. As the Alpha paces angrily back and forth between the two groups, my pack parts for me as I whistle the signal to separate.

I jump out of hiding and step over the border with my head held high, letting a little of my power flow to announce my presence. I feel Hulu and Sophia instinctively take half a step closer to me on either side as a show of their readiness to protect me if anything goes sideways. Kayla hums at the respectful gesture, allowing them both to feel her gratitude through the pack link.

"I Alpha Brown of the Snow Moon pack as seen before you. We have come here to take some unwanted wolves off your hands. I need more numbers in my pack to rescue someone I love who's been taken from me, and you are going to help me." I speak in an even tone, not breaking eye contact in the presence of this Alpha unlike my pack members, not that such a reaction is out of the ordinary, it's instinctual for anyone ranked under an Alpha. "And why would I do that? You're not an alpha!" he cackles hysterically. I smirk in response, Kayla grumbling about loving it when people underestimate us.

She loooves putting people in their place or knocking them on their ass if necessary. "Are you sure about that? Sure enough to bet your life on it?" I ask in a firm tone, keeping my posture relaxed and casual. His expression falters for a brief moment as uncertainty sets in, before he speaks again. "You may or may not be an alpha, I can't 100% attest to that either way, but that still doesn't tell me why I'd help you when you are trespassing on my land!" I sigh, growing irritated. "Because if you don't, I will personally unhinge your jaw, and force-feed you your own shit in front of everyone you know and love"

He looks at me with extreme discomfort, his face distorting in pure disgust at the vivid imagery. "I'll tell you what wolfie, I'll discuss helping you, but only if you can get me to submit to your wolf in a fight, and no one can make me or my wolf submit." He puffs out his chest at the last sentence, taking pride in that statement but much to his surprise, I agree to his terms without hesitation and step forward, ready to inflict some pain.

Bree's POV:

There's shuffling outside the steel door before it swings open and Dave walks in, who is accompanied by Ricky. They are deep in discussion as they enter the room. I glance between the two of them through heavy lids as they go silent, but their intense facial expressions tell me they are linking with each other.

After a minute or so of them communicating in silence, they both laugh coldly as Dave storms towards me punching me straight in the face. I feel the hot burst of pain instantly as I'm taken by surprise by the strength of the impact. I don't have a chance to recover before he swings again, cutting my right cheek with his heavy metal rings.

I feel the blood trickling down my cheek as I try to take a deep breath but struggle to do so with the pain enveloping my face. I think back to when Hulu showed up to distract myself from the pain. It has given me hope, hope that Dani will come for me. I stay deep in thoughts as Dave hits me over and over again. Ricky just stands there, back pressed against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. He has a stern expression on his face.

I can't tell what he is thinking but the anticipation of what will come next makes me feel sick to my stomach. As Dave slows his assault, Ricky suddenly leaves the room and after a moment, he strolls back in with yet another bowl of soup but this time it smells like chicken. My senses come alive as my stomach rumbles, reminding me how hungry I really am.

I sniff the air and subconsciously lick my lips as desperation sets in. I am starving but I'm not hungry or desperate enough to willingly ingest anything they give me. So, unfortunately, I know what is coming, and the dread settles deep in my gut. I once again refuse to eat or drink anything, and Dave gives a similar order as a few days ago.

Ricky leaves once more and comes back into the room with a thinner tube; only about a centimetre wide. He hands it and the small funnel to Dave before picking back up the bowl of soup he had placed on the floor. My throat is still raw and torn from the other day. So much so, that I know I can't speak even if I try. It had been excruciating and genuine fear sets in as they don't open my mouth this time. Instead, they direct the small tube to my nasal passageway making me panic. I squirm in the chair and against the chains, but it is utterly pointless. Dave gives me an evil smile as he forces the tube through my narrow airway.

The tube is too big for my nose, and I can physically feel him tearing the muscles inside me. I try to scream but my throat is too raw, and all that comes out is a high-pitched squeak of air. Once the tube is all the way in, they then proceed to pour the hot soup down into the funnel while holding the tube vertically, allowing the liquid to reach my airway. It burns it's way down my throat, scalding my tongue and further burning my already damaged oesophagus. In this moment all I can think is kill me already, this pain is too much for anyone to handle and without Dale, I can't heal, or retreat in my mind for him to take the brunt of the pain for a while.

After what feels like forever, the tube is pulled back out, carelessly fast. I slump forward in the chair, everything going black as my entire body screams in agony.