Red & Silver

Chapter 18: Into the Nightshade Territory

The moment Silver set me down, I could feel the tension in the air. My senses were on high alert as my blindfold prevented me from seeing anything. The sounds and scents around me were both overwhelming and terrifying. I heard angry voices growling in low tones and the unmistakable presence of many werewolves surrounding us. The scent of wet fur mixed with the earthy smell of the forest filled my nostrils.

"Watch it!" I snapped as I felt rough hands grabbing me, causing a shiver of fear to run down my spine. I tried to wriggle free, but their grip only tightened. Silver's voice cut through the cacophony as he tried to intervene. "Leave her alone!"

"Enough!" Ulrich roared, silencing everyone. "Take her away and put her in a cell. And restrain this guy."

My heart raced as panic set in. This was not what I had signed up for. As they dragged me away, I strained against their grip, feeling their cold hands close around my wrists as someone pushed me forward. The sound of Silver's protests faded into the distance, replaced by the unsettling murmurs of the werewolves around me.

"Please, let me go!" I shouted, desperate for someone to listen. But my pleas fell on deaf ears as they continued to drag me toward my uncertain fate.

Thrown into the cell with a rough shove, I stumbled forward, catching myself against the wall. As I ripped off my blindfold, I took in my surroundings. The small, dimly lit cell was barely furnished, save for a narrow bed with a thin, tattered blanket. The wooden walls were scratched and worn as if they'd held many captives before me.

"Please, don't close the door!" I begged, panic rising in my chest as the guard began to shut it. "You can't just leave me in here!"

But he simply slammed the door shut, locking it without so much as glancing back at me. I pounded on the door, my fists shaking with anger and desperation. "Let me out of here!" I screamed, but my cries were ignored.

"Damn werewolves," I muttered under my breath, slumping against the wall. My heart raced in my chest as I tried to calm myself down. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. Silver had promised me that everything would be fine, and now here I was, trapped in a cell like some animal.

"Think, Red, think," I whispered to myself, trying to come up with a plan. But my mind was a whirlwind of fear and confusion, making it nearly impossible to focus. Sure, I still had my Dad's knife, but that would do little more than ensure anyone who tried to harm me would suffer consequences. I needed something else to open the door and the guard had to go. Shit! All I could think about was how foolish I'd been to trust a pack of werewolves.

As I paced the cell, the sound of my own breathing filled the space, drowning out the faint whispers and growls that echoed through the air. I knew I couldn't stay here forever – I needed to find a way out.

"Hey! You can't just leave me in here!" I yelled at the guard as he took a seat at the desk outside my cell, completely ignoring me. My voice was raw from shouting, and my throat burned with every word I spoke. But the guard didn't even flinch, acting as if I didn't exist.

I sighed, feeling defeated, and lay down on the bed. It was hard and uncomfortable, but I couldn't stand pacing around the cell any longer. As I stared up at the wooden ceiling, fear and regret filled every inch of my being. Was this it for me? Had I really been so stupid to trust the Nightshades' alpha? My heart raced as I imagined all the horrible ways they could end my life – and how no one would ever know what happened to me.

A single tear rolled down my cheek as thoughts of my grandmother filled my mind. What would she think of me now? She had been my rock, the one person who truly understood me and allowed me to be myself. Her death had left a gaping hole in my heart, and I hadn't properly mourned her loss yet.