Cruel by nature

Chapter 12

The company at dinner is even more unnerving than the day before. Unlike last time, I can now feel their stares all over my body, crawling over me like ants. I squirm uncomfortably in my seat, and focus my attention at the plate in front of me. I haven't found it in me to touch it. I'm too focused on the stares and whispers. On the attention.

I wonder what they think of me.

Do they know I'm a prisoner here, held against my will? Surely they must know, which means they don't care.

I catch wind of a conversation between two women a few seats away, and instantly strain my ears.

"How are things going with the new trainees?" one of them asks the other.

"Better than expected, actually", the other woman replies. "All but one made it through this time." She reaches for her glass of wine, and I can't help but notice her long, sharp nails. They have an odd shape to them, and upon further inspection, I come to realize they might not actually be nails at all, but claws.

"The boy had no chance", the woman continues, shaking her head in disappointment. "Didn't even make it to midnight before his body gave up on him."

I feel bile rise up in my throat, the realization dawning upon me. They're talking about turning humans into beasts.

My body acts on itself, and I shoot up from my seat, the chair screeching against the stone floor.

"I-I... I need to get some air", I stutter, overwhelmed. I expect to be shouted at, scolded for my outburst, but Bree comes up beside me before anyone has a chance to get a say in the matter and quietly ushers me out of the room.

Bree walks us through another corridor and into the main hall. There's some sort of guard stationed by the front door, and Bree orders him to open it, which he does, although hesitantly.

The ground beneath my feet is freezing as we step outside, but at this moment, I don't care. I take slow, deep breaths, trying to calm down my racing heartbeat. Hearing those two women talking so carelessly of the human lives they ruined terrifies me beyond words. I haven't forgotten Bree telling me about it not too long ago, but I had suppressed it into the back of my mind, denying it to the best of my abilities. But I can't deny it any longer.

"Why are you... they doing this?" I ask, the pain evident in my voice. Bree doesn't answer, and I can't blame her. What is there to say? There's nothing she can say to justify their behavior. A tear falls down my cheek, and I angrily wipe it away.

I hate them.

I hate them, I hate them, I hate them.

I want to scream out loud, but no words come out. Instead, I gaze out at the night ahead. It's pitch black, and I can barely make out the wall in the distance, but its shadow is taunting me well enough. I know I'm going to have to find a way out of here one day, but not today.

"We should head inside", Bree says after a few moments of silence, anxiously glancing at my bare feet on the frozen gravel. A small part of me had hoped there would be a pair of shoes waiting for me as I stepped out of the shower before dinner, but all I got was another set of Bree's clothes.

I take one last look at the darkness ahead before turning back inside, following Bree back to my room.

* * *

The next few days are uneventful, and repetitive. In the mornings, Bree comes by to escort me to the office room, where I spend most of the afternoons until it's time for dinner. I don't speak much, if at all. Sometimes, I feel like a ghost, just floating around. I'm restless, and unnerved. Everything's so calm, too calm, and I wonder when chaos will strike because surely, this can't be all there is to their lives.

It's currently late afternoon, and I've just returned to my bedroom. I never really know what to do with all the time I have on my hands now. I've been so used to focusing on surviving and moving forward, that I have no idea what to do when life stands still. It doesn't help that I'm confined to these four walls most of the time. Bree's given me a few books and other forms of quick entertainment, but they can only hold my interest for so long. I'm restless, and I find it hard to relax. My time could be spent elsewhere, on much more important matters.

A hard knock on the door takes me away from my derailing train of thoughts, and I sit up straight in the bed. There's another knock after a few more seconds, and I furrow my brows. Bree only knocks once before entering, no matter if I say so or not.

"Come in", I call out hesitantly, unsure of who might be standing on the other side.

A key turns in the lock and a young man steps inside. I tense up, my body readying itself for... well... anything.

"Hi", the man says as he stops a good distance away from me, "I'm Luca. Bree told me you asked about a girl named Mila."

I breathe out an exasperated breath of air, slowly recognizing the man in front of me. He was there the day I was taken from Mila and Taras' house. He's the one who brought her to the police station.

"How is she?" I ask hurriedly. "What happened to her? Is she back home? Wha-"

"Easy", Luca cuts me off with a wavering smile. "She's okay, for now."

"What happened?" I ask again, my voice instantly harsher.

Luca sighs. "She's at the police station."

My eyes narrow. "How long has she been there for?"
"For as long as you've been here, I suppose."

His words feel like a hard slap to the face. "Why?" I ask, although I fear I already know the answer.

"She's awaiting trial."

My heart skips a beat. "For being accused of being a sympathizer?" I notice his eyes widen at my question, clearly not expecting me to know about their hostility towards the werewolves who actually acknowledge the value of human lives.

"Yeah."

A lump forms in my throat. "And what would happen if she was found guilty?"

Luca grimaces, clearly not enjoying where this conversation is heading.

"Please", I beg as I notice his hesitation, "I need to hear the truth. She saved my life, and she shouldn't be punished for that."

"She'd either be exiled... or killed", Luca answers after a moment of contemplation, "but there's nothing that can be done in her favor now."

Tears start to brim my eyes, and I swallow the lump in my throat. "Is there any way to avoid a trial?" My question is thick with desperation. I know that whoever sits in the jury won't take a single word of mine into consideration. If anything, me trying to intervene would only make it worse.

Luca gives me a pitiful look. "Not for her."

I grasp at his words. "For her? What does that mean?"

He sighs. "The only one who can pardon her besides the jury, is the alpha."

The alpha. Adrian. The one who sent her there in the first place. Great.

"Take me to him", I say quickly, as if I'll change my mind if I have time to think it through.

Luca stares at me in disbelief. "No, no way."

"Yes", I urge him on, moving towards the door. He swiftly moves in front of me, blocking the way.

"I can't let you do that. For your own sake."

I scoff at him, irritated that he's not co-operating. "As if you'd care about me. If you won't go with me, at least let me through the door. I can find my way to his office on my own."

Luca shakes his head. "I have orders not to let you leave the room, I'm sorry. I should go."

"But-" I start following him towards the door, but his pleading eyes make me stop halfway.

"I wish I could do more", he says, "for you and for her."