Alaska ✓

4 | Caged

4 | Caged
❝You didn't see that coming?❞

[Stunning cover by onederstruck- ]

There's always a time in your life when you feel completely and utterly caged. When you feel as though you're snared in the centre of a giant maze with no exit, and no way to escape. When you have nowhere else to go, because everything and everyone wants to kill you.

That's how I feel right now. For me, the Alpha Trials only has two outcomes: death or becoming the Alpha Queen if – and that's a big if – I win.

But I don't want to win. I don't want to be Alpha Queen. I am a Rogue, and always will be. Maybe if I win, then I can resign straight away, but somethings tells me the kingdom won't let me do that. They choose the strongest leader to fight a war, and if it's me, then so be it.

And the other option - death? For some reason, I don't want to die. Here I was, cornered in the place where I thought I would never end up in my wildest nightmares, and I was still alive. I had lived to see daylight.

I don't know why I want to live, but its nature. We are survivors, and no matter how hard we fall, we will always pick ourselves back up again.

"What're you thinking about, Alaska?" Josh asks as he gives me a sly grin. "You were giving me the dreamy eyes for a second, there."

I fold my arms across my chest, but feel a small smile edge its way onto my face. Last night, Josh, Azra and I had chosen a sleeping quarters to share for the tournament. They had gotten to know me, and I had actually made friends.

I ignore his question. Last night he pointed out I had a habit of doing that. Screw habits, this was my personality, and I wasn't going to change it now for some boy, even if he was cute. "Call me Ali."

"Oh, so it's Ali now? I thought you liked the nickname Rogue." He raises his eyebrows.

"It's easier to say." I point out, because it was true.

"Technically it isn't," Josh challenged with a quirk of his brow.

"Stop flirting, lovebirds." Azra scowls from the corner. The room we all stand in is a part of the arena, brick walls surrounding us like a stagnant catacomb. The air was still and cold, the light shining through the tiny windows circling us. The room was filled with all the other competitors, waiting to get a glimpse of who they were fighting against. "Pay attention."

In front of us was a nail, hammered into the wall so that it stuck out at a ninety degree angle. It was strange to think that we were all relying on this one nail, but it was where the battle schedule was to be hung.

A sturdy guard with a greying beard and shoulder length hair steps forward, a huge board clutched within his mighty grip. For some reason, the strange sensation of fear sweeps over me in a fleeting glance. He was huge, and other competitors here were equally so. If I'm put up against any of them, I know that I will die.