Just a Little Bit of Hope

CHAPTER ONE

  "Cell mates thirty three and thirty four move out!" A gruff voice yells loudly.
  I stand gingerly, pain still stemming from my right side. Maya gives me a fearful look while her big blue eyes fill with tears. She tries to hide her face in her pale blond hair, but there's no where that she can hide that these monsters won't find her.
  I grab her hand and give it a squeeze before going ahead of her to face our doom. Maya hurries to grab onto the back of my shirt and grasps it tightly in her fists. She lays her head down on the back of my shirt and I already feel her tears soaking through. My own eyes fill with tears but I refuse to allow them to slip down my cheeks. These animals don't deserve the satisfaction.
  We finally make it out of our cell. Both of us walking slowly, trying to defy our fate.
  A hard push from behind sends us tumbling to the ground.
  "Hurry the fuck up maggots." A big brute of a man snarls, his spittle flying everywhere.
  Maya whimpers in response.
  "Shut the fuck up bitch. You don't speak unless I allow you to!" The man yells raising his hand to backhand Maya across the face.
  "No!" I yell standing up and pushing the man.
  All hell breaks loose. I'm tackled by two other men. I'm pulled up off the ground to see the man I pushed smirking at me.
  "Still trying to be a hero I see huh? Well well I guess your punishments aren't enough are they?" He says coming real close. His nose brushes against mine and his rank breath blows across my face.
  "Guess I'll just have to fuck you into submission." He says with a laugh. My stomach sours and before I can stop myself I spit in his face.
  His whole demeanor flips just like a switch. He yanks my hair sharply to the right before yelling so loud it makes my ears ring. "You dumb bitch!"
  One of the men who tackled me hold me while the other two make fun as using me as their personal punching bag.
  Blow after blow rains down on me. Gasps of pain leave my throat as do groans of pain but I rather die than ever beg them to stop. I've done it before and it's only worse and highly disappointing when they don't.
  Finally when they grow tired they stop. I hear Maya's cries behind me but know she can't do anything and I wouldn't want her to.
  The big brute from before wipes sweat off of his face with the back of his hand before saying, "Take the other girl back to her cell. I think this little whore has enough fire to please all of us."
  I hear Maya cry louder before the big man wraps a meaty fist around my bony arm before dragging me kicking and screaming to a dark room with two other lusting men following behind.
  It wasn't always like this. No not at all. This pack use to be a happy place. The alpha and Luna were known across the land as the most humble and kind pair.
  We were a strong pack but not the strongest. We believed in compassion and kindness, not useless bloodshed and violence.
  We prided ourselves on being caring to those in need. We knew that not all rogues were bad. Instead of killing the rogues that dare cross our land, our alpha offered hospitality to those who would prove their loyalty and freedom to those who deserved it.
  You must be assuming that I'm the alphas daughter and yada yada but quite the opposite really.
  I was found in the woods at three days old nearly dead. I was brought back to perfect health and given to a quaint, lovely couple who couldn't have children. Martha and Jim Stewart might not of been my blood but there's never been a doubt in my mind that they're my mom and dad.
  I grew up learning to be nice but I always had a sarcastic streak a mile wide. My parents couldn't wait for me to find my mate and for me to start popping out grandkids.
  Everything was great. Everyone was happy. Until suddenly everything changed.
  There's always those who want power. Who crave obedience. Who's greed is so strong that it swallows all the good.
  A man who went by Vincent Strong. He was evil and he was cruel. He started taking over smaller packs one by one by force.
  It was the Luna's birthday. We were happy. We were celebrating. It was quite a party. We never saw it coming. They attacked. They killed people by the dozens.
  Alpha and Luna went down like a sack of potatoes. We fought until we couldn't fight anymore. Most of the older men over ten were killed including the alpha's son Dominic and my father.
  They took over and nothing was ever the same again. The woman and children were gathered. All the females were taken no matter your age.
  We were put into cells and sorted by age. Any children under fifteen were separated. They had to work as servants. I had just turned fifteen so I was taken down to the cells. We were given cell mates and numbers. We were given collars that we were forced to wear that stops the healing process and makes you unable to shift. It makes you and your mate unable to determine each other. You're basically a human.
  They do unimaginable things down here. They beat you until you break and rape you over and over again. We get monthly shots to avoid unwanted pregnancies. Once you reach the age of twenty you have to conceive a pup with a man who chooses you. At first we tried to fight back but there was nothing we could do. Those who tried to escape were killed. My first cell mate, an older woman was killed in the first three days. My second was named Vick. She was twenty five. We were together for six months before they beat her so bad that she couldn't recover and died. My next cell mate was Maya. Maya had just turned fifteen. She was sent immediately down to the cells. I tried to protect her as much as I can but there's only so much I can do.
  I'm now almost eighteen and this hell still isn't over. I don't know if any of my friends are still alive. Along with my mother.
  We don't get to see the boys. Any woman that has sons are taken straight away. Ive heard that the boys are treated like royalty and are trained to be in Vincent's army.
  I've wanted to give up so many times but besides Maya, there's another light in my life.
  His name was Adam, but most of the guards called him mutt or boy.
  He's the only boy that I've ever seen in the cells. Apparently he is Vincent's son. When he was born Vincent could smell how weak the child was. He ordered the guards to kill the boy immediately but before they could he changed his mind and decided that a worse punishment than death would be to live this miserable life down here in the cells.
  At a week old I seen him. Covered in dirt and crying his little heart out while guards walked passed him with a disgruntled look.
  I ran for it and grabbed the child. That was one of the worst beatings of my life. They let me keep him. He was allowed in my cell. I think they seen it as more punishment for me for I would have less space and less food for I would have to share my tiny once a day meal with him.
  I renamed him Breyon for it means strong. It was touch and go there for a while. I didn't know if he was going to make it. This scared me more than anything those monsters ever did. But just like true to his name he prevailed. My little boy is now almost three and yes he's mine. Just like my parents took me in I took him in. I love him like he's my own and no one has dared to lay a finger on him. My pup will not ever have a fist raised to him. 
  Everyday I hope and pray that this isn't going to forever be my life. I pray that there's something better out there for me and my pup.
  I'm brought out of my thoughts by a heavy pleasure filled grunt before the last man gets off of me. Tears flow freely now but I keep quiet to avoid another beating.
  "That was fun sugar." One of the men says as he trails one dirty fingernail down my cheek.
  I stay silent and give him my best glare which just causes him and the others to laugh.
  Finally they drag me back to my cell. When we reach mine I see Maya holding a crying Breyon.
  As soon as he sees me he lifts his arms and run to the cell door calling, "Mommy!"
  His little hands reach for me through the cell. The nasty man holding me whacks the cell with his discipline stick only a slight hair away from my sons fingers. I know from experience how dangerous those things can be. They would've broken his fingers for sure.
  "Hey!" I yell struggling to get out of the mans grip.
  With a laugh that the others join in he opens the cell and throw me to the ground before closing the door.
  Breyon quickly runs to me making sure I'm okay. I look up to notice the man who I spit on earlier give me a scary look as he says, "keep your mutt under control or me and the boys just might have to take him."
  I shake at what he's saying as I wrap my arms around Breyon as the man leaves.
  Breyon is sobbing into my neck as I stroke his dirty matted hair and rub his back to calm him down.
  I look over to a tearful Maya who mouths a quick thank you to me.
  I just nod. I pick my boy up and go to lay on my cold corner of the cell, pulling Breyon on top of me to be protected from the cold that seems to just seep into my bones. Breyon has always seemed years wiser than his actual age. Nothing makes me more sad than to know that my pup is missing out on a childhood that he deserves.
  My baby cries himself to sleep and there's nothing I can do. We'll get out of here somehow. I just have to have a little bit of hope.