Still I rise...

chapter two.

I woke up panicked. I could hear screaming and my heart was pounding, fighting against my rib cage. Then I realized the antagonized screams were coming from me. I shut my mouth and tried to clutch at my chest to calm my erratic beats but soon realized they were shackled against the wall. I looked around to find myself in a dim, musty room. The room was bare and consisted of only the single small bed I was currently on.  I sat up on the simple flat cot. My back felt sore against the cold stone walls.

I didn't have much time to think of my situation before the door busted open revealing two men who looked ready to kill.  They surveyed the room before stepping in advancing towards me. The burliest of the two lifted me from the hair as much as the chains allowed. Despite how my scalp and wrists complained not a single gasp escaped my lips.  I looked him over as he scrutinized me.  He looked around his early 30s, had a scar running down from the top of his eye all the way down across his face. Except for the scar his face was pretty fair he had short dark brown hair, a natural dark tan, and a well fit body. What caught my attention were his hazel green eyes that stared at me with hatred. If looks could kill, I'd be put out of my misery by now.

The other guy came up and pulled him away causing him to drop me back down. I landed with a thud onto the lumpy pathetic excuse for a mattress.  I guess they don't care to make their prisoners comfortable, I thought.  I zoned away from my thoughts to find them staring at me seeming to be waiting for something. I looked at them with a bored expression which seemed to aggravate the burly one even more.

"I see you have a short temper," I smirked at him.  I have no idea where my confidence came from. I was never one to be rude or sassy; it seemed as if my wolf was taking over my personality at the moment. I didn't mind; I had no strength to deal with anything and didn't see how she did. I didn't flinch as he lunged at me before his partner held him back.

"We asked you why you were screaming, and if you are ready to cooperate and tell us what you're purpose is?" the smaller one asked with a snarl. I looked at him and cocked my head to the side. He was reasonably younger with the same tanned skin as his friend. His hair was slightly longer and a lighter shade of brown and light blue eyes. He had no visible scars but I wouldn't be surprised to find that he had some. He may not be as strong as the other one but he sure was packing some muscles on him.                                                                                                                       

I looked them both in the eye before I answered. "I don't know what you're talking about. I heard no screaming. As for my purpose, well, I was just hanging out," I said with a laugh in my voice. They both growled at me this time obviously mad I wasn't taking them serious.  Their patience was wearing thin maybe they'd crack soon and just kill me.

"Look.  We're not playing games with you. Who is your Alpha?" Scarface asked me.  I'll admit I flinched a little at the word Alpha, thoughts of Adrian filling my mind bringing along the pain that was demanding my full attention. I screamed as the pain invaded me and I writhed from its intensity. They looked at me in alarm and not knowing what to do.

The youngest one grabbed me from the sides of my face commanding my focus on him. "What's going on? Can you hear me?" He shouted at me. He had the same colored eyes as my brother. I focused on calming down thinking of my brother helped. He looked at me in shock.  The room was silent as he gathered his thoughts. 

"Do you hear that?" He asked his friend.   The big guy looked around the room trying to find what his partner was talking about.  "I don't hear a thing," he responded in his gruff voice.

"I know it's just, She umm- her heart.  Can you hear it?"

"No. What are you trying to- Wait.  She doesn't have a heartbeat."

They looked at me obviously freaked out at the thought of my still cardiac organ.

"What are you?" They asked. Broken, shattered, destroyed, all of the above, I don't know take your pick, I silently thought. My wolf growled at me; she wasn't keen on the idea of weakness.

"I don't have an Alpha," I said answering their previous question to take the focus of my heart.  

"So you're a rogue?" They asked with an underlying tone of disgust. I could see their obvious hatred for the rogues of our kind. I hesitate to answer them knowing full well what the consequences would be.

"Yes. I'm a rogue." Wolves naturally band together. Although loner wolves are not uncommon they aren't really heard of. Once a shifter is detached from society and communication and relies solely on its inner wolf they become vicious, cruel and dangerous. If a pack comes into contact with one that is too far gone it's best to eliminate the threat. I could tell this pack didn't take kindly to threats and wouldn't take chances either.

They gave me one last look before heading back out and bolting the door behind them. I heard the finality of the lock as it closed. I laid back down feeling uncomfortable with the cuffs on my wrists that were cutting into my skin. The pain was still there inside my chest eating slowly away at me.  I allowed myself to think of what I was giving up, my family, my life, my future. I had always been an independent person and I couldn't believe what my life had come down to. I had pretty much just signed my death wish. Then I remembered a quote I had always lived my life by "What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger."

I sat up as my thoughts went wild.  The boy I had loved with all my heart cheated on me with my best friend. My mate rejected me and claimed someone else as his future alpha female right in front of me.My heart stopped beating, yet I was still breathing and living.  I wasn't dead despite it all and now I was willingly throwing it all away. I couldn't die, not yet anyways. I had a lot going for me no matter where I laid now. At that moment I realized I wasn't ready to die.