The Alpha's Prisoner

1

13 years later...

I stopped when I caught the scent of a rabbit. My afternoon run was important to both my wolf and myself, but food always took first priority. I hadn't had meat in days apart from a few eggs. I sniffed around some more and found the scent before I let my wolf take over.

I felt the grass crunch beneath my powerful paws as I ran full speed after the tiny creature. He tried to run when he heard me behind him, but he was no match for me as my teeth met his soft hind quarter. I bit into his chest and pulled until he stopped fighting me.

I carried the tiny creature back to my den and shifted into my human form to start the process of cleaning and cooking it. It paired perfectly with boiled carrots from my garden. My mother had been teaching me to cook when I lost the pack. She was always a firm believer in starting young and that trait kept me alive for years on my own.

 I froze over my boiling pot as a new scent entered my cave. It was distant, but close enough to tell what it was. Another wolf in my meadow. I shifted as I left my cave so I could at least try to defend myself. The scent was still distant, but it was growing stronger as they got closer.

 I followed the scent to the treeline and started to hear growling. It had already gotten dark and I couldn't see anything, but I heard them. More wolves like me, they were running through the trees, but had suddenly stopped when they caught my scent. The pounding of their feet changed as they all started in my direction.

I took a step back as four intimidating wolves came out of the trees and surrounded me faster than I could even think to run away. The lead wolf growled, staring at me like he was waiting. When I didn't move, he snapped his teeth by my face. I jumped back with a yelp and felt teeth on my tail. The lead wolf growled, standing closer, towering over me. They had all made a circle around me, walking head to tail to trap me. Ready to attack at any moment. 

I whined again, unsure how to appease him. This was my first interaction with other wolves. He seemed to notice my confusion as he stepped back and shifted.

"Shift, shewolf." I did as I was told and pulled my knees to my chest to cover myself. "Do you submit?"

"Huh?" I didn't know what that meant.

"Submit. Do I have control? Are you gonna fight us?" He shouted at me and took a step closer. Tears started pouring down my cheeks as I guarded my face with my arms.

"Please," was all I could manage. He seemed to approve of my response before he gripped my arm and yanked me up to stand. I tried to cover myself as he dragged me in what seemed like a random direction of the woods. I never liked the woods. They were always dark and filled with too many smells. I tried to pull my arm from his hand when it started to hurt.

"It hurts," I said pulling at his hand. He glared and I felt his hand hit my cheek, knocking me to the ground.

"Shut up, bitch." He shouted as he grabbed me again. I cried and held my cheek as he shoved me further into the woods. We came to a wooden box on the ground filled with random pieces of clothing. He pulled on a pair of basketball shorts and dragged me into a clearing.

We came out at a big village. Huge houses everywhere and people all over. I tried to cover myself, ignoring my throbbing cheek as he pulled me through the crowd of people. Everyone stared at my naked form and I could see judgement in their eyes. I couldn't help the tears running down my cheeks.

"Go!" I heard suddenly. The man who held me was shoving me into a dark building. A long dark corridor with bars on each small room.

"Bars on rooms?" I questioned as we entered. He stopped at one and I touched one of the bars before screaming out in pain. He started to laugh as I showed him my quickly healing finger. He grabbed my tangled hair and held my face to the burning bars, making me scream. "It hurts! Stop!"

He held me against the bars and started rubbing my bottom. His hand started to move around to my front, but stopped suddenly, pulling me off the burning bars.

"Leave her alone!" Someone else yelled. Another man came up and pushed me into the cage and closed the door. I looked back at him and saw that he was yelling at the other man. "You know that Alpha has to see all rogues before anything is done with them."

Alpha?

I could remember my mother talking about our alpha. She said he was our leader and it was his job to protect us. I met him once. He was very nice. He died when my mother and father did.

"Ahh, fine." The first man said. "But I call first dibs and you make sure the others know that."

The first man left and the second squatted in front of my cage near where I had sat. He watched me for a moment before he pulled off his shirt and passed it through the bars.

"This should help," he said.

"Thank you," I said as I pulled the shirt on. It felt strange to wear clothes, but I had never been naked around anyone else and it felt wrong. I smiled up at him and felt it burn on my cheek, but he smiled back. I pointed to the bars and held my injured cheek, "why?"

"Why what?" He looked confused.

"Why does that hurt?"

"Why do they burn?" I nodded. "Cause it's silver. It's gotta keep you in."

"Why?"

"Cause you're a rogue."

"Does that make me bad?" I questioned. He looked at me for a moment.

"You're how old?"

"I was six when mommy died. That was a lot of winters ago, so I marked them on my wall. There were ten and then three and I was six. Nineteen! Right?" I counted out loud and on my fingers.

"Your mommy told you that you were pretty immature huh?"

"How'd you know?" I asked.

"You just seem a little younger than you are." He sat down. "You don't talk to many people do you?"

"My chickens," I smiled. He looked confused. "I have four chickens that I talk to everyday! Fluffy, Rude Chicken, George, and Shaun."

"Oh wow. Those sound great," he looked at me for a moment and sighed. "I think I need to talk to alpha. Don't talk to anyone or touch the bars. If someone talks to you, tell them Caleb told you not to move or speak."

"Okay," I nodded. "Are you Caleb?"

"Yes," he chuckled before he stood up and left. It was still dark outside and I was still tired. I fell asleep only moments after he left.