Alphas daughter

Chapter 44

Days passed and Zach and I were still locked up and tortured. The first day we were poisoned and a chunk of flesh was carved out of my leg.

The next day they had come and told us that one of us was to go with them, after being weakened and they would extract our bone marrow, while the other would stay and inhale more wolfsbane.

Zach insisted on being the one to go and wouldn't let me argue at all. He disappeared and I was left alone in the fogged torture. Each breath burned my very core and every inch of my body felt alight. When Zach finally came back he had a landfill sized hole drilled into his arm.

Each time we were poisoned, fewer and fewer berries were slid under the cage door. We started to get used to the constant sizzling sensation and the permanent weakness. They had also taken my tooth, one of my nails and some of Zach's hair and saliva. Both of us had a great amount of blood extracted from our veins and had to be analysed and tested in wolf form.

We didn't speak anymore. There was nothing to say. We just held one another where we felt safe. The only place I could manage to breath properly was Zach's arms. Without him, I would've become paralysed.

"No! Please," I begged as once again, the red poison button was hit sending another cloud of wolfsbane gas into the atmosphere. I lay next to Zach as the tears poured from my eyes. He too, had damp cheeks although, he tried his hardest not to cry in my presence.

The pain gushed over me like a wave instantly, I was paralysed from the simmering heat. Cries and groans echoed around us while the agonising incineration continued. My heavy eyes began to droop and the darkness started to seep in just as the cage door burst open.

I felt the tugging on my leg and knew that only torture awaited me. I was dragged by my feet out the cage and down the hallway. Voices echoed around me, keeping me from being overcome by the darkness and the tears streamed over my cheeks. Breathing was impossible, like all the oxygen had been sucked away and I was simply choking and gasping on nothingness.

Suddenly, I stopped moving and my legs were dropped to the floor. Hands pressed on my face and chest as distant voices called out around me. With all my strength, I shook my head and blubbered out a plea, begging them to stop.

And then voices cut off and silence filled the room. The hands that were pressed against me moved away and my eyes rolled back into my head.

****

White completely surrounded me. A bright, dazzling white that burned my retinas. From somewhere in the distance, a sound resonated and I frowned, recognition flickering in the back of my mind.

"Ella?" The sound was clearer now and I perked up at the deep, soft voice calling me back to the living.

With great difficulty, I forced my eyes open, allowing the blinding light to blare before it faded to a pale blue. I blinked rapidly. A layer of green sheltered me from a glowing light and a strong, earthly smell filled my nose.

I jolted up instantly, feeling the fresh air filling my lungs and the cool wind brush against my skin. Around me I saw the familiar faces of home and the tears streamed down my cheeks as I wished they were real.

I couldn't stop the tears as I looked between their worried and sad faces and I longed to see them, I desperately wanted them to come for me but I knew when I woke up I would be met with the emptiness of the cell rather than the familiarity of woods.

"It's ok, you are safe now," Ryder spoke softly to me, watching me with worry in his eyes.

I shook my head. "No, no, no," I sobbed and then I felt a hand wrap around me. I glanced down and followed the arm to see Ryder, realisation suddenly dawning on me. "You're really here?" I cried.

"I'm here," he whispered, pulling me closer to him, but before he had the chance I threw myself into his arms. I grasped onto him as tightly as possible, burying my face in his shirt and soaking it with my tears. "I'm here Ella, you're safe," he whispered, gripping me tightly against him.

"You're here," I cried, shaking my head in disbelief. My hands clutched his shirt in my fist, my nails almost splitting through the thin fabric. "Is it over?" I asked him.

"It's over," he whispered before pressing his lips against my head and rocking me slightly in his arms. "Here." He pulled me away from him and handed me a huge bag full of nightshade berries. I quickly ate my way through half the bag, revelling in the relief I felt.

"Zach?" I whimpered out to Ryder and he smiled.

"I'm here." I heard his normal husky voice from behind me, his tone the usual arrogant, authoritative one. I turned and grinned, seeing his face had returned to his smirk and gleaming eyes. I thrust myself into his arms and basked in his warmth.

"You guys came," I whispered.

"Of course we came," I heard Jordans voice and saw her sitting beside Zach with her usual gentle smile.

"Are you both ok?" Alexia asked from opposite me.

I nodded and turned to Zach. "I'm fine." He smiled, reaching for my hand.

"What about them?" I asked nobody in particular.

"They are gone," Ryder promised.

"Did you-," I cut off, not sure how to word it but I didn't need to.

"Actually no, the other pack did," he replied slowly and once he did, Zach tensed beneath me.

"What?" He snapped, shooting daggers at Ryder.

"They helped us get you out and they promised to take care of the humans. They wanted to keep our secret and also they need you alive so they wanted to help," he explained and I nodded, sending Zach's hand a squeeze to calm him down.

"Have they gone?" I asked wearily.

"Yeah." He nodded and I let out a shaky breath.

Zach and I sat, both munching on nightshade berries, and explained everything to them, all about what they did and what they told us and what we told them.

"Are you ready to go home?" Ryder asked after we finished filling them in.

"So ready," I said before taking Zach's hand and letting him pull me up off the floor. To the left was a small, isolated building which I assumed was where we had spent the last few days. While the other made their way right, I set off left and slid the large metal door open.

"Ella?" Caroline called but I ignored her and went inside. In the middle of the room was an operating table that was coated in blood. To the side was a small table with knives and drills and pliers and other tools. I scanned the room for the samples they took from us and started to rummage through the cupboards.

"What are you doing?" Zach asked from directly behind me.

"Trying to find the traces of our DNA before someone else does." I explained while I opened another cupboard to find clear packets with my tooth, my nail, a hair, some clippings of our fur, a slide with saliva, some red stuff, my flesh and some blood samples.

"Good idea." Jordan nodded as I grabbed a box of matches.

"How did you guys get us out?" I asked, spinning to face them. "I mean, the cage was full of wolfsbane gas..."

"Mason got you out and then Caroline took him home and came back. We didn't want him here while other pack were around," Blake explained and I nodded. I turned my attention back to the samples and lit a match. I threw it into the cupboard and jumped back, away from the growing flame.

I watched as all the samples immediately became engulfed in the flames and then they spread to the cupboards around it. We all quickly evacuated and watched as the whole building went up in flames. The bodies of the scientists along with it.