Stolen Innocence

Chapter Four

      Cold.

Everything about the cells were cold. The dark, grey, damp concrete walls looked over me with gloom. Though, the door wasn't closed, anywhere close to being close, it's as if they were. The strong round bars were mocking me. The flat, hard cot underneath me like I was sitting on a jagged rock. The thin, scratchy cover that was already in the cell barely kept the cold at bay.

My wolf was getting anxious. She couldn't smell much of the outside not even the trees, the air, the grass. We were completely cut off. Though, I could walk out at any point in time. This was my last chance. I couldn't keep running; hiding wasn't any better but I needed to care for my baby. I've never been to the pack doctor. As soon as I found out that I was pregnant, I took off. That was over two weeks ago. I don't even know how far I was from my own pack. I had to be at least a good distance away since I've been running for two weeks straight.

My wolf perks up and any thought that began to form disappeared as I could smell the only familiar scent here. Food. I jump up and peek out to see the one who took me in bringing in a tray of food towards my cell. I could smell the heavenly savory goodness. Steak, veggies, chicken broth, brown gravy over mashed potatoes. Ice cream! I tried to hold my place otherwise I would plow into him trying to scarf down the food. He must have sensed my impatience, he sped up at the last moment.

"It's been awhile since you've eaten, I'm assuming. You're looking too lean for a pregnant wolf."
"I'm only two weeks in. But it's been longer since I've had a meal like the one I smell." I admitted.
"Please, dig in." He looks at me, sympathetic. My wolf turned her nose up to it. She was a proud wolf and didn't want anyone's sympathies. We were in desperate need otherwise I would make it known.

"What's you're name?" He asks after I stuff my face a couple of times.

"Mallory." I lied.

"If I'm going to try and keep you safe, I need totally honesty." He says, boldly. I almost dropped my fork. Almost. "You didn't train your heart beat to stay calm when you lie. You're around wolves now, you know we pick up on that. So what is your name?" He asks, again.

"N-Nadia." I say. I couldn't believe that I was naive to miss something as an irregular heart beat. I mean, I've been on the run and only I countered humans but this is very common factor with wolves, they pick up on lies as easily as breathing.

"What pack did you run away from, Nadia?"

I panic. If I tell him, he will kick me out. We'll be stuck running again. My wolf whimpers, indecisive leaving me all the panic. "I-i can't tell you. If I do you will kick me out. I'll be hunted, again. They'll kill me!"

"I need to know what I'm protecting you from."

"Who are you?" I ask him. My wolf becomes curious, who is our savior?

"Dalton, I am Beta of Lamia Pack."

Beta. I haven't even met the alpha yet. This guy, Dalton, can't protect me forever. He follows his alpha and if they give the order to send me packing, they might as well be sentencing me to death.

"And if your alpha orders you to remove me from the premises? What then?" I whisper. He's taken aback, of course, he hasn't even thought about that.

"If you're truly harmless, like I'd like you to be, then he would grant you asylum." He says, matter of fact. "But you can't keep me in the dark about who you are." I remained, silent and he sighs.

"You're a pregnant, unmarked girl—"

I interrupt him ever so quietly, "I-I'm marked."

"What?" He's surprised and I'm not that he is, "the she-wolf that helped me escape put rare herbs together and masked my mark's scent to any outside predators. She couldn't mask my actual scent so this was the next best thing." I was so grateful to her but I felt guilty cause I know my alpha killed her for helping me escape. My wolf howled, sadly for her.

"Who marked you? Your mate?" Dalton asks.

"No! He's not my mate! I was forced, I—" I begin to panic, I tried to take in deep breaths but I was coming up short, I was having a panic attack, I try to slow down my heart rate but I couldn't, it was getting worse rather than better. Dalton bends down to meet my eyes. He goes to put his hands on my knees and quickly rethinks it.

"Breath." He whispers calmly. Easier said than done, I bark in my mind. Of course, I know I need to breath!

"What can you see?" He asks suddenly, what? All I could do is stare at him. "What do you see?" He repeats.

You. "Y-you." I could barely get one syllable out without choking.

"What do you smell?" What?! He keeps my gaze locked onto his.

"I-" What do I smell? Besides his earthly cologne, I smelt my half eaten food. "Food." I could see him try to hide a laugh. I glare, but to my surprise I could take deep breaths.

"What do you hear?" I tried to listen, I close my eyes and sink into my hearing, solely. What do I hear? I could hear him, soothing me. Beyond that? I could faintly hear something hitting the roof softly. Trying to listen closer I realized it was raining.

"It's raining." I say with ease. He stopped my panic attack. I looked at him bewildered. "How?"

"My mother used to have panic attacks a couple times daily, I learned quickly that if you can focus on at least one of each of the five senses, it'll calm you down. My own method, you like?" I nodded, speechless. He was the only one besides my own wolf who could calm me down and it takes my wolf a while before she calms me down.

"Thank you." I say, softly. I looked at him with genuine gratitude. He nods, smiling at me.

"D-" there was no going back now, "dark moon pack." I watched the smile slowly fade from his eyes. Fear creeped in. I knew it. I'll never be safe, truly.

"They own over half of the French pack population." He says, to no one in particular. I burrow my eyebrows in confusion. I shook my head.

"There's no way. We're a small pack." I corrected him.

"Your pack is the Dark Moon pack? The alpha is the most ruthless and blood-thirsty monster out there."

I agree, but, "he only owns a small pack."

"That must be a decoy pack. You're sadly mistaken if you think he owns a small pack. His father created wars to get what he wanted." I could see panic forming in his eyes, he was conflicted. He looks up at me slowly, his eyes and face now masked, unemotionally.

"Who marked you?"