The Beaten Path.

Chapter 11: Darkness

Chapter 11: Darkness

Kelly POV

Mmm, I mumble as I begin to regain consciousness, slowly emerging from the depths of sleep.

As I open my eyes, I am met with utter darkness, a suffocating void that sends a wave of panic coursing through me. Flashes of recent events assault my mind, and I find myself gasping, "Dom, omg, where is Dom!" I shout, straining to look around in the oppressive dark. My body tenses as I attempt to rise, but I am abruptly pulled back down. It dawns on me—I'm chained up.

"Athena, are you there?" I call out, my voice trembling with fear.

"Kelly, I'm here," Athena replies, her voice a calming presence amidst the chaos.

"Oh, thank God!" I exclaim, feeling a small sense of relief wash over me.

"Where do you think we are? I can't smell any scents," Athena asks, her tone laced with concern.

"I'm not sure, Kel. Just try to stay calm, and we will make it out of this together. Remember, we are silver wolves; we WILL survive, I promise," she reassures me, instilling a flicker of hope.

"Thanks, Athena, for sticking beside me," I whisper, grateful for her unwavering support.

"Always," Athena says softly, her soothing voice wrapping around me like a warm blanket.

I lay back down, closing my eyes in an attempt to conserve as much strength as possible for whatever horrors lie ahead.

Suddenly, a jolt of pain radiates throughout my body, yanking me from the brink of sleep.

I look around, and the sight is horrifyingly familiar: my mother, Alpha Joe, and his son, Jarred, stand before me. A scream threatens to escape my lips, but I bite it back, refusing to give them the satisfaction of witnessing my pain.

They wield a silver knife, the glint of it catching the dim light as they carve the word "murder" into my ribs, thighs, and arms.

For those unfamiliar with our kind, silver and wolfsbane are the weaknesses of werewolves. The wolfsbane burns like acid, eating away from the inside, while silver feels like fire from the depths of hell itself, scorching my skin mercilessly. It takes ten times longer for a wolf to heal when injured by a silver weapon, and I brace myself for the agony that awaits.

"So glad to see you have finally woken up," my mother sneers, her voice dripping with malice.

"Why, mother? Why must you harbor such hatred towards me? I was just a child!" I shout, desperation coloring my words.

In response, she punches me across my jaw, and I feel it dislocate, yet I refuse to cry out in pain.

"It's your fault! You took your sister to the woods, which caused your father to go after you, and then the rogue took both of them from me! You should have died instead of them!" she screams, venom lacing her words, each one a dagger to my heart.

"I didn't know what was going to happen! You think you're the only one who has lost anyone? Haha, please, mother! I lost my father, my baby sister, and you all in one day! And I was only eight, for crying out loud!" I retort, my voice breaking with emotion.

In a frenzy, she lunges at me with the silver knife, shouting, "I hate you!" as she swings the blade toward my heart.

"Enough!" Joe intervenes, catching her hand mid-air, his voice commanding authority.

"April, don't listen to this nonsense anymore. Jarred, grab that cloth and tape. Put the cloth in her mouth and tape it there—make sure she can't say another word," he orders.

"Yes, father," Jarred responds obediently, though confusion flickers in his eyes.

Once Jarred complies, they leave the room, leaving me alone once more, now in pain and gagged. As Jarred tended to me, Joe had taken my mother out to cool down, leaving me in this nightmare.

A little while later, Jarred returns with Joe, but my mother is conspicuously absent. I cast a confused glance their way, but Joe's words quickly clear my confusion.

"It's now our time to have some fun with you!" Joe's voice drips with malice.

"You see, April wants revenge for the death of your father and sister. She wants to end your life quickly, but I want other things," he continues, his eyes glinting with wicked intent as he glances at the tools, contemplating which one to use to inflict pain.

I can't help but notice the bewildered look on Jarred's face as he processes his father's words.

"Athena, did you see Jarred's reaction to his father?" I ask, my heart racing with a glimmer of hope.

"Yeah, I did," Athena replies, her concern mirroring my own.

"Maybe he can be our ticket out of here if we can turn him against his father and my mother," I suggest, formulating a plan.

"I agree; let's do it," Athena encourages me.

"What do you want to do, father?" Jarred asks, his voice trembling slightly.

"Shut up! I wasn't finished, Jarred!" Joe snaps, backhanding his son as he stumbles back, shock painted across his face.

"As I was saying, I want power, and you, dear, can give me that. I know you're wondering how, well, I'll tell you," he continues, his tone dripping with sinister delight.

"One, we know you're strong, so having you around can be useful. Two, I want Dom to come after you so I can take him down for good and seize control of his pack. Three, I will mate with you. Your power and strength will be mine as well, but that's after I kill my current Luna!" Joe declares, his voice oozing with malevolence.

I gasp in shock, my heart racing as the implications of his words sink in, while Jarred's eyes widen in horror, realization dawning on him.

"Father, what are you talking about? I thought we hated her for getting her father, your best friend, killed, as well as her little sister?" Jarred stammers, fear evident in his voice.

"Son, you really are as stupid as you look. I don't give a damn about any of that! All I care for is power! Kelly, here is exactly how I gain it. Why do you think I haven't made you Alpha?" Joe taunts, his words striking Jarred like a thunderbolt, shattering his hopes and dreams.