Ariadne: Almost an Alpha | ✓

Chapter 53 - I Am not Afraid Anymore

Chapter 53 - I Am not Afraid Anymore 

I wake up chained to the wall of a familiar cell by both of my feet; another series of chains wraps my hands together. Last time I was here, I let him win.

Cain is in front of me waiting.

"Uncle, what a pleasure to see you here," I greet him, my tone dull in an effort to control my own emotion.

"It seems you didn't learn your lesson last time," he says, sneering. He tries to appear collected, but I can hear the irritation in his voice that things didn't go his way. He wanted me dead before I could even step foot on the territory and reimpose my claim. In fact, he probably planned to catch me leaving my pack tonight.

I try not to visibly react to his cold, heartless tone. Refusing to stay on the ground and let him intimidate me, I stand up. "It appears that I didn't."

His eyes narrow, clearly agitated. "Then I'll just have someone drop by for a little chat with Alpha Jackson."

I know he's cunning enough to get away with it, but I laugh, trying to sound confident. Now that I'm the alpha here, he can't force his way into my mind, and I can lie successfully. "With all his men on high alert, patrolling 24/7? And the council coming to my pack to investigate? I'd like to see you try."

With the picture I've given him, he'd need a lot more time to plan something that wasn't traceable to him.

Cain hits me on the side of my face, and my head snaps in the opposite direction, causing my teeth to bite into my cheek.

"Your father would be disappointed in your lack or respect," he snarls.

I look into the dead eyes of the face so similar to my father's, the face of the man who has haunted me for four years of my life, and I spit my blood at it. I will not be afraid of him anymore. "Well then that's too bad you murdered him."

Not wanting to waste another second, I wrap my arms around his neck and use the chains to try to choke him to death.

The door to the cell slams open, and before Cain can even starts gasping for air, I'm being stabbed in the back with another needle.

~~~~~

Cain slaps me awake this time, causing my head to jerk to the side. I know I've scared him because they've moved me to a metal chair instead. A series of chain loops secures my wrists to the arms of the chair and my feet to the front two chair legs.

"It's time for you to wake up."

"If you didn't keep putting me to sleep, you wouldn't have to keep waking me up."

His eyes narrow. "What did I say about respect?"

"You don't deserve respect. You're a murderous coward."

He hits me again in response.

"Are you going to get to the point anytime soon?" I ask, using my sarcasm as a defense mechanism (literally). "I was kind of in the middle of something."

"Transfer the pack back to me, and I won't have Dylan and Mateus Jackson killed."

I roll my eyes, still faking confidence. "I thought we already went over this. You can't get to them, and no one's going to fall for that fake 'joining the pack' scheme again."

But he can see right through me. "See but that's not the only trick in the book.... " He takes his time, gauging my reaction with each word. "I could have an insider kill him, maybe one like Bram, I could orchestrate a small border attack, like the one Jackson's father died in... there are so many options."

The part about Bram surprises me, but I should have realized that connection a long time ago. I hesitate more when I hear the second part. "You were the one that killed Mateus's father? Why"

"Of course not, I don't get my hands dirty with the scum. He knew too much, so I had someone else do it."

I couldn't imagine the hate I hold for Cain growing, but with that statement it does. He doesn't deserve to call himself a man; he's a monster, a monster this earth needs to be rid of.

"No sarcastic quip now, I see," he taunts, laughing.

Oh how I hate that laugh. It belongs in the backing track of a horror film.

"Why?" I ask.

"He knew too much," he says nonchalantly, like having someone killed is the simplest thing in the world.

God, this man will stop at nothing to get rid of loose ends. Suddenly, I feel less confident, like I am in far too deep.

I thought I had Cain figured out a long time ago, and now everything I thought I knew is turning out to be wrong. I thought he claimed all his attacks on me to taunt me and scare me, but now he's saying he's been behind everything. He's had people spying on me, hasn't been using his normal foul-smelling lackeys, and he's been playing it smarter than I realized.

I think about it some more, processing all the new information.

Except he hasn't been as smart as he thinks he has. I would already be dead by now if he was devoting his full efforts to spying on me. He would have responded to me winning the tournament earlier. He would've sent more people immediately after Bram failed.

"You've been busy, haven't you?" I finally ask. "You're planning another attack on a pack near here. Maybe Arkansas? You're trying to get the second largest pack under your command as well?"

He doesn't say anything, but that self-satisfied grin of his says it all.

"They'll catch on to you, you know," I tell him.

He ignores me, changing the subject. "I'll give you one last chance to behave."

I remain silent. I try to remain composed on the outside, but inside, I'm scared of what will come next.

He pulls a knife out and makes a shallow cut in my arm. "Say the words."

Refusing to give him back this pack, I don't respond. Instead, I start chanting a silent mantra in my head, forcing myself to be confident.

I'm no fool. No matter what I agree to, he'll just kill me as soon as I give him back the alpha title. Last time I gave up the pack without much of a fight. I was scared, and any sort of fight had felt hopeless. This time, I can't let him win again. I can't let him ruin move lives, can't let him kill and terrorize more innocent people, and can't let him get his hands on another pack.

This is a game to him, but I'm good at games. This time, I will win. I need to bide my time until I can find my way out of here and kill him.

"Lilith!" he calls into the short hallway of the underground prison.

I should have known I hadn't seen the last of her. If her mate Bram had been connected to Cain, I can see why she'd go running straight to Cain for her revenge. The tall, muscular, dark-haired woman stops outside the front, steel-bar side of my cell. She smells like the swamp now, the usual smell of Cain's little rogue minions.

I am not afraid anymore. I am not afraid anymore. I am not afraid anymore.

Last time I was here, I let him win, but I can't-- no I will not-- let him win today. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Question of the week: What revelation so far (doesn't have to be in this chapter) has surprised you the most?

Please vote, follow, and/or comment!

Please don't go thinking "oh now she's going to do the whole mate saves imprisoned girl thing." Have faith that I am a little more original than that archetype. 

A bunch of past events are coming together in this chapter! We learn that Cain is Ariadne's uncle and that Cain has been connected to, well, quite a lot. I've tried to make these past (and future) few chapters fun and surprising without being too much of an info bomb; a lot of hints have been dropped on the way to here.