NOVPUBAila was dressed again in her jumpsuit, which was given to her after killing Claudina. None of the vampires went near her for fear of being next. It seemed the vampiress was the most powerful vampire out of that group besides Cassius, and seeing Aila, the ’disgusting hybrid’ kill her so easily made them fearful of her. She didn’t care as long as they behaved themselves.
Luckily, the remaining three slaves were fed on properly and not killed, but the pile of bodies, including their own feeders, equalled nineteen dead. It sickened her that Cassius had been testing her, watching to see what she would do. Aila knew he didn’t care about Claudina and used her as a means to an end, to irritate Aila and show her what real power was.
Claudina was not a newborn like Aila, yet she killed her so easily. It made her realise just how strong her vampiric side was; her ancestor was a pureblood, and that blood ran in hers and Davian’s veins, along with Cassius’ blood linking them in that sire bond.
Alone from the others and ignoring the music still blasting away and echoing through the castle’s walls, Aila headed back towards the dungeon. At the very least, she could try and learn some more about these lycans and figure out a way to help them. She pulled back the old, creaky door and stepped inside the dark, gloomy staircase leading down to the dungeon.
Her heeled steps echoed through the cold corridor, the only sounds coming from the cells were of the slight dripping sound of water and scuffling and growling.
Aila’s brows drew together, and she picked up the pace until she stopped, flabbergasted by what was in front of her. Aldric was on all fours, growling at the other two lycans who kept swiping at him. But what caught her attention even more was the naked young man curled up in the corner of the cell, hiding his face behind Aldric.
"Who.." Aila spoke aloud, her question trailing off as she pieced together what must have happened.
Aila marched towards the bars and glared at the lycans, her eyes glowing briefly, making them cower and whimper before turning away from Aldric. She turned her attention on the lycan who looked behind him at the man then back at her.
"Your highness, he will become ill if he stays here," Aldric mind-linked her, his voice full of concern. Aila looked at the man before walking and stopping just before the spot he was hiding at. She lowered down into a squat, holding onto the bar as she stared at the man who didn’t even look up at her approach. Did he think he was still at the hunter’s compound?
He was passed out on that table and woke to a different dungeon, so of course, he would be fearful. "Hey," Aila said softly, but he stilled at her voice. "Hey, I’m not going to hurt you. What is your name?"
He chuckled darkly and slowly looked up; his young face had a scar running through his eye like he’d been scratched, and there was a missing chunk out of his right ear. Besides the apparent violence inflicted upon him, his face was young. He looked to be no older than twenty, his fiery red hair was cut short, and his chocolate brown eyes were cute if they weren’t looking at her with so much hatred.
"Fuck you!" He spat. "You’re all the same. I swear next time, I will kill every last one of you!"
Aila’s brows rose, but she didn’t take offence. "Do you think I am a hunter?" She asked calmly, assessing the dirt and dried blood covering his back. She didn’t stare for too long, his attention was on her, and she wanted him to calm down and feel safe. But what she did see on his back were the marks from the countless tubes injected into him earlier, along with scratch and bite marks.
He was either poorly treated in his pack, or he was rogue. Either way, it made her a little more cautious about the pup that might bite more than bark.
His nose wrinkled, and his lips twisted before he jumped forwards, slamming into the bars and snapping his canines at her hand on the bar. But she was too quick and removed her hand, missing his other hand that grabbed her by the throat, his claws growing and piercing into her skin as he growled, his eyes glowing a brilliant amber and his canines glinting sharply under the light.
Aila sighed and grabbed his hand, easily overpowering his strength and pulling his hand off from her throat. His claws scratched her skin, causing blood to trickle down her long neck and onto the white strapless jumpsuit.
"H-how?" The red-haired man stuttered, his eyes wide as he stared at her.
Aila’s eyes glowed, and she grew her claws along his hand in response. He scowled and yanked his hand back, looking at her in confusion. "Why.. Why am I in this damn cage then? What sort of sicko does this to their brethren?"
Aila’s claws retracted, and her eyes returned to normal as she stood up and crossed her arms against her chest. "Look, we rescued you from the hunters, but when we did, you were.." She trailed off and looked at Aldric, who was still watching the other two lycans like they might try and attack the man in the corner. "In that form." 𝚗ov𝚙𝚞𝚋.c𝚘m
He looked at the other lycans, then back at her. "So.. you rescued us only to put us in another cage?" He asked in annoyance.
"We are working it out as we go. But.." Aila looked at the lycans again, not completely trusting her command on them to stay settled. They might try and attack him, although she wasn’t sure how their minds worked or if the hunters set them in a certain way. There were still many questions that needed answering. "I could change your circumstances.. But it depends..
Can you please answer some of my questions first?"
He stared at her for a long while before he huffed, then looked down at his bare chest. "Can you give me some clothes first? I don’t fancy chatting starkers." He looked up then, but Aila was already walking away at the mention of clothes. She wanted him to feel comfortable and to get him out of the cell; maybe she could help him escape at least.
If she gained enough of his trust, perhaps he could go to Damon for asylum. But Aila wouldn’t get ahead of herself yet; she didn’t know if he was some experiment gone wrong, he might randomly shift and attack someone.
Aila left the dungeon and returned without bumping into Cassius or Davian and carried some tracksuit bottoms and a hoodie, all in black and something Cassius would not miss from his wardrobe. He had an assortment of clothes, but the tracksuit bottoms looked brand new and unworn. As expected of the vampire who prefers his limited-edition Armani suits.
She handed the clothes to him and turned her back to the red-haired man, crossing her arms and staring at the small barred window across from her. The moon lit up the small area, shadowing the bars across her features. "What is your name?" She asked again.
"What, no boxers?" He clicked his tongue then sighed. Aila didn’t think he’d want someone else’s boxers. She could hear him getting changed before he added. "Harry."
"Harry," She murmured to herself before glancing over her shoulder and deeming it safe to turn around. Harry was watching the other lycans and stayed in the corner away from them; putting his hands in his hoody pocket, he looked back at her. "Tell me what happened. Who are you? Why were you on that table at the hunter’s compound?
How are you not like them at the moment?" She asked, pointing her head in the lycan’s direction and clasping her hands behind her back.
Harry sighed with a shrug of his shoulders. "A few questions, huh?" He rolled his eyes. "I was randomly attacked one day while I was hunting. Rogues are pretty easy prey for the hunters if they are .." He grimaced and glanced away. "On the weaker side or just outnumbered. I obviously was outnumbered.
I’m NOT weak…" He growled slightly, making Aila nod as if to say she believed him. But really, his comment made her think he had an inferiority complex of some sort. "Anyway.. I don’t know what they were doing to me, I passed out after I shifted, but I was transforming into one of those beasts, not my usual wolf. Then I woke up in here and shifted back."
Harry was a rogue. That was probably why he had so many scars; the only other rogue she’d met briefly was Esme. She found it strange to be talking so casually to one considering the attacks and their reputations. But she wasn’t going to turn her back on Harry because he was a rogue. The issue she found in his statement was that he simply shifted back.
Aila narrowed her eyes slightly. "You just.. shifted back?" She asked with suspicion filling her voice. He made it sound as simple as shifting back from wolf form.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes.. I shifted back. Like how we normally do."
Aila glanced at Aldric, then back at Harry. "One of these guys here said trying to shift was incredibly painful, and that’s why they haven’t been successful. But you simply shifted?"
"Maybe these pussies don’t have a high pain threshold like me.." Harry snickered. Aila raised a brow at this and turned her back on him, needing the moment to think. Harry could shift, and Aldric couldn’t, and what she gathered from the other two, they were sadly more beast than human.
"I really don’t know what their experiments were for.." Aila muttered to herself as she started to pace. The click-clacking of her heels echoed in the room, and Harry and the other lycans watched her silently. "They wanted the lycans and me, so they had their own army to control and kill all of the creatures.. but now.." She glanced at Harry to Aldric and the last two the lycans at the far end.
"I have no idea.."
"We should have stolen their notes in the lab area," Malia added. Her wolf wanted to free them, it pained her even more, and she had been quietly whining in her mind while she spoke with Harry. But Aila needed to be smart about this.
Harry was a rogue, and rogues didn’t have any loyalty to anyone. If she released him, he’d run off instead of going to the Silver Crescent pack. But he couldn’t stay in that cell; the other two were only under control because she was there. Luckily, she hadn’t used her powers on them, but she couldn’t stay down there either to make sure they didn’t attack Harry.
"Harry.. I’ll give you a room." She put her hand up, pausing his protests. "Stay for one week. Whether I find the information I need or not by the end of that week, I will release you."
Harry looked at her unconvinced before turning his head away. "I will release you. You have my word," Aila added, strengthening her voice in the hopes he would believe her.
It didn’t work. Harry snorted. "Your word? What is the word of a she-wolf standing behind the other side of the bars? I haven’t stayed alive this long for trusting people’s word."
His words saddened her slightly. It made her wonder what sort of life he’d lived before being kidnapped by hunters and turning into a lycan. "I never gave you my name.. I am Alpha Queen Aila Cross of the North. You have my word that I WILL release you in one week."
Harry’s head whipped to the side, staring back at her with widened eyes before his brows scrunched up together. "Fricken royals. I’m a rogue that won’t work on me.. But fine, whatever." He wrapped his hands around the bars. "Get me out of here."
