Chapter 4 Chapter 4

"Let's go." He demanded, his eyes harsh. He took her from his study, which was on the second floor and lead her throughout the house, as if on display, all the way to the basement. The old rickety stairs wobbled under her weight. The basement was dark and cold, the perfect place to hold prisoners or misbehaving runts.

She knelt on the floor her back to him. Not being able to see him made everything worse.

"Hands." He spoke. She let him do what he needed, knowing that it was no use to fighting him. If anything, it would make the punishment ten times worse.

He moved her hands to the chain that dangled from the ceiling, with practiced ease, quickly snapping her ankles into the straps on the floor. The chain was just long enough to have her on her knees, her arms up in the air at an odd angle and unable to move her legs.

"How many times are we going to have to do this, before you learn." Darren took ahold of her shirt and tore it off her body leaving her in her bra. Unsatisfied with the height she was at, he adjusted the chains, so that she was pulled up even more, her knees just hovering on the ground.

Try as she might, she wasn't able to hold back the whimper that escaped from her lips. Her shoulders cried out in pain, the cuffs cutting into both her wrist and her ankles. Her inner beast was annoyed at the position she was in. She knew she had no power over her punishment, but to not be able to see him before he struck was even worse.

She heard him unbuckle his belt and knew that it was going to be his method of punishment for the night. The belt was worse than the whip, especially when he hit her with the buckle.

"Count." He instructed before raising his hand.

Crack.

The blow on her back stung, and she bit into her lip to avoid crying out.

"One." She whispered.

Crack.

"Two."

Crack.

It took forever but she knew she was nearing the end of her punishment.

Crack.

"Nineteen." She cried out with a whimper. Blood was spitting from her mouth as she spoke. At some point between ten and twelve she had bit through her lip, causing the blood to start pouring into her mouth, down her chin. The cuffs had torn into her skin as she squirmed. She could feel the wetness, running down her arms and to her elbows, dripping onto the floor. She was a mess.

Crack.

"Twenty." She sobbed.

Heavy footsteps coming towards her made her cringe. Without any warning her unhooked her hands, dropping her to the ground. She screamed in pain as her shoulders felt sudden relief, and couldn't hold back her another one as she felt a liquid being poured over her. Wolfsbane. Her body unable to handle anymore pain, fighting for her to sleep. Anything to escape the pain. Darkness was creeping into her vision and against her wishes, she blacked out.

~~~~

Her whole body felt like she had been put through a stampede. Her head ached, her arms were heavy and her back was on fire. The welts on her back felt gritty, stung with any movement. She didn't have a way to see them, but she knew that they were healing slowly. That was due to the wolfsbane. Wolfsbane was used by hunters, it was of their own creation. It was a liquid mixture, of who knows what; but it burned. It caused a werewolves' skin to burn, and if it was injected into the bloodstream it forced their wolves to sleep; to become dormant for a period of time.

Jacinta felt disgusting, and she was hungry. A small amount of light crept into the basement, but it was too dull to be early morning. Jacinta slowly sat up, looking around the basement. She had no idea how long she had been in the basement but she was starting to get cold. Just as she moved to grab the scraps of her shirt, the basement door was thrown open. Jerking her hand back she scrambled to the wall, not sure who was entering.

Foot steps stampede down the steps.

"Get up, you've got work to do." One of the male wolves, she couldn't remember his name, demanded.

"Yes, sir." She mumbled, grabbing the shirt and pulling it on.

"Dinner needs to be started, get to the kitchen."

Wordlessly she made her way to the kitchen, and assigned to yet another a meaningless task. She worked on autopilot, not even aware of what was going on around her. The pain she was in didn't allow her think about anything else.

She finished putting the last piece of silverware onto the table and immediately the pack around her dug in to eat.

"Runt." Darren spoke shoving a plate in her direction.

"Thank you." She took the plate not looking him in the eye, before scurrying into the kitchen; where she had to eat isolated from everyone. She wasn't allowed to eat at the table. Not that she really wanted too, as lonely as she felt, when she was in the kitchen she didn't have to take the rude comments, or being verbally pushed; no, she could just sit down and eat in peace.

Her cheap plastic plate was filled with scraps, not nearly enough to fill her up. Not knowing when her next meal was she took what ever she was given.

Finishing the last piece of bread, she filled up the sink with hot water and cleaned her plate. While the women liked to take control in the kitchen, they didn't like to bother to clean up after themselves, leaving all of the work to her. She pushed a piece of her stringy brown hair behind her ear and finished drying the last dish.

The house was silent, only few up and moving. Glancing at the clock she saw that it was nearly eleven o'clock- no wonder she felt dead on her feet. Slowly climbing the stairs she made her way to her room; a very small walk in closet that had been converted into a bedroom. She was just passing down the hallway when all of a sudden, her arm was grabbed.

She let out a gasp, only to feel a small warm hand covering her mouth. Her heart was beating rapidly, not sure who was touching her. She tried to push away from her captor but they were just too strong.

"It's ok, its just me, Jacinta." A warm voice whispered. Opening her eyes, Jacinta saw that the person in front of her was Georgia. What was with this girl. She had to have been crazy, or just asking for trouble. First she's actually a Princess, the next in line to be Luna, and she was going out of her way to talk to a runt. Jacinta thought to herself.

"Oh Jacie, what did he do to you?" She whispered her eyes scanning over her body.

"I'm fine." She pulled away.

"No you're not. Let me see."

"I'm fine."

"Your shirt is destroyed, I can see every mark." Georgia spoke, her voice sad.

"Why do you care, why cant you just let me go to bed!" Jacie snapped.

"I care because you need someone who does." Georgia said.

"So you pity me, that's why?" Jacinta was getting upset, never had anyone care for her. She didn't know what to feel but all it did was make her fell awkward and uncomfortable.

"No, not pity." She said. "I don't know I can explain it, I just want to be your friend. If you let me?"

Jacinta looked at her in complete silence, so many thoughts ran though her mind. The girl in front of her was persistent, and if what she said was true; about her brother coming, well she wouldn't be around long. What would it hurt to have a friend for a couple days?