Chapter 4 Luis is Dead

Vanessa POV

The bell rang again and again.

A sharp sound echoed through the cold stone walls, cutting through the silence like a warning. My skin crawled.

I pushed myself off the floor, sore and shaking, crawling to the door, I pressed my ear to the cold and damp wood.

Outside, I heard shouting and heavy boots. Angry growls filled the air.

Then came orders, followed by the sound of chains dragging and someone being pulled along.

My heart started racing as I began to wonder if that could be Luis? Then a guard shouted loud enough for me to hear clearly.

"Spy! We caught him sneaking near the east side!"

Chains rattled as a man tried to speak, but his voice was too weak to understand.

My chest tightened, I had feared it was Luis. I had been so scared for her but when I realized it wasn't, I felt a small, brief relief.

"Take him to Caleb," another guard said. "Let the Alpha decide his fate."

Their boots thudded down the hall, and I knew where they were going. They headed to the room where they took people to talk, not for friendly chats, but to break them.

I pressed my ear against the door, trying to catch their voices. I heard faint words, but only bits and pieces.

"Says he's a salesman."

"His Alpha wants a deal."

"Buy omegas from Bloodhowl."

At that point, I felt like throwing up as my hands curled into fists. They were planning to sell us? Like cattle? And they had been planning this for a long time.

Then Caleb's voice came through, calm and cold, like it always was. "And what does your Alpha offer for our extra omegas?"

I couldn't hear the answer, but fear made my stomach twist. They had talked about selling me, I knew that much, and now it felt real.

However, that wasn't even the worst. Soon, shouting started, and this time, a woman was screaming.

"No! Let go of me!" she cried. My blood went cold.

I knew that voice, I couldn't place it right away, but my hands started shaking.

"What is this?" Caleb barked. He was outside now, I could hear his voice more clearly.

"She tried to speak to the Lycans," one of the guards answered. "She was hiding with an old charm and tried to burn it before we caught her."

That's when I knew that this time, it was Luis who was caught. Immediately, my heart clenched.

There was a moment of silence after that and I held onto that silence, hoping Caleb might show mercy, just this once.

But then he said coldly, "Take her and question her, do whatever it takes."

"No!" I screamed, banging on the bars. "Caleb, please! She's just an old woman!"

I didn't know if he heard me, but it didn't matter. Caleb had no mercy, and Luis had only tried to help me. Now, she was going to suffer because of me.

After so many hours, I still couldn't sleep. My body was tense, and my chest felt heavy. Then I heard footsteps, it was a guard coming to start his shift.

But then I heard something he told the other guard that I will never forget,

"I hear she's dead," one guard whispered.

"The woman that was caught?" the other replied.

"Yeah. She didn't survive the punishment."

There was silence between them.

"Good," one of them finally said. "That should be a warning."

Immediately I finished listening to them, my legs gave out and I dropped to the floor. My chest burned and my heart felt cold.

Luis was gone.

She had died trying to help me, trying to help the Lycan know about the babies.

Would he even get the message? Would he believe it if he did?

I cried but no tears came, just pain and emptiness that came from somewhere deep inside. I cried until sleep took me.

***

The next day, heavy footsteps woke me, someone was coming. Soon, the door of the den creaked open.

Bright light spilled into the den, it made my eyes hurt from the sudden glow. Then, a tall figure stepped into the light.

It was Caleb.

He entered alone, silent, and cold. He stared at me the way a wolf might look at a trapped rabbit, calculating with his cruel mind.

He didn't say anything at first. He just stood there, watching me. I thought he was going to say I was being sold, then his nose twitched.

He looked confused and sniffed the air again as he slowly stepped closer. Then, that is when his eyes changed, something wild lit up in them.

He moved even closer, and I backed away until I hit the wall.

"You smell different," he said, sniffing around me.

I stayed quiet, but inside me I felt panic setting in. He was figuring it out.

"I don't know what you mean," I whispered, but my voice trembled.

He stared hard at me. "You smell pregnant."

Suddenly, my whole body froze. "That cannot be true."

I denied it, but as an Alpha, he could smell the truth. He knew I was lying. Slowly, he touched my neck.

"I haven't been near you in months," he said, voice low and angry.

"I'm not pregnant," I said, but my face gave me away.

He kept staring, his face full of anger and confusion. Then he slowly knelt and reached for my stomach, but stopped halfway.

His eyes narrowed.

"That scent, it's not mine," he growled. "It's stronger, smells oder and even purer."

His voice was a whisper now, but it was filled with rage.

"Lycan."

I bit my tongue until I tasted blood, just to stop myself from talking. Then he stood back up slowly, face tight with fury.

"You're carrying a Lycan's child, In my pack?" He grabbed my face hard. "Tell me who it is!"

Blood dripped down my lips as I looked him straight in the eyes and whispered, "You'll never know and you'll never touch them."

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he would hit me but he didn't. He just stood there, silent and furious.

"This changes everything," he muttered. "Guard!"

He called out, and the guard watching my den rushed in. "Yes, my lord."

"Tell the rogue Alpha I have a Lycan-blooded breeder for sale right now, and she can go very cheap."

He slammed the door shut behind him.

I gasped, fear rising in me that I had not realized I was holding my breath. He was going to sell me and my babies right away, and for cheap.

I felt broken as my hand rested gently on my stomach and I whispered softly. "I'm sorry my little ones, I don't know how to save us."

Then something strange happened, a warm thump came from my belly, like a heartbeat, but it wasn't mine.

While I stood, my eyes lit up, and I couldn't breathe for a second. In my mind, I saw a forest under the moon.

A strong Lycan ran through the trees with warriors. His golden eyes burned, his steps fast and sure.

His aura was not violent, just wild, desperate, and protective. Then I heard a whisper, soft and childlike, in my mind.

"He's coming, Mama, for us. The one with golden fire in his eyes."