Chapter 30

My day was pretty boring as it slowly passed me by; there was only so much cleaning that could be done in a room that is basically kept empty.

I had a good bit to eat from Reid’s leftovers and man did it suck that it had to be this way, but I could not afford to be picky. From now on it was the only way that I was going to get any sustenance, and who knew when my next meal would be.

I was sat on the floor, my knees drawn up to my chest, mindlessly picking at the dirt under my nails when the bedroom door opened slowly, like someone was hesitant about entering. A familiar head popped around the door, looking around and taking the room as she searched for something.

“Pops!”

I jumped to my feet and slammed into her, giving her the tightest hug that was possible without killing the girl. She embraced me with just as much grip and squeeze.

“I was so bloody worried! I didn’t know where the fuck you were, what had happened or anything. Where's that fucktard of a mate anyway?” She was talking just as fast as she always does so I only just managed to catch what she had said, and I did not miss it one bit. But I did miss her, massively.

I just sobbed, still holding onto her like she was my lifeline.

“I’ve been here since he took me away, and I can’t leave. He’s on the training field, but I don’t know how long for. He's been gone a couple of hours at least. What are you doing here anyway, woman?”

“Oh darling, he’s the biggest twat of them all. One of my duties is cleaning the hallways, and shit are they dirty, the filthy bastards. So, I thought that I would sneak - wait, what the hell is this?” Pops had pulled back to look at my neck, and she looked pissed off a treat, like she would fight the Goddess herself if she had found out that it was her to chain me up like a dog.

“Reid. He doesn’t want me going anywhere and this is his humane idea of keeping me in place.”

“Oh my goddess, I’m gunna fucking kill him! That wolf is dead meat walking, ready to be hung up like the piece of cattle shit that he is.” She was on a rant now, but I wanted her to talk to me about the trivial stuff, you know, whilst we had the time to. That is the stuff that I miss.

I grabbed her hands and tried to soothe her. But her seeing all the bruises and cuts on my face just made it worse. Her face was twisted with rage and her hands clamped down tighter on mine.

“What can I do to help you? Anything at all, the world’s the limit, all you need to do is just tell me.” My best friend was begging me; she wanted to help but did not know how to and wanted me to give her directions on saving me, but I was clueless myself.

“Nothing - there’s nothing that you can do to help, apart from keeping yourself alive. Now distract me, tell me what it’s like with you? Have you seen Dad or Eli? Mum?” I guided her over to my blanket and pulled her down to the floor to sit without letting one of her hands go.

“I’ve seen Luna Kae, she’s been made to work in the kitchens. I haven’t seen any of the men, but I heard from one of the guards that they’re all being kept in their prison. And it’s not a comfortable stay down there either.”

“Do you mean you eavesdropped?” I smirked, knowing that I was right about the many sly ways of Pops. “And what do you mean?”

“Ok, ok, I eavesdropped. And they’re getting tortured down there. The guards that I do see coming out are always covered in blood and laughing about the things that they’re doing to them.” Her head dropped, her tone full of sorrow as she spoke about whatever the hell my packmembers were being put through.

“Shit.” I guess I was the lucky one being kept in here with a collar and just a couple of punches. They are going through much worse.

“Yeh, shit. The bedrooms that we have are cramped as fuck, we have to sleep on the floor bunched up around each other and it stinks of arse. The cold group showers are wonderful. I mean, they’re top-notch, first-class treatment. Then, instead of getting a nice hot meal, we get a great big steaming pile of sweet FA, just so that we don’t have the strength to connect with our wolves. Some of us are getting beaten, but there are a couple of girls that were here before us that were taken last night but haven’t come back. And... I don’t think that they will.”

“Where did they go?”

“So, it’s not just the forced matings that happen around here. Basically, the Alpha prick rents the girls out to the other males here. He also helps himself to whoever tickles his fancy.”

Shocked at everything she disclosed to me, I cut her off, “But Corbin has a mate though!”

“Yup, but he doesn’t care. None of the guys do, they just do as they please, regardless of the girls being willing or not.”

“It runs in the family.” My head drooped, opening up and telling Pops about Reid’s betrayal. It may be nothing compared to what the others are going through, but it still hurts.

“Are you kidding me? Oh, sweetie, I’m so sorry that he’s not what you wanted. He is such a douchebag.”

I nodded my head lowly as Pops slid her arm across my shoulders to comfort me, pulling me in tight to her side. I've missed this so much; the last thirty-six hours has been hard to deal with without her. My eyes were closed, but tears still ran quietly down my pale cheeks, and that is how we stayed for a short while.

“There’s actually something else that I wanted to talk to you about.” Pops’ voice had turned serious, and I knew that this was something important because it never did that. So, I lifted my head to look at her in the eyes as she carried on speaking. “So, a few of us are planning on making a break for it.”

“What do you mean, make a break for it?” When Poppy had spoken those words, my stomach flipped. I knew exactly what she meant, I just hoped that she was not dull enough to try anything stupid and meant something else by it, anything else from what I was considering.

“I’m guessing that you know exactly what I’m on about.” She heaved out a sigh before continuing, “a few of us girls are gunna try and escape tonight. Theres not much security down with us; all the guards think that it’s beneath them and that it smells too bad, which it does by the way. But, I want you to come aswell.”