Silence - Kendric's POV

Silence - Kendric's POV
The silence becomes oppressive, and my thoughts turn restless. What are they planning? Why hasn’t anyone returned?

My mind wanders to Valeria, to the last image I had of her. She was bloodied, but defiant. Did they take her to a pin or cell too? Is she still alive? My jaw tightens, the pressure building behind my eyes. I press my head back against the wall and squeeze my eyes shut.

The cold from the floor seeps into my bones, and I start to tremble. Not from fear, but from the icy chill of loneliness and exhaustion. Hours pass. Maybe more. My sense of time has unraveled completely, shredded by the void of inactivity and anxiety.

And still, no one comes.

That’s what frightens me the most.

Valeria is stuck with Ramsey and here I am, like a dog in chains. I glance down at my wrists where the chain meets skin. It’s raw and angry looking from all the times I’ve pulled at it. Blood stains my hands.

“They want me to be feral, so I might as well give them what they want. At least if I kill a few of them, it won’t matter. They’ll just say I’ve lost my mind. I can get away with it if the feral beast reins.”

The sound of someone coming on over the intercom fills the air. It isn’t in my arena, but in a room nearby. The words sound muffled as they speak, and I strain to hear the conversation.

Suddenly, the intercom comes on in other rooms, one at a time. Once again, they repeat a similar message, but I can’t understand a word they say.

I wait in silence, listening as best as I can until the intercom finally comes on in the arena.

“Have you been waiting to hear from me, Kendric? Are you trying to figure out what I’ve been saying to all those other rooms filled with vampires? Maybe I am planning something larger than you can imagine in that little brain of yours.”

“Not likely. I put nothing past you.” I look up at the ceiling as if I can see the vampire behind the mic, but of course, I can’t.

It’s just a dark room with an intercom in the center of the ceiling. The walls are painted black, which makes the room that much darker. Chairs are seated on the outside on the arena walls.

“Well, you are in for a surprise. You’ve never been in this arena and my vampires are dying to see this feral wolf in action. Be prepared, Kendric. You’re in for the fight of your life.”

My brows furrow in confusion. “What in the world are you talking about?”

All I get in response is laughter. It reverberates through the stone walls, slithering across the floor and crawling up my spine like ice. A mechanical groan follows, deep and ancient, as if the fortress itself is awakening. The walls around me shudder, dust shaking loose from the ceiling as the stone begins to shift.

For a moment, I brace myself, expecting the walls to close in. But no. With a deep grinding sound, they begin to rise, disappearing into narrow slots carved high into the cavern ceiling. The noise is deafening. Stone against stone, like ancient giants dragging their claws through the earth. I stagger slightly as the ground trembles beneath my feet, my boots slipping against the blood-streaked floor.

A shaft of cold, artificial light pours in from above, blinding me for a second. I shield my eyes and squint upward. As the walls continue their slow ascent, the space around me transforms. No longer a prison cell. No longer a private arena. I’m exposed now, standing at the center of something much larger. Something sinister.

When the rising walls reach their halfway point, I finally see it.

Rows upon rows of stadium seating stretch out in a massive circle around me, carved into the surrounding stone. Tiered levels climb high into the shadows above, filled to the brim with figures cloaked in darkness. Dozens, if not hundreds, of vampires line the seats, their pale skin reflecting the eerie glow of the torches lining the walls. Eyes glint like coals in the gloom, some red, some gold, all watching. All waiting.

I take a step back, breath catching in my throat. The quiet murmur of the crowd builds into a crescendo of excited whispers and low, mocking chuckles.

What kind of room is this and how did it turn into this?

“You have got to be kidding me,” I mutter under my breath.

But no one’s joking.

This is a show. And I’m the main event.

My fists clench instinctively, adrenaline spiking as the vampires begin to cheer. Not out of support, but bloodlust. Their voices meld into a unified roar of anticipation, rising louder with each passing second, a tidal wave of sound crashing down around me.

My wolf snarls beneath the surface, pacing, restless, ready.

I may have just walked into my own personal nightmare.

“Nothing is as it seems, eh, Kendric?” The intercom calls out one more time, then goes dead.

Cheers erupt all over the arena as I turn looking at all the vampires in attendance.

I’m utterly screwed.

Ramsey shows up toward the front, speaking with another vampire. Once our gazes meet, he pauses and gives me a grin. “Are you ready for a fight?”

“I thought you wanted me to burn everything to the ground, so what is a fight going to do?” None of what he wants makes sense.

If I fight continuously in a ring for their pleasure, then I’ll just become worn out and won’t be of any use to him.

“Oh, did you think I’d just turn you loose like you are now? No, you stupid wolf. I need you to lose your mind first. You need to be as feral as you were back then to carry out the tasks I will ask of you. Then, when you finally become the mad dog once more, we will isolate you to ensure you stay as rabid as possible. Doesn’t it sound like a lovely plan?”

I shake my head, not wanting to do anything he asks of me, but I already promised I will so that Valeria is spared.

“Let the matches begin.”

I turn toward the sliding wall between the rows of seating. It had blended so well it hadn’t caught my attention until it moved. A chain rattles as someone pulls a wolf through the opening.

Shock floods my system as they drag him closer.

He’s just a small wolf who doesn’t even look like he’s in his prime.

“What is the meaning of this? This wolf is nothing but a child. You can’t expect me to kill children shifters. If you’re going to make me fight, then give me someone who will put up one.”

“Oh, that isn’t who you are fighting. He is just to ensure the wolf you’re fighting will to the death.”

They drag the small wolf over to the side and my opponent eases out of the opening. He’s just as large as my wolf and is covered in scars with missing fur. The wolf watches the child and then moves his gaze back to me.

I can tell by the way he looks at me he’s ready for a fight and is determined not to lose.

“You can’t expect me to do this. I’m taking a father away from a child or at least a child who means something to him. That is not what you had me do before. Give me someone else.”

Ramsey looks at me, then down at the ground. “Well, I can’t risk the vampires dying. You already took one of them. Maybe I should be more creative. What makes you feral? Let me think.”

He looks toward the wall behind him. A screen flashes on and I can see a sleeping Valeria.

“Ah, yes. Didn’t you promise me that you would burn the world down to the ground to save her?”

“Yes, I promised that, and I will do it. But it doesn’t take a fight to bring him out.” My panic rises as I try to find a way to delay the fight and possibly stop it.

“Then show me how feral you can be.”

The wolf comes into the arena, looking down at the ground. He’s not happy about this either, but we both have someone we’re fighting for.

After a moment, I bow my head. “I will not fight.”

Ramsey looks angry, but then waves his hand around to direct a few of the vampires to do something.

When he sees nothing is changing and I still refuse to fight, he lets out a growl out of frustration.

“Fine, if you will not fight, then it’s off to isolation for you. We’ll see how long this lasts. Just remember, Kendric. If I don’t see your feral wolf soon, then Valeria pays the price.”