Marietta's POV
The carriage bumped and jolted as it made its way down the muddy road, the rain pelting against the roof and windows. Inside, I huddled in a corner, my hands bound by a strong white but dirty rope.
My kinky hair was matted and tangled. The two other women who had been kidnapped alongside me sat opposite me, their faces pale and frightened.
There were two men inside the carriage with us and they were also rough-looking, with unkempt beards and calloused hands.
They wore ragged clothing and carried crude weapons at their sides. Every time the carriage hit a bump, they would laugh and joke amongst themselves, as though they were enjoying the misery of their captives.
I wondered how my father would react when he finds out that I have been kidnapped.
He will dispatch men all over the region to look for me.
I can imagine him leading the search team because he can't just sit on his throne while his beloved daughter is uncertain at the hands of some cruel and unknown men
I tried to keep my hopes high. It will take a few days before my father realizes I had been kidnapped but he will eventually realize it and will turn the world upside down in search of me.
I know he will find me. I just have to hang in there for some days.
"Everything will be fine Marietta, you are doing great" I whispered to myself trying to keep my spirit alive.
The carriage bumped and jolted once again and I lost my balance hitting my hand on an iron object beside me.
"Ouch," I yelped and the men laughed.
The journey seemed to last forever, but eventually, the carriage came to a stop. The men pulled us out, dragging us through the rain and mud towards a large stone building on the outskirts of a town.
The building was old and dilapidated, with broken windows and a sagging roof. It looked like it had been abandoned for years, but as we were dragged inside, I could hear the sound of voices and movement coming from deeper within.
Inside the building was a hive of activity. Men and women of all ages bustled about, carrying crates and sacks, shouting orders to one another.
There was a strong smell of sweat and urine, which nauseated me. The air was thick with the sound of coughing and sneezing.
We were thrown into a small room with a dirt floor, and the door was locked behind us.
I scanned the room with my eyes. It's a small old room with ratty thatched roofs that had a lot of holes. I could hear the scampering of rats in the walls.
"Am I going to die here?" the younger lady trembled. She is a light-skinned woman with a round face and curly dark brown hair. She should be in her late teens or early twenties.
The other woman was tall and dark dark-skinned dark long hair and hazel eyes. She looked like she was in her prime
Both of them looked pale, their eyes had sunk. The clothes they put on were tattered and brown from dirt.
I did not need to be told that they have been through hell.
The older woman hugged her trying to console her. "We will be out of here in no time, it's just a matter of days now." She said.
"But that is what you have been saying since we were captured" she protested.
"This is the third place we have been transported to in two months" Now she was crying."
"By now I am sure your father must have noticed that we were kidnapped. He is looking everywhere for you as we speak that I am pretty much sure of."
The older woman was trying so hard to console her.
I felt irritated at the way she was crying. I hate to cry, babies. Ladies like her are the reason why the world looks down on women.
I mean what do men know that women cannot learn? A woman is a human just like a man. It is only fair that we are given equal opportunities and rights.
It's not fair that women are treated like semi-humans so much that when a family can't bear a male child they are considered incomplete.
After what seemed like a few hours, a sturdy but short man came into the room. He held a plate and a large cup of water.
He dropped it on the floor some steps away from where I was seated. He looked crude and unkept just like the others and it made me wonder if human traffickers are meant to look shabby.
He untied the ropes that were used to bound our hands.
"Eat," he said simply and walked out of the room. I don't know what was on the plate but it looked so gross that looking at it made me want to puke.
The older lady picked the up food and gestured to me to join them but I said I was okay.
" I know this looks gross but trust me it will be the only thing that will keep you alive in the days to come," she said looking at me with her eyes that had sunk from malnutrition.
"Thanks for the heads up but I'll be out before that happens," I said, trying to keep my hopes high.
She let out a faint laugh revealing her set of white teeth. "Let me guess, your father is an influential man. Maybe a politician?"
She looked at me with a facial expression that suggests she wants an answer.
"He is the alpha of our pack and I am his only child. He will go crazy once he finds out that I have been kidnapped
I replied not sure why I felt it necessary to add detail.
she smiled and shook her head as if amused by my ignorance.
"Her father is also the alpha of her pack." She said pointing to the younger lady who was now sleeping.
"She is not an only child but she is the only female child and the youngest among them.
She is the family's favorite. Once she is sad, everyone becomes sad.
That was why when we were captured I thought someone would come to our rescue in no time.
I kept telling her that we will be out in no time but I have to admit that I am no longer sure about that."
Although she was smiling at intervals, her eyes were sad and I could see that her spirit was broken.
"I do not mean to shake your confidence but these people are skilled. They may look shabby and all but they are very smart.
I don't know much about them but one thing I can tell you for sure is that they are good at covering their tracks.
This is the third time our location has changed.
Otherwise, we would have been found and rescued because I know her father would be searching everywhere by now."
I knew what she was driving at but I wasn't going to let my spirit get broken.
My father will come for me in a few days.
For days they were kept in that room, barely given enough food and water to survive.
Every day, we hear the sound of people being bought and sold outside and the occasional scream or cry of pain.
I tried to keep up my spirits, reminding myself that I am a tough woman and the daughter of an alpha who came from a strong line of brown werewolves.
But as the days turned into months, my hope began to fade.