2 - Under the moonlight

Beta just shook his head, amusement dancing in his eyes. "You are easy on the eyes, but I'm sure my mate is even more stunning."

My eyebrows shot up. Mate? This conversation was getting stranger by the second.

I took a slow bite of the mystery meat, chewing thoughtfully. The word mate echoed in my mind. As an avid reader, it wasn't unfamiliar; it frequently appeared in genres featuring creatures of the night-werewolves and vampires. But this was real life, not some fantasy novel!

I kept my face neutral, finishing the bite before asking nonchalantly, "So, about this 'mate' thing..." Maybe a casual approach would work better.

"It's not something we discuss with outsiders," he said curtly.

But the seed of suspicion was planted. His earlier words - Beta, Pack, Mate - kept circling in my mind. No matter how fantastical, it all seemed to point towards one conclusion. Unless I'd somehow stumbled onto the set of a very realistic werewolf movie...

Taking a deep breath, I decided a more direct approach was needed. "Beta, is that just your name, or...?" I trailed off, letting the question hang in the air.

He raised an eyebrow, a knowing look in his eyes. "Tyler," he replied. "But within the pack, I hold the title of Beta."

My heart hammered against my ribs. I set the meat down, suddenly unappetizing, and took a long gulp of water, trying to calm the rising panic.

With a half-serious smile, I blurted out, "Okay, let me guess. You're some kind of werewolf, related to a Jacob Black, and I'm on the set of Twilight, right?"

The tension in the cell was thick enough to cut with a knife. Tyler stared at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Was I right? The silence stretched on, making my stomach churn with a mix of fear and morbid curiosity. I had to know. My eyes narrowed, a nervous edge creeping into my voice.

"This isn't some kind of joke, is it? Where am I?"

"You are saying you don't know about werewolves?"

I slumped weakly against the wall, rubbing my face with my hands in disbelief. Oh my gosh. Where did a plane crash even land me? This was some next-level mystery!

"Tyler," I started again, hesitant but needing clarification. "Are you saying you're a real, actual werewolf?"

The corner of his mouth twitched. Was he trying not to laugh, or was I seriously annoying him?

"Does it look like I'm telling bedtime stories?" he countered, raising an eyebrow.

I bit my lip. Those things weren't real. Unless... He could totally be messing with me, right? Yeah, that had to be it. I wouldn't believe it until I saw it.

"Uh-huh," I mumbled, crossing my arms. "I'll believe it when I see it. Shift right in front of me, big bad wolf."

Okay, maybe that last part wasn't my brightest idea. But hey, a girl had to be sure.

An idea sparked in my head, a memory from all those nights spent devouring fantasy novels. Silver! That was supposed to be a werewolf's weakness, right?

With a determined glint in my eye, I rolled up my sleeve a little, revealing a silver bracelet I always wore. As I dangled it in front of Tyler, his whole demeanor shifted. He shot up from his crouch, a startled yelp escaping his lips.

A guttural growl erupted from his throat, a sound so primal, so raw, that it made the hairs on my arms stand on end. He lunged forward, fangs bared in a snarl that promised a gruesome end.

I flinched back, my heart hammering against my ribs. This was it. This was proof.

Scrambling, I shoved the silver bracelet back into my pocket, raising my hands in a desperate attempt to surrender. "Woah, there, Tyler! Easy! I was just... testing a theory!"

His breaths came in ragged gasps, his body trembling with barely contained rage. Slowly, the silver faded from his eyes, returning to their normal brown. He stared at me for a long, tense moment, before finally speaking.

He glared at me, his voice low and dangerous. "Be mindful of your actions, miss. My wolf side isn't exactly known for its patience, and that little stunt of yours was a definite threat."

With that ominous warning, he stormed out of the cell, leaving me alone with a pounding heart and a head full of swirling thoughts. One thing was crystal clear - I wasn't on earth anymore, or even close.

***

My eyes flew open at a weird tickle on my ankle. Was a fuzzy caterpillar on the loose in my room? Ugh, gross. Blinking away sleep, I focused on the source of the annoyance. It wasn't a caterpillar, but a guard! He loomed over me, his face shrouded in shadow. My breath hitched like a record player skipping.

"W-what do you want?" I stammered, scooting back until my spine hit the cold stone wall of my room.

The guard chuckled, a sound that sent shivers down my spine like ice cream melting down my back. "Easy there, tiger," he said, taking a step closer. "No need to get scared. Just makes things a little more exciting."

Panic clawed at my throat. This was officially not a prank. This was a full-blown horror movie come to life. Panic clenched my throat, squeezing out any witty remarks I might have had.

My eyes darted around the tiny cell, searching for anything, anything at all, that could help me out of this situation. But there was nothing. Just me, and the cold floor!

"Hey! Back off!" I shrieked, tears pricking my eyes. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't real! But the smirk on the guard's face told a different story.

He lunged for me, fast and sneaky like a cheetah with a bad case of the munchies. In a pure panic attack of self-preservation, I kicked out with all my might, catching him squarely in the shin. He stumbled back with a roar of pain, clutching his leg and momentarily stunned.

But that one little victory was like a tiny splash of water on a raging fire. The guard's face contorted into a mask of fury, his eyes glowing like a pair of angry flashlights.

"You little wretch!" he roared, clearly not a fan of my defensive kick.

Fear turned into full-blown panic mode as he lunged for me again, this time way faster and way angrier.

"No! Please no! Help!" I screamed, my voice echoing uselessly in the tiny cell. Tears streamed down my face as the guard reached for me, his giant hands tearing at my favorite clothes. The fabric ripped with a satisfying shred, leaving me in my underwear.

The shivers wouldn't stop. Fear gnawed at me, icy and sharp.

"I'll make sure you're dead by morning!" he boomed, a scary smile stretched across his face.

He grabbed my hair roughly, trying to plant a kiss on my cheek. I flinched away with all my might, but his grip tightened on my arm like a vice.

"Stop it! Please!" I cried, my voice cracking with panic. Hope seemed like a distant dream, lost in a fog of fear. Stuck here, who could possibly save me from this nightmare?

"Who would have thought you had such hidden beauty?" he sneered, his eyes lingering on my chest in a way that made me want to crawl into a corner and hide.