3 - Midnight Wolf
He froze mid-motion, his eyes darting wildly like a scared rabbit's. One second he was all rough and scary, the next he looked like he'd seen a ghost. Terror froze me in place.
Before I could even think, my body took over. Squeezing my eyes shut, I curled tighter into the wall, a whimper escaping my lips. A harsh cough echoed through the cell, followed by a heavy thud. I dared a peek, one eye fluttering open. The guard lay crumpled on the floor, a dark stain blooming on the concrete.
My voice, when it finally came, trembled. "W-who's there?" I stammered, fear clinging to me like a damp sweater.
The figure emerged from the darkness, stepping into the meager light. Golden eyes, like a lion cub's, met mine. A smear of red stained his hand, definitely not his own blood.
"Tyler?" I whispered, the pieces clicking into place in my foggy mind.
Panic surged again as he took a step closer. "N-no... I-I just need some space," I pleaded, tears welling up and spilling over.
He stopped short at my reaction, his golden eyes dimming. "Elara," he called out.
A young woman with eyes like twilight rushed into the cell. "Tyler?"
"Help her," he said, voice low but firm. "Clean this place, find her a new tunic, and see any injuries. Stay with her. I won't have this happen again."
"Of course, Tyler," she replied, her voice warm and reassuring. With a quick nod, Tyler disappeared out the door, leaving me alone with Elara.
Tears welled up in my eyes again as I watched him go. My whole body was still jittery from what just happened – seriously, that was way too close for comfort! But buried under the fear, a tiny flicker of hope started to spark. Tyler saved me. Just a few minutes ago, I'd been convinced I was toast.
Sniffling back tears, I scooted further into the corner, trying to make myself as small as possible. But even though I felt a little safer now, my brain was already racing. Escape. I needed a way out of this whole mess. But how? There had to be a way out of here, right?
***
What was all that racket?
I jolted awake, heart hammering like a drum solo. I've been here in the basement for 5 straight days, so I kinda lost myself.
Thumping and howling echoed outside, sending shivers down my spine. Everything felt wrong. Empty. The guards were gone! The faint light filtering through the window told me it was almost morning.
Smoke, acrid and unfamiliar, filled the air. My heart hammered against my ribs. Whatever was happening outside, it couldn't be good! My nose scrunched up. This whole situation felt super off. Escape, that's what I needed. But how?
My eyes darted around the cell. A glint of metal caught my attention. Keys! A whole bunch hanging on a pillar right next to the lock! It seemed too easy, like a scene from a storybook. Who leaves a key to their cell next to the door, right?
My heart hammered in my chest as I snatched the keys. My hands were shaking so much, a mix of fear and maybe a little bit of hope, that it took forever to find the right one.
Finally, a click! The chain on my ankle unlocked! Okay, maybe just maybe, I could actually get out of here.
My legs wobbled as I stood, but I forced myself out of the cell. Keeping low and quiet, I tiptoed towards the heavy door. The growls and howls outside continued – a low, menacing chorus. Crouching, I peeked through a crack in the door.
Reaching the heavy door, I hesitated. These were werewolves out there, and the smart thing wasn't to charge into the middle of a battle unarmed. Taking a deep breath, I cracked the door open a sliver. Peeking out, I gasped, a hand flying over my mouth to muffle any surprised squeak.
This place… it was my first glimpse beyond the creepy cellar. Smoke curled from burning houses, and… oh no. Bodies. Lots of them! But the fighting seemed to be done. No more snarling, just werewolves, some still in wolf form, others shifting back, all staring intently in one direction.
Curiosity tugging at me, I creaked the door wider to see what held their gaze. My jaw dropped!
A midnight black wolf stood before them, its fur like a living shadow. It was HUGE, towering over the others. My breath hitched in my throat as I saw what lay at its paws: another wolf, lifeless. A pang of sadness shot through me, even though I didn't know who it was. Maybe the Alpha?
I peeked back at the giant black wolf, my heart thumping. It was totally staring at me! No way! How could it see me from all the way over there? My first instinct was to bolt back to the creepy cell, but the giant wolf started walking towards me. I gulped, my heart doing a hummingbird impression in my ribs. I couldn't look away, even though every fiber of my being screamed at me to run!
Then, just as I was about to melt into a puddle of fear, a flash of white fur sprang out of the woods! It was another wolf, but this one was white as snow, and it lunged straight for the black one. Surprise must have gotten the better of the black wolf, because it couldn't dodge in time. Woah, this was like watching a crazy animal fight on TV, except way scarier and live!
The two wolves went at it, all teeth and fur. But the black wolf was HUGE compared to the white one. It chomped down on the white wolf and flung it against a nearby tree like a ragdoll. The white wolf whimpered, shaking itself off, but it looked super hurt.
This wasn't good! It tried to fight back, but the black wolf was too fast. It lunged and snapped at its neck. The white wolf's eyes turned red, like it was super angry and in pain, but there was no escaping those giant black teeth. The black wolf clamped down harder, before throwing its limp body against a tree near me!
The white wolf tried to get back on its paws, but it looked super hurt and just flopped back down. As it whimpered, its fur started to shimmer and change! Wait a minute... that wasn't just any white wolf! It was turning into… a person?!
My jaw dropped. No way! It was Tyler!
"Tyler..." I whispered, the name tumbling out before I could stop it. The white wolf, the one who'd saved me, was Beta Tyler!
Panic coiled tight in my stomach as a massive black wolf stalked towards him. It crouched low, teeth bared in an aggressive stance. This alpha wasn't finished yet, and Tyler was in no condition to defend himself!
What could I do? Tyler had saved me just before. He was the only person, I mean werewolf who'd shown me even an ounce of kindness in this strange, scary place. He couldn't die!