Chapter 42 The Prison

Chapter 42 The Prison
Cael’s POV: The Prison

My father’s words were a trap, and I had walked right into it. I should have known that my father was a person that you shouldn't strike deals with.

The Council agreed. They liked this plan. It punished me. It kept Lira and Riven locked up. And it was a good show for them.

I was not a prince in that very moment. I was a jailer. I didn't really know what my father had meant when he said he would watch and see how long it took for them to make a move to kill me as I sleep. I thought he meant by their rage or anger. I didn't know that he meant something else.

The guards took Lira and Riven away. They did not look at me. I was led to a different room. My father and the Headmaster were there, waiting for me.

“You think you won?” my father said. His voice was quiet and dangerous. I said nothing. I knew I had not won. Not even in the slightest.

The Headmaster held up two small syringes. The liquid inside was strange. It was glowing red. “The prisoners are a flight risk,” he said. “We must ensure they are… manageable.”

My heart started to pound at his words. “What is that?”

“A safety measure,” my father said. “A special serum. It will make their wolves… restless. It clouds their minds. Makes them easy to control. Don't worry. It is also a test to your Alpha strength,” he grinned maniacally with a tilt of his head.

“You can’t,” I said, taking a step forward. “That will drive them mad!”

“Exactly,” my father said, a cold smile on his face. “A feral wolf is a simple wolf. It only knows fear and anger. It won’t be planning escapes. And it will certainly see you as a threat. Your job of ‘protecting’ them just got much harder. That is exactly what I said. That is the plan. You…” he laughed, “You actually think you get let up because you're my son?” He scoffed. “I want the best for my son, so that means more trials. To test you.”

I felt sick. This was so much worse than prison. They were going to torture them. And all his reason was that he wanted to ‘train’ me. With people.

I was also taken to the high\-security block. It was deep underground. The air was cold and smelled of wet stone. There were only two cells, side by side, with thick iron bars.

Lira and Riven were already inside. They looked scared but calm.

Then the guards came with the syringes.

“No! Stop!” I yelled, but two guards held me back. I was strong, but they were stronger.

I had to watch. It was the worst thing I have ever seen.

The guards stuck the needles into their arms. Lira cried out. Riven fought, but it was no use.

For a moment, nothing happened. They just looked confused.

Then, it started.

Lira’s body began to shake. She fell to the floor. A low growl came from her throat. It was not her sound. It was her wolf, but it was wrong. It was a sound of pain and rage.

Riven was worse. He slammed against the bars of his cell. His eyes changed. They were not his eyes anymore. They were the wild, yellow eyes of a feral animal. He snarled, showing his teeth.

The guards left. They locked the door behind them. I was alone with them.

The sounds they made were terrible. Growls. Whimpers. The sound of claws scraping on stone.

I stood in the space between their cells. My own wolf was going crazy inside me. He felt their pain. He wanted to help, but he was also afraid.

“Lira?” I said, my voice soft. “Can you hear me?”

She was curled in a ball in the corner of her cell. She was shaking. She looked up at me.

Her beautiful storm-gray eyes were gone. They were now a cloudy, wild silver. There was no one home. No Lira. Just the animal.

She saw me and snarled. She scrambled away from me, pressing herself against the wall. She was afraid of me.

My heart broke into a thousand pieces.

In the next cell, Riven was pure rage. He threw himself at the bars over and over. “I’ll kill you!” he roared, but his words were messy, like an animal trying to talk. “Kill! Tear! Hurt!”

This was my fault. I had brought this on them. I thought I was saving them, but I had made it worse.

Hours passed. The sounds did not stop. I did not sit down. I did not sleep. I just watched them. I watched the people I cared for turn into monsters.

My father’s plan was working perfectly.

I tried to give them water. I slid a bowl into Lira’s cell. She looked at it, then at me. She moved so fast I barely saw it. Her hand, now with sharp claws, swiped at me. She missed my arm by an inch. The bowl of water spilled everywhere.

She growled, a deep, warning sound. It meant, Stay away.

I felt so helpless.

The night felt like it would never end. Riven finally grew tired from fighting the bars. He lay on the floor, breathing hard, still growling. Lira was quiet, but her eyes were still wild, watching my every move.

I was so tired. My body felt heavy. But I could not close my eyes. I was their guard. And I was their prey.

As the first light of morning filtered through a small, high window, Lira moved. She uncurled herself from the corner. She crawled to the front of her cell. She pressed her face against the cold iron bars. Her cloudy eyes looked at me.

Her mouth opened. It was hard for her to form words. She took a shaky breath. The sound that came out was a broken whisper, full of animal hate and confusion.

“Why… does our mate… want to hurt us?”