Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
“There will be a Blood Moon tonight.”
Those few simple words explained all at once why Ren felt ready to tear his hair out.
For the last couple of days, he truly had thought he was going mad—that his mind had finally had enough and had broken for real.
There was an untouchable itch beneath his skin, different from the boiling warmth he had felt a few weeks prior.
There was something crawling through his veins, and if he stared long enough sometimes he thought he could see whatever it was moving inside of his wrists.
Falk had been gone for too long, and while Des was a fine companion, he wasn’t nearly as chatty as the Alpha was—which seemed an impossible feat—his scent wasn’t as comforting as Falk’s was.
Ren hadn’t realized how addicted he had become to the Alpha’s scent, how much it had been grounding him until it was gone.
Falk had been away for so long; his smell didn’t remain even in the air.
But Des’s words made everything make sense.
“Tonight?” Ren repeated as he took his plate of food from him. When Des nodded without further explanation, Ren pressed, “What happens to prisoners during the Blood Moon?”
“Well, they stay locked up, of course,” Des said. “Prisoners are usually the more violent of the Wolves. We wouldn’t want them running around during a Blood Moon. Plus, how would we get them back?”
“That’s not what I meant,” Ren sighed. “I mean, everyone is going to be affected by the Blood Moon—who will guard us?”
Des paused, considering. “I don’t know if anyone will, to be honest.”
“That doesn’t seem very safe.”
“I’ve never heard of any prisoners getting out,” Des shook his head. “These cells you are in are made to keep in feral Wolves.”
Ren had no doubt Des was right, plus even if he made a plan to get out of here during the Blood Moon, there was a good chance he wouldn’t even remember his plan by the time his mind was gone.
Some Wolves loved Blood Moons, loved letting their animal instincts take over.
It was similar to when they went into rut or heat, their minds and bodies completely at the mercy of the curse that made them so similar to their animal counterparts.
But Ren always hated them. When he was a child, he remembered crying, tucking himself away in a cupboard, as though he could hide from himself.
The itch beneath his skin got worse and worse as the day went on..
Des’s leg was jumping up and down where he sat, his fingers fidgeting anxiously as he glanced every which way.
Ren hoped Des would leave before the Moon began, hoped he would hide himself away and stay safe.
Omegas were always the victims during the Blood Moons, always the ones found dead in the aftermath or tortured in even worse ways than death.
Several hours later Des finally got to his feet, pupils blown as his hands shook. Ren scrambled to his feet, watching him. “You should leave,” he said slowly.
Des glanced over Ren’s body. He whispered, “Good luck.”
“You too,” Ren murmured when Des turned on his heel and raced back up the stairs.
Ren took a deep breath as he sat back down on his mattress.
He tucked his knees up to his chest, burying his face there as his mind began to spin.
He found himself thinking about Falk—wondering if he was okay, wondering what it would be like to go through a rut during the Blood Moon, wondering if he would ever see the Alpha again.
There was a part of him that wanted to get out of here to escape, to find his freedom, but there was another, nagging part of him that wanted to get out simply to find Falk to make sure he was okay.
Ren whimpered, hands fisting his hair and tugging on the strands as the familiar shift began in his mind and body. It was always so sudden, like a bone he forgot he had suddenly snapping back into place.
Many creatures assumed Wolves transformed into animals during Full Moons; rumors and legends had distorted the reality to the point where it had instilled fear about Wolves in most kingdoms. The Blood Moons were violent and terrifying, but it did not transform them into wolves—maybe if it did, that would have been better.
Maybe it wouldn’t have felt so real if Ren couldn’t recognize himself at all.
But it was his own hands he watched curl and shift into something nonhuman, his nails—bitten down to his skin during his time in prison—grew and hooked until they mimicked claws.
It was his own voice he heard whining and crying out as his body trembled through the changes, his toes curling like his hands.
He could even feel the moment his eyes switched from their normal dark brown to red—which was the last thing he consciously felt at all before his mind went dark.
Ren needed to get out out out
The bars rang loud too loud.
Ren shook them harder
He growled
His claws curled around the poles and dug into his skin until blood dripped down his wrists
Ren screamed
Other Alphas screamed Alphas Alphas too close.
He heard them
Smelled them
Ren screamed louder
His world shook
Or maybe it was just the bars rattling again
Ren was shaking the bars
Metal cut into his palms he tugged harder he needed to break the bars needed to get out out out.
Ren wailed
His foot ached. He kicked the bars the bars that wouldn’t give wouldn’t bend why won’t they break
Alpha
A new scent
Ren covered his nose too strong too strong
Why was it so strong
Too close
He saw the Alpha now
Appeared right in front of him
Where
Where did he come from
Ren screamed
Blood claws digging into his shoulder
Get away get away get away get away get away
Ren gasped
He fell
The ground was cold so cold why was it so cold or was Ren hot too hot
Alpha
Ren’s world trembled again
But the bars wouldn’t break couldn’t break couldn’t bend or
Why wouldn’t they break Ren needed to get out
No no they can’t break the Alpha can’t get in
Why were they breaking
Ren scrambled back his hands hurt they were covered in blood the ground was covered in the blood from his hands but he shoved himself backwards his feet kicking but the wall stopped him he couldn’t move back any further
The door rattled violently
Red eyes red eyes staring at him
No no no it can’t open no one can open it besides Falk?—
Ren screamed
The door hung open he could run he should get out
It was blocked by the Wolf who was too big as big as the doorway Ren would have to get through him
Alpha
The Wolf snarled at Ren
His hands were claws his teeth were sharp
His eyes were red
But so were Ren’s
Ren cried out as he threw himself at the Wolf
The Alpha wasn’t expecting him to attack
They never expect Ren to attack
They never expect an Omega to attack
It would be their biggest downfall
Ren tasted copper sparking his tongue like electricity he wondered if this is what lightning tasted like if this is what a soul tasted like
It dripped down his chin
The Alpha howled
He tried to dislodge Ren from his throat but Ren bit down harder
Locked his jaw
He felt flesh underneath his fingernails
Underneath his claws
Red blooming
Like flowers
Like those flowers that had been at the coronation
Like the flowers Falk had brought him
Ren wanted more flowers
Rred dripped down the Wolf’s shirt until there were no more flowers just blood
Ren didn’t know if the Alpha was alive or dead didn’t check to see if there was still light in his eyes or not didn’t stop to consider his own injuries blood on his hands on his chest but was it his or was it the Alphas he didn’t know but he was running running running running running running running
Everyone was ignoring him they always ignored him everyone always ignored Ren Ren was a good little Omega no one ever had to pay attention to even when he was covered in an Alpha’s blood and knew what it felt like to rip a life out of someone but no one else knew that no one else knew Ren’s mind no one was paying attention to him he was just an Omega Omegas aren’t going to hurt anyone they’re the ones meant to be hurt they thought the blood on his hands was his own it couldn’t possibly be someone else’s
Ren gasped as he caught the scent
The scent
His scent
Ren’s feet stopped in place
He flattened himself against the wall hiding hiding in the shadows so he could catch his breath no one would see him no one would notice him he was a good little Omega
Ren tipped his nose up
He opened his lips
He closed his eyes
He tasted it
Taste him
Where where where where was he where was he where was the Alpha where was the Alpha where was the Alpha where where where where where
Protection comfort spice and cloves and smoke and hard eyes and soft smile and kind always kind so kind to Ren even when he wasn’t kind at all when he didn’t know how to be kind when he didn’t deserve kindness when he