Chapter Three.
"Get out," an anonymous voice barked, shattering the thick silence that had built during the ride.
The others shuffled out, obeying their orders without hesitation. They simply complied with their heads bowed towards the ground. You would think that out of five of us, at least one of the others would have a backbone. Apparently not.
I did the complete opposite, giving each heavily armored body a dirty look. They may have forced my drugged body into the truck, but there was no way they were going to get me to walk out on my own two feet. It seemed I was the only one who thought that way.
They watched, expressionless, as the four submissive cowards descended from the truck and followed yet another set of armored bodies. It seemed as if there was an endless supply prepared solely for us.
I wasn't able to withhold my disgust towards the werewolves any longer and found myself snapping, "I'm ashamed to even be associated with any of you!"
No one seemed to notice my absence until then, and their eyes finally whirled in my direction, turning ice cold.
"What are you, deaf? Get out now!" one of them snapped and I bared my teeth silently, my two feet remaining on the metal floor of the truck. I wasn't going to let it be that easy for them. Did they seriously expect to capture werewolves and not get any trouble?
"We don't have time to play around. Get her out and send her down to the Training Room immediately. We can't present her-" another one started, instructing the others. The rest was drowned out by the thundering of thick boots making their way inside the truck.
I snarled, still baring my teeth, hoping to at least slow them down with my facade.
But their pace remained stable, unhindered.
I coiled my body in preparation, bracing myself for their impact as I shielded my face and body with my arms. However, they came at me much faster than I'd been prepared for.
Three armored bodies were on me in swift movements, one at each of my arms and the last cuffing my feet with his hands.
I snarled, growled, and glared at them, but they remained unyielding.
However, the man on my right made the mistake of inching close to my mouth, his finger unintentionally beckoning my teeth.
As I said, I wasn't going down without a fight.
I bit down, and the coppery, metallic taste of blood slowly filled my mouth.
I could hear his ear-piercing yell, but I only bit down further until my canines finally nicked a bone in his finger.
I allowed a second to pass before I continued on, feeling the satisfying snap of a bone breaking vibrate through my mouth.
Hands wrapped around my neck like a vise, cutting off any air supply. I gagged slightly but kept my mouth clamped on the finger just as tightly. I wasn't going to be the only one in pain.
Black dots were starting to blur my vision like splattered tar, and there was enough blood in my mouth that breathing was becoming a struggle. I knew I was going to die whether I let go of the finger or not, and it didn't help that I lacked the energy to even release it.
The armored body made the mistake of yanking back, and the whole truck descended into silence as his hand flew against his chest-missing one more finger than it had five minutes ago.
He was no longer yelling. The man was now screaming, his body quickly becoming pale. "Get my finger out of her damn mouth, now!" he snapped, his voice becoming as faint as his body by the end of his order.
I wasn't able to distinguish the words, but someone else began talking in response. Then, the unyielding grip around my neck was loosened and I immediately collapsed to the floor of the truck. I gasped for the air that entered me like a rusted knife rubbing against the inside of my throat.
Someone reached inside my mouth, removing the finger. I lazily looked up, seeing his hand raised, prepared to take his fist to me. I then closed my eyes, waiting, but it never came. There was more talking and yelling before it became quiet.
My arms were then abruptly yanked up and I was suddenly dragged out of the truck, my knees carelessly slammed against the hot gravel like an inanimate doll's. The sun blinded me and I bowed, not used to seeing its bright rays so suddenly after sitting in the dark truck for hours.
They continued roughly dragging me, but instead of taking me to the entrance where the other four had been escorted, I was taken down a cluttered pathway to the left. An alarm went through my mind, but my body was trying too hard not to cry out at the pain.
My head was still bowed, but I could hear a door moan open, not used to being opened on a daily basis. A shudder crept down my spin as this was anything but good news. They were going to leave me to rot or something much worse than my imagination could conjure up.
The sun was snatched away from me once again as they shoved me through. I didn't fail to wince a single time when my legs and knees were banged and slammed against the cold, stone steps. I knew the pain would only increase later, if there was a later.
When the stairs finally ended, my legs were numb from the impacts. I focused on my surroundings, hoping the pain wouldn't return just yet. I knew I would give in to it if it reappeared right then.
There was another door in front of us but it looked too modern and new to be similar to the one we entered through. It was a steel door but it looked like it led to a prison for the most corrupt people.
It reminded me of the doors you saw encased within a looming dungeon. It was terrifying, large, and able to fit three people in at once which I was sure was the main purpose of it.
The three locks were thick, at least two inches wide. It was obvious that whatever they put inside there, they didn't plan on letting back out anytime soon.
They attempted opening the door with their keys and after a minute, I could hear it click open. When they cracked it open, the first thing I noticed was the god-awful wailing.
The sound would scare anyone and make them question why they were here, even the toughest person you could imagine. The cries bounced off the walls, looking for some form of escape in desperation. They wanted to be heard, to be saved, and most of all, to be freed from their hell.
Once we went further inside, my heart froze as I realized the wails were the cries of wolves-wolves in utter and complete pain. They were the wails of wolves who would graciously take being silenced forever over this.
I felt myself shiver, cursing inwardly. I had gotten myself into deep, deep trouble all because I wanted to prove I was right.
It was likely that this place was where I would experience my prolonged, sufferable death.
My pride was going to be the reason I didn't get to live a full life like I'd dreamed of.
"Y'all got me another one, hmm?" This came from a gruff voice that managed to sound simultaneously smooth. I lifted my head, meeting the calculating eyes of a grisly looking man.
He seemed like the type who could talk his way out of anything before coming down here and killing a wolf without batting a single eyelash. His hair was gray and thinning underneath a dark cowboy hat, but that didn't keep him from torturing wolves.
I spat, knowing it wouldn't reach him. He just smiled at the action, his front teeth showing clear signs of decay.
"She refused to cooperate with us," one of my captors replied, his voice monotone.
"I sure am gonna have fun with this 'un," he bellowed, running his hands through a dirty towel before slowly standing up.
"Just do whatever he wants. Maybe you'll actually make it down here," a armored body murmured, sympathy laced through his voice. I growled at him, ignoring his advice. He'd brought me down here in the first place.
They unexpectedly let me go and I fell forward, attempting to use my hands to catch myself but ultimately failing. I gritted my teeth as a result, struggling to stand up. My legs ached from the stairs so it was harder than I'd thought it would be.
When I was finally up, sure that my legs wouldn't collapse underneath me, the door was already closed and re-locked. The armored bodies who had "assisted" me down here were nowhere to be seen. It didn't look like I would be leaving.
I looked around and my eyes halted at the cages. They were structured with thick bars and were large, even large enough to hold a werewolf. However, only one.
Yet, each single cage held two werewolves, one of them containing three.
The wolves weren't able to move at all; their bodies were pressed so hard against the bars that I was sure they'd have bruises where their skin met the unyielding metal.
They looked dwarfed in size, not like the legendary animals we were rumored to be.
I heard his feet shuffle, so I flicked my eyes in his direction, my hatred towards this one man multiplying by a tenfold. He was the one solely responsible for their pain.
"This'll go a lot easier if you just do as I say, princess," he said, but the glint in his eyes told me he was hoping I would do anything but.
I just stared at him with a hard glare, saying nothing as he slowly cracked each knuckle, one by one. I wasn't going to let him intimidate me. He was just a mere human, nothing special.
"This is what they like to call the training process," he explained, and I watched as he casually picked up a thick chain, wrapping part of it around one of his hands. My whole body tensed in response.
"You can call me Tamer like everyone else, and I'm going to be your trainer," he said politely, and I growled at his words, not enjoying this situation in the slightest.
"Now darlin', why don't you shift for me?" he instructed, but it sounded more like a demand than a question. The whole time I could hear the chain clinking against itself, wanting to do what it was sent down here for.
I snorted in reply. He grinned again, his eyes holding a sick layer of excitement.
"I'm going to tell you something," he murmured as he slammed the chain against the floor and I flinched.
His eyes met mine as he said, "I'm glad you didn't shift." Tamer cackled before snapping the chain out and letting it slam into my face.