Forgotten, Saved, Loved

by Violet Samuels

  All my muscles are burning, my joints are aching and I just want to fall to the floor and sleep. I don't answer his question, just breathe heavily. For what seems like forever, we just stare at each other and see whose stare is first to break. We do this at the end of every workout, when I know I've had enough and when Mr. Crusher knows he's won. Neither of us admits it though because sometimes the outcome is different and I'm the one who wins.

  His smug smirk that I've become accustomed to shows on his face. "I do believe that this workout is over." His voice smugly states and all I want to do is punch that already crooked nose of his.

  I don't answer him. I just follow him back to my cell. He gives me a rough shove to which I growl at. He just laughs and proceeds to lock my cell then walks away.

  As soon as I hear the heavy door closing, I collapse to the ground. This is what I had to live with for the last three years. This is the torture I had to go through... and it's only lunch time.

  2

  COMRADE

  "Here ya go! Nice stale bread and a bowl of cold soup. Enjoy!" the guard says as he tosses the plate into my cell, spilling half of it, then walking out, laughing, and sealing the door behind him. Life sucks.

  I eat my food in silence, no thoughts going through my head like usual, just complete and utter silence. I'm preparing myself mentally and physically. The reason? I know what's coming after this. I know what I'm gonna have to endure all over again for the sake of those I love. As much as I don't want to admit it, I still think about Celina, Axel and Callum every day. They're the closest thing I have to a family, had, actually had.

  I finish my food and place the plate outside the cell bars. I lean on the wall and slide down so that I'm in a sitting position with my legs apart and my head against the wall, eyes closed. It's only a matter of time now...

  Three.

  Two.

  One.

  The heavy door opens and a man who's under six foot, has brown hair and bluish green eyes comes into view. He's dressed in dark jeans and a black shirt. The devil himself.

  Damon chuckles darkly at me once he comes to stand in front of my cell. I look at him with hatred in my eyes and growl lowly at him in warning.

  Damon lets out a belly laugh upon hearing my growl. "Oh, Comrade. Dear, dear Comrade. Are you really in a position to growl at me? I don't think so!" he taunts. He unlocks my cell door and advances towards me. I stand my ground and try to fight him off when he goes to grab me. Not even a guardian is stronger than an alpha though. He grabs me roughly and unwillingly by the shirt, while dragging me out of the cell and towards the torture chamber. Yes, I said the torture chamber. I grip his hands to try to get him to let go, but he doesn't budge. The next second, I'm being thrown into a room I know all too well.

  I collapse onto the concrete floor, grazing my knees and hands. I lift my head up, letting my long, over grown, brown hair cover my eyes. All around me are torture toys, some too horrid to even mention. "So, Comrade. What shall we use today? Hmm, haven't used the whip in a while. Let's use that," Damon states with an evil glint in his eye.

  Before he goes for the whip, however, he goes for me. He grabs me around the neck and leads me to the shackles that hang from the roof and the shackles that rest on the floor. He hooks my wrists and ankles so that I'm immobile, then proceeds to get the whip. He has an evil smirk on his face and a strange glint in his eyes this whole time.

  He places a chair in front of me, sitting on it backwards with the whip in hand. I glare at the leather contraption while wishing I could use that very whip to whip a certain person named Damon...

  "You know how this goes, don't you, Comrade? A simple question and answer session, no biggy!" he teases. My eye twitches out of major annoyance because of his stupid, bloody voice.

  "Go to hell." I spit with venom dripping on every word. He isn't worth my time.

  "I have every intention to... When I die, but right now, I'm happily living and breathing while torturing you." He stares smugly. I scoff at him and shake my head. You know, when Damon got a mate, I thought he would change. Become a better person. Guess I was wrong.

  "So, the first question of the hour is..." Damon begins, tightening his grip on the whip. He's obviously trying to be intimidating, but it's obviously not working. "What powers do the triplets have?"

  I exhale sharply and chuckle. That's all Damon wants, to know what the triplets have to offer and use it against Celina and Axel. He just wants the power like he always does.

  "I told you, Damon," I spit his name like it's a curse on my tongue. "I don't know anything about the triplets. I only know their names, which I'm certainly not telling you."

  An evil smirk graces Damon's face. He shakes his head while saying, "Oh, Comrade, you never learn, do you? You're still that little, pathetic wolf who ran away because he was too cowardly. You're not fit to be a guardian. You're not even worth my time! I need answers though, and you're the only one knows them."

  My anger rises every time that son-of-a-bitch opens his mouth. "You're no better! You hurt Celina for years, you've been torturing me for the last three and now you want to use the triplets for your own little game? You make me sick," I tell him and all I want to do is break these damn shackles and claw his face.

  Oh! Another thing Damon hasn't let me do, shift. I haven't shifted for three years and what has that accomplished? It’s exactly what he wanted. He wanted me to lose contact with my wolf and now I have. He was a very happy wolf that day, going easy on the torture even. Wasn't that generous of him?

  Damon growls, then quickly gets up from his chair and moves swiftly behind me. My back tenses when I feel the slight breeze of the whip getting ready to strike. I'm not letting him get to me though, and I never have, so why start today?

  "You're just power crazy, Damon. All you want is the power that comes with everything," I taunt and that's when I feel the first crack of the whip hitting my back. I inhale sharply, but not a sound escapes my mouth. I'll admit though, it hurts like a freaking bitch!

  "Hell, I bet you only accepted your mate because she's the daughter of a beta," I continue to taunt him, but I think I hit a sensitive subject because the next thing I know, a ferocious growl fills the room and multiple strikes are taken to my back. It's true though, Phyre is the beta's daughter of a Spanish pack that migrated here.

  I don't make a sound. Not even a peep. I won't give Damon the satisfaction of seeing me in pain.

  "Never, and I mean never!" Damon booms, striking another hit to my back. I arch it in pain, but not a sound escapes me. "Insult my mate! I would've accepted her if she was the lowest of the low. She's my mate!"

  Another three strikes and then it suddenly all stops. I relax, letting the weight of my body be held up by the chains of the shackles. "So, you would've accepted Celina if she was your mate? Even if she was the lowest of the low? Even though you made her life a living hell, you would still accept her? Tell me that, and I'll believe you. Tell me, Damon, would you accept Celina as a mate?" I ask breathless and through gritted teeth, trying to get the point across that he really is a selfish bastard that only a mother and family can love.

  He goes silent, not uttering a single word. He doesn't move, I don't think he's even breathing.

  "Well, Damon, would you?" I push. I hear his footsteps slowly coming out from behind me and soon he's standing in front of me.

  "No, I wouldn't" he says, emotionless. I smile in victory and dare to ask the next question because I know it will really test him if I do.

  Of course, I do it anyway. "Why?" That one simple word can make anyone's brain start to get the gears turning. That one simple word can make anyone surrender and tell the truth. That one simple word... can bring any man to his knees. Even an alpha.

  Instead of answering my question, Damon simply walks out of the room, leaving me hanging. No pun intended.

  "What? You too cowardly to answer? Why, Damon, why! It's a simple word, with a big answer that you don't know!" I call after him as he
continues to walk out on me.

  I hear his footsteps stop for a brief second, but they soon continue again. They're quicker this time and in less than five seconds, the sound of the heavy door slamming shut fills my ears.

  I've always wondered why Damon goes through so much shit, just to get hold of Celina. Why is she so special? Of course, I know why she's special. She's the last Shaded Wolf with the exception of Axel.

  She’s one of a kind. I sigh as I let my head fall. I'm gonna be stuck here for a while...

  "Comrade? Comrade, wake up" a small and frightened whispering voice tells me. I groan, but don't open my eyes. It hurts to move.

  "Comrade, please wake up. It's Kate, come on. Please…" Kate whispers again. I groan while opening my eyes to see the scared look on Kate's face. I'm instantly on alert, despite my aching body.

  "Kate? What are you doing down here? It's daylight! You know the rules!" I whisper harshly to her as my eyes search frantically for a guard. She can't get caught!

  "I wanted to make sure you're all right. Dad came up looking pretty annoyed and I wanted to make sure he didn't bust you up too bad," she informs me, as tears prick her eyes.

  "What about the guards?" I question and she shrugs.

  "I thought that if I come down here while they're on their break, then I could get 10 minutes with you. Seven now because you were asleep," she scolds me lightly in a teasing manner.

  A ghost of a smile makes its way onto my face at her words. She really shouldn't be down here though, she could get caught and I don't want her getting in trouble.

  "If I tell you what he did, will you leave? I don't want you getting in trouble with your Mum," I tell her honestly. The last time she almost got caught, her mum found out and I didn't see her for a week. She was grounded to the confinements of her room. She wasn't even allowed to go to school for the week. Of course, Kate didn't really mind that part.

  She nods her head wearily, her eyes going wide with anticipation.

  I sigh. "He just gave me a few whips, that's all. Now can you please leave?" I quickly tell her. I don't want her worrying about me when there's nothing to worry about.

  She gasps at me in horror. I swear, this girl moves fast. One second she's in front of my face, I blink and she's behind me.

  Her small hand touches my tender flesh that's been whipped, instantly making me flinch and for a hiss to escape my mouth.

  "Sorry," she whispers as her hand withdraws. She appears in front of me again with tears in her eyes.

  She opens her mouth to say something, but I shake my head. "Go, you only have a minute or so before the guards come back. I'll be fine, I promise. Just go, Kate," I whisper to her. She nods her head then dashes out of the fear-striking place.

  It's times like this when I wonder what Celina, Axel and Callum are doing, if they're all laughing around or busy trying to find me. Probably not the latter...

  I wonder if they'll ever find me, if they even care to find me. I guess I stopped believing in them a long time ago.

  3

  ALEX

  I run through the forest in my human form, dodging the trees and jumping over the bushes. I don't dare turn around to see if she's following me. Turning around will just slow me down and distract me from what I'm focusing on: running.

  I jump over a fallen log as a flash of blonde fur catches my eye to the left. I don't stop though, just pick up my pace. I won’t let her catch me, not this time.

  I quickly slip under a high branch then continue to bolt through the forest, disturbing all the peaceful forest animals.

  What happens next is so fast. One moment, I'm running, giving it my all, the next... I'm being tackled to the ground by a blonde-haired wolf. She snarls at me and I snarl right back.

  I hitch kick her in the belly and she goes flying into a tree. I swiftly jump to my feet and start to circle with the wolf. I look for her weak points. Something that will help me bring her down quicker and easier. Just as I spot one and go for a lunge, the sound of a bell going off in the distance draws my attention.

  I relax my stance and smile at my friend, Taylor. She gives me a wolfy grin back, making me laugh at what it really looks like.

  "Come on, we better get back to the grounds. You know how the beta gets," I joke. I smile as I remember our funny beta Callum. He always makes people smile, laugh and have a good time. He's scary when he's mad though.

  "Race ya there!" I call to her as I take off sprinting back the way I came. I laugh as I hear a playful growl behind me and see that Taylor is fast catching up.

  I dodge past all the trees and bushes and slide under the same high branch as before.

  "Come on, ya slow poke!" I tease behind me as I burst through the bushes and into the grounds. I laugh while I try to catch my breath just as Taylor bursts through. She huffs in her wolf form and makes her way to the tree where her clothes are.

  She walks back out fully clothed. Taylor's a very pretty girl with light blonde hair that shines in the sun, brown eyes that resemble chocolate and a body that's curvy and certainly catches the attention of most guys. Her skin is creamier than anything else, but it has that natural tan to it like every other werewolf. Plus, she's 18, so she can do whatever she damn well pleases. Taylor's also a very smart girl; she's the brains of our little posse.

  I laugh as I walk up to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "You tried hard, Taylor, but it wasn't enough," I tell her in fake disappointment. She rolls her eyes at me and shoves me away while I chuckle again.

  "Oh please! Everyone knows you're the fastest runner in human and wolf form in the group! It's no surprise you beat me" she admits while folding her arms across her chest. I chuckle and shake my head, searching for my other friend that completes our three-women posse.

  I catch the familiar sight of a tight bun of dark brown hair and smile brightly. That would be my other fiend, Ally.

  "Hey, Ally! Get over here!" I call out to her. Ally, being her tall self, easily spots us and smiles, casually making her way over to where Taylor and I stand.

  Ally, as I said before, is a tall girl. I think she's the tallest girl in the pack actually, sometimes getting over the heads of some of the males. She's got afro style, dark brown hair, super dark brown eyes and her skin is like a brownish colour. In other words, she’s really, really tanned. She also has a very slim figure, which is probably why she's so tall. She's flat-chested, even at 18, and she has a flat ass that most girls would kill for! She's a fast runner and is quick to think up plans, so she's like the getaway person that we all rely on.

  Me? Well, I'm sort of the boss of the group. I have layered blonde hair, bluish-green eyes and a body that I must say has curves in all the right places. I also have a well-tanned olive skin that I absolutely adore. I'm energetic, sporty, fun, and as girly as this may sound, I love shopping as well as travelling.

  So, there ya go! Me as the boss, Taylor as the brains and Ally as the getaway. I think we make a really good team.

  "Hey!" Ally greets us. We both smile at her. "So, who won this time?" she asks with a grin. Taylor and I glance at each other before grinning back at her.

  "I did" we both say at the same time. I turn to look at her with wide eyes. Please! I so won that!

  "No, I did!" we say simultaneously once again. Our eyes narrow on their own accord while Ally chuckles in the background.

  "Please, you did not win that. I was so gonna pin you!" I exclaim, outraged. I so was, Taylor wouldn't even stand a chance.

  Taylor raises an eyebrow at me. "Seriously? I was about to tear you apart!" she screams in my face.

  This means war!

  Before we can lunge at each other and finish what we started, Ally intervenes and puts a hand on both our shoulders.

  She chuckles at us. "Ok, that's enough bantering you two. Callum is calling a meeting" she informs us and when we look up, sure enough, Callum is motioning everyone to make their way over to him.

  My two friends and I make our way over to him, hanging
at the back of the crowd of 30 or so wolves, both male and female.

  "As you know, you were specifically chosen to carry out a dangerous mission. You were informed that you may not come out of this alive, but you will be dearly remembered by everyone," Callum begins in all seriousness. I put on a blank face as he continues on.

  "So, without further ado, I would like to announce that we are reducing our group of 30 to 10 in the upcoming week" he informs us all while gasps and calls of disapproval are heard.

  "Thirty to ten? That's like twenty of us gone!" Taylor harshly whispers in my ear. I nod with uncertainty in my eyes. How will this work...

  "For this mission, only the best of the best will carry it out. You have to be fast, strategic and, most importantly, have the will to protect yourself and others." Callum makes eye contact with every single one of us, his brown eyes lingering on me for a second longer.

  "Think hard about this. Work harder in training, have some practise runs with others. Let me tell you this though, if you're chosen, there is no backing out. You are in it and there's nothing you can do about it. Dismiss" he says after a short pause.

  Everybody disperses while I turn to my friends. "Practise tomorrow at five?" I question. They both nod and start to walk off as well.

  I walk in the opposite direction of everyone else, making myself comfortable against a tree.

  This isn't a game anymore. This is serious and I so badly want to be one of those 10 selected few. I want to impress my dad and get him to know that he doesn't have to be the only strong one in the family. I can help just as much as he can.

  "Alex?" I hear a voice ask. I stand up straight from my position on the tree and turn to look at Callum.

  I bow my head in respect. "Beta," I mutter as I cast my eyes downward. He nods his head back at me.