Rowan
The light stung his eyes as he was dragged out of the cave again. He hissed in pain as the harshness of the sun hit his blistered and battered body. The wolfsbane that was pressed against Rowan’s back left deep burn wounds. He hadn’t seen Harold or Alan in days. The soldiers were nicer to him, and he hoped he wouldn’t see the duo in a while. The soldiers brought Rowan out to drink from the pool of water, outside the cave entrance. He still had no idea where he was other than the odd conversation he overheard. The soldiers discussed being miles away from home. Rowan’s gut sank to think that he too could be miles away from home and his thoughts turned to Ivy. She must have been worried sick and beside herself. He hoped that Alex and Emerson kept good care of her. Rowan made a mental note to kill them if they let her come and save him and knowing her that’s what she’d want to do. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskfPxBnqHI
The water was cool as he felt it trickle down his throat, all the way to his stomach. Adrian’s fingers were still on the ground. Rowan feared what Harold would of offered him the next day but hadn’t seen him since. He prayed that his father was okay and hated to think what Harold might have done to him. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoP3degJXRu
The soldiers were ordered to keep Rowan alive and not to bash him too much. The men constantly spoke about their families and how much they missed them. To pass the time Rowan slept when he could and was still not strong enough for Olcan to shift.
The thought of Alan being able to do this to his own daughter made his blood boil. That was a man that would do anything to get rich quick. Their plan was that Ivy would come to Rowan and then they’d take her when she least expected it. Rowan giggled at how stupid they really were. They were secluded, and she had no way to find him. However, if she did there was no way that Rowan could communicate with her through the poison around him. He figured they must be close to someone’s territory because the soldiers that brought him food daily, varied so much. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzqno6hmXB
“Come on Rowan, time to go in,” a soldier called. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZUYyVl53o
“Can I please just have a swim?"82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOpx4KEflCf
The soldier rolled his eyes and let the chain loose. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHNkcYOXdd
“Off you go then, quickly.”
Rowan felt the chains in the water, wanting to take him down. He carefully treaded on the bottom of the lake, to ensure his feet stayed planted on the floor. The cool water rushed through his wounds and although it stung, it soothed at the same time. For the first time in a few days the shackles around his wrists were loosened from the water. Rowan wanted to howl; in case his pack were looking for him, but his throat was hoarse, nothing would come out even if he tried. He felt a slight tug after a few minutes of floating and immediately knew that it was his cue to make his way back. Reluctantly Rowan obliged because if he stalled the chain would be pulled harder and his body couldn’t bear much more. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmROVVMc5O
“Look no hard feelings Rowan, I’m just following Alpha orders,” said the soldier as Rowan trudged up the riverbank. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBsfp5p0sxi
“Yeah, what can you do about it?” he grumbled. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxZunwg8e3
“Look, we respect you, we all do, and we don’t want to hurt you man,” the soldier tried to apologise. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWkRw96Gge
Rowan appreciated the gesture and walked back to cave. The pain from the wolfsbane was back and worse than ever, from not having the chance to dry off in the sun. The water acted like an electric conductor and only heightened the effects of the plant. Rowan gasped for breath and collapsed to the floor in the foetal position. He refused to give into the burning sensation that washed over his body. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnq9vGVD3SB
“I’ll bring you some dinner soon Rowan,” the soldier stated before leaving. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0IylmFjG3
Rowan’s only response was a groan.
“Wake up my Pretty,” came a voice inside Rowan’s head. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKh3pBvGUJ
He felt like he was in a nightmare and his eyes flickered open to see Harold’s boots positioned in front of his face. Rowan shifted along the ground so that if Harold decided to kick him, he wouldn’t connect with Rowan’s nose or teeth.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0f1aigmsTy
“Finally awake, took you long enough, you must be weak Alpha,” Harold smiled. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Pg7YxR8DG
Before Rowan could work out what Harold brought into the cave with him, the crazed man poured a bucket of cold water over Rowan. It hissed as it hit his skin and the smell of burning flesh was enough to make anyone vomit. He felt the acidity in his throat but managed to hold it down, as to not give Harold pleasure in his torture. The steam rose from Rowan’s skin, enhanced by the wolfsbane that surrounded him and he groaned in pain. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2i0krNhMlv
“Stand up,” commanded Harold.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWllQ6kcUU
“Today is a special day Rowan, we brought something for you,” he sneered. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9yANbVmFL
“What is it?” Rowan coughed. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44zN9nbEMz
“Not what Rowan but who?” he laughed. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRICzVYgKo
Rowan gulped as Harold’s laugh filled the cave and echoed out the opening. Harold moved out the way so Rowan could see the shadow of the person they dragged down towards the wall. The soldiers in front of the lifeless body hauled her to the back wall to shackle her too. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Ph5Ekr5Eh
“You can do what you want with her Rowan, she is yours. Thank me later.”82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAXIgVBDsh
At Harold’s words, Rowan felt his heart pound in his chest, full of adrenaline. Please don’t let it be mine, please Moon Priest and Priestess, please don’t let her be mine. The prayer played through his mind on repeat. The shackles clinked against the braces on the wall and Harold’s laugh filled the cave walls again. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevjJW4VAUq
“Enjoy!” he berated. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxesRBdg8b
Rowan waited until Harold and the other soldiers left. He used some accumulated energy to scuttle over to the lifeless body of the female. Immediately tears fell from his eyes and down his cheeks as the panic set in. He wouldn’t have got her so soon. Rowan tried to soothe himself and through small sobs he pushed the hair away from her face. He sniffed her neck so deeply, like he took his last lungful of air and sank over her with relief. The woman didn’t smell anything like Ivy. Rowan fell back on his bare ass and thanked anyone who was listening that this woman was not the love of his life.
The woman whimpered and he realised that her body was pressed against the wolfsbane wall. Rowan gently tried to pull her away. His eyes adjusted to the darkness and her face looked familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time. The woman whimpered again, and her eyelids started to move. Rowan moved away so he didn’t startle her with a naked man staring over her in a dark cave. He observed her wounds and concluded that she’d put up a good fight. Her eyes opened and she immediately freaked out but was also in incredible pain. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJwzT299Gm
“Calm down, don’t use all your energy,” Rowan said soothingly. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3RTXWk83Mt
“W-where am I? Who the hell are you? What have you done do me?” she asked. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxg6VNelDk
“I-I haven’t done anything to you. You are in a cave and were brought here by Alpha Harold, and you’re naked because, well…we both are.”82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6BrNWqBiN
She tried to hide her breasts from Rowan with her hands but couldn’t because of the shackles around her wrists and her face showed panic. Rowan held his wrists up and shook them to indicate that he was in the same situation.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhq6j8Jopzu
“Who are you?” the woman asked. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKx65BDw9to
“Alpha Rowan of the Black Alder Pack, and now prisoner to Alpha Harold,” he grimaced.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPUGZ8ubnd
“Who are you?”82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0nwKWHFxI2
The woman was silent for a moment and seemed uneasy about saying her name. To Rowan she looked as old as Ivy if not maybe older. He could tell that Harold had crushed her spirit and the bruises showed in and around her legs… other things. His heart bled for this woman because no one deserved they way she’d been treated. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaFnWpAlsi
She had very long, light hair, not as light as Ivy’s but Rowan could tell she was blonde. She was thin and dainty, but he guessed it might have something to do with Harold’s starvation. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRDSDQoO0cV
“I don’t want to begin to know what you’ve been through, but we might as well talk since we are both in here together,” Rowan suggested. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuHAjHi96K
“How long have you been here?” she asked.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBStuVDy7G
“I’m not sure, I think a few days. I’ve passed out a few times from pain or I force myself to sleep.”82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Tz2b6EZo7
“How did you end up here?” 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZAVm4JhIRT
“Harold is an evil man, and he is after my mate, to kill her no doubt,” confided Rowan. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIfZJx3eK3
“I have heard great things of you Alpha. Many people love your pack and wish to be there but bound to their own. When mine collapsed the others came to you and some of us, went in the opposite direction.”82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgmQwyfOsr
“Whose pack?” he asked, trying to hide his intrigue.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFfNMnEPa14
“Alpha Alan’s,” the woman whimpered. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGAfdl4q4i
“It was awful, they came and took the children and killed the elders. We looked for Alan and we saw him gather the strong. I stayed behind to help the one’s that weren’t killed, and we went the other way. After what happened in the village, only days before, we thought best to leave,” she continued and started to cry.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV9JZacS2Di
Rowan slowly nodded and thought, they made it alright and then came and destroyed mine.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMmac5qWiU
“Yeah, they made it. That’s why I’m here.”82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFg6VgldKN
The woman looked around awkwardly, tried to avoid eye contact, before settling on the ground beneath her. Her hair fell over her face and Rowan saw a shiver run through her body. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZg79zCRXJ
“You get used to that after a while. Just don’t lean on the walls. Wolfsbane.”82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcmjt9ElhwM
“Must be why I couldn’t shift,” she shrugged. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡISl2XEsAEy
“That’s exactly why I couldn’t either because I would have us out of here in no time. Please tell me your name at least?” he pressed. 82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2D0MqEiKm
“I have a feeling we will be in each other’s company for a few days yet.”82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYmsXtV1KL
“My name is Kate.”
