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Chapter 3 - Chapter 3 - Interrogation

I woke up from the pain. Grumbling, I slowly opened my eyes and sat up, only to see that I was sitting in a cell again. Perfect! I escaped from the first one, only to end up in another. I face-palmed myself in my mind.

Every muscle in my body ached. I'm not even talking about the wounds that burned so much. I really overdid it this time… What surprised me was that my hands and legs were wrapped in bandages….... Wait a minute. My legs? Oh my god! I sighed… I wasn't naked, that's good, but someone had changed my clothes into something that looked like a nightgown. I mean, like a prisoner's nightgown, because it was dark grey and made of a rough material that made my skin itch. I looked around to see if I could find my own clothes, but there were none. The cell was small and had no furniture apart from a small toilet and a sink in the corner. No bed, no chairs or anything else to make you comfortable. Of course, prisoners don't usually deserve anything good, but in most prisons, you at least have a wooden bench or a bed and a few used blankets. I don't think that's the case here. Besides, there are no windows here, so the cell must be underground. A single dim light shone in the corridor behind the bars.

I could feel that my wounds from the last half of the climb weren't yet beginning to heal, and I could sense that my wolf was still very tired, but somehow impatient. I didn't understand why she was impatient, though….... I wish I could talk to her sometimes, then I definitely wouldn't have felt so lonely. Still, I'm grateful to have her with me, but this feeling of impatience worries me. I wonder what she's thinking. What happened when I was unconscious? It doesn't matter now. I shake my head and it starts to spin a little.

Let's see, we've already broken out of one prison, so I think we could do it with this one too. The main problem is that I'm out of energy and these black dots are still showing up in my vision. I'm not even sure if I would be able to do a single ice throw. Another problem is that I don't know where I am and how far away the borders are, and I'm not even talking about the difficulty of getting out of these dungeons….... I don't think I could have trespassed the Black Shadows' territory, because rumour has it, they are ruthless towards rogues and criminals. There are also some small packs near these mountains. Maybe I miscalculated and ended up in a different area than I thought. Hmm ...

The strangest thing is that I'm not chained up. The only thing separating me from the corridor outside are the bars. Did they think I was too weak to escape, or are they just a pack of idiots who don't know how to keep a werewolf prisoner? Some of the small packs really are too nice and naive. I know that from my own experience, or rather from my memories of my childhood. Or... It could be that the small packs here are allied with the Black Shadow pack and are under their protection. Either way, letting me hang around here unhindered makes things a lot easier for me.

I stood up carefully, leaning against the wall and slowly dragging my body towards the bars to check them out. I hesitated before touching them. Could it be that they are made of silver? Maybe they use wolfsbane too…? I'd have problems with that, because it's poisonous to us all… It's deadly in high doses… But I didn't smell any wolfsbane, so I reached for the bars to see if they could be silver, but I was struck by a bolt of lightning that made me jump back, and as I staggered to keep my balance, I fell on my bum. Ouch! I bit my lips to keep from screaming. That hurt! How on earth did they do that? Is that some kind of spell? Do they have a witch to help them in their pack? No wonder there are no chains inside…. I tried to look closer and saw very small waves of energy surrounding the bars and flowing around them like a living thing. No one would be able to see them unless they looked very closely. Smartasses... Urgh... So annoying! If I don't think of something soon, I'm going to rot here forever or be executed.

The sound of footsteps catches my attention. Someone is coming. I leaned back against the wall, still sitting, waiting for them.

Only a man my age, I mean about 18 to 20 years old, appeared and stopped behind the bars of the cell. I heard more footsteps, which stopped further back in the corridor. As far as I could make out in this dim light, the one who emerged was tall and slim with broad shoulders. I bet anyone would say he's strong just by looking at him. I can feel the energy emanating from his body. He's probably the Beta or Delta of the pack. He also has blue eyes, just like me, but his are a very dark blue and he has a small scar on his right cheek. Handsome and with some fighting experience, I guess...

'Morning sweetheart!' A man greeted a little too loudly.

I just stared at him. Hmmm… It's morning already... So, I was unconscious for a whole afternoon and all night. I kept looking at him, hoping he would say something else that could help me escape before the torture begins. I wonder how the interrogations are handled here.

'I see you're not much of a talker, are you?' He asked, looking relaxed.

I didn't move an inch and just watched him. He just put his hand on the bars, opened the lock and walked in. What the hell?! How didn't he burn himself?

'You're still not talking, huh? At least your feelings are clear. Are you looking surprised over the bars?' He asked again, smiling mischievously as he closed the door behind him and leant against the wall on the other side of the cell, watching me.

I didn't answer, although it was obvious that I was more than shocked. I don't know what kind of spell it could be, but the witch who used it must be very powerful and that could be a problem. But surely, he didn't come here to explain this thing to me. I raised an eyebrow as if to challenge him to give me more information that might actually help me, but he just laughed out loud.

'You really are a stubborn girl!' He laughed again and said simply, 'My name is Shawn and I am the beta of this pack. I'd ask you if you have any idea which pack it is, but I'm almost certain you won't answer, so I'll just say what I have to say and then we'll decide where to go from there

I almost smiled before I heard the last part. He looks friendly, but we both know he's the beta and I'm a rogue or even a spy in their eyes. I wonder what kind of torment I would have to suffer if I didn't talk. I promised myself to stay strong and live, so I can't give up so easily, but I'm not sure I can tell the truth either. What if he's one of Alpha Daniel's friends? And even if he isn't, I'm sure his attitude will change soon, because he can't stay friends with a potential enemy, can he? But I'm not sure how much torture my body can take before it gives up. The damage I've taken physically and mentally is quiet enough at the moment. I was torn from my thoughts when I heard Shawn's voice again.

'You know the rules. No one is allowed to enter another pack's territory without permission. The consequences are bad for those who break the rules. It's even worse for the rogues. You don't look or smell like a rogue, but I can't sense that you belong to another pack either. You don't look like a fool to me, so I hope you'll act wisely and make the right decision. You can probably guess what will happen if you don't talk…. I really don't want to see that.' He spoke in a serious tone and waited patiently for my answer.

I thought for a moment and decided to try my luck, or at least buy some more time. He's right, I have to be smart to get a chance to escape from this unknown territory.

'My name is Alice. Nice to meet you, Shawn.' I said in a hoarse voice, having not spoken for a while. I wanted to see how he would react when I started speaking in a normal tone of voice, without begging for rescue or showing fear. It was hard to decide if he was a good actor or if he was serious.

He looked surprised for a moment, as if he hadn't expected to actually hear my voice. Then he smiled again.

'That's a good start and it's nice to meet you too, Alice' He looked at me and waited for me to continue.

There was a long pause, during which I somehow didn't feel uncomfortable. I felt nauseous and my head started spinning for a moment, so I lowered my head for a few seconds and raised it again when the spinning stopped. I'm sure I saw the worry flash in his eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it had come.

'Are you…' He was about to ask something, but I interrupted him.

'Sorry, I don't mind listening to you because you're very friendly at the moment, but I know you want answers. So, the sooner you get what you want and report back to your alpha, the better. Don't you agree?' I asked, watching him.

He nodded and looked a little unsure, so I continued. I felt too much pain in my body and the tiredness was overwhelming.

'I don't really have anything important to tell you. I'm not a spy and I'm not a rogue. I emphasised the word spy because I knew that the other guy, a possible alpha I'd met first, had probably told him about his suspicions that I was a spy. I mean… Well, I'm a rogue now, I guess...'I paused, thinking that I was probably confusing him more than answering his questions…. ' Well, you can't blame me, I'm just as confused as I was when I was running from one problem to the next without being able to pause to think.

He raised an eyebrow as if to tell me to continue, which I did: '

'It's complicated. Not so long ago I was a member of a pack, but now I'm not. I won't say the name of the pack, so don't bother asking. Not because I'm hiding anything, but because I don't want anything to do with it anymore and I'm sure you'd try to find out information about me by contacting my former pack and that wouldn't be good for me, so be sure I won't mention its name.' I said seriously and sighed.

'Have you committed a crime in your pack?' Shawn asked simply. He didn't look at me like he was judging me, just curious, so I decided to answer honestly.

'No, I haven't, but my pack has.' I said firmly, watching his reaction.

He looked thoughtful, but quickly became serious again and asked.

'I assume you don't want to tell me about this for now either...' He sighed and continued: 'So the last and most important question: why did you invade our territory?'

I sighed deeply and answered the truth again.

'I didn't want to. From the side of the mountain, it looked like it was a mile or a few away, so I wanted to use the path in between towards the neutral territory and didn't realise that the forest was connected to that path. I mean, I didn't do it on purpose and I had no interest in invading your territory.'

As I spoke, I saw various emotions flash across his face. From confusion to concern and then back to seriousness. In the end, it looked like he was just staring into space, which meant he was mind linking someone. This would be a good opportunity to escape, but I'm not sure I even have the strength to get up and take five steps forward. And I'm not even talking about opening the door without being blown away by lightning. I did the only thing I could do now – wait and watch.

After a minute or two, Shawn finally spoke.

'I'm not sure if that's enough for the Alpha, but I already know you won't be leaving anytime soon. I'm glad you talked, and I hope what you said is true. The Alpha doesn't like liars. If it turns out to be true, you'd probably be set free and maybe even get a chance to join a pack,' he finished with a sheepish smile.

'And what if I don't want to join the pack?' I asked seriously.

He looked a little puzzled, as if he hadn't even considered the possibility.

'Well, let's talk about it later. I'll get you a blanket and some more clothes, the nights are cold here. By the way, the food will be here in about ten minutes. You look like you are… Hmm… Hungry...' he ended the conversation on a completely different topic. Then Shawn headed for the door, ready to leave.

'Wait!' I shouted to him.

He turned round and looked at me questioningly.

'Why are you treating a prisoner with such good manners? I mean, clothes, food, blanket… Isn't that a bit much? Now I was the one who was confused. I just don't understand why… There's no logic…

Shawn just smiled.

'Let's see… Firstly, you didn't try to attack me and escape, not once. I'm not sure if you don't have the power because you look like a ghost now, or if you really don't have anything to hide. Secondly, I want to believe you and I'm curious for more details, and thirdly… Well, I'll keep the third one to myself for now. I have this right, don't I? You haven't told me everything yet either.' He explained, winking at me.

'Actually, I didn't expect you to answer. Thank you,' I mumbled.

'No problem! I'll see you again soon!' He chuckled and left, closing and locking the door of course.

Soon after, the food arrived and it was delicious. I hadn't expected prisoners to be able to eat here like in a restaurant. I got stake, salad, mashed potato, a few pieces of apple with whipped cream, a cup of tea, a cup of coffee (why both?) and a large bottle of water. Shortly afterwards I was given a big, thick blanket and warm clothes.

Something is not right… Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, treats prisoners like this. And it doesn't matter if they are innocent before or after you find out the truth about them. I feel like a child in a fairy tale being stuffed with food only to be boiled alive and eaten by a witch later. I shook my head – nonsense.

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