Chapitre 3

The smell of the dungeon enveloped my senses like a musty cloak through which the cold of the underworld seeped.

"Girl, what are you doing here?" asked the guard, who had watched us enter with wonder and curiosity. Alpha Eros simply ignored him and turned to Beta Leo.

"Bring Fenrir here."

It wasn't a question, and even though Eros wasn't his alpha, Leo bowed and headed back up the stairs. The sea blue eyes turned to me.

"Come with me," he said. His footsteps echoed on the mossy rocks and I swallowed. The wolf in the silver cage remained silent as when we first met. I gave the cell a wide berth and followed Alpha Eros into one of the partitioned rooms.

He was completely bald except for a few silver chains on the walls. I immediately took off my coat and laid it on the floor. Alpha Eros carefully laid Lia on it. A drop splattered against one of the stones and the smell of blood thickened.

Her eyes were closed as I knelt beside her.

"It'll be alright, I promise," I whispered, brushing her messy hair back from her face.

The door creaked open and Gamma Johnson entered. He wore everything I ordered. Immediately I tore open her sleeve further at the wound to see three angry scratches. I dipped a white cloth in the water and washed away dirt and blood.

Alpha Ero's eyes followed my every move. I didn't let that stop me. At least Lia had stopped bleeding. I soaked one of the wipes in the bottle with pure alcohol. I hesitantly dabbed at the wound. Lia didn't move.

The only thing that gave me relief was that her chest rose and fell regularly. Finally, I tied another piece of cloth around the scratches.

"Ready," I said in a shaky voice and turned to Eros. Silence enveloped us, but his eyes were still on Lia.

"Thank you," I whispered. "Thank you for saving her."

"She's quite a stubborn one," Eros replied, and I smiled tiredly.

"She is, but a good-hearted stubborn one. She saved my brother's life and for that I will forever owe her... What will happen to her now?"

Eros lifted his eyes to mine and there was a spark of warmth in his gaze.

"Don't worry about her. I'll take her to the north, to me," he replied, and stole my speech. With me to the north? Would Lia go away?

The door creaked open a second time and Gamma Johnson pushed a chair through. I lowered my gaze.

"Will this wound heal now?" asked the Gamma, unsure of how humans functioned.

"No," I replied, "the bandages need to be changed regularly. Otherwise the scratches will become infected."

"Understood," Eros said, but his expression was dark. "Is there anything else I should know?"

Hundreds of thoughts raced through my head, but I only spoke one of them.

"Please take care of her."

Alpha Eros nodded and knelt down next to Lia. His paws stroked her cheek.

"I will. I swear to the moon goddess."

"Girl, it's time you go," Gamma Johnson growled, gesturing towards the door.

I nodded and looked back at Lia one last time. Alpha Eros would treat her well, I was sure. He would protect her, even from herself. I got up and made my way to the exit.

"I'll wait for her at her house. She has to say goodbye,” I said before stepping back down the dungeon corridor. Gamma Johnson closed the door behind me and plunged me into an awkward silence. The dents in the silver cell on the other side were like mockery.

I couldn't get his red eyes out of my head. The wolf wanted to scare me and he managed it. That could never be his real eye color.

"Who is standing there waiting in front of my cell?"

My heart contracted convulsively. The voice was muffled, but made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. That couldn't be. Did the wolf just...? I crept closer to the silver cell. As long as he couldn't catch me-

"Come closer, don't be shy. I won't eat you," the wolf whispered. Even through the metal, I could hear the amusement. I looked around. "Don't worry, there's no one here who can hear us. No one would see you if you took another look would lose me. Just me."

I never dreamed of talking to the wolf. His voice could send so many shivers down my arms. But maybe I could open the hatch. He couldn't do anything to me through this small opening.

Maybe I should talk to him first.

"Who are you?" I asked, wincing as my voice echoed off the walls. Silence fell, but then a deep laugh followed. The hairs on my arms stood up as I listened to the beast's sound.

Why didn't he answer me?

Suddenly the opening creaked open from the inside, but I could see nothing but darkness. Where was he? I felt my way forward, but stayed far enough away that he couldn't reach for me. Even the torch on the walls made him appear nowhere.

Suddenly red eyes appeared, shining like rubies in the light. A mischievous smile cast shadows across the flawless skin. My heart fluttered faster than a hummingbird fleeing the crocodile.

“What do you want?”

"What do I want?" he asked. His smile widened to reveal white fangs. He seemed amused by my fear. Suddenly his eyes began to glow. "I want you to come closer."

I was like underwater. The light danced in his eyes and called me to him. He was beautiful like a devil angel. “What harm could it do-“

"No," I whispered. My heart snarled at the word. It wanted to go to him. I shook my head and freed myself from the spell he had put on me. What was wrong with me?

"No?" he asked, and I couldn't read the emotion in his voice: surprised or amused? He raised an eyebrow. "No one could ever resist my words."

I avoided his eyes like the plague, instead gazing at the quivering flames on the dungeon walls.

"No wonder they locked you in here," I murmured. A cold laugh followed, echoing off the silver jail.

"There will come a day when you wish you had set me free," he said, disappearing back into the shadows of his cell. "After all, our fate is inevitable..."

His words resonated with me. I took a step toward the cell, but suddenly the gap slammed shut, snapping me out of my shock.

"Girl, what are you doing?" a voice asked and I winced. I brushed the fiery red strands from my face and confronted the guard who was just coming down the last flight of stairs.

"I'm sorry," I replied, but my mind was on the monster in the cell behind me. "I was just waiting for someone... I'm Elizabeth. My parents run the little grocery store."

I bowed low to the guard whose footsteps drew closer.

"Elizabeth, huh? How about I call her Betty. I'm Davin," he replied. I pursed my lips but didn't comment on his nickname. He would just keep teasing me about it. "So Betty, how about you go home. You look like you have you enough for one day. Rest."

I stopped and looked down at myself. Dried blood stuck to my hands. My stomach did a somersault. It was from Lia. I narrowed my eyes and bowed deeply.

"Thanks Davin, I'll be on my way."

I stole one last look at the silver dungeon before turning and climbing the steps back to the surface. Was that just reality? It was like he was trying to hypnotize me with his words. And it almost worked. I almost gave in. How good that his cell was secured with a padlock.

He wasn't a normal werewolf.

I should stay away from him. About the melodious voice that had tried to tempt me. Of the magical eyes that held dark secrets. He might be haunting my thoughts, but how hard could it be to stay away from the dungeon...?