HAILEY STEWARTS
Sitting in the back of the van, my feelings are in turmoil, with no idea why I'm being kidnapped.
I've been trying to free myself from the rope tied tightly behind my hand, but it doesn't budge.
I panic at the back of the van, not aware of my surroundings and trying to figure out how to escape.
I feel the van slow down and soon come to a complete stop.
A movement outside, and a lot of people talking to one another, before the back of the van doors are pulled open. I could feel the wind on my skin.
The van rocks a little as someone climbs on, walking up to me and he pulls off my eye mask.
I squint my eyes and shut as the light stings.
“Hello there,” I blink rapidly until I get used to the light, looking up at the guy that removed my mask.
He smiles up at me with a tattoo seeping from his neck and down his arm, wearing a white shirt, black jeans, and spiky boots.
“Welcome to the badlands,” he smirks, exposing his pierced tongue.
Another guy climbs in, and they both pull me out of the van to a tall, scary-looking building, like one of those in the movies that they say were haunted. A lot of people were outside, looking rugged in their tattoos and piercings.
“Where the hell are you taking me to?” I yell.
“You'll find out soon enough, don't worry, sweetie, we won't hurt you”
“Much,” his companion adds, pushing him in the tummy as they both laugh.
“Why am I here?” I try a different approach.
“Don't ask me, we're just following orders,” we cross the main room, taking a left into a hallway, down a staircase to a darker area that reminded me of the dungeons and it looked like it.
We pass through cages, a few empty, some with people inside, till we stop at one.
A guy was already inside, my eyes flashing in recognition.
Aitch, the guy from Melissa's house, the reason I was here in the first place.
“Who do we have here? A little birdy told me we just bagged Jaden Perry's mate,” grinning widely, he walks up to me and pulls the side of my collar to see the bite marks.
“Those are Alpha bite marks, alright,”
“So, tell me what's your name,” I glare at him, angry that the only reason I'm being held captive is because I'm unfortunately marked by Jaden.
“Why are you keeping me here? I have nothing to do with Jaden,”
“Ahh, but your neck states otherwise. I wonder how Jaden will feel seeing his precious mate's head in a delivery package,”
“I'm sorry to disappoint you, but Jaden Perry doesn't give a fuck if I live or die; he'll simply toss my head in the trash. I would know that because he just banished me,” I spit.
“Then you're of no use to us, kill her,” he says, walking away, one of the guys hurrying inside, holding a knife.
“No, please, I can help you take down Jaden Perry,”
He holds his hand, stopping him.
“How do you expect to kill Jaden Perry when you're a rogue?”
“I can find a way back into the pack; I could return back; he would accept me,”
“Ha!” He laughs, “You really expect me to believe that, even if you can manage to get into the pack, how will you succeed in killing Jaden Perry?”
“Because I hate Jaden Perry,”
“Funny, almost everyone here does for a long time now, but guess what, he's still alive,”
“He's never been in love with any of you. The mark on my shoulder states differently,” I know it's a lie, but I'm putting all my cards out if I want to leave here alive.
“Hmm, fair point,”
He stands up, his brows knitting together as he strikes his chin.
“You have a chance to live... For now, if you survive tonight's battle, you might be trained to be a weapon or sold to be a sex toy. Either way, I don't lose,” stating this, he turns to one of the boys.
“Get her what she needs. Make sure she's ready for the fight,”
“Yes, sire,” he says, following him out the door.
A fight? I swallow the bile in my throat, even if I win tonight's fight, how will I kill Jaden Perry?
They come in later with some stuff, one goes behind me, using a dagger to cut my rope loose.
“Here, wear these,” he hands me some clothes, a jean trouser, and a black t-shirt.
Holding the clothes in hand, I wait for them to give me privacy. They don't budge, staring at me with smirks on their faces.
“Can you guys please leave?” I snarl, irritated.
“Don't worry, baby, we love to stay,” he smirks, taking his tongue piercing in-between his lips.
Having no other choice, I stand close to the wall, pulling the stretchy jean under my gown, glaring at the guys who just laugh like a silent joke had been said.
Turning around, I pull off my gown, wearing the t-shirt fast.
“Damn, baby, if you're up for sale, I'll like that ass all up on me,”
“I'll beat you to it,” his companion warns, laughing.
I rolled my eyes, twisting my ankles that hurt; the flesh that was bound by the rope had turned red.
“Here, you'll need the energy,”
Opening a cloth, he hands me a plate where there's bread, rice, grapes, an apple, and a metal cup.
They lock the cage as they exit.
I take the plate, sitting on the floor, eating everything served, the bread tasted stale, but I used the juice in the cup to drain it down my throat.
I learned how to survive on little meals a long time ago, but I ate not because I was hungry but because I needed something to do, maybe I'll need it for later to an opponent I know nothing of.
