Rescued

GRACE

The last six months flew by about as fast as a funeral procession, and Grace knew she wasn’t going to hold out much longer. She prayed for death so she could escape this place.

The new guard, who she later learned was named Finn, was cruel and abusive. He would occasionally beat her if he was irritated by something she said or didn’t do.

Grace had receded into herself. She no longer felt the beatings or heard the yells from Finn or Alpha Knox. She was numb, and she knew it wouldn’t be long. She was going to die.

“You know, Grace, we could let you out of here,” the alpha said calmly, circling her. She was on the floor of her cell, bruised and bleeding. “We could help you if you would just tell us where you sent them.

“Tell me where they are, and we can go upstairs right now for some warm food and a soft bed. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

Grace took in a pained breath before looking up at him with defiance. “Alpha, I don’t know where they are. But even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.”

He grabbed her by the hair and lowered his face close to hers. “You’re lying,” he hissed. “But if this is how you are going to be, I have no problem letting you rot in here for the rest of your despicable little life.

“What’s left of it at least.” He dropped her before leaving the cell with a growl.

“She doesn’t get any meals for a week,” Alpha Knox hissed as he walked out of the cell and back upstairs.

Finn smiled darkly at Grace before nodding. “Yes, Alpha.”

He’s enjoying this way too much, Grace thought.

She crawled over to the bed and, with a moan, pulled herself up onto the bed.

Because her wolf was gone, it took her a long time to heal. She knew that with the way things were going, she would most likely be dead before these new wounds healed.

She huddled herself into the corner of her bed, knowing she could sleep safely. Finn usually left her alone for a week or so after the alpha made his visit.

She woke in the morning three days later, starving and in pain.

“Finn?” she whispered.

He grunted in reply, ignoring her call.

“Finn… can I have some water?” she asked quietly, her throat dry and scratchy.

Finn turned to her with a glare. “You heard the alpha. No meals for a week.”

Grace shook her head slowly. “Water isn’t a meal. Please, just a little?” she pleaded.

Finn growled before walking down the hall and bringing her a glass of water.

She took the cup through the bars and raised it to her lips, taking in a small sip. She drank slowly, knowing her body would reject it if she went too fast.

“That’s enough,” Finn hollered, taking back the glass.

Grace let out a shaky breath, terrified of him, even with bars separating them.

She crawled into her bed, the blankets not offering any warmth to her thin frame. She fell asleep quickly, her body spent from the exertion of walking across the cell.

After a week of no meals, Finn opened the cell door with a tray. “Eat. If you die on my watch before we get what we need from you, I’m going to be pissed.”

Grace sat up sluggishly. She didn’t have any energy left. She ate the food slowly, only able to get in a few bites before vomiting. Her body rejected it.

She looked up with terror as she saw Finn scowling from outside her cell. “I-I’ll clean it up,” she said quietly.

“You better. I’m not about to clean it up,” he said with a growl.

He threw some cleaning supplies into the cell with a scowl, scrunching his nose in disgust at the smell.

Grace cleaned it up and sat on her bed, taking a small sip of water and a couple of nibbles of a cracker. It was painful, but she knew she needed something.

“Are you done?” Finn grumbled a while later, looking at the tray of barely touched food.

Grace shook her head. “No.”

“That’s too bad. You’ve had it for an hour. You should have eaten faster,” he replied before opening the cell door and taking her food away.

Grace took a shallow breath and huddled herself into the corner of her bed once again, wishing this would end.

Grace woke to the sound of her name. She opened her eyes weakly and rolled over to see Craig standing outside the cell.

“Craig?” she whispered.

He shook his head, and Grace could see the worry in his eyes. “Grace, you’re going to die. You need to just tell him. Or tell me, and I’ll give the information to the alpha.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know where they are. I don’t know how many times I have to say that before you all believe me.”

It was the truth. Even if she had guessed where they had escaped to four years ago, she had no idea where they were now.

She rolled back over to face the wall but turned back when she heard yelling. Craig and Finn were arguing by the door.

“What the hell are you doing, Finn?” Craig hollered. “She looks like death. You’ll never get what you want from her if you keep this up. She’ll die first.”

Finn grinned darkly. “Then she dies.”

Craig shook his head. “The alpha won’t be happy about that.”

Finn smirked. “It was the alpha’s idea. If she isn’t going to talk, then she doesn’t get food. She’ll either give it up or die.”

Craig stomped off, and Grace narrowed her eyes, now determined to die just to spite them.