Rescued - Book cover

Rescued

Kelsie Tate

Chapter 2

Day 1,277

GRACE

Grace lay huddled in the corner of her bed. No number of blankets seemed to keep her warm.

“Craig?” She shivered. “Can I have another blanket?”

The guard let out an irritated huff. “No.”

Grace could feel herself shake. It wasn’t a small shiver—her whole body was almost convulsing. She was freezing, her bruised and frail form unable to keep itself warm.

She huddled herself in the thin blankets she had, hoping to squeeze out what little bit of warmth was left in them.

“Can I have dinner today?” she asked quietly between chattering teeth.

Craig rolled his eyes. “You’ve already eaten.”

Grace shook her head. “No… I haven’t eaten in two days.”

Craig narrowed his eyes at her, noticing how sunken her eyes looked and how pallid her skin was. “I guess… I’ll have to ask.”

Grace nodded before turning over. Craig, although still mean and hard, was still more kind than any of the other warriors in the pack. Sometimes she could tell he felt a little bad for how she was treated.

Grace closed her eyes, hoping to somehow find some warmth.

In the winter, the basement cells were so cold. It hadn’t been as bad in the past, but now Grace’s body was so weak, making the cold unbearable.

She knew she wouldn’t last much longer living down here, especially if she was being fed only every few days.

Grace closed her eyes and sent herself to a faraway place, somewhere on a beach where the bright sun was keeping her warm. She took a deep breath—she hadn’t seen the sun in three and a half years.

“Okay, here you go,” Craig hollered as he opened the cell door.

Grace opened her eyes to see a tray of food being set on the edge of the bed. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice hoarse.

Craig shook his head. “You’re lucky the alpha is in a good mood today.”

Grace ate her food slowly and painfully, her body almost fighting against it. When she finished eating, she lay back down and tried to keep warm, the warm food helping a bit.

When she woke again, a different guard stood outside.

“Who are you?” she asked quietly.

He ignored her, keeping his face stern.

Grace looked him up and down. “Where is Craig?” she asked.

“He’s been transferred. Apparently, he’s getting soft watching you all day,” he replied darkly.

He turned to Grace with fire in his eyes. “Let’s get something straight here, I have a job to do, and I’m not here to be your friend. Don’t speak unless you want trouble.”

Grace lowered her head. Craig had been anything but soft, but she also knew he wasn’t cruel like the others. She would have to be careful around this new guard.

She sat on the bed and looked at the wall again before looking down to see a book on the end of her bed. She gave a small smile before grabbing it and reading a few chapters.

“What is that?” the new guard hollered from his seat by the door.

Grace looked up at him with confusion. “It’s a book…?”

“How did you get it?” he snapped.

Grace shrugged. “Craig would let me have a new one every once in a while. There isn’t much to do in here.”

He opened the door and snatched the book away from Grace before hitting her across the face with it.

The guard growled, “You aren’t here to be entertained. You’re here to be punished. You’re a traitor to your pack.”

Grace looked up at him with fire in her eyes as she held her hand to her cheek. “I’m not a traitor—you are! You and the alpha! You’re meant to protect us, and instead, you beat us into submission!”

The guard snarled at her before kicking her ribs. “Better watch it, or I’ll tell the alpha what you said, and you’ll get worse than that.”

Grace coughed and winced at the pain before giving a little smirk. She was proud of what she had said. He walked out of her cell and slammed the door, taking her book with him.

She let out a huff, knowing she would lose her mental stamina just sitting there every day. She knew it was their plan to weaken her and wear her down so she’d be begging to be let out.

Grace lay down in her bed, pulling the blankets close to her and wiping a tear away. No wolf deserved to die like this. Just wasting away slowly and trapped in a tiny cell.

“Don’t give up, baby girl.”

Grace’s eyes widened. Naya~? Is that you?!”~

Grace was met with silence. Naya~?”~

Still nothing. Her lip quivered as she knew it was just her imagination. Naya had left a long time ago. She covered her mouth tightly as she tried to hide her sobs, realizing she was still alone.

A few days later, she finally got another meal. As the guard opened the cell door, he looked down at her with equal parts disgust and fury.

He stepped forward aggressively, making Grace huddle in the corner. She didn’t want to be hit again.

He practically threw the tray of food on the bed before walking away. Grace sighed before grabbing her dinner and eating slowly. Thankfully, he let her finish all the food before taking the tray away.

The days continued to blur together, each day melding into the next. She didn’t know what day it was. The only way she had to tell the time was the visits from the alpha. He came every month like clockwork.

Grace took a deep breath before falling asleep. She slept a lot nowadays, her energy and spirits low as her body continued to fade.

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