The cell we were taken to was relatively clean albeit damp. Like it was just thoroughly washed with water. There was a lingering faint metallic smell that I dared not think of. After we were brought in they chained our hands and feet to the wall. The man, Sinbad's dad stood at the other side of the bars looking at us.

"Hey!" Sue yelled "we didn't do anything"

He cocked his head, just like Sinbad "you didn't?"

"No!" Sue hissed when the chains pulled at her "look this is what happened we..."

Sinbad's dad didn't seem to be listening. He was glaring at Sue suddenly he spun and stalked out of the room.

Sue was flabbergasted "What the...? He didn't even listen...F@ck you! F@ck you all!"

"Sue!!" Jerry and I yelled at once "stop!"

"Leave me alone you two"

"Now is not the time to make them even angrier with us"

"Forget their stupid anger, what will mom and dad do if they return only to find us missing"

Jerry sighed "I hope that they at least return...how's your hand?"

I tried not to move but with each jolt of the iron chains my wound hurt, even more, I clenched my teeth to stop myself from crying out loud "It's not too bad"

Sue who had been watching me hissed "When we get out of here I will pay her back double"

Jerry said "if we get out that is"

"Who are they, what are they?" I shook my head "that painting and all they said...do you think they're werewolves"

Jerry frowned "I don't even know what to think now, do you still think that it's some kind of sucker prank?"

Sue scoffed "If it's a prank then it's an expensive one and by the moon's magic..."

"Sue! Don't you dare!" I screamed

Jerry frowned in confusion "what?"

I shook my head, rattling the chains, I felt a sharp pain in my hand my eyes were red not from the pain but from a memory that I have long wished to forget "n-nothing just stop speaking Sue"

"If it worked then, then it can work now!"

"No!"

"We can escape from here...whatever happens they deserve it"

"I said No! You promised me!" My eyes watered

Jerry spoke in frustration "what the heck are you guys talking about"

"I said nothing just leave it at that!"

"Fine don't tell me!"

The cell descended into silence once again. There was a noise at the door. The locks turned and it was pushed open. Sinbad walked in. He was holding a small bag. I watched him but did not speak.

Sue eyed him with dark eyes

Jerry hissed "let us out of here"

Sinbad ignored him and walked straight to me. He pulled a necklace out of his collar. A small metal key hung on it. He came closer to me until I could feel the heat of his breath. There was a click and my wounded hand was released. He held it in his own and examined the damage.

He opened the bag and took out an antiseptic and cotton wool. He wordlessly cleaned the wounded area and bandaged it before locking my hand back up. Jerry who had probably thought that he was here to release us cursed at him.

I didn't say anything till he turned to leave "that's it?"

Sue glared at him "you have a key why can't you let us go?"

Sinbad turned and reached me again. He held my face in his hand as if examining it. He was probably looking for more injuries. When he didn't see anything his hand remained. His voice was a low whisper when he replied: "I can't even save my Mate..." He turned to Sue "how can I save you?"

"Mate?"

Sinbad turned to me "yes, Mate, you are mine as I am yours"

I laughed at that "Useless, leave from here"

Sinbad picked up the bag "I can only do so much, I am not yet Alpha I don't have much power. And everyone saw you leaving the forbidden room, but don't worry I won't let anything happen to you"

"Leave already" I didn't want to hear anything.

Once the door locked behind him my foot tapped rapidly on the ground. I was so mad. Mate? What mate? Even if he was a werewolf and my mate I'll still reject him. My parents are missing and now this. Sue that...that thing, I will kill her. I shook my head but all I could see was red.

"Aaahhh" I screamed until my voice turned hoarse. Jerry and Sue looked on. They were used to it. I finally stopped and was panting.

Sue shifted closer and nudged me with her leg "feeling better?"

I nodded "not good but, less bad"

We hung out...ignore the pun...for what felt like a day. But I was sure only a few hours had passed. Jerry leaned heavily on the wall "do they plan to starve us...not even a drop of water"

"It's barely been a day don't be dramatic" Sue rolled her eyes "but I do think they plan to make us weak so that we won't be able to withstand interrogations" she turned to me "about Sinbad..."

I looked at her through half-lidded eyes "What happened to him?"

Sue rolled her tongue in her mouth "okay no talking about your fiance"

I scowled at her

She rolled her eyes at me "What? you heard him...you're destined mates by the moon goddess"

Jerry snickered "Too bad brother-in-law chained us up"

"Hey at least we got the VIP cell"

Sue snickered

"Oh forgive me but I do not quite like the view"

The door rattled again before I could reply.

The door slowly creaked open.

A small redhead peeped in.

"May?"

Sue eyed her and said "You seem to have the talent of popping up whenever we're in trouble"

May walked in and quietly shut the door "I do, don't I?"

She took out a key from her pocket and unlocked my chains. She walked to Sue next. After wiggling for a while the key didn't work. I walked to her. "What's wrong?"

She sighed "it's not the same lock"

Jerry called out "try mine"

She passed me the key "help him" she turned to study Sue's chains

I put the key in the lock and twisted "it's not working"

"Well, what are we gonna do? you can't leave us here!"

"Don't be silly of course I won't leave you guys here"

"Step back" May waved me away

She stood in front of Sue first she grabbed the chains and closed her eyes. The air turned cold. When her eyes opened it was pitch black. Sue stared at her open mouth. In her hand, the metal turned to dust and Sue's hands were freed.

She walked to Jerry. Jerry shifted away...he looked scared. May frowned her black eyes grew even darker like a vortex. Jerry shivered. May grabbed his chains when he could move no further. She drew closer to him "you don't want to be released?"

"I-I do"

"Then stay still"

The chains in her hand turned to dust. Jerry who was hanging unto the chain lost his footing, but before he could hit the floor May caught him. Jerry's ear turned pink.

May smirked "cute" she helped him up and turned away.

I rubbed my wrist that still ached from being chained "What are you?"

May said "your only hope out of here"

"How do we get out of here?" I asked

She took out a small black ball from her pocket and tossed it on the floor.

"Like this" the ball exploded, it emitted black fog, which soon cleared to show a hole, we moved away from the edge. 

Jerry leaned over. From looking into it, it seemed like we were above a forest. "What's that?...is it safe?"

May nodded "It is...I'll go first" 

Sue raised her hand "fine with me, if you survive the fall then call us down"

"The portal only lasts for 30 seconds, bye" She grabbed Jerry's hand and jumped.

"What the..." I dived in after them

Sue followed.

I shut my eyes. It felt like all those slightly unconscious dreams where I feel like I'm falling. But after some time I opened my eyes to realise that our descent was slow. The ground was near. There was an open space in the foliage I could see May and Jerry standing there looking up at us. 

I landed gently on the ground and Sue came after me. 

I turned to May "why did you grab him huh?"

"If I didn't, would you have been so cooperative?"

"The last time we were cooperative we ended up being chained to a wall!"

"I didn't know Sue gathered everyone at the exit I was way too busy rescuing you guys to realise that"

"Where are we?" 

"Forest of the lost...I'll take you somewhere safe"

"Dammit"

Alpha Kain, my father growled.

His black as night wolf was stretched sniffing the air. My grey wolf crouched behind him. Watching, listening.

"It's scent was concealed, the feral has escaped"

Typically ferals didn't have scents. But the few we captured where infused with a special poison. It was a painless slow killer, but most importantly it gave off a rancid stench that could not be easily concealed. The plan was to let one or two ferals escape and then track them to their nest. But the scent was covered. Without it we were blind.

"Do you think a witch helped them father?"

Father's eyes turned red. He hated witches...even more than he hated ferals. Afterall witches enchant ferals. Ferals were born from a witch's curse. Turning perfectly normal shifters to raving beasts.

"If there's a witch on the loose then we should return Alpha" one of the wolfs said through pack link.

"He's right father we can't risk running into a witch, we can't have either of us being turned"

Alpha Kain growled into the night. He knew they were right.

"A-alpha?" Another wolf whimpered

"Speak!" He was thoroughly vexed

"Why don't we seek a witch's help..." When the Alpha did not reply he continued weakly "it's better to fight fire is with fire"

Alpha Kain's wolf turned to the wolf. The wolf's small brown figure was completely dwarfed by Alpha Kain's larger one. Alpha Kain sniffed.

"Why is a sniveling fool in border patrol?"

The small wolf shrunk even further. He was shaking.

A blue wolf stepped forward "He is a new recruit Alpha"

"Are all our recruits so pathetic?"

"Father!"

"What?"

"You're upset, relax"

There was a stare down between the present and future Alpha. Alpha Kain sighed and turned away first. His eyes fell on the sniveling wolf.

"Name?"

"..."

"Name!"

"Huh? A-aiden Sir!"

"I will be watching you Aiden, you better improve, our pack can not afford to have a spineless wolf protecting it in these troubled times"

He turned "let's return" his wolf disappeared into the dark night.

Sinbad cast the wolf, Aiden a sympathetic glance before going after his father.

He caught up to him near the pack house

"Father his idea about getting a witch..."

"Forget it, if you fight fire with fire the fire will only grow. Remember witches are not  to be trusted—I should know—I trusted one once"

"Who?"

"Forget it—just remember"

After grabbing a quick power nap. I left for school. I knew I was gonna be late. Being the future Alpha didn't exempt me from discipline. But the teachers subconsciously tend to overlook my shortcomings. Besides I wasn't a delinquent. They all know that if I'm late then it's because I'm dealing with pack matters. Our pack was by all means not the largest...or most powerful. We just barely squeezed in the top ten in the country. But that didn't make me any less busy. Especially with the rising growth in ferals and their slow but steady immunity to our poisons. I was beyond tired. I walked into class to take my seat. Hopefully sleep through this one since it was just a revision class for last semester.

But from the door I noticed a small bundle in my seat. On closer look it was a girl although pretty she had the body of a middle schooler. But then again I couldn't really tell under her baggy outfit.

The annoying bug, Sue sat in her usual place smirking at her in schadenfreude. I'd be grateful that someone took the much hated position beside Sue but for some reason I really wanted to mess with the new girl.

When I got closer I felt my wolf stir. My eyes darkened. The girl stared at me as I approached her I could see the appreciation in her eyes as she checked me out. And for once I didn't dislike it. She was human I could see that. But there was this aura around her that begged to differ. But I didn't care, whatever she was it was fine.. as long as she wasn't a witch. Afterall she's my mate.

After the class ended I looked for her but she made a quick escape. I chuckled, she was too cute. I didn't try to find her, besides we will have a whole lifetime together.

"Babe"

A voice that gave me goosebumps cooed.

Sue held my hand before I could even leave the class

Her assets pressed against my arm. Your normal man would be tempted. I wasn't before and won't be now especially after finding my mate. Besides I knew they were fake. I knew her since we were kids. She was a flat kid. The only reason I tolerated her antics was because her dad was the beta, and the Pack's main fund source. Father was too busy dealing with Pack problems to manage our several businesses so her father the beta took over. I know he launders our money. But father ignored it. When I become Alpha I'll deal with him. But for now. I looked down at Sue

"What?"

I won't be mean to her but I won't be nice either.

"You will be coming to my Halloween party right?" She blinked her eyes at me.

Party? Just so she can show off as my future bride. She never hid her greed to become my Luna, but that will never happen.

A rejection was at the tip of my tongue when I thought of someone.

"Invite Aria and I will think about it"  with that I walked away.

I was excited at the thought of seeing Aria tonight, although I wasn't sure she would even come. I went to the party anyway. I waited for some time, I saw her and her siblings, they didn't wear any costumes. Neither did I, I thought it was childish. I dropped my drink to talk to them when I saw Sue saying something to them then she left. I had a bad feeling. Maybe I shouldn't have asked her to invite Aria. I saw them leave. I was annoyed it seems like Sue kicked them out of the party.

I wanted to stop them but decided against it. I didn't want Sue to pick on them any further. So imagine my surprise when my dad called me to go down to the feral holding. It was an enchanted path that led to the room were the ferals were locked up in.

There was a crowd at the entrance already. Father and Sue were at the front. The door opened. My heart constricted. It was Aria's brother. Didn't they leave? Her sister came out after and two pack warriors swiftly held them down. Aria followed. She turned to her siblings and saw them subdued. Her eyes widened in shock and anger. A third warrior pushed her down. I clenched my first to resist the urge to kick him off her.

That's when I felt it I looked at her in shock. Her aura had changed. Earlier it was a faint warm feeling. But now it was raging she was glowing a dark shade of red. Somehow I felt betrayed. She was a witch. Why? And how? How could the moon goddess give me a witch as a mate.

Then Sue stepped on her hand. I felt a pain in mine and my mind cleared. Witch or not she was mine.

"Stop!"

She tried to protest

"Kneel"

I unleashed the aura of one with an alpha blood. My tone brooked no argument.

She fell to her knees under the pressure.

Father glanced at me. Then he asked for them to be taken away.

I could see the plea in her eyes but my father's warning glance stopped me from moving. My knuckles turned white from how hard I clenched my fist.