Chapter 4 Four

Alisha's pov

By the fourth day the food had begun to rot. The tray they'd placed on the table sat untouched near the bed, its content already crawling with flies and fat maggots.

The previous trays, still filled with untouched food hadn't even been taken away, they had simply stacked them beside the wall.

It felt like I were a livestock being fed out of obligation, not just a Luna imprisoned out of spite.

I watched them in silence, on the bed, aggravated each second that passed. Seconds that turned to hours then days.

The smell other than the gnawing feeling of helplessness was the worst part. It was a thick wet smell, like the decay had seeped into my bed and decided to stay and torment me. It clung to the back of my throat especially when I swallowed, coated my lungs, pressed against my skull until breathing felt like swallowing rot.

Yet I couldn't eat. I wouldn't. I knew Natasha had been staying at the pack for day, like she was the madam of the house. Co Luna. With Zaden and Ben seemingly under her spell like the rest of the pack, who knew what she'd try to do to my food.

My fingers tightened slowly around the thin blanket draped over my lap. The fabric scratched against my skin, but the sensation grounded me. Anger simmered beneath the surface.

He locked me here. Like a criminal. Like he had the right.

Outside the barred door, I could see the two guards who stood watch over my room whenever an Omega walked in.

What was even more torturing than the thought of being treated like a stale bread they could easily discard but not get rid of easily was my thoughts.

Theirs.

They brushed against my mind like distant echoes, faint but clear enough especially in the night if I focused. That was how I knew Natasha was here.

I closed my eyes now, letting the faint memories come again.

'She shouldn't be locked up that long, but until she learns that she submits to me, she will remain there even if she rots with the food' Zaden would say. I knew his ego was bruised. Bastard. He hadn't come once since I was locked in.

Ben. Who I watched through the window ride on horses and go for training with Natasha looked the happiest he's even been. Not once had he even thought of me.

My lips curved faintly as my eyes teared up, but I was unable to shed them. I had to reserve my energy. They didn't want me dead. These people. They just didn't want me free.

I looked at the ticking clock ahead and as though my resolve had hardened, my eyes turned to the door.

In a few minutes now, the Omega on night shift would walk in with my tray of food.

They would barely cast me a glance as they set it down, but I knew they were also sent here to ensure I was still present, still alive.

The past few days were agonizing, but it also gave me time to think. I didn't have time, my illness had worsened. I had done my best to cover up what it was my clothes stained with blood I have thrown up on, but I knew it would be hard to hide it any lobger.

I had to do this.

At exactly 7pm, I heard footsteps approaching.

I heard the metal latch slide and the door creaked open just enough for the Omega to slip inside. She seemed annoyed, grumbling under her breath, just like the others, as she set the tray heavily on the table.

Silence.

I held my breath, staying very still, knowing very well she was still in he room.

"You dinner, Luna."

"Luna?" Her voice came again. And then her footsteps passed the ground as she approached where I lay on the cold stone floor, limbs limp, pulse slowed deliberately the way I've taught myself the last few days.

"Luna Alisha!" Her voice trembled now. She knelt beside me, I sensed her place two fingers over my pulse. As a werewolf, she should have already sensed I had stopped breathing, but of course she had to make sure.

She knew the consequences of anything happening to me under her care.

Suddenly, the door was swung open after her footsteps quickened away from me.

"She's not responding!”

Armor clanged. Voices overlapping and the sound of footsteps grew increasingly loud. Panic threaded through the air like lightning through the clouds.

'What's going on?' Ben's voice was sharp with alarm.

'Stay whenever you are, Ben. I'll check it out. She's probably doing this for attention.' Zaden appeared in the room after what seemed like seconds.

I hated that I knew, by his scent, the way his strong arms picked me up, the way I wished I could melt into his touch, Open my eyes to see his one last time.

"What happened here?" His voice was curt and sharp as he let me back down on the floor, stepping away from me.

"I don't know-" the Omegas sounded teary. "I- "

"Have the guards escort her to the pack hospital. Ensure there's a guard on every perimeter of that building. If anything goes wrong, I'll have your hands" with that, he quickly left. I was sure even he could not stand the stench of the room.

By beneath that stone cold commanding voice, I may be mistaken but I could sense an underlying fear underneath

I quickly brushed it aside. Strong hands lifted me and soon enough we were at the pack hospital. As luck would have it, my former pack doctor was assigned to me.

I knew outside, those guards surrounded the area. The cold bite of the hospital air chilled my bones as I suddenly sat up, grabbing his arm.

There was evident shock in his eyes but with a finger placed to my lips I immediately silenced him.

"I want you to listen to me and listen carefully. You are going to help me fake my death. I want it precisely done with no traces of suspici- "

"My Luna? That's preposterous. I could get beheaded. I- " I silenced him again, aware that the whole place was surrounded.

Tears filled my eyes. "Please you have to help me," resolve hardened in me even more than ever now, I quickly wipe my eyes before shaking my head stubbornly. "This was the only way I could leave that room. They have me locked up. Like some criminal. And that's where they'll take me to once I leave this room. Please doctor. You have to help me."

He still looks unsure.

"You said it yourself that I don't have time. I don't want to live my last moments there. Please."

"This is dangerous. Risky even." He licked his lips worriedly. "If I'm willing to help you, you have to swear If we're caught, you'll take the blame. For all of it."

I nodded. "I do."

The following minute we didn't waste time. He managed to bring in two nurses who moved instantly, already pulling curtains, unlocking cabinets and wheeling in equipment after what was an hour later.

As the door shut behind them, they took the drapes off what was the stroller filled with equipment and laying there was the corpse of a woman.

I held my breath. More from shock than the stench.

They had truly checked thoroughly. This was the closest match they could find. She had the same features as me. Different hair color but it could work. Similar height and build.

They immediately set to shaving her head. I pricked my finger with a streilized needle and squeezed until blood welled. The metallic scene filled the air as I smeared it across the corpse's neck, wrists, collarbone, places Zaden would instantly grab hold of my scent without even having to check the body.

The doctor then handed me pigment solution used for surgical marking and I used that to replicate my birth markings in the situation they decided to check the body.

When I finished, and they drew the drapes over her, it was chilling staring at what would have been me.

The doctor and I nodded to each other just as the nurses handed me a change of clothes, their similar scrub and a mask to put on.

On the monitor beside the bed now, there was a flat line reading there.

The door swung open and just before I stepped outside with the nurses, I turned to the doctor, eyes filled with gratitude.

"Thank you."

"Go. Now." He nodded, waving us off.

My head was down but my heart was racing fast on seeing the guards all standing there.

"Hey- " I heard one of the guards call after me. My heart sank to my stomach and in a millisecond, I froze, but one of the nurses grabbed my arm and pulled me close, we kept walking like nothing had happened.

"Keep moving. Are you trying to get us killed?" She hissed at me.

"Hey!" He was louder now and my heart thundered harder in my chest hearing him approach us. "I'm talking to you. What the fuck is taking you so long with the Luna? Huh?"

"Come back here!"

Suddenly, the alarms went off and we quickened our paces. There was an uproar. Guards were running towards us, I almost fainted on the spot, but they barely even looked at me, their focus was on the ward we had just left from.

They all ran past us towards the others who looked pale with shock. One of the guards was screaming at the doctor.

"What the fuck do you mean she's dead!"

With one last glance at them, I turned away. To freedom.