The Pretty Man

Chapter Eight: The Pretty Man.

There was a small light coming from the door. Laurel turned her back on it, not interested in anything happening outside.

She didn't want the guards remembering she existed to spare her some pain. But when the door to the dungeon opened, she sat up immediately.

"Breakfast, your highness."

It was the yellow-eyed man who had brought in her father's head. 

Laurel narrowed her eyes at him. Wasn't he called Cade?

He was tall and well-built, so she guessed he was of a high rank. She didn't want to upset him for fear of him hurting her, but she was getting bored out of her head as well as stubborn. 

"Did the people of the pack accept the murderer as their Alpha?" she asked as he placed a plate of watery soup beside her.

Cade's expression changed, and he glared at her. "Your father was also a murderer."

"And I did not deny it. Rather, I asked if the people accepted your Alpha as their new king." She interrupted.

The young man's hands clenched beside him, but he stayed away from her to avoid hitting her.

He wasn't sure of her connection with their Alpha and didn't want to get the Alpha mad at him again. 

"The people have no choice but to accept him." He replied as a matter of fact.

Laurel smirked. "Of course. He had forced them to submit. There's really no difference between him and my father."

Her words made Cade stop his path to the door. How dare she compare Stefan to her bastard of a father?

His claws came out of his fingers, but then he felt a wet substance being poured on his back.

Laurel stood behind him after emptying the plate on his body. "If you are going to feed me, feed me with what's edible."

Even if she sounded defiant at that point, her legs were shaking, and she wanted to be swallowed by the ground as long as it would keep her safe.

She was only annoying him to keep the last piece of her pride and sanity. Or better, so that he would kill her. 

One strike to her neck and she would be dead; she had no stamina. 

And then Stefan would lose a mate and possibly hate the man who killed her, thereby causing confusion within the pack.

It was more than enough for her. She also wanted to die to escape the pathetic situation she was in.

Cade's claws elongated as he came to the realization of what she had done. Did she want him to kill her? Then he'd gladly send her to where he sent her father!

He tried to grab her neck, but she fell down and began crawling away. His eyes were filled with bloodlust, and he pulled her by the legs.

"Why are you squirming away, you little pest? I'd show you the death you yearn for!" he said amidst growls.

His hands went to her neck and began squeezing the life out of her. She struggled with the little power she had to fight back. 

Why was she even fighting back when she caused the provocation first? Did she finally decide to live?

Cade's hands on her neck became tighter and her hands dropped, but then the dungeon door opened and a kick landed on Cade's head, sending him to the wall.

Laurel laid on the ground, coughing and trying to catch her breath. Was that what death felt like? Maybe she should stick to surviving.

She sighted Cade away from her and recalled the loud thud he crashed into. Her eyes went up at her savior, and her jaw dropped. 

It was a man; he looked manly despite his long hair and soft features. He had a slender yet muscular body and pale skin. The body suit he wore further highlighted his small waist and slender shape. His eyes were an unusual shade of hazel, and he looked rather unfriendly or overly serious. And he was one word - pretty.

"What the hell are you doing? Sorren!" Cade growled. "Let me at that bitch, now!"

Laurel dragged her eyes away from the man and dropped them on Cade. 

He looked like a wild beast, filled with anger. And he spoke like he was of higher authority than the Sorren.

Laurel couldn't tell what was going on, but she was glad the pretty man saved her life.

"Depart now, Cade, for thou Alpha summonst thee." Sorren said with a low tone. He stooped low towards Laurel, holding out a hand for her. "And hide thy despicable facial expression from the poor maiden. Art thou without shame?" 

Cade gritted his teeth as he rose from the ground, dusting his body. "Alpha is calling? What for? Did he tell you? Where is he now?"

"With thou mouth, you could ask him. With thy legs, you could look for him." Sorren said, then sighed.

Laurel held onto his hand as he pulled her up, leaving the ground as well. Replying with an eye roll, Cade stomped out of the dungeon.

Laurel was both impressed and confused at Sorren's speech pattern and his sudden kindness towards her.

She expected some kind of explanation, but before she could blink twice, he left the dungeon, following Cade.

"Huh?" she raised a brow.

Was that it? He didn't have any words to spare her? Like, 'are you okay?' or 'did you get hurt?'

"Maybe you are getting ahead yourself, Laurel." Elma chuckled slightly. "You're still their captive. One of them treating you slightly better doesn't mean they see you as anything more than a slave."

Laurel looked down, and her bowels rumbled. Her eyes went to the watery soup that soaked the already wet ground. If only she had just cooperated and eaten something.

"Laurel, we are weaker than an average wolf." Elma announced.

A sigh left Laurel, and she fell to the ground. "Are you trying to rub it in? I'm quite aware now. I couldn't even lift a finger against the Beta while I'm the daughter of an Alpha."

To make matters worse, her mother had been one of the strongest wolves after the Alpha, Beta, and Delta. She was the lead warrior before she became Luna.

"So why am I this weak?"

"Strength doesn't come from genetics. I mean, genetics count, but you need to build it up as well." Elma pointed it out.

If her wolf was pointing out that they had never once had normal wolf training in their lives, then Laurel agreed.

In fact, it had been three years since she had shifted to Elma because there weren't many occasions to.

"Since we have chosen life, we have chosen survival, and we need to be strong to survive here." Elma explained.

Laurel's fists clenched in determination; since she was surviving here, she would need to up her game.

The next time she goes against that Beta, she should be able to give him an injury or two.