The heavy silence of the room clung to Selene, thicker than the midnight air. Sleep remained far as she stared in to nothingness, supressing thoughts of Alpha Zephyr and thinking of how else she could escape.
Then, the distinct bolt of the door unlocking jolted her upright. Her breath hitched, and her heart hammered against her ribs in fear.
Then, instant relief washed over her in a dizzying wave as Isolde hurried in, a cloth-covered tray held carefully in her hands. For a terrifying moment, Selene had believed it was Alpha Zephyr.
"Hello," Isolde murmured, a guilty shadow in her eyes as she set the tray down and settled beside Selene. Her gaze searched Selene's face with genuine concern. "Are you alright? Pardo told me the Alpha took you away earlier. Did he hurt you?"
"No… I mean, he did scare me," Selene admitted softly. "Maybe I deserved it. I got caught trying to escape." She found herself confiding in Isolde, a surprising ease settling between them.
Perhaps it was the warmth Isolde offered, or simply the gnawing ache of loneliness.
"Escape?" Isolde whispered, her eyes darted around the room before nervously settling on the now heavily bouldered window before comprehension dawned. "Oh."
Isolde looked at Selene warily wanting to ask her where she wanted to escape to since they were sealed in the pack but realizing she didn't know how Selene arrived and not wanting to remind her of her failed attempt, she gently shifted the mood.
"I wish you had told me. I would have tried to help you." A small, smile touched Selene's lips.
"You would risk the fury of your Scary Alpha to help me?" Selene asked in disbelief.
Isolde simply shrugged. "Alpha Zephyr is not so bad, honestly," she offered.
Selene scoffed lightly, her eyes widening slightly at Isolde's unexpected defense. "Not so bad? He is heartless and scary and cold," the words tumbled out before she could restrain them. A flicker of agitation sparked within her, a strange unease whenever the Alpha came to mind.
Isolde's eyebrows quirked in surprise at Selene's unusual vehemence.
"I understand that you regard him differently. He is your Alpha, after all, and I am… not just a prisoner, but the daughter of his enemy," Selene said softly.
Isolde's shoulders slumped, a shadow crossing her face. "Alpha Zephyr may seem heartless and cold, but with what happened to him, it's very understandable. In fact, someone else would be ruthless and wicked if they had experienced such a horrible fate." Her voice held a quiet intensity, and her words planted a seed of curiosity in Selene's mind.
"What happened to Alpha Zephyr?" Selene asked, his name stirring a mix of emotions within her.
Isolde's eyes locked on Selene's, surprise quickly giving way to sadness.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't… it's personal and–" Selene began to backtrack, but Isolde shook her head firmly.
"No, I can tell you," Isolde insisted. "It's just… I'm a little surprised that you don't know. Please tell me something, my friend. Do you know about the war? About what happened to us here?"
Selene shifted uncomfortably. "I don't really know the details," she confessed, a pang of shame tightening her chest.
"Oh," Isolde breathed, unable to mask the sadness in her voice. "So the world forgot about us then."
"No!" Selene hurried to correct, a flush of embarrassment creeping up her neck. "Actually, I am the one who doesn't know. You see…" She hesitated, then sighed, the weight of her secret heavy in the air. "I am cursed, Isolde, and It has placed many restrictions on me, one of which limits my interaction with the world. I have spent most of my life locked up…" A small, humorless chuckle escaped her lips. "So I guess I can say I have always been a prisoner."
Selene's sad words hung in the air, and Isolde felt a sharp pang of guilt for her insensitive question. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry," she apologized sincerely.
"No, it's okay. It shouldn't come as a surprise that I'm cursed. Look at me, I am strange," Selene said, waving a dismissive hand at her own appearance.
Isolde started to protest, wanting to tell Selene that she was anything but strange, but Selene continued, "So, I'm certain the outside world knows what happened, but I don't."
Isolde drew nearer, her gaze softening with empathy. "That means you're really clueless about the Alpha's story," she said gently. "I'll tell you."
Selene sat up, her curiosity piqued.
"Twenty years ago… the Dark King started a war in the realm," Isolde began, a distant look clouding her eyes as she tried to ignore the unsettling fact that the Dark King was Selene's own father. "You know about the Moonstone Pack, don't you?"
Selene shrugged, a vague memory stirring. "I know very faintly about its former existence," she confessed.
"Well, the Moonstone Pack had just been wiped out for refusing to yield to the Dark King's demands. The Dark King came to us next. The late Alpha Raulv, father of Alpha Zephyr, knew that a fight was inevitable and so he was a little prepared, unlike the Moonstone Pack. Our soldiers fought hard, but we were no match for the Dark Army's magic and power. They forced their way in, killing and destroying." Isolde's voice dropped. "Alpha Raulv had prepared for one last hope for the pack, and seeing no other way, he took it. Alpha Zephyr was only seven years old then. He wasn't even next in line; his older brother had been killed, so he had to stand in. The last hope for the River Pack involved the present Alpha's sacrifice by the next Alpha's hand, on sacred ritual ground, with a sacred weapon."
Selene gasped.
"Yes," Isolde confirmed grimly. "Alpha Zephyr was forced to kill his own father in that ritual. The sacrifice unleashed dark shadow wolves that helped to fight off the Dark Army and seal the River Pack. Alpha Zephyr also shifted and took up the role of our Alpha."
"He shifted? At the age of seven?" Selene croaked, her voice barely a whisper.
Isolde nodded, and a heavy silence fell between them.
The usual age for a first shift was sixteen, with the earliest occurring around fourteen. Seven was an unimaginable horror.
"That's… horrible," Selene breathed, the image of a young boy forced to commit such an act chilling her.
"It is," Isolde agreed, her gaze distant.
Then, a new thought struck Selene. "So the River Pack isn't just secluded, but actually sealed off?" she asked, confusion knitting her brow.
"Yes. For twenty years, we have been locked in, with no way in or out," Isolde explained, her voice flat.
Selene's thin brows furrowed deeper. "Then… how did I get here?"
The question hung unanswered as the sound of approaching footsteps echoed outside the door. The sound of the lock turning sent a fresh wave of fear through both women. They scrambled to their feet as the door swung inward, revealing two figures.
A young woman with sharply cut dark hair and practical trousers stood beside a young man.
Selene recognized the woman instantly. Her unconventional attire had made a stark impression the day Selene had seen her after the failed rejection on the holy ground.
"What are you doing here?" the woman screeched at Isolde, her voice sharp and accusatory.
"Lady Dorianna!" Isolde gasped, her voice trembling as she bowed her head low.
"Get out! I will deal with you later!" Dorianna hissed, her eyes flicking dismissively at Isolde.
Isolde cast a swift, fearful glance at Selene before hurrying out of the prison cell.
Dorianna turned her venomous glare to Selene. She was already angry because she had expected to see no one else here.
It made her contemplate her dark plan briefly.
"You!" she sneered, her eyes radiating pure hatred. She turned to the young man beside her. "Take her."