A Queen Among Snakes: Chapter One - Mei

A cold wind blows through the crevice in the brick wall of the basement; a shiver wracking my body as I huddle my knees up towards my chest hoping to retain what little heat I have left in my fragile body. The eerie whistle of the cold wind is just as bone-chilling as the cold itself. The smell of dirt, mould and dry blood is a constant reminder of where I am.

It has been three days since my last meal, but I’m used to it. My stomach stopped protesting its need for food years ago. My bones and muscles ache from my many injuries; the cold only making them ache more.

I hate the winter months in this place. In all fairness, I hate every month in this place, but winter is the worst, but my body has never reacted well to the cold at the best of times.

Another shiver plagues my body as I pull the thin sheet – that is supposed to be my blanket – tighter around my body, but it does little to shield me.

I often wonder if this is hell. If it is, what could I possibly need to atone for? I have never hurt anyone. I have never even wished someone harm, yet so many hurt me. I don’t know why. I ask the Gods every night why they let these things happen to me, but I never receive an answer. One would think I would have given up by now, but pretending they hear my prayers helps me to not feel so alone, and I really am. I am so very alone.

I can hear the click-clack of high heels against varnished floorboards, coming from far away. I can hear my heart beating in my ears, beating so fast I think my chest will crack. My hands shake and tears sting my eyes. Please don’t let her come down here. Please let her leave me alone. I can hear her breathing on the other side of the basement door; hear the evil smile in her voice. I curl back against the brick wall trying to make myself as small as I can when the door slams open hitting the brick with a bang, making me flinch.

“Aww, did I scare the little chink?” She says in a sickly sweet voice.

I keep my eyes on a stain on the nest of towels that make up my bed – she’ll hurt me worse if I look up.

“I’m speaking to you,” she says more harshly as she storms over yanking me by my hair. I whimper as my scalp protests from the sting of pain as she drags me from the basement by my hair.

I don’t scream. I don’t beg her to stop. I’ve learned there’s no point. I’m nineteen now – I think – and it’s been this way since I was five.

She drags me up the stairs, into the hallway of the packhouse and tosses me across the floor like a ragdoll; my head collides with the drywall, going right through it. A groan of pain is all that leaves me. It hurts badly as my vision becomes blurry, and I can smell the blood right away.

“Now look what you’ve done, you slut!” She screeches as the back of her hand connects with the side of my face. Tears fill my eyes as the sharp sting radiates through my face and I can taste blood in my mouth.

I should be stronger than this, but I’m so weak.

“What has the stupid bitch done now?” Sounds a hard, threatening voice.

A large, rough hand wraps around my neck and suddenly I’m suspended in the air. I grasp at the hand keeping me off the ground as dark, glowing green eyes glare at me. I can feel his Alpha Spirit moving over me, but it has never affected me. That makes him angrier, and he tightens his grip on my neck.

Dark spots fill my vision as my head swims while my lungs struggle to take in air. Just as I feel the darkness moving in offering me sweet relief, the hand around my throat vanishes and I drop to the floor coughing and gasping for air.

“Honey, breathe,” I hear the Luna say as she calms him down with a single touch. “The bitch here will clean up the mess she made, won’t you?” She says pointedly at me.

It wasn’t really a question. I don’t have a choice.

“Yes, Luna,” I croak, my voice barely audible.

“You should be grateful we’ve let you live so long. Luckily you still have some value,” says the Alpha, but I can hear and feel the sinister edge in his voice as he squats down close to me, pinching my cheeks in his hand forcing me to look at him. “You’ve grown into a beautiful woman, maybe we can finally make some money out of that cunt of yours. I’m sure plenty of my men are just itching to get their cocks into you,” he smirks.

Icy cold dread spreads through me. There is not a single threat the Alpha and Luna haven’t stayed true to, and I know this will be no different. I want to fight back. I want to run, but they’ve kept me too weak. Most days I can barely even stand.

I wish my parents were still alive. I wish my father was here to protect me; I wish my mother was here to hold me and tell me all will be fine, but they’re gone, and I’m all alone.

The Alpha tosses my face away from him; the action of it jarring my neck. As he gets up he spits on me while his Luna cackles at his side. I want to cry, but that will only make the beatings worse. They love when I cry.

“Get to work. I don’t want your filthy, yellow-skinned blood staining the floor. When you’re done, make yourself useful and clean the rest of the packhouse, it’s a mess,” the Luna says with disgust.

“Yes, Luna,” I whisper.

Once they have walked away I get up on shaky legs and make my way to the laundry to collect a bucket, bleach, and a dustpan. I can still feel the throbbing in my head and face and the burning in my throat while blood trickles down the back of my head. I’m not allowed to see a doctor, but would the doctor even care? I like to think good people exist, but I’m not sure any of them exist in this pack.

The Albus Mons Pack is truly hell.