One Wish

Amelia

I awake from a nap on this lumpy ass cot and the dread that I thought I would feel waking up, still down here, is surprisingly absent. Maybe it is all about perspective and outlook. If they keep me down here, then I am not cleaning, or weeding, or mowing, or anything really so that is a plus. Maybe it is because I am not alone down here for once. I sit up and see the shifter still in the shadows of his cell. "She's alive. You were so asleep I had started to wonder if your little heart gave out." he tells me causing me to roll my eyes. "You would sleep sound in a dungeon too if you rarely got any sleep." I inform him and he says nothing. "They came down earlier with some oatmeal looking slop. I saved you some." he surprises me by pushing a bowl toward the bars of his cell with his foot. "I'm not allowed to eat until all the work is done." I tell him. "I don't see anyone down here that would find out." He is right about that. We are alone, but too many times I have thought I could get away with something and ended up getting punished horribly. I don't want to chance it. Plus, with the alpha coming tomorrow, they are bound to let me out at some point. "You keep it. You will need your strength for whatever they have planned for you. They will let me out eventually. Someone has to be their slave and with the alpha coming tomorrow, I have a ton of shit to get done."

He leaves the bowl where it is at, never moving. "If you could leave here, would you?" he asks. "In a heartbeat." I answer, not even having to think. Who wouldn't in my shoes. He is quiet for a while and then asks, "If you could have one wish, what would it be?" Off of the cuff, I answer "To wake up and find all of these miserable bastards dead." "Truly? You would be fine with the whole pack gone?" "Would I normally want an entire pack annihilated from existence? No. Would I want the pack that has spent every day of my entire life I can remember treating my like garbage, beating me, whipping me, and quite literally ruining my life? Yes. I guess I would spare women with pups, but there isn't many. Every shifter here has either turned a blind eye or participated in brutalizing me. There is no place for mercy here. They are all despicable," I lean my head back against the cold stone walls and close my eyes, daydreaming of the scenario I just imagined. It brings a smile to my face. I can hear the shifter in the shadows laughing. No doubt finding humor in my darkness. "I agree with you, little warrior." I lift my head and turn it in his direction. "I am not a warrior. Far from it. I am weak and frail, not by choice, but I am regardless." "You have a warrior spirit, wanting to break free. It is fed with years of anger and resentment. When you come into yourself, it will be magnificent to see." he says quietly, and I contemplate his words.

"What about you? What is your one wish?" I ask the stranger. "Hmm...I wish for you to get out of here, to be free and to have you revenge on those here." That is more than one wish, but why waste your wish on me?" "It is not a waste if you can use it. I also don't need it." "Why don't you need it? Wouldn't you want to leave the dungeon? Escape?" "I am only still here because I allow it, little warrior. Sometimes the best intel to gather is from putting yourself behind enemy lines." I think to myself confused. The Feathermark Pack has enemies, I am sure. I mean all shifter packs usually have a problem over borders or with rogues. Could this shifter be a rogue leader of sorts? I don't hear Randall discussing problems with any other packs, but there could be. There are also legends you hear about other packs. Rumors and experiences with battle passed down throughout the years, but I am not privy to too many of them because I am the trash in this pack according to them. "Do you know how many pack members there are here?" he asks. "Around 100." "How are the fighters here? Any good?" "They have fighters, cruel ones that will do anything Alpha Randall tells them to, without questioning it. Most in this pack care more about trading and goods, what they wear and eat vs the safety and wellbeing of the pack though. "Any secret bunkers or other dungeons I need to know about?" "I don't think so. I am only thrown down in this one." "How many times do they throw you down here?" "Whenever they feel like it." I tell him and I can hear a low growl that he is trying to get control over.

The door opens above the stairs and light starts pouring in, but I still can't see the face of the stranger. Michael starts down the stairs and toward my cell. Any guard would be more welcome than him. He is handsy, disgusting and smells like piss. His old ass probably barely washes, and he has no problems smacking me around. Throwing me around. I hate him and I am afraid of him. Alpha knows that, probably why he sent him to retrieve me. I suddenly could stay down here forever and be just fine with it. I push myself back into the corner of my cot and ball myself up tighter. The stranger must be scenting my fear because I can sense an uptick in alpha aura, and it certainly isn't Michael. This stranger is an alpha, and he is keeping his strength suppressed. Smart.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here. A naughty girl found herself in the dungeon again. What did you do this time? Hmmm?" I say nothing. I don't even look over at him. "I am talking to you." he states and kicks the bars of my cell forcefully, causing me to jump. He pulls out keys from his belt loop and starts to unlock my cell. The stranger in the cell next to mine starts growling. Michael doesn't bother looking in his direction. He obviously doesn't view him as a threat. He should. I can sense his aura rising before he tamps it back down.

"Get up. Alpha wants you to get to work. He wants everything spotless for the guest tomorrow and he wants you to get the guest rooms prepared and the work done before nightfall." "That is impossible! I have been down here too long! I can't get that kind of work done in time." "I guess you won't be stopping to eat or sleep then will you. Get up and get it done!" he yells. I make no move to get up and he grabs me by my arm and drags me off of the cot. "Let go of me!" I pull back and away from him far enough to kick at him, but he just tightens his grip more and slams me into the bars of my cell. I am disoriented as I lift my head and see the world around me turn on its axis and then I realize I am on the ground. "Tsk tsk you dumb bitch. Now you are going to whipped before you go to work. That is unless, you do something for me. Then maybe I won't punish you."