Chapter 4

Ophelia

The door closed, and I heard footsteps. The dungeon was silent, with several footsteps sounding against the concrete floor. I opened my eyes to see figures standing in front of the cell I was held in. Power and dominance oozed out of one, and I could feel immense pressure. It was the power of an alpha male. I read and listened to all these as Uncle Richard explained them in detail during our evening talks.

The power of an alpha wasn't supposed to affect me, but because of the Wolfbane injected in me, it reduced my power to nothingness.

"Where is the new prisoner that was captured at the border?" I heard the Alpha asked. His voice was thick, and it held command. I raised my eyes to stare at the Alpha, and our eyes connected. We both stared at each other, our gaze regarding each other with curiosity.

His posture is straight, and his physique remains solid, although he is no longer in his prime as he looked to be in his late 50s. His black hair, which was neatly combed, had a touch of silver streak. His brown eyes radiate wisdom and discipline; for some reason, I thought he was a good person under that hard exterior look.

"Alpha Floral, there she is." The guard answered, pointing at me. The alpha eyes widened in surprise.

"Are you sure you're not mistaken?" I heard a girly voice asked. I shifted my gaze away from the Alpha, resting it on a girl who looked my age. This was the first time, apart from the pictures and television, I'd seen someone who seemed to be the same age as me.

She's adorned in pink and white, making me think of a Barbie doll. Her eyes were the same color as the Alpha's, and she resembled her father in striking detail. Her physique is good, and she could easily pose for a runway model. Her clothing was paired with accessories. Her medium-length hair was straightened to perfection. There was a clear difference between us, and I was almost self-conscious. Her appearance exudes mischievousness and youthful charm.

"Why were you snooping around my border?" The Alpha asked, breaking me out of my inspection. I stared at him, his question was a bit funny.

"I…" I coughed; my voice hoarse from lack of water. "I wasn't snooping around your border. I was passing by when your people injected me with Wolfbane….which isn't right. How was I supposed to know there was a border there?" I whispered the last part to myself, but they all heard as the Barbie-looking girl giggled. The Alpha glared at me, and I shrugged my shoulders.

"Every wolf knows the sign associated with a pack's border, unless you have never belonged to a pack." He said, thinking for a while as he stared at my forehead hard. "You are a rogue." He stated.

"I am not. Rogues don't have a sense of reasoning, but I do. I don't just belong to a pack." I countered back, feeling angry at his blatant disrespect.

"Uncle Richard was right. Your smart mouth would get us killed!" Althea hissed.

"Dad, I like her already. It seems there is a misunderstanding. She didn't mean to cross our border, so can we release her?" The girl said. I stared at the Alpha, hopefully wanting nothing more than to get out of there and continue my search for my uncle.

After about a few minutes, just when my hope dwindled, the Alpha spoke. "Release her, " he commanded, and immediately, the guard opened the cell. I felt happy and yet a bit sad. Without thinking, I ran forward and hugged Simeon.

"Go, girl." He said, patting my head. I moved away, staring at his face as if trying to imprint it, before moving out of the cell. "The fate of the world lies on your shoulders." I heard his silvery voice whisper in my ear. I turned to look at him, not sure if I heard right or it was just an illusion, but he looked like he didn't utter anything.

"I must be hearing things." I thought, moving out as the guard locked the shut.

"Oh dear, you look hungry and tired and worn over, and you stink. My name is Ivy, by the way. I've always wanted a best friend. I've had a difficult time making friends, but it looks so easy with you. I mean, you have a calming effect around you." My new friend Ivy blabbered, almost making me want to cut off my ears. I wondered where she got that lot of energy from.

"Huh, my bag, please," I asked the guard. He nodded, disappeared through a door, and returned shortly after with my backpack. I collected myself as we made our way outside.

The fresh air instantly hit me, and I inhaled deeply. I had missed this.

"Well, I have to go now." I said, staring into the woods ahead.

"Do you have a destination?" The Alpha asked.

"No. Not yet. I will figure that out on my way. I am currently searching for someone." I answered.

"Dad, why don't we let her stay? She's lucky she met us. If it was another pack or the evil lycanthrope king, she might 've been killed. Dad, please!" Ivy whined. I felt a shiver run down my spine at the mention of the lycanthrope king.

"Who is the Lycanthrope king?" I asked, curiosity etched in my heart.

"Don't casually mention him!" She scolded, looking around like he was going to appear any moment.

"But you mentioned him first," I said, confused at her behavior. She stared at me before laughing.

"Oh! I'm beginning to really like you, huh..??" She trailed off, non-verbally asking for my name.

"Ophelia. My name is Ophelia."