Chapter 4

"Where did you go, Dianne?"

"What?" Her dirty and unkept after a whole day of hiding away from the Alphas in the mud, Dianne shoved it off. She quickly moved her eyes from the dusty path to find her neighbor frowning. "I was…" hissing, Halima's gaze lingered on the muddy dress hanging open at Dianne's breast which was completely exposed. "Cover your shift, you bitch. You didn't even do up your laces after letting one of them fuck you in the grass. There is no difference between you and your—" Dianne wasn't to tolerate the coming insult from Halima. The feeling of embarrassment was overshadowed by anger, and Dianne took one step toward's Halima. and said to her "I would never let those pigs touch me!" Dianne's reply left Halima speechless and shocked, Halima looked at Dianne for a while shook her head. and said to her "So you say, shameless girl. How many did you let fuck you as you were trying to buy freedom for your mother?" Ice went down her back, and all confrontation dissolved into intense anxiety. "What about my mother?" Dianne asked Halima "Victoria had to lie when you could not be found." "What lie? She didn't know where I was." Impatient for Halima's answers, Dianne tried to reach the plump goodwife's arm. "Did they hurt her?" "You shouldn't have refused my boy when he requested for you!" Staring down at Dianne's exposed breast, she shoved Dianne aside. "You brought their anger on yourself with your tricks and sluttish ways." "What did they do to her?" The desperate question was said loud enough to draw the eyes of those nearby. Dianne grabbing a hold of Halima's dress then yelled at her "Tell me now!" It was easy for her neighbor to brush off Dianne's weak grip. Easier still for the old lady to taunt and mock her, "The rules apply to you as they apply to all of us, you disgusting girl. Go see for yourself what has been done to her. My Alexis was lucky to be free of you." Shaken by the news and Unsteady on her feet, Dianne threw a frightened look around for a hint of what might have happen to her mother.

The settlement was still in a state of fright and terror, baskets tossed about on the street after the Alphas had laid claim to whatever valuable thing had been stored inside. The muddy walks were littered with loose feathers, chickens and ducks having been snatched from their coops and carried off. Livestock ran wild after pens had been left open, the healthy and strong beasts gone to the Alphas' ships. Weeping, there was so much weeping. The baker's wife was beside herself, sobbing over one of her sons. It was obvious why: his no good and unruly brother was missing. Beside her, her husband's eye swelled shut as he stood there, dumbstruck. Crops had been ripped from their farms, bits of furnishings thrown about as if selected, then thrown away when something better caught an Alpha's eye. Two male bodies was hanging from the gallows in the towns square. Dianne knew them both, one of the corpses dressed in red cloth that she had woven herself. Sick to her stomach at the sight of the corpse she threw up, Dianne stumbled forward and clawed her way through the building. There was little time to sort out who else was weeping for their loved ones, what had been taken, for even from a distance, Dianne saw a crowd had gathered outside her small house.

Neighbors stood in the dusty road, several trampling the garden beds, ruining heads of tomatoes almost ready for consumption. Dianne could sense Something was very wrong. She pressed against a tree by the side of her house, Dianne scared of what might have happened to her mother in her absence ran towards her house, rudely shoving those aside who stood in her way. Over and over she heard settlers muttering her name with disgust once they caught sight of her. It wasn't the torn, muddy dress, or the fact her long golden hair was free of a covering. In their eyes, for some unknown reason, she'd committed a great crime. It didn't matter what they thought, or the insults they might toss at her back as she fought her way forward. The only thing that mattered was finding her mother. With a great shove, she budged the last line of townsfolk apart and found... nothing. Her cottage stood as it always did, the yellow painted wooden door shut. Creeping closer, with a sickening feeling in her stomach, Dianne reached for the latch and froze.

A terrifying voice echoed behind it. "Her scent is abundant in this shack, old woman. Slick and fear, I can taste them in the air! There will be no more patience for your lies. Tell me where she is, or you will be tied up in the center of town and burned to death for the trouble you've caused."