Lycanthrope

Lamia took me out of the rotton castle and into the familiar streets of her village just below. I recognized the town square as it was built up for what seemed like a night's festival. On the way, she warned me again what she would do if I dared to escape. Of course I knew there wasn't a way to get away from her in one piece. The sun was already setting. I could smell the same scents from the first time I been here. Except I was able to walk comfortably now that I've known a worst scent, the castle's rot. Even Lamia's foul breath couldn't compare to the smell of dying wood. Most werewolves refused to even keep hard wood floors in their homes. Because aging wood was hard to get out of our nostriles once we smelled it.

'I couldn't get word out to the pack, I'm sorry. I've failed you,' Arwen's returning thoughts echoed my mind. I smelled her around me then. She's back! I felt relief rush over me.

'I'm just glad to know you're here,' I told her. 'I was starting to worry.'

'You should. If we don't return to the pack... You thought being away at college was a trying period for us. Well, we know now we belong with Alpha Brendon... I don't think I can help us when your rogue nature starts to come out of you. We have to return by the full moon.'

I looked up at the sky. The moon was in it's waxing phase. SO soon? I don't have much time. The moon was just an inch away from being considered full.

'This isn't good, Arwen,' I thought.

'If you don't return by the full moon for the first run with the pack we will be considered rogues. The moon goddess will curse us. Despite our position and favortism in her eyes. She's a fair giver. I told you this before how important it was for us to stay in pack territory after returning from college. College was just a grace period. Luna, we will be the downfall to the pack if we don't figure out a way to return to Brendon.'

'I know, I know.'

I felt my heart skipping in beat. Fear was entering my very core. But my eyes tore from the sky as I bumped into Lamia's back. I didn't notice but she had stopped walking. We were already wearing our masks. Everyone around us were in masks and dressed up. The streets were a bit different than what I remembered.

Now they were littered with welcome signs into luxury shops. But this wasn't coffee shops. They were branded names with words I couldn't read on them. It was a different language. But I could guess what some of it reffered to as we passed the shops I peered through the windows. Lamia had been taking me towards the town square but stopped at one.

'Lycanthrope' was hanging on a sign over the door. The shop was rather big. The name made the hair on my arms stand up. From the looks of the crowd I spotted in the building it was one of the more popular shops. Lamia didn't go inside. Instead she lead me down the alley beside it to a staircase leading towards the basement floor.

"What is this place?" I asked her freely. I grabbed her hand to stop her from going further. "What is it?" I recognized the sign as a term in the books back home. She yanked her arm back.

"Just watch," she warned me.

I followed her into the basement floor. The bouncers at the entrance let us in without a second glance. Inside was chaos. I heard people screaming money sums. Yen, Dollars, Euros... There was a cage arena. I felt my gut swell up. What are we about to watch? I followed Lamia towards the cage. The wall was floor to ceiling. It was square and took up a good size of the open floor planned basement. There wasn't much else to go. Besides an 'off limits' hall. "What are we doing here?" I asked her nervously. I already knew what was coming, now. Lamia was given a stool by another gentleman. There wasn't a whole lot of them but she seemed important enough- even behind a mask to get first dibs on anyone she walked up to.

The respect these masked beings held for her... was strange.

The scent underneath the deathly stench of these vampires made me connect everything together. From the sign over the upstairs door to the cage sitting right in front of me. This wasn't going to be very pleasent to watch. I had to bite my tongue to hold in a growl. I hate Lamia. I hate these vampires. I hate how powerless I feel. I'm an alpha female. I shouldn't be so afraid of these creatures. That's it. I have to try to escape.

A bell went off in the room. Suddenly everyone rushed towards the arena and I felt pushed closer to Lamia as people shouted. Lamia grabbed my arm and suddenly those around us stepped back. A bubble of air was created as they avoided getting too close. Lamia crossed her arms as she pulled my head down so I could hear her.

"Watch carefully and think about how easily my kind can overpower your pathetic pack any time I wanted. I've only chosen now to disrupt your pack's ways. Soon your pack will either be dead or in this system."

I wanted to puke as I closed in on the cage's fense. I could smell dry blood, wolf's blood. A young boy, barely fifteen came out of the important door I noticed earlier. A path was made as he was dragged. My heart raced as I teared up. My soul was with him then. Two men in cloaks dragged him in rope. But the rope was clearly too tight around his wrists. It cut deep and made him bleed. But with my highteened scent, I caught the whiff of wolfsbane. A mixed remedy was drenched on the rope and caused the healing process to slow down. This boy- too young. I couldn't imagine what was about to happen. No way has he been through even his first transformation. What's happening? I could feel Arwen on edge.

'Somethings not right, Blair,' Arwen whispered in sympathy. He wasn't from my pack... but I could tell he was an omega by smell. He was terrified. I could smell his fear. He only had a pair of gym shorts on. Something told me those weren't even his clothes. I walked up to the fense and touched it as I got a better view of them tossing him in- taking off the rope. He stumbled to the floor and sat there, trembling. I tried to get a hint on the situation, what the croud was cheering.

Die.

Kill him.

I've got Five on you so you better live.

Take your shorts off.

Transform already.

Show us your wolf.

I focused out as I felt sick from the vile things I was hearing. I looked towards Lamia. She couldn't possibly be allowing this. He's too young!

'Lamia,' I thought harshly but I didn't want to say her name any more then that. I looked back towards the door as I heard it slam open. The same men brought out 'CAL!' I felt concerned instantly as I recognized his one gold eye and the other green. Cal couldn't be missed for a mile away. He was already in his wolf form. There was an scar over his gold eye. Something told me he had trouble seeing from it. Cal's wolf form had red patches but was mostly black and white.

"Lamia, that's my brother," I told her quickly. "That's Cal, you have to stop this," I urged her. She smirked under her mask.

"I can't. You'll just have to watch for now," she told me. I growled as I watched them drag my brother into the arena. I felt my heart leap.

"CAL!" I yelled to try to get his attention. If he survives... I can gather him and Cole and get out of here. I wanted to run. I wanted to go far away. Cal wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me. If it wasn't for Cole's stupidity. IF IT WASN'T FOR NIALL! If it wasn't for Innath abandoning him. Would he recognize or care about me? Would he ignore me?

Cal stalked the fense line with a pissed expression on his wolf's face. Of course. He has every right to be angry. And the poor omega watched him in terror.

"CAL!" I called out as he passed by. He stopped for a split second as he looked at me. He kept walking.

'Vivienne? What are you doing here?' He asked me telepathicly.

'What do you think happened? I'm here against my will. What're they making you do, Cal?'

'I have to kill this boy,' he told me. 'But I have to provoke his transformation first for the show.'

I felt tears rush down my cheeks as I looked towards the omega. No, this goes against everything. We would never harm someone so weak like this.

'Cal, we have to get out of here.'

'Lamia put me here hoping I would die easily.'

'You have alpha blood. Of course it won't be easy. C-Cal, Innath is dead.'

I could hear his growl from here. It made the crowd go wild with excitement. He looked angry. I trembled as I couldn't break my eyes away now.

'Do I want to know how?' He asked.

'Someone smoothered him in his sleep.'

'I'll get this over with and hopefully we can talk,' he decided. 'You should look away.'

'I don't think I can.'

I watched as the people shouted for them to fight. It was becoming a singular chant. This was starting to be agonizing to listen to. I wanted to jump in and save them from this. But the longer it was taking the more impatient the crowd grew.

Tear him to shreads.

I shivered as I heard it shouted over the crowd. Cal rushed the omega and swipped his legs with one hit, taking him down. I'm sure he was trying to trigger something in the omega. A fight or flight. Most omegas would rather hide at the thought of an on going match like this. I clenched my jaw. This was like watching a cat VS a mouse. If the omega dies before transformation he will not be permitted to run with the moon goddess in the after life. Cal will have to trigger an early transformation to save his spirit.

This is what they wanted to see. I understand it now. Why they plucked a boy so young... I wanted to kill them all. Kill them for finding this entertaining. My tongue stung from the pain I felt. Why did she bring me here of all places? This is the worst place I could find my brother at.