New Road

MIA

The full moon was so bright I could see clearly. The balcony on Drake's room faced the forest behind the pack house and beautiful landscape beyond. All the pack was out running and doing Goddess knows what werewolves do on the full moon. It was the perfect time to find those damn dungeons and finally get some straight answers from Seth and, you know, free the guy. He was still being punished for what he did and it wasn't fair. They didn't really knew everything that had happened and it didn't matter how many times I told them to set Seth free Drake just wouldn't listen, Raina would get pissed at me, Kyle couldn't understand and so on. Thanks to the events of the last full moon, when I almost drowned and died again - it's starting to really piss me off all that dying - and Max came back from the dead with new friends, I had to wait another whole month to be able to proceed with my plans.

At least now I knew some more about the location of the dungeons and with the night being so well lit tonight, shouldn't be difficult. Having all those new people in the mix wasn't that bad, my mother - Meggie, that's how she presented herself - had taught me some cool tricks and one of them was how to hide your own scent. It wouldn't last for long, but long enough to jump out the balcony and not get caught. Most of the pack was out in the woods, but Raina and my family weren't, so I had to be discreet, therefore using the stairs was just stupid. I knew I was safe and could jump from this height and not get hurt anymore, but it was all too new and it still freaked me out a little. So here I was, breathing deeply trying to gather the courage to actually do it.

"You'll be fine. You've done this before." I told myself in reassurance.

One. Two. Three.

I jumped and the thrilling sensation of almost flying took over my mind. It was just so refreshing and exciting to be able to do things like these and not get smashed and bloody. I landed gracefully on the ground and ran to the tree line. According to Ben, one of the guards the dungeons were somewhere near by, I just had to find and old cabin that looked abandoned. Clever Alpha, hiding in plain sight. I walked carefully, trying to avoid twigs and such, it was bad enough that snow had started to fall and a thin layer covered the grounds, making everything slippery, I didn't need to add to my distress. I had to learn the hard way that it didn't matter that I was not human after all, clumsiness has nothing to do with being human, it was just a part of me.

A few minutes past and I finally found that damn cabin, making me huff in annoyance. I had past it so many times by now and had never suspected anything of it. I made my way to it, taking a good look around. No guards. At least not on the outside. I could just prey to the Gods and Goddesses out there that there was no guards inside as well, I had plan how to find the place and free Seth, not on how to deal with possible guards. Well, it was now or never. I swallowed the lump on my throat and opened the door. Again, clever Alpha, the inside of the cabin was just as abandoned and rusty as the outside. Except that I could see some footprints on the dust covered floor leading to what looked like the basement door. I tried my best to step on the footprints, so I couldn't make new ones.

My heart was hammering in my chest, I felt like I was a spy in a movie and as much fun as it was, it was also scaring. Multiple scenarios of what would happen it I got caught kept playing in my mind. The basement door was locked, of course. I had prepared for that so I just pulled out of my pocket the locksmith tools I needed. Seth had taught me how to unlock a door, saying it could be useful if we needed to scape and venture into somewhere that we weren't invited, per say. Well, he did teach me, but I was not good at it, so it took me more time than what I had hoped it would. I was sure I was here trying to unlock the damn door for almost half an hour now, and this bitch just wouldn't... click.

AHA!

I opened the door and listen, trying to figure out if there was anyone else in my way. Nothing. I carefully made my way downstairs, glued to the wall to make it difficult to be seen. The wood on the walls changed the more I descended, turning into cold hard rocks. It felt like and old creepy castle dungeon and the hairs on my neck weren't happy with the vibe we were getting. A long corridor was now facing me, there were a few torches on the wall, adding to the creepy scene. Clever Alpha, yes, but also cliché as hell Alpha. The air was stale and cold, now I could hear a few noises, like people moving and breathing. It wasn't long and at the end of the corridor there was another damn door, this time it was a heavy metal door, also locked. Fuck. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration and I was about to start working on the lock when I noticed the keys hanging on the wall next to it.

Security wasn't that great here, it seems. Maybe I should say something to Drake, warn him that it was way to easy to entered the dungeons, which probably made way to easy to get out of it. I would tell him, sure, but not right now. I had a more pressing matter to attend to. I opened the door and took the keys with me, there was too many keys in the keychain to be only for this door, so it would - hopefully - open the cell doors as well. The chamber was wider now, the cliché medieval scenario with several cells on each side, no windows or light source aside from two torches, one on each wall right at the entrance. To my surprise most cells had their doors opened, so I guess Drake didn't keep too many people down here. That would explain the lack of guards and security.

There was two doors closed and I was sure one of them had Seth behind it. I moved quickly and there he was, laying down on a dirty mattress on the floor. He had just a pair of sweat pants on, his body was dirty and pale, but he didn't have bruises or anything else that indicated that he was being tortured. I released a breath I didn't noticed I was holding and that made Seth's head snap in my direction. His green eyes had no sparkles, they seemed dull and tired, with dark circles under it. I didn't need a close examination to know he was probably starved. They might be beating him, but he wasn't being fed either.

"Little one! Tell me it's real this time and you really are here." Seth whispered, his voice raspy.

"Get up and hurry. We don't have much time, Seth." I urged him to move. I had no idea how long we had until someone noticed something was wrong.

"You're breaking me free, baby?" His eyes showed his amusement and he was standing next to the bars in two seconds. "You look good, healthy."

"I am, I'm okay. You didn't hurt me." I said. I knew what he was hinting at. But I was fine, I had survived, so he didn't need to worry about it. I started testing the keys on the lock, but as fate would have it, it was not the first one.

"I thought I killed you." If my hearing senses had improved the way they did, I wouldn't have been able to hear what Seth said. His voice was full of guilt and regret. "Mia, baby, stop. I'm glad you are okay, but I'm fine here." His green orbs met mine when he put his cold hands on my own, making me stop. He was punishing himself for something it wasn't his fault. Okay, maybe partially his fault, but I was alive and well. He didn't deserve to starve here for how long just because of an accident. I remember that I was the one who offered my blood to him. So if anyone should be punished, it was me, I was the reckless one that offered how much blood was necessary for him to get better at the time.

"Seth, stop blaming yourself. I'm okay. I need to get you out of here." I told him, searching his eyes to make sure he would come with me once I found the damn right key. He just nodded and smiled at me and I smiled back. I missed him, sue me.

After several more tries I finally found the correct key and the bars doors opened. I took one step back to give him space to get past me, instead he embraced me in a tight hug. My arms tighten around him, making me shiver a little. He was so cold, like the stones on the walls. Seth simply hummed in pleasure and buried his face on my hair, inhaling deeply and exhaling with a sigh. I rested my cheek on his chest and enjoyed being in his arms again. In the month we were together Seth had become someone important to me, not only by saving me a few times, but he also treated me like I was the most precious thing in his life and that had moved me.

He also taught me things like picking locks, pottery and baking. It was fun times, despite the whole foggy mind thing. I inhale his cinnamon and rosemary scent and smiled. I missed this. We just stood there for a few more minutes, enjoying each other's company. I was the one to pull away first, still smiling at him I reach my small backpack and took a blood bag out of it, offering it him.

"I brought this just in case." I shrugged my shoulders and he got the bag.

"Thank you, little one. You didn't have to." He whispered in that honey voice of him.

"I know that, I wanted to, though. Drake is keep you here for no reason and I can't just watch it anymore. I'm sorry it took me too long to come." My eyes now were on the floor, I was ashamed that I had waited this long to free him.

"Don't say that, baby, you don't have to apologize. I deserved to be here all this time. I almost killed the one good thing in my life. Believe me, what I endured here was nothing compared to the pain of losing you. I had no idea you had survived until one day that cute witch of yours came and told me you were alive and that I would never see you again. But here you are." He had being suffering all this time thinking I was dead and blaming himself for it. It made my heart ache for him.

"Here, I have some clothes too." I offered him the backpack and he smiled at me.

"You came prepared, little one." He mused and reached inside the backpack, pulling out the hoodie and putting it on. At least he wouldn't be cold anymore. He took the blood bag again from my hands and tugged at the little tubes, ripping it out so he could drink the blood. He gulped the it down way faster than I had anticipated, maybe I should have stolen another bag. I still had time, maybe. We could try to go the hospital and get a little more blood, it should be empty by now. Right?

"I think we can get more from the hospital, you must be hungry still." I said while taking his hand and started walking to get the hell out of there.

"I'm okay, little one. You don't have to risk it, you've done enough for me." He squeezed my hand in a gentle matter, to reassure me that he was fine.

I pressed my lips in a thin line and nodded without looking at him. I knew he wasn't fine yet, he was still pale and his eyes were still dull. No matter, I had to get him out of here first and then I could worry about getting him some more blood to sustain him. Maybe now that he was not starving as he was before if I offered him my blood nothing bad would come out of it. It was the safest way to not get caught stealing anything else. We made our way up the stairs carefully and I opened the basement door looking around to make sure we were alone. Still on my tip toes I entered the small cabin living area and gesture to Seth to follow me.

"What do you think you are doing?" her voice was hard behind me. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck standing to attention and the ice cold spreading through my body, making me freeze in my place. I got caught.

Whoops!