Chapter 5 Patience

• Sofia
• Nothing seemed different the next day, although the pack’s activity appeared more relaxed than before. Perhaps they needed to let out their wild side to calm themselves down.
• My days dragged on to the point where I almost missed being forced to work in day in and day out, because it at least gave me something to do. I spent most of the time looking out the window at the world beyond the rectangle.
• That was how he found me the next time he came. The door opened and I ignored it, but somehow I knew it was the alpha without checking. It was strange that he spent so much of his time interacting with me. Sigmund Triste certainly had not wasted a moment of his time on my petty existence.
• Of course, there I was just a common human nuisance, whereas here I was an enemy hostage, and perhaps that accounted for the difference.
• “You’re to come and be questioned by my advisors,” he said.
• I exhaled slowly and tried to ignore the tension his words began to build in me. “I’ve already told you everything I know about the hunters. I was never in a position of power, I was never a fighter.”
• He did not bother to argue. “Come on.”
• I complied, keeping my eyes down. He growled in the back of his throat, and I tried to make myself look smaller to minimise his aggression. It did not seem to have a calming effect on the beast before me as it had often with the Lyndons. Why had he been the one to come for me? Maybe to intimidate me before I had to stand before his advisors.
• Using my crutches. I manoeuvred my way after him. He seemed to be going slower to accommodate my decreased pace, but it was still a struggle to keep up. There was nothing I could do about his annoyance at my slow speed.
• Finally we reached a moderately sized but stern looking building and I followed him inside and through the halls to a high ceiling room. A dozen or so seats were placed in a semicircle, and there was a single empty chair at the head.
• “Bring her a chair,” the alpha said gruffly.
• I supposed I should be grateful they weren’t going to make me awkwardly stand balancing with crutches. I kept my gaze down and took the provided seat.
• “Tell us about your life among your people,” he prodded.
• I inhaled and began speaking. I left out the fact that I was not biologically an hunter as per m plan, and I left out the abuse I had suffered at the hands of my family for the sake of show, but I told them everything else, highlighting the long hours I spent working at menial labour. When I was finished talking, they asked me many questions that were presumably to find out anything I was hiding, but all I could tell them was the public hunter view of the situation.
• Finally they were finished with me and I let myself relax just a bit.
• Then one advisor spoke. “Then, alpha, since it seems she truly doesn’t know anything. I’d like to return to the ides of a prisoner exchange. If we can get them back by using her as a bargaining chip…”
• I stiffened. Perhaps I was a traitor to humans, but I realised I would rather stay and die amongst these wolves than go back to the hunters. I tried to think of a way to protest without getting myself into additional trouble.
• His voice was hard. “No, I don’t believe they would trade prisoners for one like her. The hunters are ruthless, and if we suggest such a thing it will make us appear weak.”
• “Is she just a maid, though? I’ve never met a hunter like her. This submissiveness reeks of duplicity.”
• I did not react to the accusation. I was not a hunter, and if I needed to be meek to survive there was no shame in that.
• “I believe her words,” the alpha said and it made me feel oddly warm. “Take her back to her room,” he said to someone, and I found myself being led out of the room. Behind me came sounds of arguing and an accusation that he was being too soft on a prisoner. I did not hear his response as I got out of earshot.
• “You held up well under their questioning,” a familiar voice said. I glanced up and realised it was Oliver who had removed me from the room.
• “I just said what I know.”
• “You truly hold no loyalty to the hunters?”
• I shrugged a bit. “They didn’t really inspire it in me.”
• He was quiet for a long moment while we walked back towards my soft prison.
• “That, er, what was happening to you before the pack captured you, was that a regular occurrence?”
• “No. he had been escalating for a while but I managed to avoid any situations before then.”
• He was quiet for a long moment. “The hunters don’t protect their females?”
• I shrugged again. “They didn’t protect me.”
• “Do you want to go back?” he asked.
• “No.”
• “He doesn’t want to send you back.”
• “He?” I asked but I was pretty sure who Oliver meant.
• “Alpha Devon.”
• I made a noncommittal sound of acknowledgement.
• Oliver paused. “I think he’s taken an interest in you.”
• “I’m not interesting,” I deflected as quickly as I could. I didn’t want any males taking an interest in me again, even if he was rather attractive and not at all repugnant like Jasper had been.
• It was Oliver’s turn to make a sound, his of disbelief.
• I was glad when we reached the pack house where they kept me locked up, but instead of being taken directly to my room, Oliver led me to the kitchen. I wondered for a moment if I was to become unpaid labour to them as well, but I was instead ushered into a chair and he began digging around the refrigerator.
• Moments later we both had decent chicken sandwiches and glasses of juice.
• “Why are you being so nice to me?” I asked him.
• He shrugged. “I don’t have any reason not to be,”
• I considered his words. “So, if I’m not sent away, then what is it going to be like for me here?” I still intended to leave at the first opportunity, but I did not want to tip them off as to that fact.
• Oliver shrugged. “I suppose that’s up to my brother.”
• So he was related to the alpha as I had first suspected.
• We talked for a while longer and the he returned me to my room. I sat by the window and watched some more.
• **********
• Nothing much changed in the days after the hearing I had attended, although my ankle was getting quite a bit better, to the point where I was allowed to walk on it again. I was also occasionally let out, usually by Oliver, although I kept my head down and my senses open. I was pleased at this because I got a chance to better see the layout of the house. Hopefully if I was to stay I could lull them into relaxing through my compliance.
• My mind worked on escape routes while I searched for opportunities and made hopeful plans. I would need to get a head start on them and figure out a way to lose their keen senses of smell. The hunters had ways of dealing with such things, but I had never been privy to what they were.
• It was too late to regret that now. Instead I would make do with what I could figure out myself.
• I had learned patience and I could use it again.