AXEL
~Madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little push.~
I just stood and stared, my brain not wanting to believe what I had just heard.
~What the fuck?~
~Chosen one?~
~For what?~
My stomach did a somersault, and I gulped. I wasnât getting out of there anytime soon, was I?
My heart started racing. I frantically looked around, trying to find something, anything, that would help me to escape.
~Nothing.~
~Fantastic.~
âWhat do you mean âchosen oneâ? Chosen for what?â I barked at him, my eyes still darting around the room.
He let out a cackling laugh that made my hairs stand up.
âWell, someone told me that alpha-born wolves are the strongest of the bunch. And you, well, youâre not just any alpha-born wolf; you are also royalty. So I am very interested to see how you do.
âI must admit, I am a little disappointed it took you so long to break free of the chains. But I digress. Shall we?â
He waved toward a door behind me, and against my better judgment, I followed him.
The place was dingy but well lit, and it had a strange stench that I couldnât quite put my finger on, but it was potent enough to make me scrunch up my nose in disgust.
âWhat the hell is this place?â I muttered to myself, following behind Keir.
What was I doing? Had I gone insane? Why was I following this man to what was quite possibly my death?
Heâd ripped my fatherâs soul from his body, separating wolf and human. What made me think he wouldnât do the same to me?
~Storm said he wants the throne.~
My heart ached at the thought of Storm being without me. I missed her desperately. I needed to get back to her, to know that she was okay and that she was safe.
How would I get away from looney tunes, though? He led me down a dark corridor. Judging by the growing chill and the wetness on the walls, we were heading further underground.
I gulped. Only five minutes ago, I was close to fresh air, and now, because I was such a dingbat, I was voluntarily following a madman into his underground dungeon.
~I can hear my family screaming at me about my stupidity from here.~
Uncle Diego would have a field day about this one when he found out what Iâd done. Heâd mock me for the rest of our lives, and rightly so.
I rolled my eyes,~ still~ following Keir further into the depths of the darkness, feeling the cold more with every step we took.
âYou know, I find it fascinating how easily manipulated people can beâ¦â
I hummed in agreement with Keir, not really listening to what he was saying. The walls had started to have mold on them. Were we near water?
~Or underwater?~
I shuddered at the thought. Water had always been my greatest fear, among other things. I felt the color drain from my face as I realized the extent of the danger I could be in.
ââ¦You know, if you tell people exactly what they want to hear, they will almost always hesitate in carrying out their original plan.
âI, however, do not operate that way, but I did hear a fascinating fact the other day. Shall I tell you?â He paused briefly, glancing over his shoulder.
I feigned mild curiosity, hoping my heart hammering in my chest was only loud to my ears and not his.
We rounded one last corner, coming face-to-face with a solid wooden door. He turned to me. Keeping my expression somewhat calm, I waited expectantly.
âEvery litter of pups always has at least one runt. This one is the biggest nuisance, always needing to be helped, always needing to be saved. Do you know why I decided to take you, Axel?â
âBecause Iâm the runt, Iâd imagine? Or so you would like me to believe, Iâm sure,â I offered to him, holding an expression of slight entertainment on my face.
He smiled slightly. âOh no, Axel. You are quite, in fact, the runt of the litter.
âWith you out of the way, it means your family will be a little too preoccupied to realize that I am coming, because they will be too busy trying to find you.
âAnd by the time they do find you⦠Well, you will be dead, of course, and I will have taken over the throne in their absence. Masterpiece, isnât it?â
He trailed off absentmindedly, pointing to a rotting painting on the moldy wall.
Without saying another word, he opened the wooden door, shoved me into the room, and slammed it behind me.
âHey, let me out!â I slammed my fists into the door as hard as I could but to no avail.
Keir opened the small slot along the top enough to only show a face.
âI am excited to see how you break yourself out of this one, Axel. I do hope you can do it before you ~die~, though. Otherwise, I will be fiercely disappointed in you. Happy surviving!â
He slammed the slot shut, his manic laughter fading off into the distance. The hairs on the back of my neck instantly stood up. I wasnât alone in this room.
~What the hell is behind me?~
I felt eyes boring into the back of me, and I didnât need to turn around to know they werenât friendly. I turned around very slowly so as not to make any sudden movements.
~This is some real hunger games shit right here.~
I let my eyes adjust to the darkness slowly. I started from the ground and slowly raised my eyes, breathing very slowly and concentrating.
I strained my ears to listen past the blood rushing around my body to try and hear what this thing was before I laid eyes on it.
It took a few seconds, but I finally heard it, a low and menacing grumbling deep in a chest. My eyes were finally high enough to look into the eyes of whatever was finally going to kill me.
And thatâs when I saw it.
Golden eyes, wild and dangerous, staring at me with a starved hunger like I was dinner ready to be served. But that wasnât what almost made me pass out in fear.
~There wasnât just one set of eyes.~
~No.~
~There were three.~