Time comes and goes like the rapids of a river, the same water cannot be touched twice, because it is carried by flows that will never pass again, however my time felt laminar, stagnant and unmoving. And it was absolutely maddening.
Two weeks have past, where I was living in the confines of a big house, that seemed to be getting smaller as the days go by. And I have yet to find out if I was still a slave or a prisoner of my own time. I felt myself going insane from boredom and with long intervals of dreadful sanity.
Majority of the time I was here by myself, and as soon as he came back from whatever he did, he was gone. And I know he only did that to make sure I was still here and didn't leave. But I also assumed that he was more than likely ignoring me.
He also made sure to always give me that intimidating stare before he would leave, the one that said 'leave this house and I'll show you what hell on earth is like'
But the funny thing was, no doors or windows were closed, they were all left open, as if he was daring me to go outside.
But not today.
I stood behind the entrance door eyeballing the handle, anticipating my next movements. Hesitance lingered in the air but I still stood there captivated by the idea of being outside. However the positives outweighed the negatives and I found myself gripping onto the knob and stepping through that door.
A sudden gush of wind embraced me as if it were applauding me for my bravery for leaving and assisted with pushing my legs forward, one after the other, and I had to wonder why I never thought about doing this sooner.
Taking in my surrounding, I realized that the house was completely isolated and was sitting on a hill by itself and seemed to be well hidden by very tall trees. It made me wonder if he even considered having social interactions with his peers.Everything about him just seemed so reserved.
Looking down and through some trees, I realized that the actual settlement of the pack was below the hill, and I would have to walk quite a distance to get there, and oh was I a bundle of nerves just thinking about doing so.
To my right, I saw a footpath and it wouldn't take a genius to know that it probably led to the bottom of the hill.
While going down, I made sure that no one could pick up that I was coming down the hill, I don't know, but the idea of people gossiping about a lone slave venturing down the hill where the Alpha's house was didn't quite sit right with me. And I didn't want to bring that stigma around all the time.
Or look like that type of slave.
Understanding dawned on me and I realized that no one should conclude that I, was in any way involved with their Alpha if I was going to try and fit in and neither did I want to attract unwanted attention.
The aim was to explore, what life in the pack was like, then return without him knowing.
Sounds blisteringly simple enough right?
As I was approaching the bottom of the hill, I could clearly see both slaves and werewolves casually going about their daily lives and I just stood there watching in awe and disbelief. This obviously wasn't what I was use to or expected life here to be like. But then again that man was so unpredictable.
I made my way across an open field getting lost in the sea of people and completely mesmerized at how industrialized everything was. The environment gave off a sort of warm and welcoming aura, that had me wanting to indulge more in exploring to further satisfy my curiosity. I was so busy taking everything in, I forgot to look where I was going and collided with someone and the two of us went tumbling down.
"Hey ass-potato!, watch where you're going" the person said angrily while getting up. I too picked myself up and brushed the dirt off myself. It was another female slave as myself and when she turned around to face me I could see the frown carved on her face.
She had short brown that barely pass her shoulders with small hazel eyes and a round face. She was a little bit taller than me and I could tell that both of us weren't far apart in the age department.
"Sorry my bad, I was-wasn't looking where I was going, and did you just call me an ass-potato?" I confronted matching the same frown that she wore. Her frown slowly started to dissipate and a pinkened shade began to forge its way on her cheeks. And I couldn't tell if she was getting angry or was embarrassed.
We both stood there unblinking, staring at our each other daringly and after a second or two, we burst out laughing simultaneously.
"I've always wanted to say that" she managed between laughing. In that moment I felt myself feeling a bit rejuvenated compared to the usually feeling of boredom and dullness. We both sobered up before she said.
"Milena" she stated while pointing to herself.
"Skyler" I replied. She stared at me for a while, with her eyebrows furrowed as if she were scrutinizing me.
"You seem awfully new, are you among the batch of slaves that came here yesterday?"
I felt my stomach lurch forward at her sudden question, technically, I wasn't new, considering that I have been here since two weeks. But neither could I just tell her under what circumstances I was brought here.
"Uh- yea, I was brought here yesterday" I lied. I wasn't one to lie, but desperate time calls for desperate measures.
"Well, aren't you suppose to be with the rest of the new slaves?" she continued her inquisition.
I didn't like where this was going.
My brain went into stutter mode, and words seem to be failing me at her barrage of question. This wasn't the encounter that I was hoping for, or was prepared for. I didn't even know what she was talking about for crying out loud.
I was beginning to think that leaving wasn't a good idea after all.
"Well-" I gulped, trying to rack my brain for a suitable excuse. "I got lost!"
"Yea- they were being carried some place else and I got separated" I stated while giving a nervous chuckle, hoping that she believed a word I said. I saw when her mouth formed an 'O' then she smiled. I felt myself smiling internally that she actually believed what I said and was hoping that she would drop the topic.
"Well you're in luck, because I think they are off to the 'Scent Registration Center'" she said while motioning for me to follow her. "Come on I'll take you there"
As much I hated to say it, I really didn't like the fact that she was finding solutions for my excuses.
"I really appreciate the offer but, you seem to be a bit busy and I don't want to be a bother, so...I'll just be on my way"
"Oh no, its good, I'm free and besides we can chat along the way" she insisted while giving me a wide grin.
Oh God this cannot be good
*****************************************************************************
We chatted as we walked side by side, and my many attempts to try evade the place she was taking me were all in vain until I just completely gave up. She was so persistent!
I could clearly see a group of slaves outside a building all lined up as we neared the place. As we were approaching closer to the building, I felt this slight tug in the left side of my chest, then a terrible uneasiness came over me.
I halted in my tracks, and stared dead ahead at the building. Milena was still walking but when she realized I had stop she too did the same.
"Hey, are you okay?" She asked concern. I still stood there looking at the building for a while, I had this gut feeling that was telling the to turn back and get away but with Milena here, running away would look too suspicious, so I chucked it down to my paranoia.
Its probably nothing.
" Yea, I'm good" I answered coming out of my trance liked state and shaking the feeling away. "Lets go"
She carried me to the back of the line where the queue was formed. And surprisingly, that same trouble feeling came back full force. As I stood there lined up, I felt so disturbed and wanted to leave instantly.
"I did this sometime back, so nothing to be too worried about, you all will proceed inside, afterwards you will stand in a room, its going to seem awkward at first and seem as if nothing is happening but trust me, they will be registering your scents" she reassured and I took a deep breath in.
"Is this even necessary" I argued.
"I thought the same thing too, but its basically safety measures, this is how they keep track of the persons that enters and leave the pack, and the process isn't even that long, its about 2 minutes max and you're out. I'll be waiting for you on the other side so I can finish showing you around" she said while smiling.
"I'll see you there" I enthused while forcing a smile of my own. Something about going inside this building was adding to my anxiety and I had a feeling things would only get worst once I was inside. Well for me
The slaves began to move inside after she left and my heart started to thunder manically in my chest. As we went in, I saw a large table, I didn't see anyone else at first because I was at the back of the line and other slaves were blocking my view but then my face dropped and morphed into horror when I glimpsed him sitting at the head of a table with a folder in his hands looking so casual. No wonder I felt so uneasy!
My eyes widened with panic and I quickly went to stand behind a taller slave to hide myself. My breaths started to feel labored and my palms sweaty. What have I gotten myself into, he's the last person I wanted to see.
True to her words, it felt pretty awkward standing there and what made it worst was that the slave that I was hiding behind kept swaying his body, he was bound to see me. And when I thought I was going to have to stay a minute longer he finally spoke.
"You all may leave"
And I have never been so happy to leave a place in my life. I was at the far back, and was still shadowing the slave to stay hidden as we were filing out. I felt sort of happy knowing that he didn't realize I was in a room with him. I was trying to cut pass a few slaves but suddenly I got pushed back and skeptically I looked over to where Ares sat, and to my astonishment, he wasn't looking at me.
So that meant he still didn't pick up I was here.
I along with couple other slaves were left in the room and when I thought I was about to walk through the back door, I felt myself being rooted in my position by some form of supernatural force that trapped me in my spot, at first I was confused as to why I couldn't move but then understanding dawned on me and I realized that it was his doing that left me immobile. Who else could it be?
I watched heartbroken as all the slaves left and didn't even glance back and when the last slave was out the door, in lightning speed the door clapped closed in my face. Leaving me alone in the room with him. So he knew all along that I was here but didn't even show it.
Oh God this cannot be good.