Page 10 of Fighting the Lies

CHAPTER FIVE

The heavy door did little to shield Emma from the putrid stench of the shifters in the other cells. She’d only ever seen one wild shifter before. She’d been out with her adoptive parents when the beast attacked. He was more animal than human, he no longer spoke and lived purely off the land. All aspects of personal hygiene had vanished, especially grooming. Thankfully her father had been able to capture the animal. Kas had come, and she remembered her mother shielding her eyes while the shifter's life was extinguished. It was the best thing that could happen to him she was told. The alternative was what lay beyond that door. Captivity for eternity and to be used for experiments. She shuddered at the thought. Is that where her future lay? No, she couldn’t think about that. The pack would find a way to get her out of here. She stepped forward to the bars and rattled them gently. The metallic jingle that flooded the room symbolic of the desperation of her situation.

“I don’t think even your strength can break them.” The deep timbered voice had her head jolting upwards to be met with eyes the same sapphire hue as hers. They were the same colour as her mothers. She didn’t need to ask who the man in front of her was.

“I don’t even know your name.” She kept her slender fingers twisted around the rusted iron bar. Her head was held high and shoulders resolutely backwards. The man before her was an Alpha. If things had been different,he would have been her Alpha, but she had no loyalty and certainly no respect for him for putting her in here.

"Nicholas, after our grandfather. A proud leader's name." Her eyes rolled. She may have only been very young the last time she'd seen her father, but the lion before her was as pompous in his own superiority as her father. "You are lucky I don't get Ciaran to force you to your knees before me."

“No, you’re lucky I haven’t actually broken these bars and shoved your head into the wall to shut up your lies.” She clicked her tongue against the side of her cheek. It was better than snapping her fingers in the air which she really felt like doing at the moment. But that would just make her seem like a bratty diva.

Phillip laughed.

That got Emma’s back up even more.

“What are you getting out of making up these preposterous lies?” Both hands now gripped the bars.

“They are not lies. You murdered our father.”

"You are either insane to actually believe that or receiving a high reward to continue with the lie. I haven't seen him since I was four."

“No, you saw him the night he died. You were the last person to see him alive because you killed him. I have a weapon with your fingerprints all over it, which proves it." There was no reasoning with this man. She couldn't decide if he was mad or what? She suspected not. He was sharply dressed, and the cut of his stance showed he was supremely confident. She turned away from him and seated herself on the bed. Well, bed was a fancy word for the flea infested mattress. “You give up too easily, sister. I expected better; Nuka told me that you were a great fighter. I guess he over estimated your abilities.” Her brother laughed when she raised her head and gulped for air like a fish at the mention of her pack’s arch enemy. He was indeed behind this. Kas suspected it, but this was confirmation.

"This isn't giving up. This is saving my energy for the fight. Unless you have anything remotely interesting to say then I suggest you leave." She gritted her teeth against the rage bubbling within her. She wanted this man, she should feel love for, gone. He was her brother; she'd never even met him until this moment. They should be joyous at finding each other, but all she felt was overwhelming despondency.

“Make your peace, sister, because I intend to ensure that you are punished to the full extent of the law. Death with be your only option.” Phillip’s evil laugh filled the dungeon as he left. The ire in her was rising. This shouldn’t be happening to her. She was on her feet and gripping tightly to the bars again. Rattling them to the same tempo as her whole body, which was shaking; she was rocking. Her knees bending her up and down as she tried to calm herself down. But it didn't work. She let out a loud, anguished roar; her head thrusting backwards, so the sound vibrated off the walls. Tears started to fall from her eyes. She was a fighter, point her in the direction of a battle and she would be there leading the army, but this, this was so lonely and scary. She didn’t have the first clue how to save herself from certain death. She had no control over her future.

She brought her head back down and straight into another pair of eyes observing her. This time,they were a dark mahogany and full of anguish, not retribution.

"Selene, get me in that cage," Scott demanded as his hands encased Emma’s on the bars. His warmth wrapping her in a comforting blanket.

"Kas said…" Selene's sentence was interrupted by a roar of annoyance

"I don't care. He tasked me with looking after Emma, and I need to be in that cage with her to do so."

In the blink of an eye, Scott disappeared and reappeared beside her. The same side of the bars as her.

“We won’t have long. I’ll keep a look out.” Selene ran up to her and gave her a massive embrace, before shifting into a snake and slithering through the bars and underneath a gap in the door. Emma didn’t even really have a chance to register what was going on.

“Talk to me.” Scott brought her to his chest. His heart beat so fast. He was worried for her. He pulled her back and tenderly used his thumb to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

“My..my brother was here.” She stuttered.

“Did he hurt you?” Scott’s eyes were scanning her body to check for injuries.

“No, he's behind all this. He and Nuka. They are setting me up. Scott, I didn't kill my father. I promise you. You believe me? Please, say you trust me." She was panicking now. What if her pack didn't believe her? There was evidence, evidence that suggested she did it. Would they abandon her? Is that what Scott was here for? To tell her that she was on her own from now on?

“Emma, we’ve never doubted your innocence. We know Nuka is behind this. He confronted Kas and as good as told him so. Everyone is back at the mansion working on getting you out of here. You need to stay calm. One of us is always going to be watching you from now on to make sure that you’re not hurt while here. Whatever your brother said to you will not happen. I’ll not let it.” Scott’s face was inches from hers, his eyes boring deep into hers to reassure her. “I need you to talk to me. I need to know about your childhood. Anything that you can remember from your time in the Las Vegas pack.”

“I was four when I left. Too young to remember it.” Scott was still holding her tight, she needed the comfort. It felt like normality. Mind you, normality with her and Scott was normally her kicking his arse in a practice fight.

"Please, anything. No matter how small." He led her to the bed, and she saw him turn his nose up at the filth on it. He was such a clean freak but only if he didn't have to do the cleaning. He sat on it though and held her under the crook of his arm. She fitted perfectly.

"I don't know. I remember my mom and dad. Lots of people were always around us. We were never alone. Dad was famous as the Alpha. He wasn’t like Kas. He liked to show that he was important. People bowed to him, when they entered a room. My mother was head lioness, but there was a harem of others doing tasks for him. Looking back at it now, I wouldn’t be surprised if he slept with them all. There were always children around. Typical male lion.” She remembered who she was talking to. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. You’re different.”

"No, I'm not." Scott snorted a retort. “I’m as much of a player as your father was. I’m just a bit more discreet about it.”

This time Emma let out the disbelieving response. "You forget I've heard some of the wailing banshees you've entertained. That is hardly discreet."

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