Chapter 6

The heavy iron door clanged shut behind me, the sound echoing ominously in the dingy cell. I was left alone in the semi-darkness, surrounded by damp stone walls that seemed to close in with every breath.

My hands balled into fists as I glared defiantly at the door where that arrogant alpha bastard Karl had just departed. He thought tossing me into this glorified dungeon like a prisoner would break my spirit. He was sorely mistaken.

I was Lexi Adawolf, daughter of the late alpha of the Dynamite pack. Prison cells and intimidation tactics held no fear for me. I had endured rigorous alpha training all my life - this was nothing.

Squaring my shoulders, I took a few steadying breaths and examined my new confines. It was a bare room with no windows, just flickering lanterns on the walls providing feeble light. The stench of mold, mildew, and other foul odors assaulted my sensitive nose.

In the corner was a bare cot with a thin, stained mattress. At least they provided some sort of bed, however meager. By the looks of it, they hadn't been counting on me as a guest. This was clearly a holding cell for troublemakers and dissidents.

Which I suppose I was now, at least in that monster Karl's eyes. Just for accidentally trespassing on his precious territory while I fled from my former pack.

The events of the last few days battered my mind. The humiliation of being rejected as my father's heir despite my lifelong devotion. The anguish of learning I was unloved and adopted this whole time. Conri, my ex-mate, coupled with my treacherous sister further spit on our bond.

And now I was a prisoner of the Lycans, my pack's bitterest enemies for generations. Could this get any worse?

I shook away the pity party, refusing to be cowed. No matter how dire the situation, I had to stay resolute. Being captured was just another challenge to overcome, like all the others in my harsh training.

Sinking onto the filthy mattress, I took stock of my physical condition. I was battered and exhausted from the fights with those wild beasts before stumbling into the Lycan territory, but my accelerated healing had already closed most of my wounds. My energy levels were still drained, but that was nothing new after being constantly pushed to my limits.

One by one, I exercised and flexed each muscle group systematically. The familiar burn and ache helped center me and release tension. Out here, I may have lost the status and security of my former rank, but I hadn't lost the strength forged in me since childhood.

As I focused inward, I felt the comforting presence of my wolf stir within our shared consciousness. Despite my recent trauma and losses, she remained defiant and powerful as ever. My other half wouldn't let me wallow in self-pity and weakness.

I was Lexi, and I would endure this latest trial through sheer determination.

The distant scraping of a lock and hinges pulled me from my reverie. Shooting to my feet, I faced the door as it creaked open, revealing two burly male wolves with hard expressions.

"What do you mutts want?" I growled out, brandishing my claws in a clear threat display.

The wolves faltered, their nostrils flaring at my sharp tone. Even in captivity, I wasn't going to make this easy for them. Like the good little guards they were trained to be, they recovered with sneers and lumbered inside.

With mocking casualness, one leaned against the wall while the other towered over my smaller frame. I didn't back down an inch as he glared at me with contempt burning in his eyes.

"You've got a pretty mouth on you for a prisoner, bitch," he growled in a low rumble. "I thought the famed Dynamite princesses were taught respect."

"Respect has to be earned, not demanded by every back-alley thug who thinks he's big because he can herd sheep," I shot back with a sweet smile.

He snarled, his hand whipping out to backhand me. I easily dodged, the blow only grazing my cheek. I responded with a stinging slap of my own that snapped his head to the side. His nostrils flared in a clear challenge at my defiant move.

"You'll regret that," he hissed. "The alpha wants you alive and whole, at least for now. But that doesn't mean we can't rough you up some, teach you some manners."

In the blink of an eye, both wolves shifted into their hulking lupine forms, drool dripping from their gnashing fangs. They separated to flank me on both sides of the cramped space, trying to intimidate me with their combined immense size and strength.

I gave them credit for not underestimating me. Their tactics were meant to back me into submission before the violence even began. But I wasn't an untrained pup anymore. These games meant nothing to me.

My own panther-sleek wolf erupted forth, fur bristling and fangs bared in a feral roar that shook the very stones. Crouched in a battle-ready stance, I awaited their first move.

They leaped as one, jaws snapping and claws extended to rip flesh. I deftly sidestepped one strike while twisting to avoid the other. When they whirled to face me again, I was already on the offensive.

Feinting left, I spun in a dizzying flurry of motion to land a vicious rake across one wolf's shoulder. He yelped in pained surprise as I pressed my assault without mercy. I ducked under a wild swing to tear my claws along the second wolf's ribs, drawing spurts of blood.

They tried cornering me, but I was always one step ahead using the small space to my advantage. Precise strikes, feints, and an endless stream of movement kept them turned around and unable to coordinate an effective attack.

Within minutes, both beasts were covered in their own blood while I remained largely untouched. For all their size and threat displays, they had no finesse or technique to match my lifelong combat training.

The wolves prowled in a wary circle, clearly reassessing whether this beating was worth the alpha's ire if I was too damaged. I bared my fangs in a silent snarl, challenging them to either attack or retreat with their tails tucked.

The scrape of a key in the lock drew all our attention. The battered door swung open to reveal the beta Lucas alongside the she-wolf I had noticed earlier in white medical garb. Both of their faces cycled from shock to outrage at the carnage playing out before them.

"Enough!" Lucas boomed in his dominant beta timbre. "Stand down immediately!"

Reluctantly, the wolves shifted back to human forms, naked and panting hard. They at least had the sense to look abashed at being discovered mauling a seemingly helpless prisoner.

"Explain yourselves at once," Lucas demanded, looking between them with a thunderous expression. "Or need I bring this matter straight to the alpha's attention?"

The blood-streaked wolves exchanged nervous looks. Being at the brunt end of their alpha's notorious fury was clearly a dreaded fate. With visible effort, they got their reactions under control and straightened in parade rest.

"The prisoner was being insolent and resisting our authority," one finally spoke up gruffly. "We were simply reminding her of the consequences of defiance within our territory."

He shot me a dark look where I had calmly shifted back to human form, still gloriously naked without care. Looking at their quivering forms, I flashed him a mocking smirk and raised brow, daring them to continue justifying their actions.

If even a stern glare from the mouse-sized female medic accompanying Lucas could make them squirm, I certainly held no fear for the two would-be bullies.

Lucas leveled me with an inscrutable look before redirecting his stern gaze to the guards. "Your orders were simply to ensure she remained confined to her cell untouched, not brutalize her. Your personal distaste for prisoners from that pack is no excuse."

The burly one sneered mulishly. "She struck one of our own unprovoked! We were just disciplining her insolence as the rules allow."

"And you think slashing her to ribbons is just 'discipline'?" Lucas fired back without missing a beat. "The alpha gave no such orders regarding corporal punishment."

He paused to rake them with another scathing look. "Or did I mishear and you two were told to beat her into submission?"