Sapphire Nightborne

I laid on my back, staring aimlessly at the ceiling as one of the female members, from Damien's forces, washed my body with a wet rag. She softly hummed as she gently lifted my arms to wipe any grime off my skin. I shifted my eyes to look at her face causing her to promptly turn away.

"You are not from Black Blood, are you?"

She remained silent, slowly nodding her head as she sat me upright so that my torso rested against the headboard.

"Grimford?"

A silent shake of the head.

"Verat."

She nodded her head once more, reaching over to pick up a bottle from the many placed on the nightstand. She gently held my face before dipping a brush into the it, I closed my eyes as the cold cream touched my skin, covering the bruises that I was sure had formed on my face.

"Why do you allow Damien to continue to dictate your lives? Your Alpha is--"

"Dead, I know."

"Then why?"

"If someone had the people you loved locked away, won't you do everything they asked so that you can one day see them again?"

I tilted my head to look directly into her hazel eyes, she met my gaze for a moment before tilting my head back so that I faced forward. She brushed her fingers over my eyes, in a gesture to close them, before applying some other mixture onto my skin.

"None of us want to be here, but what other choice do we have?"

"My scouts went over to Black Blood, and all Damien's captives have been---"

"Murdered. We know that as well. They were made up of the captives from both our packs as well as the families of pack members that he needed to keep on Black Blood land. Our Alphas let him take them because he needed people to test out what he created and they'd obliged rather than become the test subjects. The rest of us, who had *valuable* skills and ranking, had our mates and children taken from us... they are being kept here in Blackwater, in your cells."

Her brushwork slowed down as she continued to talk to me, her hand stilling at moments before continuing.

"How are you valuable?"

"I am a Healer."

"And Damien has your...?"

"My mate."

The clattering of brushes caused me to open my eyes, I looked over to see her picking up a brush tipped with red paste. She held my head in place as she brushed it across my lips. My head moved from side to side as she examined her handiwork before placing the brush down, her hand slipping behind my back to pick me up... looping the bag and tubing around the other.She carried me to the vanity where an array of roses greeted me. I looked into the mirror and sighed as I caught sight of my relection. It felt like I was in Black Blood once again, getting ready for the bonding ceremony, except at that time I felt like I did not have a choice but to go through with whatever Damien wanted...but now, I actually did not have a choice.

The Healer must have seen the look in my eyes as she stopped braiding the flowers into my hair instead moving her hand to my neck. She made a move to adjust the neckline of my dress, but her finger nimbly flipped my sapphire over Damien's pendant.

"I am not getting you ready for a bonding ceremony, Sapphire... Damien has planned something else for you."

I shifted my eyes to look at her reflection, but she immediately busied herself with the flowers once more. We remained there in silence until she fanned out my hair over my shoulders, brushing away any stray hairs from my face.

Gold dusted eyelids, ruby-red lips, and rose-filled hair... I looked like a princess... Damien said he wanted to start from a clean slate but he had painted me to look like Rose.

I continued to stare at my reflection, as the Healer turned to leave. I heard the door open, but turned my head when I did not hear it close. She stood there, hand holding the handle in place, eyes cast downwards as if contemplating something. She sighed before turning back to me.

"We are all prisoners here, Sapphire... none of us, if we had the choice, would serve Damien... none of us wanted to kill the innocent. There were those who were brave, braver than me, that protested but Damien and our Alphas showed them no mercy... they used them as an example to silence the rest of us... to remind us of the power they held over us. If those we loved weren't being threatened, many of us would have never set foot in Shadow Mountain."

She immediately turned to step out of the room before I called out for her.

"What is your name?"

"Mia."

"I'll find a way to help all of us out of here, Mia."

Her eyes roved over my paralysed body before giving me a tight smile, she nodded one last time and left the room... leaving me alone with my reflection.

My eyes trailed from my face to the necklace around my throat, staring at the wolf pendant that seemed to taunt me. I closed my mind, blocking out any other sound, focusing on Xander's face, trying my best to reach for him but I was met with silence.

The door swung open to reveal Damien, who was dressed from head to toe in black, he smiled as he saw me. That infuriating smile remained as he walked to my side, hand trailing across my shoulders as he passed behind me before pulling my chair backwards so that he could kneel in front of me. I turned away from him, but he grabbed my jaw so that I was forced to look at him.My body stiffened as he raised his other hand to twirl a lock of my hair around his finger, gently avoiding undoing any braid that held the roses.

"My beautiful mate, all mine."

My lips twisted into a sneer at his words.

"When will you stop lying to yourself?"

"When you finally accept your fate. Now, I would love to stay here and argue with you for the rest of the night, but I have entertainment lined up for us... a show to prove that my love for you is nothing but true."

I let my head fall back, limply, as he picked me up. He continued to talk to me as we walked through the halls, but I tuned him out as I stared at my surroundings.

I spent more time in these walls tha anywhere else in my life, but I did not recognise it... Damien had changed everything. He had removed the portraits of the Alpha family from the walls and had replaced them with his wolf pelts that smelt extremely familiar. I took a closer look and tears slid down my cheeks... he had mounted the pelts of my Generals on the walls of the stronghold that they had given their lives to protect. My eyes continued to stare at them as we walked further and further away, till we finally stepped out.

I tilted my head from side to side as I tried to figure out where Damien taking me, my heart racing at the eerie silence surrounding us. There was nobody else besides us, the square was void of anybody. I continued to stare at the rows of houses, their stone walls blending into the night, until I finally realised where I was being taken... the only building that had not been touched.

Guards stood at either side of the arena, pulling the door open for us, as we approached. My eyebrows raised at the sheer volume of people lining the arena, all dressed as though they were attending a party centuries ago.

Damien carried me up the stairs till we reached the raised platform that gave us an unrestricted view. Two thrones sat beside each other, ornate jewels dotting the wood. He placed me in one before sitting in the other, his hand tightly enclosing mine. Bile rose in my throat at his touch, and it threatened to leave my mouth as I caught sight of the state of the arena.

The arena at Blackwater had always been clean, only opening to educate our pups on the deep history between Wolf and Hunter. This arena was a copy of the one at Black Blood, with dried blood smeared all over its walls and parts strewn all over the place.

Roars sounded from around the arena, causing my heart to lift... was that Amelia's pride? Was I going to go home? My hopes were dashed as Damien gripped my hand tighter.

"The show is about to begin."

I watched with wide eyes as various groups of guards entered the arena, they held poles in their hands which were connected to, my heart sank as I recognised the fur patterns, Kalma and a few members of Amelia's pride.

"I thought about using wolves from Shadow Mountain, but ultimately decided against it as they would not have the desired effect."

No retort left my mouth as I remained transfixed on the sight in front of me. The Werecats struggled and roared as they were forced out, foam dripped down the side of their mouths as they tried to snap at the guards who stood close to their respective exits. Each Werecat had three guards, and each guard had a pole that was connected to a collar around the Werecat's neck.

"Don't get too excited yet, Sapphire, the show has yet to begin."

My head turned sharply towards him.

"You are truly a monster. In what world do you think this would buy my love?"

He laughed as he stroked my cheek.

"Always so impatient, Sapphire. The main event is yet to come... look now."

A gasp left my throat as a figure was wheeled out into the arena by a guard, her screams muffled by the gag that had been stuffed into her mouth. She tried to free herself, but her efforts made little progress against the silver chains.

Damien's hand continued to stroke my cheek as I stared at the arena, speechless.

"Your sister has done nothing but hurt you, and I can't allow it anymore. So tonight, I am going to punish your tormentor and you will finally be free."

He raised his hand, and brought it down causing the guards to drop the poles and race to the exits. Some were too late, and fell as the Werecats attacked. The rest of the Werecats descended upon my sister, and soon... her muffled screams grew silent.