Episode 5

|| *Rachel Montemayor* ||

The night had been a silent torment. As the echoes of the past resounded in my thoughts, I remembered the figure in charge. He, Desmond, the alpha, a being who embodied both power and madness. A flame burned in his gaze that could consume me, and yet, amidst that voracious fire, I did not allow myself to be absorbed. I knew that my courage challenged him, and that bothered him more than he wanted to admit.

At daybreak, the clearing was flooded with disturbing shadows. The faces of the pack members emerged from the gloom, becoming a constant reminder of the terrifying reality in which I found myself trapped. I was tied up, in a position of vulnerability, but despite this, I did not feel defeated. With a nervous look, I looked around, nurturing the hope that someone, somewhere in the world, could offer me a way out. However, all I found were expectant glances; eyes that shone with a voracious hunger to watch a spectacle that I could not even begin to understand.

When the alpha addressed us, his voice sounded with an overwhelming intensity, like thunder rumbling on a ground that trembled under his power. The proposal he made to me provoked such deep anger in me that I felt my hands were about to break the ropes that held me. Kneel?! It was an intolerable offense, a surrender that I was in no way willing to accept. I would not allow my knees to touch the ground; my pride, strong and determined, was much more robust than any punishment they could inflict on me.

"I won't, and that's my last word," I declared, pronouncing each syllable with the firmness of a bell chime, whose resonance expanded in the warm and enveloping air of dawn. The pressure of the gazes that scrutinized me was intimidating and disconcerting, a sensation that chilled my blood; however, what really terrified me was the idea of betraying the deepest part of my being, of stripping myself of my essence and my most deeply rooted convictions.

The fury of the group leader was unleashed with an uncontrollable force. The moment he let out his heartbreaking scream, I felt a deep and irrevocable connection with the fate I shared with those wolves who were preparing to carry out his sentence. I was aware of what was to come; I had heard stories about this facet of pack life, where only respect, power, and fear were values that truly mattered. However, there was a spark of resistance within me that refused to surrender. Despite what they did or the circumstances that arose, I could not afford to let myself be carried away by the pain and lose myself in the process.

The first impact was felt in the air, piercing it with a whistle that promised danger and despair. An intense pain took over my body, a heartbreaking stab that originated in my back. Unable to contain myself, a scream involuntarily escaped my lips, a scream that resonated in the darkness like an echo of my suffering. However, in the midst of that overwhelming agony, something began to stir within me. It was not just the wolf that lived within me, but also a part of my soul that remained inert and that now awakened with force. A survival instinct sprouted in me, resonating with each blow I received, like a drum that marked the rhythm of my struggle to move forward and not give up.

I received the second blow, then the third, the fourth… and so the sequence became a true chaos. Everything became confusing and blurry, almost as if the numbers and the wounds were mixed in my mind. However, despite the brutality of the situation, the alpha's words resonated strongly in my ears; his orders were implacable, and his desire to see me completely broken became fuel for my spirit.

Each impact I suffered made the flame of my resistance flare up, burning and vibrant, in the depths of my being. With each blow that resonated and each drop of blood that flowed from my skin, a new conviction was born in me, like a phoenix that rose from its ashes. Determination melted in my chest and grew with every moment of suffering.

I wasn't going to fall. I wasn't going to give up. There was only one idea that insistently crossed my mind: revenge. The need to take revenge became the only thought that could keep me standing, the only purpose that ensured that there was still a spark of hope in the midst of the darkness that surrounded me.

Finally, when everything seemed to fade into a sea of red, I could feel the change. A surge of strength flooded my veins, as if every beat of my heart was shouting to the universe that I was alive, that I was still there, indomitable and rebellious. The world around me began to blur, but amidst the haze of pain, one thing was clear: I was not going to be just a lesson, and my spirit could not be subdued.

I looked up at the alpha, and his face showed an expression of astonishment that, unexpectedly, gave me a sense of relief that I could not explain. At that precise moment, I understood that the real battle had only just begun. It was not only about protecting my body; what I really had to protect was my essence, that internal fire that would always burn intensely within me. Although the dawn brought with it the promise of severe punishments, I felt prepared to face any challenge that arose: there was no turning back, I had already crossed that line.