THE ALPHA'S HUNTRESS

The scent of rotting flesh clung to the air like a curse, thick and inescapable. In the damp shadows of a crumbling cell, Ingrid Hearst sat motionless, her wrists bound by rusted chains that had long since worn grooves into her skin.

A sliver of moonlight teased her through the cracks in the stone wall, mocking her. The pale glow wasn't hope-it was a reminder of the freedom she could no longer grasp.

She's long gone. Years of relentless torture had left her numb, drained her to the core. Her once bright ocean-blue eyes were now dull and lifeless, and chapped lips that could only moan in pain.

In the shadowy depths of the place, a voice shattered the oppressive silence.

"The eclipse will begin in an hour! I don't see anyone to sacrifice but her!" It thundered, reverberating off the wall, followed by advancing footsteps.

"Let this worthless fool serve as payment, her existence doesn't matter to us anyway!"

One of the women named Kaya exclaimed, as they came close to the cell, Ingrid recognized them, their eyes were fueled by disgust locked onto Ingrid's.

"I just don't get why my father even took this useless, wolfless bitch where we can't even fill our belly with food." The other named Lara replied. "He was too good of a man. Well, too bad, good weeds die early."

A bucket of cold water splashed on Ingrid's body. She couldn't react nor protect herself, she'd gone numb. As she huddled in the darkness, Ingrid knew that her fate was sealed.

Ingrid was nothing but a mere pawn in their madness, a tool to satisfy their insatiable thirst for wanting her gone. She could only pray for a miracle to save her from this living hell.

The cell door creaked open. Ingrid's breath caught in her throat as the dim torchlight revealed the menacing silhouettes of the two women stepping into the cell. As they approached, the air grew heavy, Ingrid's heart pounded in her chest, echoing through the stone walls of the cell.

"Let's move her, quickly!" Lara commanded.

The two gathered their strength to make her stand up but Ingrid was far from weak to even move a muscle. At this point, she's just a living corpse.

"Eugh, she smells rotten! Do you think he would like this piece of scrap?" Kaya whined. "I mean, she's all nothing but skin and bones! She's wolfless! What if he doesn't like her? He's going to kill all of us!"

"Ugh! Do you think I care about any of that, Kaya? What matters to me are the coins. Nothing else." Lara rolled her eyes as she handed a piece of cloth to Kaya. "Take this, cover her eyes."

The other girl fell silent and quietly did what she was told. Kaya clutched on Ingrid's shoulders, while Lara stood behind her, wielding a massive wood, pressing and poking it against her back, compelling her to move forward.

Ingrid does not belong to the Tenebris Tribe. Her life before this was a mystery. Found as a baby in a wooden basket on the village doorstep, she was taken in and raised by Alistair Hearst, one of the most skilled and feared Alpha there is. Under his stern yet kind guidance, growing up, Ingrid even though wolfless, had become one of the region's most skilled assassins, overtaking his adoptive father's legacy.

However, ever since Alistair's unfortunate passing, Ingrid began to taste the bitter symphony of life. She was treated horribly, for in their eyes, she's nothing but a curse. A curse that made their living unfortunate, because the moment their father took and raised Ingrid, their village began to fall and crumble into pieces. They conclude that their village's misfortune began with her.

Kaya clutched on Ingrid's shoulders, while Lara stood behind her, wielding a massive wood, pressing and poking it against her back, compelling her to move forward.

Ingrid's voice fell silent, her spirit drained beyond the core of her being to even protest. Though she yearned to complain, her body lacked the strength to muster a word.

Blindfolded. She felt the rough grip of unseen hands enveloping her, pulling her forward into the unknown. With each step, uncertainty gnawed at her, unable to shake the feeling that these hands were guiding her toward a fate darker than any she had endured before.

After minutes of walking in deep silence and darkness, she felt the hands that had been gripping her bones and skin loosen their grip. As her blindfold was lifted away, Ingrid was welcomed by the cold breeze, yet, amidst the solitude of the cold night, a realization dawned upon her: she was not alone.

The moon, nearly red, shone brightly in the dark sky. Ingrid looked around and realized that everyone in Tenebris had gathered behind her. They looked at her without any sign of remorse or pity.

Lara and Kaya were beside her, their eyes fixed ahead causing Ingrid to follow their gaze and saw four hooded figures standing completely still a few meters away, their entire body and face covered in a hooded black cloak, casting an eerie yet mysterious atmosphere in the air.

"Walk." Lara whispered to her with authority.

However, Ingrid did the exact opposite and remained rooted in her place.

"Are you fucking deaf?" Lara annoyingly said. "I said, walk."

As their gazes locked with hers, fear seized her, clawing at her insides. The five men standing before her emanated an eerie aura, eight pairs of red eyes piercing the darkness like lightning bolts.

"Hand us the girl." The fourth man spoke.

"Our deal." Lara stepped forward and grabbed Ingrid by the arm. "Coins first before the girl. Thirty gold coins."

The man to Lara's left extended his arm, a small bag nestled within his grasp. Without hesitation, Lara's reflexes were quick enough to snatch the bag away from his hand and check its contents. As she inspected, a satisfied grin stretched across her lips as she confirmed the glimmering presence of gold coins within.

She again grabbed Ingrid by the arm and pushed her with force, causing Ingrid to trip and fall to the ground. With trembling hands, Ingrid quickly crawled towards Lara, reaching for her foot.

Her fingers grasped desperately as she pleaded with cries when she realized what was happening. Her movements were almost affronting as if she were about to touch the ground itself with her lips.

"N-No, please! Don't . . . don't do this! You can't do this to me!"

Faint gasps escaped the mouths of the people of Tenebris except Lara, they were taken aback, in disbelief, all of them. Because ever since Alistair's death, Ingrid hasn't talked since then. Not a single word.

Every beating she had endured, every torture she suffered, she didn't make any sound. This was the first time they heard Ingrid's voice and it carried agony and was full of hatred, a voice born of pain, shaped by the horrors she had endured.

"You can do anything you like with her. Whatever that man desires. Kill her if she doesn't satisfy him enough, that's the least of our concerns." Lara announced as she stomped on Ingrid's hands as if it was a piece of paper.

"Lara!" Ingrid shouted desperately. "N-No, take it back, please! You can't sell me out for coins like this! Your father wouldn't want this!"

That statement made Lara stop walking, her grasp on the bag tightened. She faced Ingrid once more, her expression blank.

"My father is not here anymore, is he? Alistair was dead to me the moment he decided to take you in."

With that, all of them turned their back on Ingrid. No one of them dared to even dare to even look back - a clear sign of how much they want her gone off their lives.

"C–Curse you! All of you!"

Ingrid trembled, her chest tightened. Her fingernails gripped the ground, every emotion in her was felt. Anger, hatred, and resentment clouded her mind. Everything was messing with her head, spitting words that satisfied the demon inside her.

"Cherish those gold coins of yours while they last! The moon will bear witness to your greed! The day will come, and you will pay! This land, already a crumbling ruin, will fall further into chaos!" Her voice cracked with emotion, the weight of her despair heavy upon her shoulders. "Eat any food while you can, for you will all devour each other's flesh as your souls will burn deep in the hell of fire!"

Ingrid's screams echoed, her tears flowing until they ceased. She was emotionally and physically tired, drained, and devastated, leaving her numb and empty, like a hollow shell. 'They sold me out . . . just like that?' she thought.

"Woman. . ." A voice pierced the tension. One of the men cloaked in black called out, causing Ingrid to snap out of her distress.

"W-What is it that you want from me?" She faintly mumbled, almost whispering in the wind.

"The assassin who managed to kill Alpha Trevor of Ironclaw years ago. The wolfless omega. It was you, was it not?"

Ingrid can't help but let out a weak laugh upon hearing what was said. "That woman died years ago. You can't find her here, because I killed her already. . ."

Ingrid's body, already battered and broken, finally gave out. As darkness closed in around her, the last thing she saw was the red moon glowing above, like an omen hanging heavy over Tenebris.

The hooded figure crouched in front of Ingrid. He studied her for a long moment before his gaze dropped to her chest. His pale hand brushed the few strands of hair from her chest. There, partially hidden by her torn clothing, was a white crescent moon tattoo, a birthmark.

"Take her to Zagreus Hawthrone," he commanded, standing. "Tell him the search is over. We found the girl."