Chapter 2-Never Caged for Long

Hi everybody! Yeah, I'm back. This used to be a story I wrote when I was in the fifth grade or something like that and I gave up so I go some new ideas and re-wrote it into a fan-fic. Thanks everybody who reviewed on the prologue and chapter 1. It means a lot to me, thanks for everything. So yeah, on with the story.

Max

At first, I was relieved the soldiers took me away before I could do anything remotely stupid. Then, I discovered they were leading me to a damp, dirty cell in the deepest part of the dungeon of the castle. My eyes were wide as I was tossed in. I hit the cement ungracefully; it felt like ice on my skin. I jumped to my feet. I shook the bars and pounded on the far wall, pacing back and forth in frustration.

Nobles, whose ranks allowed them to be here, appeared at the gate with torches in hand as I huddled in a corner. They leered at me with their ugly faces. I shuddered in disgust. They wouldn't leave until I charged the door in my half-mad state.

I lost all sense of time, the minutes and seconds passing by without warning. More than twice, I attempted to fly or kick down the door out of the cell. The only indicator of time passing was the guards who brought me my meals. Other than this kindness, he provoked me and gloated. I hated them all.

The days passed and I slowly lost my energy. I tried to fly or fight less frequently. I think they drugged me a few times. My movements were sluggish and lazy, I couldn't think straight. Odd hallucinations fluttered in front of my eyes.

One day in the span of my imprisonment, a boy appeared at my gate. This one I didn't recognize. He had black hair and endless dark eyes. He had olive skin, bright from sun. His pink lips were quirked in a hopeful smile. He dressed in a tunic and dress pants, hunting boots on his feet. He had lean toned muscles, probably from hunting. Unlike the others, he did not provoke my anger, did not taunt me. He just stood there, staring.

"I can help you," the boy said, his voice was cautious and soft but I didn't want to trust him.

"Why would you help me?" I murmured warily. I slowly stood to face him.

"I'm – I believe you're not what everyone says you are. Mother says you're all tyrants and heartless beasts but I don't think you are. You're innocent-looking," his stammering put me off guard for a while. So humans think shifters are all heartless beasts, huh?

"How could you help me?"

He dangled a brass key in front of the gate, "See?"

I bounded right up to the gate to caress the metal to my freedom. But when I got close to him, his face took on a dazed expression and I stepped back, remembering that my scent was intoxicating to humans, "How did you get this?"

"I'm the Queen's son," he answered with a straight face.

I jump back and hit the ground in a defensive crouch. The Queen's son? She imprisoned me in this cell and hunted my kind to almost extinction. And this was the son of my greatest enemy. I hated the Queen with all my heart. I studied him, this son of the Queen who wanted to free me. Maybe he wasn't like the Queen. They didn't look it either. While the Queen had sever features, he was a softly chiseled good-looking. While the Queen had thin, balding hair, he had tousled thick dark hair.

"Why would the son of the Queen help me?" I snarl, "Aren't I your greatest enemy?" I shrunk into the far corner so my anger wouldn't make me hurt him. I was completely out of my mind but not crazy enough to kill him. If I killed him, they would kill me.

Tentatively, he stepped closer so his cheeks were pressed against the metal, "You don't deserve to be trapped like this."

I wasn't well educated, my parents haven't taught me to read yet, but I'm not stupid. The son of the Queen wanted to free me. I could escape through him. I sauntered over to him and gave him my most winning smile. Almost gagging, I twirled a piece of my hair, I asked, "What's your name?"

He opened and closed his mouth twice like a guppy. Looks like we got an intelligent one here, I rolled my eyes. "Call me Fang," he finally stuttered out.

"Fang," I tried the name on my tongue. The Queen's son was named after a canine? Strange, "Fang, please, let me out."

Great, now I'm a pathetic looking pleading puppy.

He nods twice and moves to unlock the door. Humans, I wanted to laugh. This was too easy. One click and the door swung free. A giggle escaped my lips and then a symphony of laughter, "Fang, it's been great meeting you but I can't have you tagging along."

A confused look crosses his face. I slammed his body into the wall, his head struck a protruding ledge and he crumpled to the floor. Half running, half flying, I escaped the dungeon.

Fang

"Fang? Wake up, Fang!" Someone yelled frantically making my head pound.

I open my eyes slowly and groaned. My sister, actually five of her floated above me. I tried to sit up but a sharp pain in the back of my head made my skull throb. I winced and rubbed it. There was gauze covering it. How-?

Oh.

I pushed myself up off the bed and sat, feeling dizzy. My eyes finally focused on my sister, five Nudges turning into one.

"I'm okay."

I put my fingers to my head again where a lump was growing. It hurt when I touched it but I couldn't help but smile. A vision of a blonde-haired shifter crossed my mind.