Sold To The Alpha
The Cursed Luna Chapter 19

Charity shivered as she curled up against the wall as tightly as she could, her arms wrapped around her legs trying to hold in any of the warmth of her body. Justin had stopped answering her days ago, if she hadn't heard his barking cough regularly she would have worried he had died. Hazel had returned multiple times over the weeks, bringing them food, each time begging Justin to reject her, each time he refused. The guards would then come, drag him from his cell and away from her hearing, he would return hours later, sometimes unable to stand and being carried by his arms across the floor before being flung unceremoniously into his cell and left whimpering quietly. Each time she begged him to tell her what had happened to him he would reply 'it's nothing Char, don't worry about it. But something different had happened this week, he had come back broken, tears had wracked his body and he had kicked and punched the walls for hours as he howled and howled in anguish before slumping to the floor. That was the last time he had answered Charity's calls, and the last time that Hazel had been down to see them.

A new girl started to bring their food, Charity would smile and thank her each time, Justin would just sit at the back of his cell, not touching the food brought or speaking. The guards did not return for him, leaving him to rot in the cell. Finally unable to stand it any more Charity waited by her cell door, when the new girl appeared, she smiled up at her broadly, 'Hello' she muttered quietly so as not to reach the ears of the guards outside.

The girl looked up briefly before dropping her gaze again, 'We must not speak' she murmured trying to move away. Charity reached out and grabbed her arm causing her to flinch but she was unable to free herself from Charity's tight grasp. 'Please' whispered Charity, 'please just tell me what happened to Hazel' she begged.

The young girl looked to the floor biting her lip, fear evident in her face, she leaned forward until her forehead was almost touching the cold steel bars. 'Please miss, they will kill me' she begged trying not to let her voice carry. Charity gasped 'Is Hazel dead?' she said almost under her breath, understanding Justin's change.

The young girl shook her head, 'no, she lives' she whispered 'but because her mate will not reject her, they have branded her to make her unworthy of him, they used red hot silver, though the mark will heal it will never fade, they are trying to force him to relinquish his claim on her, now please, let me go miss before the guards see and I am subjected to similar' she begged.

Charity immediately released her, nodding to her silently to show her thanks. The girl hurried toward the opening, running lightly up the stairs and disappearing from view.

'Jus?' Charity called quietly 'I know you don't want to talk to me, but know this, when we get out of here, we will be taking Hazel with us, one way or another we are getting her away from these bastards' she hissed vehemently, anger bubbling inside her at the thought that these savages had marked one of their own to try and break a mate bond.

Silence was her only reply but undeterred she sat back against the cold concrete tilting her head back as she tried to think of a way to break free of their capture.

*******

It was past Christmas by the time Hazel returned to her duties caring for the prisoners, but she was obviously terrified, she would rush in, throw the food into the cells before running out again, her head bowed, ignoring Justin's desperate pleas for her to talk to him. As the weeks drew on, both Justin and Charity's bodies were wracked with illness, their bodies shivering uncontrolably from the cold until finally, as the bitter wind cut through the open doorway and swirled around their unprotected cells, Charity's body succumbed to her rising temperature and she collapsed to the floor unconscious. When Hazel brought their next meal a few hours later, she found Charity unmoving within the cell, her skin holding a blue tinge, no signs of her breathing. 'Ma-am' she called out softly, her eyes darting to the doorway to check for the guards, 'Ma-am?' she repeated slightly louder and with a tinge of panic to her voice.

'Hazel' rasped Justin 'what is it? Luna?' he called though his voice was barely audible.

'Guards' called out Hazel panicked 'Get the doctor! I think the Luna is dead!'

Two guards ran down the stairs, wrenching open Charity's cell, one checked her pulse whilst moments later a pack member they had never seen before rushed into the cell, rolling her onto her back as he began checking her vitals.

'She's alive' he said quickly 'but barely, take her straight to the infirmary, we need to warm her up before she gets hypothermia' One of the guards scooped Charity's lifeless form into his arms and sprinted out of the cells whilst the second went to walk back to his post.

'Please doctor' whispered Hazel 'Check the other prisoner, he has been here in the same conditions'

Glaring down at the young girls face, the old man's eyes softened at her hopeless gaze, stepping swiftly round her, he called to the remaining guard 'open this cell, I want to check this one as well, I do not need two prisoners fighting for their life in my clinic' Opening the door immediately, the guard stepped back so that the doctor could enter, looking down at Justin, the doctor growled 'Can I trust you prisoner or do you need restraining before I examine you?'

Justin looked toward Hazel who gave a barely perceptive nod at him. 'You can trust me Doctor, on my word I will stay still whilst you check me' Justin agreed.

The doctor carefully checked over his wounds, taking in the shell of a man that sat in front of him. Turning to the second guard he said crisply 'I want this one too'

The guard looked nervous 'Doc, Lucas said he was not to be let out without express permission' he began

The doctor cut across him, 'you can either let me take him now Kane or you can bring him too me in 2 days unconscious like the other one and explain to Lucas that his favourite toy is dying, and not by his hand, because YOU refused to heed the order of the pack medic' he snarled.

Kane took a step back under the doctor's glowering gaze, nodding his head in understanding 'I'll help him to the Infirmary Doc' he said quickly, scooting past the old man and heaving Justin onto his feet, before slowly walking him up the steps and into the snow covered square, trying to shield the injured wolf with his own body from the biting wind that whipped around them both.

The doctor turned to Hazel, reaching for her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze 'I will do what I can daughter' he whispered 'but you must convince your mate to disown you and quickly, he will not withstand much more of what Lucas will do to him, and I cannot bare to treat my flesh and blood due to his anger again' he said sadly before turning and walking away, leaving Hazel stood alone in the cell block.

Striding back toward the clinic, the Doctor pushed open the door, letting it swing closed behind him, cutting off the bitter air that swirled around outside, walking into the first room he found Charity laid out on the gurney, a nurse was checking her blood pressure having already stripped her of her cold wet clothing and wrapped warm blankets around her unresponsive body. Looking up the nurse bowed her head slightly to the doctor before saying 'Her temperature is over 115 doctor, her blood pressure is so low I can barely read it on the machine'

The doctor nodded, 'get an IV in, we need to bring that temperature down now, we also need to warm her body up but slowly, we don't need her going into hypothermic shock, also run a warm saline solution, lets try and warm her from the inside out, if she starts to respond to that we'll work on warm compresses on her torso and neck'

The nurse nodded affirmatively before hurrying from the room to get what was needed, returning moments later. 'Do not leave her alone' barked the doctor 'I want someone with her 24 hours a day, understand? the slightest change, I want to know' he then stalked out of the room, down the hall to where Justin had been taken. Walking into his room, he found Justin sat up on the edge of the bed, a nurse trying to convince him to lie down whilst he kept trying to pull the heart monitor pads from his chest. 'Lie down sir' the doctor intoned 'remember your promise, you will behave and allow my team to treat you'

Justin met his gaze angrily, looking like he was going to jump up and attack before dropping his gaze and slowly laying himself onto the gurney on his side, allowing the nurse to check his vitals and put in an IV.

'You are not as badly off as your friend sir' grumbled the doctor as he checked the chart over his nurse's shoulder.

'My name is Justin, you don't have to call me sir' said Justin wearily 'please just tell me how my Luna is, can you save her?' he asked, his eyes clouding with worry.

'Well Justin, firstly I am Doctor Nathaniel, everyone calls me Doc or Doctor Nat' replied the doctor, 'secondly, your Luna is very sick, her temperature is dangerously high whereas her body temp is dangerously low, we need to lower the one and raise the other without causing them to affect each other. We will do everything we can for her though, I promise' he said gravely, reaching out and squeezing Justin's shoulder before turning to his nurse.

'I want those wounds on his back cleaned and stitched, give him antibiotics in case of infection, warm blankets, plenty of fluids, keep him calm' he added meeting Justin's gaze to make sure he understood.

Justin nodded tiredly 'I get it, no funny business' he said lightly before closing his eyes as the nurse got a cloth and water and began to clean his wounds carefully.

Doctor Nat stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him, turning he almost sent his daughter Hazel flying, grabbing her arms protectively he growled 'what are you doing here! you know you are not to speak to him!'

Her eyes filling with tears, Hazel replied quietly 'I know father, but I just wanted to be sure he was ok, I can feel his pain' she whispered quietly, her eyes roaming the door behind him as it hopeful a sign would appear telling her he was fine.

Hugging his daughter to him tightly, her father softly kissed her hair 'I know Hazel, he will be fine, I shall make sure of it, but you must go, now, before someone see's and reports back to the committee'.

Hazel gave her father a quick kiss on the cheek before spinning round and running for the door, disappearing into the dark snow covered night as Doctor Nat made his way back to his patients.