The Delta's Daughter Chapter 118

KELLEN

The smell of the ocean was long gone.

In its place was a dry heat, the scent of dusty dirt surrounded and invaded the truck we had been traveling in for two days.

Seven days, I had been gone. Seven days since Oliver and this Jack had kidnapped me, and now, according to one of my companions, Ajani. I had been sold.

Who had they sold me to When I got there, would they realize who I was and that they had made a grave mistake

We had not been given any food or water and my lips were cracked and dry, my attempt to wet them using my saliva and tongue was useless. I had sweated out any extra fluids my body held but the dehydration has now left my muscles stiff and along came a lack of stamina and the loss of more strength.

My lacerations had begun to heal, which meant my wolf, Conri, was still with me. I just couldn’t feel him or communicate with him. Either way, it was a good sign.

The small holes dotted along the metal wall of the truck gave us little air to breathe, the truck becoming like a hot box. The stifling thick warm air made it hard to take oxygen into our lungs.

The truck seemed to rumble and bounce along for what seemed like forever and my listlessness had started turning to irritability. Being stuck in this sweltering box, not knowing where my final destination was and the fact that I had been taken so easily was starting to grate on my nerves.

I started tapping my fingers on my leg, feeling restless, when suddenly the sounds from outside changed and the scent of shifters reached my nose. I could hear distant voices, the sounds of cars, and the smell changed to one that I familiarized with the Royal Packs city.

After a few minutes, the truck came to a rumbling stop. Were we here Was this my final destination

I looked at Ajani. His black skin looked pale, probably from dehydration. His brown eyes looked defeated and sunken. He shook his head at me as if to say he didn’t know.

“Will your Alpha not come looking for you” I asked him, in hopes that someone, anyone would come looking for us. That his Alpha would come looking for his Beta.

“No.” He shook his head again, tilting it to the floor. His long braids fall over his face. “We are a small pack, and my Alpha does not have the strength or numbers to find me.” He sounded dejected and ashamed.

“Surely someone must be looking for you, any of you” I said to him, then cast my eyes towards the other two men who had shared this journey.

“I am an Omega, no one cares about me.” The younger one said. “And this one was a rogue, so yah, no one will come looking for us.” Despite our situation, this man seemed to be taking everything in his stride, like he had accepted his fate and destiny. The rogue wolf that was stuck with us had not said a word the whole journey.

“What’s his deal” I asked of the rogue.

The rogue lifted his head towards me and opened his mouth, attempting to stick out his tongue. Instead, all that was left was a small stump, showing that at some point he had had his tongue cut out. I had to assume it had been done to him because I couldn’t think of any reason why someone would do that to themselves.

The doors to the back of the truck opened and a bright light came bursting through. I squinted my eyes against the harsh invasion, letting them adjust for a moment, until a skinny-looking man, who I had not seen before, began yelling at us to get out.

“Come on slaves!” He yelled “Get a move on, I ain’t got all day! Fucking filthy slave rogues.” He grumbled at us.

Rogues Who was he calling a rogue He looked and smelt more like one than the rogue we were traveling with.

I hopped down from the bed of the truck, followed by Ajani and the two other men. I looked around, taking in my surroundings as they ushered us around the truck and towards a scantily-looking building.

The bare dry dirt, almost sand-like ground beneath my feet was hot and unforgiving, burning the soles of my feet. The heat on my back was sweltering.

“Move it!” The man said while yanking my chains and another prodded me forward using the cattle prod as a threat that if I didn’t start walking I would be stunned, again.

I started walking to where they were ushering me. A red sandstone building, the entranceway was a long caged-in walkway. Barbwire hung from the top and was around the sides, preventing either escape or intrusion. Or both.

Before we reached the building, I took in my surroundings. All the buildings were made of the same sandstone, a much darker color than the bricks used for the royal palace.

I could see a market of sorts where patrons were eagerly trading, and the owners of the stall calling out various products that they sold. People were dressed in lighter colored clothes and mostly a thin cotton material, unlike the fashion of my kingdom, it seemed simpler clothing was preferred. Probably because it was so hot out here.

When I heard a woman cry out, I spun around to see a man lifting a whip and bringing it down hard across a female I recognized from one of the other trucks. She lifted her arms in defense and cried out “I’m sorry!”

“Fucking whore!” The man shouted as he hit her again. “Know your place, or we will be happy to make sure you know it.”

The smell of her blood reached my nose, she smelled like a human. The man lifted the whip again, bringing it down equally hard. The sound of the snapping tail connecting to her skin made me cringe and my blood boil. Without thinking, I stepped out of line, ready to defend the poor girl.

I was met with resistance as I felt a hand on my bicep pulling me back.

“Young King, it is best for us to not interfere. It will do you, nor her any good.” Ajani calmly spoke.

I took a step back, glancing at the poor half-naked girl. Wanting desperately to step in and give the assailant a taste of his own medicine. Ajani was right though, I could make things worse, not just for myself but the poor girl as well. I hated to think what her fate was, I already knew deep down.

“Are you a new fighter” I heard the small voice that broke me from my thoughts and looked down at the young boy. His eyes were bright with wonderment and excitement.

“I don’t know. Could you tell me where we are And then maybe I can answer you.” I said softly.

“You are in Bhakhli, sir. I hope I get to see you fight. You look strong.” His smile spread across his face.

“Maybe you will,” I replied and patted him on the head. Wondering what he meant about getting to see me fight.

At the entrance of the caged walkway was a woman who was handing out small cotton sacks. She turned to the young boy and called to him “Nicolai! Leave them be, we are not allowed to speak to them. Alpha will have me punished!”