Wolf Dominion Volume 2

She sleeps in the dungeons of Wolf Dominion, while I squint through singed eyes and take in the dust and carcasses and bones – some half burnt. Some cooked. Thousands of many bones lie under me. I have to eat what little is around me to get some sustenance. I crunch on some bones, and eat some cooked black flesh, all without emotion.

But as I lie in the dust, in this coffin – the door on the side of me is impossible to open from the inside. Little shit Fyre put me in here but didn’t burn long enough.

I was on the edge – and I survived.

But I may as well not have.

It’s a cooled incinerator, fresh air filtering through while it’s turned off.

I don’t mind that I’m stuck in here.

I’ll be dead soon. I think.

But I have my human body – and I despised this warrior’s body and all I could and would do with it.

It’s my little secret.

It’s my choice to make.

I was glad I was still.

Everyone else was at peace, while I was locked in here.

I gasp awake the first time, disoriented as I push off the wall and look around the cell and the bars locking me in.

Luna Ryder was alive – but awake as my human, I’m somewhat sceptical whether or not it was just a dream. One thing’s for sure, the next few times I fall asleep, I can’t Transcend again.

She had to be dead.

Or, in a coma, inaccessible, brain activity too low.

I think I knew which, but the fact is it didn’t matter. Because I gave Hades the override.

And the ground had been shaking and quaking for days on end.

They were rising the ship.

I’m visited days later, when the Genesis quakes in the ground finally stop. However, my first visitor is not by someone I expect. Of all people, it’s the concubine Seye. Actually, Hydra Seye in disguise.

She has shed another skin, donning a new one.

A queen?

I stare out at the pretty translucent robes flowing behind her extravagantly. She’s still small and blonde and human like me, but she’s a tall human… the only difference.

And I remember her well.

“Nice gold crown,” I speak, husky – barely fed beyond one small meal a deal. Sometimes just a damn apple. She holds one extra now and rolls it in for me.

“I know,” Seye whispers happily, as she picks up the Solividian crown, a ridiculously thick design, a circle like a halo, “It hurts my neck after a while,” she stretches her neck, left and right and then in a circle. I crawl over to the apple and pick it up, I take a bite and I stare at the fruit, thinking I’ll just let her speak instead, “We have the Acklen up out of the ground. Wolf Dominion is pleased to have won the war. I just survive because I offer sex without talking too much…” Seye sounds sad, and I look to see her turn her back to me and sit down on the other side of the bars, her crown on the ground in her fist, “We’re doomed, Ryder. Humanity is totally doomed.”

“We always thought you were that runaway spoilt brat on that ship, daddy’s little girl, you got anything you ever wanted, you weren’t even a scientist… why did you leave Earth with us? Sight-seeing the universe?” I ask, curious.

“I just wanted to have an adventure, and I always wanted true freedom,” Seye admits, she looks over her shoulder at me, her eyes haunted, “I’ve barely survived thus far. I’m immortal you know, like the elites, my dad made sure of it. I’ve gone from Dominion to Dominion all this time to document their weaknesses. I had to become a scientist inadvertently, this adventure has been hell. I finally made it to Wolf, after all these centuries. Skye does not have a weakness yet, none that I can see.”

The invention of Immortality – was just a rumour back on Earth. From my memory.

“Skye was betrayed by his brother, Hades,” I speak up, “That’s all I can think of.”

“You,” Seye adds, “You do not count as a weakness to Skye?”

“Skye hates me because I’m human – a short one, you’re lucky you’re so tall,” I add, “You barely scraped in as a tiny Genesis snake.”

Seye smirks and turns the other way, avoiding looking at me again.

Great.

It was lovely talking to the back of her head. She was so strange. Always had been. I don’t even understand what she’s trying to do now. Did she think I would be jealous of her crown, and attack her through the bars while she’s facing the other way?

I didn’t trust a single word she was saying, to be honest.

“Why are you visiting me, a prisoner, while you’re some kind of queen?” I ask.

“Princess, actually, I call myself a ‘The Hydra Princess’. Skye likes it. They all like titles and prestige and reputation and front. Just like the elites on Earth. Just worse.”

“Is Opular dead?”

“He stood down after you threw yourself from the balcony, for some reason it hit a personal chord. Oh and… Tyra’s never coming back, that also broke him. Since her original form was incinerated. Her sister, Lemeri, she stayed in Wolf Dominion. Raygar and her are so funny...”

“You still haven’t answered why you’ve come to visit me,” I remind her.

Seye stands now and twirls around, putting her crown back on.

“Wolf Dominion’s structure, it’s a second ship for the rest of Genesis. The losers, cheaper to buy when they arrive back to Earth second,” Seye adds, “My father told me the game, he told me what they were going to do to you all. I snuck on the ship, to make sure, you all came back alive. It wasn’t so much adventure, but I genuinely cared for your souls,” Seye grabs the bars, her eyes tearing up, “My father will want me back. I’m safe passage for all of you in a way. I just didn’t expect the Genesis forms and their Beasts… to be such monsters… now I will be a bargaining tool no doubt. It’s the only way to secure my life back to Earth. What is your bargaining tool?”

“Does Skye hate me that much?” I ask, perhaps I’m a bit distracted and should be asking other questions… but I want to know what she thinks.

Seye nods, “In truth, his hate of all the hate I’ve ever seen on Genesis, scares me the most,” she whispers, “There is something different about him. Maybe he’s just crazy. I think you’ll be released soon. Vastian is pining for your freedom. Has been for the last few days. But Ryder… stay away from Skye,” she says it with great fear, “I am taking that burden now.”

She was so weird…

“Raygar?” I ask.

“Raygar is just like him but worse in some regards so avoid that family, both of them distrust you entirely. Because you lied to them once. About why we were all made? Humans lie easy to each other. Don’t even white lie to them. The only reason I get away with it, is I’m a good liar. I learned from my father. You… Ryder… you’re a terrible liar,” Seye tries not to laugh, in a friendly kind of way.

“Vastian,” I repeat, “I can count on him?”

“Yes, he’s the sweetest Alpha. He meditates and stuff.”

“Because he’s so vicious on the inside,” I try not to hysterically laugh about that too, “Vastian is not as sweet as you think, Seye, and if you think so he probably knows your lying and he’s sniffing out the truth about your intent. So… you stay away from Vastian… and I’ll stay away from Skye… and Raygar.”

Seye nods, and she walks backwards, smiling in a friendly way – she waves.

And it feels like our lunch date is over and she’s going back to work.

A human experience.

Human to human.

A liar and a bad liar, apparently.

Now I just had to work out what to say to Vastian, once I was released by his hand.