Riley
I wake up in what must be a basement. My head is ringing, and my eyesight is blotchy. A migraine has swept over my head. It feels like my brain is about to explode, but at least I'm not dead yet.
"Are you awake?" Killian asks. I recognize the voice of my alpha. He can't be standing that far away from me.
"Barely," I reply. "That was a powerful hit to my head..."
"You will live," Killian says. "But the same can't be said for your mate. We captured him yesterday, and now we are trying to figure out how to kill him in the most brutal way possible."
"You caught... William?"
"Yes, it seems your mate doesn't know how to control his fairy abilities, and with the help of an injection, William shrank. Drugs do wonders to help you win your battles."
"Shrank?" I croak.
"Why don't you see for yourself?" Killian snickers. "I'm heading upstairs to plan for the murdering of your mate. In the meantime, why don't you share a few loving words with each other? Your mate tried to save you, but even William can't defeat an entire pack of werewolves."
Killian leaves me alone. I can hear him stomping his way up a pair of metal stairs. As soon as he is gone, I try to blink back proper eyesight and groan at the pain coming from the back of my head.
"William?" I groan again. "Holy shit, how hard did the idiots hit me? I'm having a terrible migraine."
"I'm not having the best day either..."
I fall silent at the tone of William's voice. It sounds lower and sheepish. I use my sheer willpower to let my eyes roam around the room, from shelf to shelf, wall to wall.
My eyes eventually land on a birdcage. It's oval-shaped with metal bars, and William's legs are dangling out from it. He offers me a slight wave, looking ashamed of himself.
"Hello..."
I blink. "You're tiny..."
William is the size of a finger, reminding me of Tinker Bell.
There is glitter around his iridescent wings, and his skin seems flawless from far away. He is gorgeous; even the blue flowers in his antlers are cast in an enchanting glow.
"They drugged me, and I can't control my size-changing abilities. I'm stuck as a tiny fairy," William averts his eyes. "The wings are nice, and I could flee from here, but I would be killed instantly. Swatted like a fly."
I try to stand up. I want to study William from a closer perspective but frown when I realize I'm chained to the wall.
William grimaces. "They didn't joke around with the chains. You're tiny, yet they felt the need to chain your arms and legs."
I snort. "I don't think you should call anyone tiny right now."
"That's true." William scratches the back of his head, eyeing me cautiously. He seems wary of me. "It is a little freaky being this small. Josh wanted to play with me earlier, but Killian didn't allow him."
I lift an eyebrow. "Why not?"
"Killian was afraid Josh would kill me on the spot, and that would be terrible for Killian since he wishes to torture me in front of his entire pack. It's his revenge after I killed so many Crescent pack members."
"I see... By the way, why aren't you freaking out right now?"
"I'm still drugged, sweetheart."
I laugh out loud. "Right."
"Once the drugs wear off, it will be terrible being this size. I already find you intimidating and scary."
"Me?"
"Yeah, you're suddenly a breathing skyscraper."
I smirk at him. "It's karma getting you good. You've been tall and beautiful for too long... Well, you're still beautiful, but you get my point."
William breathes a laugh, shaking his head. "Flirting even though we are locked up and about to die, huh?"
"It keeps me calm," I admit, hugging my knees to my body. "I rarely flirt, but it helps me think about brighter things than beheading."
William falls silent. The sound of water dripping down from the moss-covered walls is the only thing I focus on before my mate eventually speaks in a gentle voice.
"You could get us away from here."
I lift my chin. "How?"
William gives me a gentle smile. "By not underestimating yourself. You're a werewolf—you could easily break those chains if you shape-shifted."
I snort at him. "I'm not that strong!"
"How do you know without having even tried?"
I stare at William. He is dangling his legs and smiling softly. His small stature gives me a powerful urge to protect and hold him, but those thoughts get interrupted by the door opening.
"Oh, Williaaaaam..."
Josh's voice makes me shudder. I already fear for William's life, and my heart races inside my chest. It doesn't bid well that the werewolf bully is down here.
What is Josh planning to do?
I stop breathing, eyeing Josh as he smirks at me. "Those chains look good on you, mutt, but I'm here for your boyfriend. Now that William can't defend himself, I will have some fun with him."
I gulp, and Josh turns around.
"Now, let's see that little fairy..."
William's face is paling, his eyes wavering with unspoken fear when Josh's shadow is cast upon his cage. I try to escape from my chains, but there is no use.
"Don't hurt him!" I shout, despite knowing Josh doesn't care. So I quickly add. "Your brother wanted William alive!"
Josh is opening the birdcage with his thick, clumsy fingers. He ignores me, pinching one of William's wings between his digits. William screams when Josh rips away the wing as if it's made of paper.
A panic attack shoots through me when I see my mate in pain. I can sense William's distress like my own, and fear is replaced with anger once Josh lifts William out of the cage. He is dangling Willian in the air like a ragdoll, laughing at his tiny body.
"To think I was afraid of you. You're smaller than my fingers, entirely helpless," Josh sounds amused. "Let's have some fun."
Josh curls his fingers around William, probably breaking a few ribs. Satisfaction is washed over Josh's features while William's face looks red and purple as he can't breathe.
William is hopelessly trying to escape from Josh's clutches, but it serves no use; Josh is too big, too darn strong.
"You're killing him!" I yell. "Stop that!"
Josh is still ignoring me; his eyes are too invested in William's struggles to pay me any notice.
He is probably thinking about a suitable way to humiliate William, not that he needs to suffer anymore; I deem William is already miserable about the entire situation.
"I never thought there would come a time for me to get my revenge; today must be my lucky day," Josh laughs deep when William makes a gagging sound. "What's the matter, William? Not quite as powerful as usual, are you?"
William closes his eyes in pain, and when I can no longer hear him breathing, I can't sit idle. Frustration is coursing through my veins, along with anger and adrenaline. I shape-shift faster than ever and lunge for Josh without thinking twice about it.
The chains break from the walls, unable to hold me as I jump over Josh. He releases William as he collides with the floor, and the fairy tumbles away from Josh's hand.
I sink my teeth into Josh's arm while he is distracted by his injury, hoping it will give William some time to gather himself.
"Fuck..." Josh groans. "You little bitch! How dare you bite me? This will leave a fucking scar!"
I don't have time to stick around. My nose seeks William, and I lick him to check on him, make sure my tiny mate is okay. He breathes a laugh and grabs my fur to hoist himself up from the floor.
"My lifesaver," Wiliam's voice is gentle, tired. "You're my hero now."
I would blush if I could. My heart is swelling with pride for saving my mate, who sits on my neck area. The size difference is funny. I feel like a giant when William's tiny hands clutch my fur, but whatever.
As soon as William is secured, I bolt for the door, eager to get away from Josh. I have to save us both!
"You won't get far!" Josh yells. "There are guards everywhere!"
"Don't listen to him," William tells me in a weak voice. He is bleeding and panting but holding on to his consciousness. "We are dead if we stay here, so we might as well give it our all to escape!"
I growl my response, agreeing with my mate. I'm a rogue at the moment, a werewolf without a place to call home, but I've never experienced such a bone-deep instinct to survive. It's time to fight back!