The Wolf Cult
Fasting

Jaelynn tore at her hair as she swatted away yet another mosquito. They had stopped giving her the shots, and she felt so irritable. Doubts filled her head about the integrity of her mate and mocked her every time she thought about becoming a wolf. Just then, she heard a howl far off in the distance, and she immediately slapped herself. She shook with fists full of hair as she tried to shut out the memories of her integration ceremony. She hit herself again to punish herself for thinking such forbidden thoughts.

Jaelynn felt paranoid. She felt like every chirp of a cricket and howl of a dog would alert the compound of what she thought. It didn’t help that the people who stayed in the tents and campers always kept an eye on her from a distance. As if they are waiting for me to run. I could run… She thought, but the sudden shout from deep in the compound caused her to erase that thought. They are always watching even though they keep their distance from her.

Only Kelsey, Chasity, and Marshal got close enough to touch her other than her mate. She hadn’t noticed this until yesterday when she had tried to take a box from Joshua, and he scolded her not to touch him. She looked at him with a confused look and then heard Daren call for her to come to him.

Jaelynn remembered how he pulled her to him and breathed in the scent at the crevice of her neck, causing her to feel excited. “Is my mate running away with my Beta?” Nervous, she quickly shook her head no. “Don’t let the boys get too close to you, okay, moonlight?”

Later I told Kelsey what had happened, and with a shock look on her face, she explained the protectiveness of mates. She still couldn’t believe Daren hadn’t lost his temper. She told Jaelynn horror stories as she taught her how to sew. It didn’t sound like the Daren Jaelynn knew, losing tempers, starting fights, stricter with reprimands. Apparently, he had become calmer since Jaelynn came to the compound. Kelsey explained that he’s been very busy with the arrangements for the changing ceremony, and his eagerness may have calmed him down.

Jaelynn asked many questions about the changing ceremony, but Kelsey and Chasity couldn’t tell her much more. Every moon, they were locked away from everyone in the compound, but they said they could still hear the chanting and the changing and then the howling. They refused to talk much about the previous girls, but they did mention that they weren’t allowed to speak to them again after the ceremony. Sometimes they can spot a changed girl in the crowds when everyone gathers at the compound.

This helped Jaelynn to believe in the pack. Kelsey and Chasity were so convinced about the compound it didn’t make sense for her not to be. Her constant feeling of fear also drove her to believe in werewolves. She knew she would be reprimanded if she acted out of line. Given that she was yanked from her reality and placed here, she felt little comfort every day. Thinking of just obeying her mate and knowing she wouldn’t be punished curved the constant fear that would bubble in her chest from time to time.

The drugs helped with the fear, and the voices in her head that gave her doubt. She scratched her head in frustration at the thought of the drugs Marshall had been giving her routinely until recently. They made her brain feel so foggy she couldn’t think straight, which meant she couldn’t think about worrying. So Jaelynn felt a sense of happiness as it warmed her cheeks. Now she felt like she was being deprived. She was robbed of a bath, food, and Marshall’s sweet concoction.

Tossing on her patch of grass, she froze as she heard a shout echo through the woods. Then several men’s voices smashed together as they all spoke in murmurs. The man sounded pissed as his voice got closer to the compound. “I ain’t do nothing wrong!” His voice came in clearly.

“Take him to the post,” the familiar voice caused Jaelynn to see what was happening excitedly. Daren is back from his night run.

“Daren!”

“No! You fucking listen to orders the first time! You cost us.” There was a sudden thud sound and then gasps for air. “Take care of him,” Jaelynn could hear Daren say somewhere deep among the makeshift homes. He quickly emerge into sight.

The man found his breath again and began to scream. Jaelynn wanted to ask Daren what was happening, but she was sure he would scold her for being noisy. Plus, the pissed expression made Jaelynn want to cower away. Especially when it landed on her. He marched straight to her. “Did we wake you?”

“No, I- I couldn’t sleep.”

Daren petted down her wild hair and gave her a concerning look over. Jaelynn was faintly aware of some betas headed towards the house, but she didn’t bother to look their way. Jaelynn looked toward Daren, trying to absorb as much comfort as possible before he was off again. She wished she could crawl into his arms as she had after her reprimanding and pretend like she was safe again.

“Marshal, let’s get her something to drink,” he shouted toward the group of men who were now on the porch, about to enter the house.

“Sure thing, boss.”

Daren turned his attention to Jaelynn. “You need your sleep.” He patted her cheek with the back of his hand as Marshall returned with a glass. He handed it to Jaelynn, and she gave him a quick thanks before taking a sip. It had a hint of vanilla to it.

Jaelynn quickly downed the glass, feeling her stomach feel at ease and warmth come to her cheeks. Daren kissed her forehead. “Get some rest.” He whispered to her softly, then walked back to the house with Marshall. She lay down with a smile on her face, no more worried about the man that was screaming.

Two days before the ceremony, Jaelynn felt so weak she could barely complete her chores. This didn’t mean Daren let her off easily from helping around the compound. “We are a pack.” He would say, “you need to pull your weight” He would scold.

She spent most of her days out in the sun. She was sunburned from head to toe. It didn’t even matter she wore clothes. The sun’s rays still found their way to her delicate white skin and turned it red as the sunset. She loathed the evening. The sunset meant that while everyone got to sleep in their warm, soft beds, she had to sleep in the grass under the stars feeling colder than she should because of the sunburn she wore that worsened as time went by.

Even worse was the time she spent with Daren became few and little. “Wait for the transformation,” he would say. “It will all be worth it.” He would remind her with a small peck, and off he was all day and sometimes the night.

She felt like she wouldn’t make it to the ceremony at this rate. Those voices in her head were at an all-time high, and she did what she could to suppress them. You will get a reprimand for thinking like that! She would scold herself and then force herself to think of happy thoughts. She didn’t allow herself to think of her past. She worried it would be too dangerous. So she clung to her future. A future where she could hide in Darren’s arms and not have to be punished. A future where he saw her as his equal.

The sun was about to set again as she loathed the idea of another night out here. She still had laundry to hang because she felt so weak it took her longer to do her chores, and here recently, they had even more tasks as they peeled potatoes, chopped carrots, and such to feed everyone at the feast before the moon.

A feast she wouldn’t be allowed to eat. The simple smells of potato juices tortured her nose and made her belly grumble. Kelsey also finally started to fast today, but peeling potato skins didn’t seem nearly as torturous as it had been for Jaelynn.

Her mind all day had been about the taste of mashed potatoes.

Breaking her train of thought, a car Jaelynn didn’t recognize flew into the dirt parking lot, and a petite girl with recognizable heels came out. She was scurrying her way to the house. It was the girl from the diner.

She acted tweaked out and nervous as she hurried to the door and walked in. Seconds later, Daren emerged from the woods. Jaelynn’s heart skipped a beat. He’s back early. She excitedly started to walk to him to begin their ritual of a few minutes of talking and kissing before he’d go off and deal with pack business.

Her feet faltered when she saw him continue to the house without glancing at her. Despite feeling rejected, she tried very hard not to let it bother her. She wouldn’t want to make him angry. He’s probably just busy.

He marched into the house, slamming the door behind him. Their voices echoed out into the woods. “That won’t be a problem, Bailey!”

“They are close to!”

“I said I got this!” He shouted. “Jaelynn will be changed soon, which won’t longer be a threat.”

There was silence. “Changed to be your mate?”

More silence. Then Jaelynn watched as the girl left the house. She hurried to her car. But then she didn’t get in; she turned to Jaelynn, watching her hang the laundry as Jaelynn stared back. Then, as quietly as she could, she tiptoed to Jaelynn.

“Hi Jaelynn, right?” She whispered to her. Jaelynn looked towards the house, saw no one was watching, and nodded her head. “I’m Bailey. Look, I have to warn you… you need to get out of here.”

Jaelynn said nothing but stopped hanging the laundry. Leave? She couldn’t leave, not when she was so close to being connected to Daren and the pack.

“But...” she whispered.

“Listen, all of this is a crock of shit! There’s no such thing as werewolves. I was in your shoes. I was meant to be his mate, but then I never went through with the ceremony. They said my body was too tainted by the heroin. I’m forced to do their bidding now. But I’m telling you. I ain’t never seen any of them shift. They take women and force them into this dynamic so they can control everything about you. You will lose yourself in this place!”

Jaelynn shook her head, not wanting to hear it. Of course, it’s true! How could she say differently?

“No..no…” Jaelynn said in denial.

“It is. It’s a crock of shit. None of it is true. The police have been doing active searches for you all in these woods. They are building a case on Daren and everyone associated with the compound. You need to get out. The cops can keep you safe. Please.”

“No!” Jaelynn shouted.

“Keep your voice down!”

“I will not. Lies are not tolerated here.” Jaelynn shouted back.

Bailey stepped away from her, realizing that Jaelynn was already committed.

“Everything okay out here?” Daren’s voice rang through the air as he stood on the porch.

Jaelynn had all the power now. She could send this woman to be reprimanded, just like she had. Instead, she gave the woman a warning look. “Everything is fine.”

Daren nodded his head and watched as Bailey left the compound. Then he walked inside without saying a word to Jaelynn. She finished hanging the last bits of clothes, feeling the pain of Daren’s rejection. She didn’t even bother to think over what Bailey had told her.

She would be with Daren soon.

Thank you so much for reading the ninth chapter of The Wolf Cult!

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