Red Cape: Part20

It was dark when I woke up. So dark that I couldn't see a thing. It was damp too. I could hear the drip of water close by and someone breathing.
I held by breath, making sure it wasn't just me, and I could hear his breath. I knew who it was, he growled slight as he breathed, and he was pacing. As he passed me, he scent came my way.
"Scruff" I called out, my voice sounding weaker than I hoped, as I rolled onto my back. I could see better now, rolling into the glare of a lamp.
A wolf sat guard by the lamp, staring at me. His tongue was lolled out the side of his mouth and his dark brown eyes were wide. He was nothing more than a pup.
I sat up, ignoring the pain in my shoulder, to find about 10 other wolves staring at me. We were all in cells, caged up like vermin, and I was in a cell with two others. Both wolves.
I screamed at the sight of the one that was pacing. I had thought he was Scruff but they were brothers so of course they would smell similar.
"Fang?" I uttered as he came towards me.
"Are you hurt?" He asked then sniffed my arm.
"It'll be fine" I mused.
"Of course it will, you're a wolf." He grinned then got closer. His face so close to mine. "Alina and Scruff are going to get help but they'll be back, I'm sure they will"
I nodded. "How long have I been out?"
"A day" He replied walking away.
"Hey, kid" The other wolf in our cell called to the young wolf. She was a small old wolf with grey fur and a grey muzzle but she held her head high and didn't let on that her left front paw was hurting. I could tell this by the way she put it down slowly and when it was on the ground then she'd roll the side of her lip up.
"Any chance of getting some food round here?" She growled when she had gotten his attention.
He bowed slightly then grinned. "No chance at all."
She growled again, viciously now, but Fang stood before her.
"Not going to help" He said and she nodded.
"We just all hungry, I need to look after my pack, Fangie" She replied with a sigh.
"I know you do but there is nothing we can do yet. Now, come and meet Nova" He smiled, swerving her in my direction. When they stopped before me he declared, "Nova, this is my grandmother"
"So you are the one that stole the heart of our Scruffy" She smiled.
I nodded. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that." I grinned then said, "What happened to your paw?"
She shrugged it off. "Oh just trod on a stick"
I held my hand out. "May I have a look?"
She looked at Fang, who nodded, then held out her paw to me. I took it in my hand and felt straight away what was bothering her. It was a splinter and quite a large one. I pulled it out quickly, trying to give her the least pain, then held it up for her to see.
"Thank you" She replied, resting her paw tenderly on the ground.
"Now, lets get out of here" I smiled, standing slowly. On weary legs I moved towards the door of the cell. "Hey, Pup. Where are your parents? Do they know you're down here?"
He looked at me again. "Yeah, they told me to" He said.
"But do you want to do it?" I asked.
"No?" He asked, unsure.
"Exactly, no you don't. You are much better than this, Kid. What's your name?"
"Miguel" He smiled. "I'm Miguel"
"Miguel, I need you to do me a favour, Sweetie. If you open these cells then we'll help you" I smiled.
He grinned back then shook his head. "I've heard about you, Miss. My mumma told me all about you. You're a sweet talker, she said, you capture people with your words and you're not going to do it with me" He growled.
"Miguel, please help us" I begged but he just shook his head.
"Stubborn kid, isn't he?" Fang growled from beside me.
"Very" I replied.
"Doesn't he know what I do to stubborn little kids like him?" Fang asked, growling slightly.
I guess we were both hoping Miguel would open the cell but no, instead he watched us closely. Then howled.