A caged Marriage

Chapter5 : A Letter and a Decision

Zoey’s POV

The letter arrived in the early hours of the morning, slipped under the door by one of the maids. I had barely opened my eyes when I saw it sitting there, the envelope worn and edges slightly smudged, as though it had traveled a long way. My hands shook as I picked it up, recognizing my grandmother’s handwriting immediately.

I tore it open, my heart racing, and read the words that would shatter me completely.

My dear Zoey,

I don’t have much time left. The sickness has spread too far, and I fear I won’t last long. I’ve tried to hold on, waiting for the day I could see you again, but it seems the Moon Goddess has other plans.

Please, Zoey, come home. I need to see you, just one last time. I need to know you’re alright before I leave this world. I love you, my little one.

With all my heart,

Grandma

Tears spilled down my cheeks, blurring the ink on the page. I hadn’t seen her in two years. Two whole years of being trapped in this palace, away from the only family I had left. And now she was dying, calling out for me, begging me to come home.

I folded the letter carefully and tucked it under my pillow before heading outside. My chest felt heavy, weighed down by grief, guilt, and something else I couldn’t quite place.

The lake behind the palace was calm, the water shimmering under the soft morning sun. It had always been my favorite spot, a place where I could escape from the suffocating walls of the palace and Lyon’s cold presence. But today, even the peace of the lake couldn’t soothe me.

I pressed a hand to my stomach, the weight of the new life growing inside me filling me with even more confusion. I had just discovered I was pregnant, and I had planned to tell Lyon today. Not because I wanted to, but because I knew he had a right to know.

But now?

How could I stay here, knowing my grandmother was dying without ever seeing me again? And yet, how could I leave, knowing I was carrying Lyon’s child?

I stared at the rippling water, my mind racing. There was no way Lyon would let me leave—not even for a short visit. He hadn’t even allowed me to write to her, let alone see her. To him, my ties to my old life didn’t matter. The moment I became his wife, I belonged to him and him alone.

I clenched my fists, anger bubbling up inside me. How dare he take everything from me? My freedom, my grandmother, my choices… And now, my child would be born into this cage of a life.

No.

I wouldn’t let that happen. I wouldn’t let my grandmother die without seeing me one last time, and I wouldn’t let my child grow up under Lyon’s control.

I had to escape.

The thought was terrifying, but it was the only option. I would wait for the right moment, gather what little I needed, and leave this place behind. I didn’t know how far I’d get or what Lyon would do if he found me, but I couldn’t let fear hold me back.

As I sat there, staring out at the lake, I whispered a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess.

“Give me the strength to do this,” I murmured, pressing a hand to my stomach. “For my grandmother. For this baby. For me.”

One way or another, I was going home.

Lyon’s Pov. 

i haven’t heard Zoey humming or smelt her vanilla scent as she passed my room today and it felt awkward , Was she locking herself up again like she did when we first got married ? 

But I pushed it aside. Whatever was bothering her, she would speak when she was ready—or when I decided to demand it.

Suddenly, a loud commotion echoed through the hall. The heavy door to my study burst open, and a maid stumbled in, her face pale and streaked with tears.

“Alpha! The Luna… she’s gone!” she wailed, her voice trembling with fear.

I stood immediately, the chair scraping against the floor as I moved. “What do you mean she’s gone?” My voice was low, deadly calm, but the storm brewing inside me was anything but.

The maid sobbed harder, wringing her hands. “She’s missing, Alpha! The guards can’t find her anywhere, and her room… her room is empty!”

The words hit me like a punch to the chest. For a moment, I stood frozen, disbelief coursing through me. Then the anger came, hot and consuming, roaring to life like a wildfire.

“She left?” I growled, my voice reverberating through the room. The maid flinched, shrinking back.

“Yes, Alpha. It… it seems she’s run away.”

The realization sent a wave of fury crashing over me. How dare she? How dare she try to leave me? She was mine—my Luna, my wife. Did she think she could escape me, that she could just disappear and I wouldn’t come for her?

I slammed my fist onto the desk, the wood splintering beneath the force. “Burn down the roads if you have to!” I roared, the sound shaking the walls. “Search every village, every forest, every shadow until she’s found!”

The maid nodded frantically, scurrying out of the room as I began barking orders to the gu ards who had gathered outside.

“Triple the patrols! Block every exit out of this territory! Send scouts to the neighboring packs and bribe whoever you need to. I want her found immediately.” My voice was cold and sharp, leaving no room for argument.

They scrambled to obey, and I paced the room, my chest heaving with rage. Images of Zoey filled my mind—her soft defiance, her rare smiles, the way she looked at me like I wasn’t the monster everyone else saw.

Why did she leave?

I clenched my fists, trying to tamp down the unfamiliar ache in my chest. It didn’t matter why. What mattered was that she was mine, and no one, not even Zoey herself, could change that.

“Zoey,” I muttered under my breath, her name like a curse and a plea all at once. “You’ll regret running from me.”