CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE

VENITA:

I found myself lying naked in Landon's basement. Chains bound my ankles and wrists, and my throat felt parched. The darkness made it challenging to see, and my body ached as I tried to adjust. "Help! Is anyone out there?" a hoarse cry escaped me, seeking any sign of life.

Struggling against the restraints, my skin scraped against the unforgiving chains. Numbness spread, making it difficult to move. Swallowing felt like wrestling with lumps in my throat, a strange taste lingering in my mouth.

With slow effort, I managed to sit up, my back meeting the cold wall. The basement had transformed. No weird weapons or wolf heads remained; it was now an empty space with chain loops on the walls. Exhaustion overwhelmed me the more I tried to stay awake.

The more I sat silently, chained, the more memories flooded in like an ocean. Memories of me becoming a wolf, my daughter calling me a monster, Landon revealing his nature to me until I lost control killing...

The steel door cracked open