14

Scarlett

I pressed myself against the cold stone wall of my cell, feeling hatred burning through my veins. My initial rage at Vanessa had been misplaced. It was Rebecca who had orchestrated my baby’s death. The truth of it clawed at my insides, demanding vengeance.

How should I kill her? Slow and excruciating, so she knows each breath she took cost me something I loved. I want her to feel the claws of regret that now scar my insides. Each moment of my child’s lost life will echo through her suffering.

“I’m such a useless wolf,” Ray whimpered through our mindlink, her voice thick with shame. “If only I were strong enough to stand against the Alpha—”

“It was never your fault,” I replied silently, feeling her anguish echo my own. “We were strong once. Something changed us, weakened us.”

“I still don’t understand how I became an omega,” Ray murmured. “I was stronger than most betas, but now…” She hesitated. “I’m nothing. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect us. I couldn’t protect the child.”

“I’ve never blamed you, and I never will.” My fingers curled against the stone. “I thought Finn would help restore our strength, but that was just another foolish dream.”

“Rest, Scarlett,” Ray advised gently. “We have a long fight ahead of us.”

“You’re right.”

I lay down on the unforgiving floor, shivering as the cold seeped into my bones.

---

The Next Day

I was awoken by the opening of the cell. I slowly opened my eyes to meet the gaze of an angry alpha.

“Glad to see you again,” he grinned. I met his gaze with dead eyes. “Happy to see me, bitch?”

“Yes,” I responded with a sneer. “So happy to see you, dear husband.”

“Husband?” He crouched down, bringing his face close to mine. “You’re nothing but a pawn. You should have stayed hidden, lived like a ghost. Instead, you committed an unforgivable sin.”

“I don’t regret it. I’d kill her again if given the chance.” I spat in his face.

He wiped my saliva away slowly, deliberately, before rising to his feet.

“You’re crueler than I ever imagined. The man who gave you to me—he kept this side of you hidden. He warned me of your spirit, but not that you’d dare take what mattered most.”

He walked away from me, and when he returned, he carried a metal rod that made my blood run cold.

“Scared?” His lips curled into a cruel smile.

“No,” I lied, provoking him further. “I—”

The rod came down before I could finish speaking. Pain exploded across my back, tearing a sob from my throat. Another blow followed, ripping through my skin. I squeezed my eyes shut as tears streamed down my face.

“Scream,” he howled. “I want to hear you scream in pain.” He began to hit me heavily. “I want you to beg for mercy.”

I only whimpered, refusing to give him the satisfaction. When he finally tired, he tossed the rod aside with disgust. “You crazy bitch. I’ll break you soon.”

He was still talking when someone approached the cell.

“Who?” he snarled.

“Beta Henry, Alpha,” came the response.

“What are you doing here?”

“There’s an emergency requiring your immediate attention.”

“What kind of emergency requires my attention?” he howled. “Why can’t you see to it, Beta? It’s your job. Do it.”

“This needs the Alpha’s presence,” Henry insisted. “It’s beyond my authority.”

Dickson fell silent before growling, “You’re lucky, bitch. We’ll continue this later.”

When his footsteps faded, I let out a sigh—soft and bitter, laced with the pain of every lash. Days blurred together after that. My wolf slowly healed my wounds, but without food or water, my strength waned. The darkness of the cell became my only companion until an unexpected visitor arrived.

“Luna?” a voice called, a voice I never thought I’d hear again. “Are you alright?”

“Alisha?” I could barely believe my ears. “What are you doing here?” I asked with the little strength I had left.

“I’m here to check on you.”

“What about everyone?” I asked.

“They were probably sleeping, Luna.”

“Hmm. You should go back.”

“I’m so sorry,” she apologized.

“Why? Why are you apologizing, Alisha? You didn’t put me here.”

“Luna, I feel responsible. If I hadn’t gone on that errand, you wouldn’t have lost your baby.”

I stared at her. She wore the look of guilt. “I don’t blame you. Even if you didn’t go, she would still try another means to hurt me. What about her? That maid who served me the poison?”

She sighed before replying, “Found dead in the woods.”

I gasped. “She killed her?”

“Who?” Alisha asked.

“Rebecca. She was the one who sent her to poison me because she wanted to get rid of Vanessa. She used me to kill her.”

“What?” Alisha gasped, her eyes widened in shock, her hand flying to her mouth. “I can’t believe it. That bitch.” She clenched her teeth. “I thought it was Mistress Vanessa who killed the baby.”

“Yes, I thought she was the one who killed my child. But Rebecca told me everything.” I paused. “I have no regrets about taking her life, as she is also evil. While she may spare me now, I am certain she will try to harm me in the future.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“You need to leave, Alisha,” I urged, worried. “I don’t want Dickson finding you here.”

“Don’t worry, Luna. The Alpha’s been out of the pack for two weeks. I brought you food.” My stomach clenched at the sight, and I quickly began eating. “Eat slowly, Luna.”

“Hmmm.” After finishing, she handed me water. I drank eagerly. “Thank you, Alisha.”

“You don’t have to. You must have suffered a lot, Luna.”

“I have,” I admitted, “but I’ll come out stronger.”

She looked down, not wanting to meet my gaze. “What is wrong?”

“I overheard Mistress Rebecca saying you’ll be executed when the Alpha returns.”

“What?” I felt my heart sink. “No. I can’t die. Not before she does.”

I needed to kill her. I wanted her to be in a pool of her own blood. She must die before me. I needed to get out of here.

“Where are the guards, Alisha?”

“The guards?” she repeated. “I saw no one when I was coming down here.”

“Really?” I was confused. Was it possible for him not to assign any guard to watch me?

“Yes. I guess the Alpha didn’t assign them to watch over you,” Alisha said.

“But why?” I questioned, still thinking about what the mighty Alpha was planning.

“Maybe he thinks you don’t know the pack well enough to escape.”

“You’re right,” I answered. “Since I was here, I have never stepped out of the pack besides the dining hall and my room. I should be grateful he thinks so little of me. Alisha, you need to help me.”

“But how? You are still locked in, even if there isn’t a guard to watch over you.”

A plan formed in my mind. “You don’t have to worry. Get me a hairpin. I will do the rest. I need to leave this place before he comes back,” I uttered. “I can’t die, not yet.”

“Yes, Luna. Wait for me.”

When Alisha returned with the pin, I worked it into the lock with trembling fingers. The mechanism clicked, and the door swung open. I pulled off my wedding ring and left it lying in the cell – my final message to Dickson.

"Luna,” Alisha called, jumping on me.

“Easy, love. You don’t want me passing out.”

“Take this.” She gave me a black robe. “Wear this. Since it’s dark, they won’t easily notice you.”

“What about you? Are you not following me?” I asked.

“No,” she replied. “I will be staying here, Luna.”

I took her hand. “You can’t stay. He’ll kill you. Come with me.”

I tried convincing her, but Alisha insisted on staying.

“He knows I know nothing about his pack. If I escape, you will be the first suspect, and you will get killed. I don’t want to lose someone dear to me again.” She didn’t say a word.

“You should go with me, Alisha.”

“Luna…”

“Please, go with me.”

She hesitated before nodding. “Okay, let’s go.” She grabbed my hand. “Follow me closely. We need to be out of this place before they notice.”

“Won’t we encounter a guard?”

“I have a way out. Just follow me closely, Luna. Don’t let go of my hand.”

We fled into the night, keeping to the shadows. Every sound made my heart race, but we pressed on through dense forest and thorny undergrowth. My legs burned and my lungs ached, but I refused to slow down.

“Are you tired?” she inquired.

“No. We should keep going. We need to get out of this place.”

“We should have changed into our wolves, but they could easily catch the scent of our wolves.”

“Where is this place?” I asked as we ran deeper.

“The forbidden area. They won’t expect this route. Are you afraid?” Alisha whispered as we dared deeper into the forbidden zone.

I smiled grimly. “Fear is a luxury I can’t afford. This isn’t an escape – it’s a tactical retreat. I’ll be back, Alisha. Rebecca will pay for my child’s death in blood.”