Alina’s POV

"Emily, let go of me."

I wrench my arm free from her iron grip, my skin stinging where her nails had dug in. My chest heaves as I glare at her. "Everything you just said is insane. You’re talking about Lucian like he’s yours to claim. I thought you came here to taunt me, but you’re actually serious?" Confusion bleeds into my voice. "Aren’t you married to Aiden?"

A jagged, bitter laugh tears from Emily’s throat, her eyes gleaming with something wild and unhinged.

She doesn’t answer right away. Instead, she saunters over to the small counter, her heels clicking sharply against the cold stone floor. With deliberate grace, she lifts the food tray and pushes the heavy iron gate open, stepping inside my cell as if she owns every inch of it.

"You should eat," she says, her lips curving into a sweet, poisonous smile.

I stare at the tray with disgust. "I’m not hungry. Take it away."

Her smile doesn’t falter. "Why? Afraid I poisoned it?" She lets out a soft, mocking laugh. "Why would I do something so boring? I just became Luna of this pack. What fun would it be if you died so easily, Alina?" Her voice drops, dripping with venom. "I won’t be satisfied until I’ve made you suffer."

My hands curl into fists at my sides. "What exactly did I ever do to you, Emily? I didn’t choose to marry Aiden. I was forced into it. You have him now—so what more do you want from me?"

Emily’s eyes narrow, the false sweetness vanishing from her face.

"You still don’t get it," she hisses, stepping closer. "You think you can take Lucian away from me. I will never let that happen."

A disbelieving scoff escapes me. "You’re fucking insane. Why Lucian? Is this how badly you want to be me?" My voice rises with frustration. "I thought you loved Aiden."

"Love?" Emily throws her head back and laughs—a sharp, manic sound that echoes off the damp walls and sends a chill racing down my spine. "I never loved Aiden. Not for a single second. I wanted the power that comes with being Luna. But Lucian..." Her gaze turns dark and hungry. "He’s the only one my heart has ever truly wanted."

I raise an eyebrow, unable to hide my shock.

"What did he see in you," she continues, her tone turning vicious, "that made him refuse to touch me? Because of you, Alina."

The words hit like ice water.

"Lucian is my mate," I say quietly, the truth finally slipping free. My voice hardens. "He doesn’t belong to you."

Emily’s expression twists into something ugly. She takes another step forward, close enough that I can smell the heavy floral scent of her perfume.

"You have no idea what I’m capable of," she whispers, her breath brushing against my face. "Right now, you’re in a prison cell. But next time... it could be your deathbed." She straightens up, smoothing down her dress with elegant fingers. "I’m done talking. Eat if you want to survive another day."

She drops the tray onto the filthy floor with a loud clatter. The metal plate rattles, and the scent of lukewarm stew wafts up, turning my stomach.

As she turns to leave, one last question burns in my throat.

"Where is Leo?" I asked, my voice barely steady.

Emily paused at the gate, glancing over her shoulder with a sickly sweet smile. "You don’t have to worry. Your son is in my care." She winked, her eyes sparkling with false innocence. "I’m not that heartless to harm a child."

Then she was gone, the heavy gate clanging shut behind her, leaving only the echo of her heels fading down the corridor.

I stood there for a long moment, heart pounding. I have to get out of here. The thought repeated like a desperate chant in my head. No matter what it took, I couldn’t stay trapped in this damp, suffocating cell.

My gaze dropped to the tray on the floor. My stomach let out a loud, painful growl, twisting with hunger. I hesitated, then slowly crouched down. She wouldn’t really poison me... not yet. Not when she wanted to enjoy my suffering.

I picked up the spoon with trembling fingers and took a bite. The warm stew slid down my throat, and before I knew it, I was devouring everything—scraping the plate clean and draining the bottle of water in desperate gulps.

Exhausted, I dragged myself onto the thin mattress in the corner. The springs creaked under my weight. I curled up, staring at the cracked ceiling, feeling the cold stone walls closing in around me. Powerless. Trapped.

I squeezed my eyes shut, whispering silently to myself, Please let this all be a terrible dream. Please let tomorrow be different.

Sleep came in fragments, restless and shallow.

A deep, guttural growl ripped through the silence, jolting me awake. My heart slammed against my ribs. More growls followed—ferocious, animalistic—mixed with distant cries and the sound of running feet.

Then, violent banging exploded against the heavy wooden door.

"Who’s there?" I cried out, terror sharpening my voice as I scrambled backward on the bed.

The pounding grew more savage. Wood splintered. Metal groaned in protest. With one final, thunderous crash, the door exploded inward in a shower of splinters.

Lucian stormed through the wreckage, chest heaving, eyes blazing with raw fury and worry. The moment his gaze locked on mine, something inside me cracked.

"Lucian..." My voice broke as tears spilled down my cheeks.

He crossed the cell in three powerful strides. With a savage snarl, he gripped the iron gate and ripped it clean off its hinges, the metal screaming in protest. Before I could say another word, he pulled me into his arms, crushing me against his chest.

His embrace was fierce, almost desperate—like he feared I might disappear if he let go. I clung to him just as tightly, burying my face in his shirt, breathing in his familiar scent. For the first time since this nightmare began, I felt safe.

"Are you okay?" he whispered roughly against my hair, his voice thick with emotion.

I could only nod, too overwhelmed to speak.

He finally pulled back just enough to look at me, his hands framing my face. "How... how did you know I was in trouble?" I asked, tears streaming freely now. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Lucian’s jaw tightened. "I told you—we’re bonded. My wolf wouldn’t let me rest. I tried calling you, but nothing. When I went to your house and found it empty, I knew something was wrong." His eyes darkened with fury. "I’ll fucking kill Aiden for this."

"Lucian, please... just get me out of here," I begged.

He gave a sharp nod and took my hand, his grip warm and steady. I stayed close behind him as we moved through the dimly lit corridor. Several guards lay sprawled on the ground, groaning and bloodied, but still breathing. Lucian had shown mercy—barely.

The moment we stepped outside into the cool night air, Emily appeared, blocking our path. Her perfectly styled hair was slightly disheveled, and her face twisted from shock to pure rage.

"What the hell do you think you’re doing, Alina?" she spat, her voice dripping with venom. "Escaping with a rogue? Do you know what that makes you? A traitor. You’ll be hunted for the rest of your life!"

I barely heard her. My eyes scanned the area desperately.

"Where is Leo?" I demanded, my voice cutting through her threats like a blade. I didn’t care about her warnings, her power, or her rage.

I only cared about my son.

"Are you that dumb, Alina?" Emily sneered, flashing her sharp fangs. "You really think you can just escape and take Leo with you? You won’t be able to do that."

Lucian stepped in front of me, his body tense and ready.

"Don’t start a fight you won’t finish, Emily," he warned, his voice low and dangerous.

"You shouldn’t be here, Lucian," Emily spat, her face twisted with anger. "You crossed a boundary you should never have crossed. You swore you would never come back here, but here you are... because of that woman."

She practically growled the last words.

"This has nothing to do with you, Emily," Lucian said calmly. "Step aside and let us pass."

"I can’t leave without my son," I said, looking up at him.

Lucian shook his head. "Let’s go, Alina. You can come back for him later."

I yanked my hand free from his grip. There was no way I was leaving without Leo.

"This is the only way," he added, his voice urgent. "They won’t give you Leo right now."

"You should listen to him, Alina," Emily said with a mocking smile. "Either you leave without your son, or you stay here as a prisoner... but at least you’ll still be with him."

"I want my son," I replied without hesitation.

Emily’s smile widened, clearly amused. "I guess you aren’t all that stupid after all." She jerked her head toward the prison. "Get back inside. Now."

I turned to go.

"What are you doing, Alina?" Lucian growled, anger flashing in his eyes. "I can’t let you go back in there. I came to get you, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do."

Before I could respond, he scooped me up into his arms.

"Lucian, let her go!" Aiden’s voice thundered across the clearing. He stepped out of the shadows with a large group of warriors behind him. We were badly outnumbered.

"I will not," Lucian replied, holding me tighter. "You don’t get to treat my queen like a slave. She is mine, and I won’t let her stay here even for one more second."

Aiden’s eyes darkened. "You know I had many chances to kill you years ago. Today, I won’t let that opportunity slip away."

Lucian let out a jagged, mocking laugh.

"Lucian, please... let’s not do this. Put me down," I begged.

"Get him!" Aiden roared.

Lucian spun me around protectively. "Alina, goodnight," he whispered.

He smashed something hard against the ground. Thick white smoke exploded everywhere, burning my eyes and filling my lungs. My vision blurred. The world tilted.

Then everything went dark.