Freda's POV
I thought I had a chance. I thought I could make it. But the moment my feet hit the forest floor, I knew I wasn’t fast enough.
They caught me.
A sharp blow to the back of my head sent me tumbling to the ground. My vision blurred as I fought against the darkness threatening to consume me. Rough hands grabbed my arms, yanking me to my feet. I thrashed, kicking and biting, but they were too strong.
The guards didn’t take me back to the infirmary or the maids' chambers. Instead, they dragged me to a secluded part of the pack’s land—a place I had never seen before. The scent of damp stone and blood filled my nostrils as they shoved me into a cold, windowless room. A dungeon.
I hit the ground hard, scraping my palms on the rough stone floor. The door slammed shut behind me with a deafening clang. I scrambled to my feet and threw myself against it, pounding with all my strength. "Please! Let me out! You don’t have to do this!"
The guards didn’t respond. Their retreating footsteps echoed down the corridor before silence swallowed everything.
Panic clawed at my throat. I turned, scanning the small space. No windows. No furniture. Just darkness. My breathing turned shallow. They were going to kill me. They were going to kill my baby.
Minutes passed. Or maybe hours. My body trembled as exhaustion weighed me down, but I refused to let it consume me. I needed to escape. I needed to think.
Then, I heard them.
Footsteps. Slow. Purposeful.
The door creaked open, and Helen Ashbourne stepped inside, her eyes gleaming with triumph.
"You really thought you could escape, didn’t you?" Her voice dripped with amusement as she stalked toward me. "You’ve always been too cunning for your own good, Freda. But not cunning enough."
I clenched my fists, willing myself not to cower. "Why are you doing this? What do you want?"
Helen tilted her head, a cruel smile spreading across her lips. "Did you really think I’d let you leave with Willard’s child? That I’d allow a bastard to challenge my grandchild’s future?"
I recoiled as her words sliced through me.
"But don’t worry," she continued, her voice sickeningly sweet. "We have a different plan now. One that requires you alive—for now."
I swallowed hard. "What plan?"
She chuckled and turned toward the door. "You’ll find out soon enough. Get some rest, dear. You’ll need it."
With that, she was gone, the heavy door locking behind her.
I staggered back, my mind racing. They weren’t going to kill me yet. But why? What could they possibly want with me and my child?
A voice stirred in my head, soft but strong. We will get through this, my wolf whispered. You are not alone.
I took a shaky breath, placing a protective hand over my stomach. She was right. I couldn’t give up. Not now.
Days passed. Maybe weeks. Each day was the same. The guards brought food and water, but no one spoke to me. Pack doctors checked on me regularly, ensuring my health—but never answering my questions.
They wanted me alive. They wanted my baby to be healthy. But why?
Time became meaningless. My only companions were the echo of my own thoughts and the quiet strength of my unborn child. I spoke to them—both my wolf and my baby—whispering promises of survival, of escape, of vengeance.
Then, everything changed.
Pain ripped through me, sudden and unrelenting. I gasped, clutching my belly as the first contraction hit. It was too soon.
The door burst open. The doctor rushed in, followed by Helen. I tried to resist, tried to fight, but the pain was too much. My body betrayed me, forcing me into the depths of labor.
Hours blurred together. I screamed until my throat was raw. My body trembled, wracked with agony. Then, finally, a cry pierced the suffocating air. My baby’s cry.
I reached out, but the doctor stepped away, cradling my child in their arms. I barely had the strength to lift my head, but I saw it—saw them pass my baby to Helen.
"No," I croaked, my vision swimming. "Please… give me my baby."
Helen smirked, rocking the newborn in her arms as if she had won. "Such a fragile little thing," she murmured, looking down at the baby. "Much better suited for a family that actually deserves it."
Terror gripped me. "What are you doing?" My voice cracked as I tried to push myself up, my body weak from the blood loss. "You can’t take my baby!"
Helen turned her cold gaze on me. "Oh, but I can. This child will be raised where it belongs. Not by a disgrace like you."
Rage boiled in my veins, but I couldn’t move. I could barely breathe. "Please," I whispered, my vision swimming with unshed tears. "You don’t have to do this."
Helen’s smile widened as she handed my baby to the doctor. "Proceed with the plan," she ordered.
I struggled, trying to crawl toward them, but the doctor pressed a needle into my arm. "No!" I gasped, but my body betrayed me, going limp as the drug surged through my veins.
Helen leaned in one last time, her voice a poisonous whisper. "You will finally face your fate soon. Goodbye, Freda."
Darkness threatened to take me, but I fought it, forcing my eyes to stay open. "You won’t get away with this," I whispered, my voice hoarse.
Helen chuckled, her expression full of cruel satisfaction. "Oh, dear. I already have."
The last thing I heard was my baby’s cry fading into the distance.
And then, everything went black.
