The silver walls of my prison cell seemed to pulse with malevolent energy, each breath I took feeling like fire in my lungs. I couldn't remember how many days had passed—maybe two weeks, possibly three. Time had lost all meaning in this windowless hell.
My body had grown weak from the meager rations Maximilian's guards provided—stale bread crusts that tasted of mold, and water that smelled faintly of metal. The silver lining the walls was a constant torment, burning my skin whenever I accidentally brushed against it.
I curled into myself on the narrow cot, trying to conserve what little energy I had left. My thoughts drifted to my father, wondering if he was still alive, if Dr. Sophia had found another way to fund his surgery.
"Still alive, I see."
Kehlani's voice cut through my half-conscious state. I forced my eyes open to see her standing in the doorway, resplendent in a crimson dress that highlighted her curves. The Luna's jewelry glittered at her throat—jewelry that should have been mine.
"Just checking on our little Omega," she purred, stepping into the cell. "Max wants daily reports on your... condition."
I tried to sit up but couldn't find the strength. "What do you want, Kehlani?"
She circled my cot like a predator, her artificial sweet scent making my stomach turn. "I want you to see this."
She tilted her head, pulling her hair aside to reveal a fresh mark on her neck—a mate bite, still healing.
"Max marked me last night," she said, her eyes gleaming with triumph. "He said it was the most passionate moment of his life."
I closed my eyes, trying to block out the image. "Congratulations."
"Oh, I'm not finished." Kehlani reached into her purse and pulled out a torn piece of fabric. "Look familiar?"
It was a scrap of what looked like Emmett's jacket—the same one he'd been wearing at the auction.
"Max found this in your old quarters," she lied smoothly. "Care to explain how Alpha Emmett's clothing ended up in your possession?"
"That's not—" I began, but she cut me off with a laugh.
"It doesn't matter what you say. Max believes what I tell him to believe." She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "And what I tell him makes him very, very angry with you."
She straightened up, satisfaction written across her face. "I'll be back tomorrow with more... evidence."
After she left, I lay in the darkness, feeling the silver's toxic effects seeping deeper into my body. My skin felt like it was burning from within, my wolf—dormant for so long—stirring weakly in response to the pain.
*Emily.*
The voice was so faint I thought I'd imagined it.
*Emily. Can you hear me?*
I sat up slowly, my heart pounding. "Who's there?"
*It's me. Your wolf.*
A feminine voice, strong yet gentle, echoed in my mind. My hands trembled as I pressed them to my temples.
"You're... real?"
*I've always been here. The trauma of the rejection, the silver—it kept me locked away. But I'm breaking free now.*
Tears streamed down my face as I felt her presence growing stronger within me. For the first time in months, I felt something other than despair—I felt hope.
*We need to get out of here,* my wolf urged. *Before it's too late.*
"I can't," I whispered. "The silver—"
*We are stronger than the silver.*
Her determination flowed through me like wildfire, burning away the fog of defeat that had settled over my mind. I stood shakily, testing my legs.
*That's it,* she encouraged. *Now, listen carefully.*
I closed my eyes, focusing on her voice as she explained how we could survive the silver's effects through sheer willpower.
---
Three days later, I was sitting cross-legged on the floor when I felt a strange tingling sensation at the edge of my consciousness—like someone lightly brushing against my mind.
*Emily?*
The voice wasn't my wolf's. It was deeper, more masculine.
*Emily, if you can hear me, respond. It's Emmett.*
My eyes flew open in shock. A mind-link—something only Alphas could initiate across long distances.
"How did you find me?" I thought back, unsure if he could hear me.
*I've been searching for you since the auction. It took weeks to trace Maximilian's movements to this property.*
Relief flooded through me. "He's going to kill me, Emmett."
*No, he won't.* His mental voice was firm, determined. *I won't let that happen.*
"How can you stop him?"
*We need to get you out of there. Tonight.*
I felt a surge of adrenaline at his words. "Tonight? How?"
*There's a service entrance on the east side of the property. My men will create a diversion at midnight. When you hear the alarm, head for the kitchen and follow the corridor to the left.*
"It's guarded," I protested.
*Not for long,* Emmett promised. *Can you make it that far?*
I thought of my wolf, of the strength she was lending me, of the will to survive that was now burning bright within me.
"Yes," I replied, feeling a fierce determination replace the despair that had been my constant companion. "I can make it."
*Then we'll be waiting for you, Emily.*
As his presence faded from my mind, I felt something shift inside me—the passive, broken victim was gone, replaced by a woman with a single purpose: survival.
