Chapter 112
A dull ache throbbed through my skull as I blinked my eyes open, struggling to shake off the fog in my mind. The room’around me was pitch black and silent, the kind of silence that clings, that feels unnatural. I tried to reach for Tina, my inner wolf, hoping to feel her strength and guidance, but I was met with emptiness. Her presence was missing, and that absence filled me with a bone–deep chill.
I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself as horrible thoughts filled my mind. I remembered the news I had read about missing female werewolves, how they were sometimes sold to the Dark Kingdom where their organs were removed or, even worse, forced into lives of sex slaves. A shiver of fear ran through me, an intense dread almost forcing a cry from my lips.
Then I thought of Cyrus, and my heart twisted painfully. Was he safe? Had he made it out of the plane, or had they taken him, too?
That’s when I noticed the restraints. My wrists and ankles were bound, but not with chains or cuffs, it was something softer, smoother. Ribbons? It didn’t make sense, but whatever it was, it was
slick and strong. I squirmed, pulling at the bonds, feeling them slip just enough for me to free one wrist. With my fingers finally free, I yanked at the other bindings until they fell away, freeing my legs as well.
I stood slowly, feeling a slight tremor in my legs from the disorientation. The air was thick and damp, a metallic tang filling my nose. And then I heard a scream, raw and ragged, tearing through the darkness.
My breath hitched, and I froze, straining to listen. The scream was close, and following it, I heard the unmistakable sound of a belt striking flesh, followed by another sharp cry of pain.
I forced myself to breathe, to focus. That scream sounded close, but without any light, it was impossible to tell exactly where it was coming from. I crouched, moving silently along the wall, feeling the cold, rough stone beneath my fingers. There had to be a door, a crack, anything that would give me a way out of this nightmare.
But the walls were seamless, offering no escape. Panic bubbled in my chest, but I clenched my teeth, swallowing it down. I couldn’t afford to lose control, not now.
“Giving Up My First Love For Secret Research Second Chance at Happiness
61.1%
hapter 2
Another scream echoed, this time weaker. I wanted to run toward it, to help whoever was Suffering, but I knew I had to find a way out first. The darkness pressed in on me, suffocating and cold. I inched forward, my hands tracing the wall, praying for any sign of an opening.
Then, just as despair began to’claw at me, I saw it. It was a faint sliver of light cutting through the darkness. It was barely more than a glimmer, but it was real, and it was
‘coming from a thin crack near the far corner of the room.
I scrambled toward it, pressing my hand against the crack, feeling the cool draft slipping through. Hope surged inside me, and I took a deep breath, gathering my strength. If I could widen the gap, maybe, just maybe, I could escape.
The light outside the crack grew brighter, illuminating the room just enough for me to see faint outlines of furniture and the heavy metal door that had trapped me. My fingers traced along the crack, feeling for a weak point, a way to pry it open.
Another scream echoed from the hall, muffled but close. The urgency to escape burned inside me, and I wedged my fingers into the small gap, pulling with all my strength. The stone seemed to give just a little, enough to widen the crack. Behind it, I could see a narrow gap leading to the outside. My heart raced as I realized this was my chance. There was no time to waste. I knew I had to escape immediately before it was too late. Without thinking
twice, I decided to run.
I could feel the cold, rough metal beneath my fingers as I gripped the doorknob, strugging to turn it. My heart was pounding in my chest, but I knew there was no time to waste. No one was watching. It was now or never. The door creaked open just enough for me to slip through, and I immediately darted out into the corridor. The hallway was silent, too silent,
anyone. and I had the oddest feeling that I was being watched, even though I couldn’t see any
I took a deep breath and moved cautiously. The place was vast, a mansion of some sort, and the walls were decorated with rich tapestries and intricate woodwork. Everything screamed luxury. This was no place for rogue wolves. I had been locked away in what seemed to be a posh pack’s territory, far from the harsh climates I had expected. The air here was fresh, pleasant even, unlike the brutal, arid winds that tore through the fringe territories I knew 3g well. Everything about this place was wrong, starting with the fact that I was being held here against my will.
Thankfully, Tina returned as soon as I stepped out of the room, and I could feel her sharp
61.34.
hearing taking over. She could hear footsteps long before I could and kept alerting me.“Stay focused, Doris,” Tina’s voice echoed in my head. She was the only one I trusted now. I stopped, holding my breath, listening closely. Tina’s warning came through again, sharp and urgent. “Patrol up ahead. Around the corner. Move now.”
Without a second thought, I shifted into a lighter step, moving swiftly and silently, following Tina’s guidance as she tracked the patrol. I took the turn just in time, my back pressing against the cool stone wall, holding still as the guards passed by. Their footsteps echoed in the distance, but they never saw me. Tina had been right. My pulse raced as I waited for the all–clear signal, my senses heightened. After a long few moments, Tina’s voice was back. “You’re safe for now.”
I rounded a corner and froze. Ahead, I could see a small tourist booth, the kind they set up near gates and exits to give information. It pointed in the direction of the exit, and my heart skipped a beat. The gate was so close. I was almost there. But just as I started to move toward it, something caught my eye, a figure, standing off to the side, almost as if he were waiting for me.
C
O(0)
