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Chapter 4: The Dungeon's Secret
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2026-01-28 12:34:07Cold. Bone-deep, suffocating cold.
I woke on the damp stone floor of the Moon Pack dungeon. The air reeked of mold, rust, and stale water. Every breath tasted like iron.
My chest ached—the jagged emptiness where Kael’s mate bond had been, where my wolf’s heartbeat should have been. She was silent. Comatose.
The rejection had nearly killed her.
A soft, mocking voice echoed through the cell.
“You’re awake.”
I snapped my eyes open. Serena. Standing outside the iron bars, pristine, immaculate, and utterly terrifying. Her lantern cast flickering shadows across her flawless face. Not fragile. Not scared.
Amused.
“Serena,” I croaked. My throat burned. “What do you want?”
She smiled, sharp as shattered glass. “Dinner. Kael said to starve you, but I convinced him to let me come. After all… even a traitor deserves a last meal.”
Her heels clicked against the stone like a countdown to my death. She placed a tray of soup in front of me. My stomach growled—I hadn’t eaten in twenty-four hours. My baby… my baby needed this.
CLANG!
Serena’s foot shot out. The bowl tipped, spilling hot liquid across my legs. Ceramic shards scattered like tiny knives.
“Oops,” she mocked. “Clumsy me.”
“Why?” I whispered, shivering. “Why are you doing this? You have him. You won.”
“Yes,” she leaned close, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper. “But you’re still breathing. And… you’re not alone in there, are you?”
My hand flew to my stomach.
“Don’t lie to me,” she hissed, grabbing my chin, nails digging in. “I saw how you protected yourself in the square. I saw how you held your stomach when the bond snapped. You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”
She knew.
“It’s Kael’s child,” I said, voice trembling. “If you hurt me… he’ll know. He won’t forgive it.”
Serena laughed. No warmth. No humor. Just a sound that scraped against my nerves like a knife across stone.
“His heir?” she mocked. “No, Aria. To Kael, you are nothing. A liar. A mistake. If I tell him the child isn’t his, he’ll believe me. Just as he believed I saved him.”
Her eyes glittered with triumph. “I can’t have a constant reminder of his mistake roaming my pack.”
She turned to leave, pausing at the bars.
“Enjoy your last night, Aria. Tonight… there will be an ‘accident.’ Fire, perhaps? Say hello to your dead parents for me.”
The door slammed. Lock clicked. Silence. Only the smell of death lingered.
Panic clawed at my chest. No. I couldn’t die here. Not now.
My eyes scanned the cell. A small window, high and narrow, barely wide enough to escape. I gritted my teeth and moved.
“Please, Moon Goddess,” I whispered, clutching my abdomen. “Help me.”
My palms bled where the iron cut deep, but a fierce warmth surged from my belly into my arms. A strength that shouldn’t exist for a frail Omega.
Creak.
The rusted bar gave way. Thunder rumbled, masking the sound of my struggle. I squeezed through.
Mud, rain, cold—no matter. I ran.
“She’s escaped! Find her!”
The roar of guards echoed behind me. Baby… hold on. Mommy is here.
Thorns tore at my legs. Rain soaked me to the bone. Lightning split the sky, illuminating the path ahead. My lungs burned. My wolf stirred—sluggish, but alive. Desperate.
I ran faster. Faster than fear. Faster than pain. Faster than death.
I would burn the world down to keep you safe.
And I would survive.
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