Chapter 14


    I discard my heels and run in my tights as fast as possible.


    “Get her boys!’ Zenith yells. John and James shift and chase me in their wolf forms. I run through the


    trees and slip, rolling down a rocky hill.


    My hair is messy, with leaves and twigs sticking out at many angles. I continue to run.


    “Ryker!’ I scream at the top of my lungs. Someone hazardously throws me down. I kick and punch


    them as hard as I can. A hand covers my mouth. The weight of a body holds me down. He is


    ‘Shh… shh, James whispers, stroking my face. I can’t free myself. My movements are futile.


    ‘Stop trying to fight me, he whispers. Tears roll down my cheeks.


    ‘Consummating the pairing already?’ Johnughs.


    ‘Fuck off, John, he says to his brother.


    ‘Why did you scream out for Ryker?’ James asks. He slowly removes his hand, and I spit in his face.


    Johnughs.


    ‘You better put her in her ce before Dad does, James! You


    know he won’t tolerate her treating you like that, John warns. James looks at me and wipes the spit


    from his face with his free hand.


    ‘Look, if you’re going to be soft about it, I’ll put her in her ce for you, James says.


    ‘Tell me, Astrid. Why did you call out for Ryker?’ He asks. I . want to spit in his face again, but he


    covers my mouth with his hand before I can.


    ‘Astrid, I don’t want to hurt you, but you will leave me no choice if you don’t answer me,’ he snaps.


    He removes his hand from my mouth. I look away. He holds my jaw in one hand, forcing me to look at


    him.


    ‘Answer me, Astrid. This is yourst warning, he says. I look James dead in the eyes.


    ‘Alpha Ryker is my mate! And I’m the Luna of Shadow Crest! | suggest you take your hands off me


    before Ryker finds out where I am and rips you apart, limb by limb!’ I threaten. James growls in anger.


    ‘You’re my mate! Not his!’ He says. ‘Why didn’t the Moon Goddess bless me with a mate like you? Why


    did she bless Alpha Ryker with you?’ He asks, frustrated.


    “Maybe because she doesn’t like you!’ I say, kneeing him in the crotch. He falls back in pain. I quickly


    wiggle myself from


    under him and start running again.


    ‘Save the feistiness for the bedroom!’ James yells while John chases me in his wolf form. My foot


    catches on something, and I fall face-first into the ground. I try to get up, but John presses his foot into


    my back, keeping me down. He sits on me and moves my hair away from the back of my neck to inhale


    my scent. He emits a lustful growl.


    ‘Why should James have all the fun?’ He says, rolling me onto my back and gazing into my eyes.


    ‘Why are you doing this? You have your mate. You have Amelia!’ I yell.


    ‘You’re so beautiful. I might need to help myself to a bite, John says. His wolf’s fangs protrude, and his


    face lingers near my throat.


    I scream as he is about to sink his teeth into my neck. His eyes were full of hunger. Then a sh


    appears out of nowhere. James pulls John off me.


    ‘Are you fucking crazy?’ He yells at John.


    ‘Not only did you almost mark my mate, but you would also have killed Amelia for marking another she-


    wolf!’ James yells.


    I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it. Don’t tell Amelia, John begs.


    ‘I will not tell her anything. It’s Astrid you need to worry about with Amelia.’


    I let them discuss their issues and run again. They shift, catch me again, and James knocks me down.


    He holds my arms behind my back in human form.


    ‘Enough, Astrid!’ He snaps, lifting me with my arms still restrained so I can’t hit him. He holds me closer


    to his naked chest and carries me back to the packhouse.


    ‘About bloody time! Bring her downstairs!’ Zenith growls, walking down the staircase.


    ‘To the cells?’ James questions.


    ‘Do you expect her to stay in her room obediently?’ He asks.


    ‘No, but,’ he says.


    ‘She’ll keep in the cell until you have marked her. Then, she won’t be able to escape.’ John and James


    follow Zenith downstairs to the basement. It’s dark and eerie, and I can hear water trickling in the walls


    or the drainpipes and the squeaking sounds of mice. Our exhtions are misty in the coldness. I’m


    shivering. James pulls me closer to keep me warm.


    Zenith unlocks a cell door. James walks in and ces me on a stone bench. Chains with silver cuffs


    adorn the walls, and I’m thankful James doesn’t cuff me.


    He kisses me on the forehead instead, making me shudder.


    ‘It’ll be okay, Astrid. We have some things to sort out. The sooner you let me mark you, the sooner we


    can get you out of


    this cell,’ he says, cradling my face in his hands. I jerk my head out of his grasp.


    James leaves and stands beside John. Zenithes into the cell and strikes me aggressively across


    the face.


    ‘Try to run away again, and that split lip of yours will be the least of your worries!’ He snaps. He ms


    the loud, creaking metal door closed, and the sound reverberates around the basement. He locks the


    door with a key.


    I hug my knees on the bench as they walk away. It’s dirty and cold where I sit. The stone wall behind


    me is full of cobwebs. The few other cells I can see are the same. It’s pitch ck, not even moonlight


    ‘Ryker, I’m scared. I’m so scared. Please save me! I want to be back in your arms!’ I cry out, but no one


    can hear.


    At midnight, I’m still awake and freezing to death. I hear light footstepsing downstairs. I squint


    toward the stairs to see who it is.


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    Astrid, it’s me, Amelia,’ she whispers. Jumping up, I run to the cell door.


    ‘Amelia! Please, Amelia! Please help me. Please unlock the door,’ I beg.


    ‘Shh! I’m not supposed to be down here. I’ll get into trouble if


    anyone finds out, she whispers. She passes me my hoodie from my room.


    I thought you’d need this. I know how cold it gets down here, Amelia says.


    ‘Have they put you down here before?’ I ask. Amelia nods.


    ‘It was a long time ago. Alpha Zenith bought me from my old pack. He chose me as John’s mate. So, I


    had to stay down here until John marked me,’ she says, sadly.


    ‘John isn’t your fated mate?’ I ask in disbelief.


    ‘No. And I haven’t been able to leave the packhouse since. If I found my true mate, he wouldn’t want


    me now. I’m marked and mated by another,’ she sobs.


    ‘Oh Amelia, I’m so sorry,’ I empathically say.


    ‘l overheard James and Alpha Zenith arguing about you upstairs. Instead of down here, James is


    begging him to let him chain you up in his room. That’s how I knew you were down here,’ she whispers.


    We hold hands through the bars.


    ‘I don’t want you to have the same fate as me, Astrid. So, I will do everything to help you out of here,’


    she says, as her eyes go ssy with tears.


    ‘I have to go now. I’lle back when everyone is asleep tomorrow night. Don’t let him mark you, no


    matter what, she says as she walks away.


    I examine the cell and rattle every bar, hoping to find a w so I can break free and escape. But, to my


    dismay, none of the metal bars moves or budge.


    The ground is mainly dirt. I scoop dirt away from the back of the cell. After an hour of digging with my


    hands, I hit arge stone.


    I’m left defeated with no way out and curl up on the cold stone bench and hug myself. Even with my


    hoodie, it’s still freezing. My teeth chatter, and I eventually fall asleep.