Elara's Point of View
Two weeks.
Two endless weeks trapped in the cold, damp basement of the Alpha's family chambers. Each day felt like a cruel punishment, every moment steeped in a suffocating fear, every faint sound of footsteps above me a stark reminder that my fate—my very life—hung by a thread.
I hadn't seen anyone's face clearly except once—the Alpha King himself. He stood there in chilling silence, watching me through the bars, his expression as unreadable as ever. That was the only day I'd been fed properly, a calculated mercy that felt more like a subtle torment.
You put me here, I screamed silently in my mind, but no sound escaped my parched throat. You chose the clan over me.
The other days... the sneering face of Omega Tatiana was my tormentor.
"Prison for traitors and terrorists," she would mock, her voice dripping with venom, as she shoved the pitiful, meager food under the door. The other maids made sure to laugh along, their cruel giggles echoing off the stone walls, reminding me this dungeon wasn't meant for ordinary Omegas. Or maybe it was... for cursed blood like mine.I lost count of the days, if not for the single, narrow shaft of light that broke through a small opening near the ceiling.
A cruel reminder that the world still turned without me, that life continued outside my stone cage.My skin itched. My body ached with a deep, pervasive weariness. My spirit—it was crumbling, piece by agonizing piece. Some nights, the tears would not stop, flowing freely until sleep, heavy and dark, finally dragged me under.
In my dreams, the Alpha claimed me—smiling, gentle, not the king torn between duty and desire. Not the king who had condemned me to this cell.
"Elara…"A whisper.Faint. Soft. So real it seemed to come from within my dream.
"Elara…"No. Real. My eyes snapped open, my heart hammering against my ribs.Someone was in the cell. Not at the door. Inside.
I scrambled back against the damp wall, heart pounding like a drum, fear a cold sweat running down my spine.
"Who's there?" My voice shook, barely a whisper.
"It's me. Jessie." The voice whispered back, steady, familiar, a balm to my terror.I blinked into the oppressive darkness, unsure.
My instincts, sharpened by years of lies and a life lived on the run, screamed not to trust. My clan had taught me vigilance above all else.
"Prove it!" I demanded, my voice still trembling.A soft, faint glow lit her face, revealing her kind, worried eyes. Jessie. It was truly her.
"Are you alone?" I whispered, my gaze darting around the small space.
"Of course." She hurried to me and wrapped her arms around my shaking body, pulling me into a tight embrace.I hadn't realized how much I needed that touch—the warmth of another human soul, a familiar presence in this desolate space.
Tears stung my eyes, slipping silently down my cheeks, a release of two weeks of pent-up fear and despair."We don't have much time," she said, pulling back, her voice urgent.
"What do you mean? What's happening?" I asked, panic rising again, cold and sharp.
"You have to run, Elara. Now. This is the only chance we have to get you out.
"Run?Questions swarmed my mind
How? Where? Why? I already knew why
Silas, Sophia, and their murderous plot."I can't," I whispered, helplessness washing over me.
"They'll catch me. Jessie… what's going on? Tell me everything. Quickly."She glanced nervously toward the heavy wooden door, her face darkening.
"Silas and Omega Tatiana have been meeting secretly. Strange things. They removed me from your schedule weeks ago. Tiara took my place—the former Alpha's maid, the one you replaced.""Tiara?" My breath caught. I remembered her—unstable, with dark, empty eyes. "She's back?"Jessie nodded grimly, her voice low. "She's unstable, Elara. Her wolf—violent. She has episodes, loses time, no memory of what she's done when she shifts. This morning they handed her the key to your cell."My blood turned to ice. A chilling realization."They want her to kill you and blame it on her madness. No one would question it. No one would suspect them."
"Where is she now?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper, fear curling in my gut like a snake."Unconscious. I knocked her out," Jessie said quickly, a hint of pride in her voice.
"I've been secretly training, Elara. I stole the key from her. I even brought food to slip past the guards, claiming it was for Tiara."My heart stuttered. "Okay. Then… what now?"Jessie hesitated, her eyes filled with a desperate resolve. "I need your blood."I recoiled, confusion warring with a new wave of fear.
PMy witch-wolf blood. Did she know?"Not like that," she said quickly, holding up her hands, trying to soothe my panic. "Just a small cut. Enough to make them believe you were attacked. I'll smear it on Tiara—on her hands, her mouth. When they find her, they'll think she went feral, lost control and killed you. They'll have no reason to search for you.
"I stared, horrified. "Jessie… that's framing her. They'll kill her for this.""She was going to kill you, Elara. Don't forget that," Jessie said fiercely, her eyes burning with a desperate conviction.
"It's her life or yours. There is no other way. Now listen carefully—take the back door. Go left into the woods. Don't eat this food—it may be poisoned by them. Run, and don't look back. Don't stop until you're far, far away."
"Come with me," I begged, clutching her arm, my voice breaking.She shook her head, her gaze resolute. "If I vanish too, they'll hunt us both. I can stall them. Alone. I can buy you time. But two? We'd never make it. My scent would give us away."I knew she was right. My heart twisted, a sharp, painful ache of gratitude and despair.
"How will they believe I died?""I'll leave blood. I'll stage the scene. I'll drag Tiara near. They'll think you're gone... forever. A feral attack. A simple, tragic end.""Jessie…" My voice was a choked sob."Run, Elara. Take the peach from the basket for strength. You'll need it. Run.
I'll handle the rest. I promise."Tears blurred my vision, hot and thick. I hugged her tight, one last time, clinging to her warmth."Thank you," I whispered, my voice breaking, filled with more emotion than I thought possible.
"Go."I slipped out the door hidden behind the cell—a secret passage I never knew existed, leading straight to the forbidden forest. My bare feet hit the cool, soft earth, a stark contrast to the hard, cold stone of my prison.I ran.I ran for freedom, for life, for the impossible hope of a future.
Behind me, Jessie stood at the mouth of the dungeon, watching my small figure fade into the dark woods, her silhouette growing distant, fading with my last link to the pack.
I ran—because she gave me the chance.
I ran—because this time, I wanted to live.