‘Happy Birthday!’ Amelia says as I wake.
‘Happy Birthday, Luna!’ Seth cheers. I can’t help but laugh.
‘Who would have thought I’d be celebrating my eighteenth in a cold, dirty cell?’ I chuckle. Seth and Amelia laugh. We go silent and my eyes well up again.
‘Astrid?’ Amelia says, concerned.
‘I’m terrified. I’m meeting my wolf tonight. What if Ryker doesn’t save us in time? What if James forces himself on me?’ I ponder, crying.
‘Let’s see if I can mind-link Alpha Ryker. James and John injected wolfsbane into me: it weakened me and hindered our connection,’ Seth says. We watch on as he concentrates, his eyes clouding over.
‘Is it working?’ I ask. Seth nods.
‘I’ve gotten through to Alpha Ryker!’ He says. I run to my cell door, hold the bars, and partially squeeze my head through them.
‘Tell him I’m sorry. Tell Ryker I am so sorry. I should not have left. I didn’t want to leave!’ I yell, desperately.
‘He says he knows. Vanessa confessed everything. Did you know Alice poisoned him so Vanessa could mark and mate him?’ Seth says. I gasp.
‘Please tell me she didn’t?’ I ask, in tears.
‘No, Kane and Leon were there just in time. They’re both in the cells now.’ I relax with relief.
‘He knows we’re here; he will be here tonight with the warriors to free us,’ he says.
‘Please tell him: I miss him, and I just want to be with him again,’ I say, wiping tears from my face. Seth nods, before blushing.
‘Um, he says he can’t wait to hold you in his arms, and taste your sweet lips,’ Seth smirks. I giggle, and blush in response.
‘So, we just have to wait it out until tonight, I guess,’ I say. Seth nods; I can’t help but smile and hug myself; I start jumping up and down.
‘I’m going to see Ryker tonight!’ I say with excitement. Seth and Amelia smile at seeing me so happy and excited.
My joy is short-lived when John and James come marching down the stairs, smirking. John unlocks Amelia’s door and drags her out.
‘No, John. Please! Where are you taking me?’ Amelia cries.
‘Let her go!’ I shout. He slaps her across the face.
‘Stop fighting me! Alpha is ready for you. The longer you make him wait the more lashes you’ll receive!’ He snaps.
‘Don’t you dare touch her!’ I yell.
‘Or what?’ He yells.
‘I’ll rip your head off the moment I shift, if you lay a finger on her!’ John glares at me.
‘James, I think you need to put your bitch in her place!’ He says. John is still dragging Amelia up the stairs; kicking and screaming. James enters my cell; he steps forward, and I step back; until I’m up against the wall with nowhere else to go. He cups my cheek with his hand.
‘Tonight, we become one, and you become mine!’ He whispers in my ear. He presses his body against mine, pinning me against the wall and kisses my neck. I try to fight him off but he has my hands pinned above my head.
‘Get off my Luna now!’ Seth growls. James pauses with annoyance and turns to Seth.
‘Astrid is my Luna and my mate! I will do as I please with her, so if I was you, I would shut your trap before I come in there and rip your head off!’
James proceeds to kiss my neck and press himself against me; I can feel his excitement against my stomach.
‘Please! Stop!’ I yell.
‘Stop? I thought we could skip waiting, and do it now. We can always do it again later tonight after I mark you,’ he says, dead serious. His fangs protrude; he scrapes them across my shoulder. I kick him in the shin as hard as I can, and he steps back in pain. I make a fist and punch him with full force, in the face, giving him a black eye.
‘You little bitch!’ He snarls. I want to punch his face again, but he catches my fist in his hand, twists my arm behind my back, and locks me in a hold, so I can’t move.
‘You have become rather feisty, Astrid. You’re not as weak as you used to be, but that can be fixed!’ He says, shoving me into the stone bench and locking the cell door behind me.
‘Tonight, I won’t be so lenient Astrid. I suggest you get used to the idea of being my mate!’ He yells as he walks upstairs.
‘Astrid are you okay?’ Seth asks. I start crying.
‘I just want to get out of here. I just want to be with Ryker,’ I cry.
‘I know Luna, I know. I would do anything to have Mia in my arms right now too,’ he says, sadly, with a smile. John comes downstairs in a bad mood with a tray of food; his face is covered in deep scratches.
‘Where’s Amelia?’ I yell. He drops the tray of food on the ground, not caring that half of it rolls off into the dirt.
‘The little cow went psycho, scratching the shit out of my face and ran off, but we have pack warriors spread out everywhere in case Ryker shows up. So, it’s only a matter of time till she’s caught and brought back here.’
‘We will be seeing you tonight for your first shift,’ he says with a smile.
‘Who is we?’ I ask.
‘Alpha Zenith, myself and your mate James,’ he says. I glare at him. ‘It’s starting to get dark, so I will see you soon,’ he says, slinking off.
Seth and I look at each other in a comforting silence for a while, before the door is opened and light shines in. Amelia is screaming. John drags her down the stairs and throws her into the cell next to mine.
‘Amelia! Are you okay?’ I ask. She nods.
‘You’re lucky Ryker and his warriors have entered our territory, otherwise you would be getting far worse than lashes Amelia!’ John yells.
‘Ryker is here?’ I ask.
‘Yes, but not to worry; our warriors are prepared. James says he will gift you with Ryker’s head as a mating gift,’ he says with a chuckle.
‘If you hurt Ryker, I will kill you!’ I scream.
‘We will see,’ John says, walking away.
‘Amelia what happened? Are you hurt?’ I ask. I wait for Amelia to catch her breath.
‘They were going to give me twenty lashes. John tried to tie me up. I scratched his face as hard and as deep as I could. Then I shifted into my wolf and ran as fast as I could. I got away, but there are pack warriors spread out everywhere. I hid for as long as I could to evade them. I was caught by two of them. They brought me back here to be lashed, but Alpha Zenith says it will have to wait. Alpha Ryker and his men have been spotted entering our territory,’ she says with sadness.
‘I’m glad you aren’t hurt Amelia. I’ll mind-link Alpha Ryker and let him know that Alpha Zenith is aware he’s here,’ Seth says. ‘He says they’ve brought Alice and Vanessa with them in hopes of exchanging them for us!’
Suddenly a surge of pain rips through my body; I cry out in pain and roll across the cold stone floor.
‘Luna!’ Seth yells.
‘It hurts! It hurts! Make it stop!’ I cry.
‘Shit! You’re shifting!’ Seth yells. Amelia reaches through the bars and places her hand on my back, trying to soothe me.
‘I’ve told Alpha Ryker to hurry; you’ve started shifting,’ Seth says. I continue to cry out in pain.
‘How long does this take?’ I cry out.
‘The first shift on average takes around one hour,’ he replies. I let out another scream as the pain surges down my spine; it is horrendous.
‘Ryker!’ I scream.
