Aria’s POV
I sat against the cold wall of the cell, hours after Logan left. The other women were still, lost in their despair, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were running out of time. I understood everything now; Logan wasn’t planning on keeping us alive for long. I could sense it in the way the guards looked at us like we were less than human.
I had to act. I had to get these women out of here, somehow.
“We need to talk,” I announced, my voice cutting through the oppressive silence.
Sara, who had become the closest thing to an ally in this place, looked up at me with tired eyes. “What’s the point, lady? They’ll come for us sooner or later.”
“That’s exactly why we need to move now,” I said, standing up, and pacing in the small space. “We can’t just sit here and wait to be taken. They’re expecting us to give up, but if we work together, we can turn the tables on them.”
The other women stirred, glancing at each other. For the first time since I woke up in this nightmare, I saw something in them. Curiosity. Maybe even hope.
“How?” one of the women sitting in a corner asked. “There are guards, and we’re… we’re all…”
“Pregnant?” I finished for her, nodding. “Yeah, we are. But that doesn’t mean we’re powerless.”
Another scoffed from the corner. “You think we can fight them? Look at us, Aria. We can barely stand, let alone overpower those monsters.”
I knelt next to Sara. “Listen to me. I know what they’re doing. I’ve seen this before. They’re keeping us here because they want to kill us. Yes, it’s the truth. But they’ve made a mistake. They think because we’re weak, we’re easy prey. That’s our advantage.”
Sara’s eyes met mine. “What are you suggesting?”
“We hit them when they least expect it,” I said, glancing up at the window, then back at the women. “Every time they come to feed us, they let their guard down. They’re not expecting us to fight back. We can use that against them.”
“We’ve tried before,” another woman whispered. “It never works.”
“Because you didn’t have me.” I took a breath. “I’m not just a wolf. I have powers-strong ones. I’ll be able to handle the guards, but I need your help. We’ll need to act fast, and we’ll need to work together.”
Sara’s brows knitted. “Powers? What are you talking about?”
I stood up straighter. “I am not entirely sure, Sara. My magic hasn’t fully returned yet, but I can feel it building. And when the time comes, I’ll use it to get us out of here. But I need all of you to be ready.”
A murmur ran through the group, with doubt on their faces. But I could see that they were listening.
“You’re serious?” one of the women asked, her eyes wide. “You think we can do this?”
“We can,” I said firmly. “But we have to be smart. When they come to feed us, we’ll distract them. I’ll handle the magic, and you’ll take their weapons. We only get one chance, so we have to be quick and quiet.”
There was a pause, but this time, I could sense the hope they felt.
“Okay,” Sara said finally, her voice steady. “I’m in.”
One by one, the other women nodded, some more hesitantly than others. But they all agreed. It was the first spark of hope I’d seen in their eyes since I’d arrived, and it motivated me even more.
“Good,” I said, taking a deep breath. “We wait for the next meal. Be ready.”
More hours passed in tense silence, each of us waiting for the sound of footsteps. My heart pounded in my chest and my nerves were stretched thin. But I kept my focus on the goal-freedom. Edward. I had to get back to him.
Finally, the familiar sound of heavy boots came. Two guards appeared at the window of light above us, and let down a ladder, stepping into the pit.
They were both carrying trays of our meager meals. They were sloppy, bored, and not paying attention.
Perfect.
I exchanged a glance with Sara. This was it.
As the guards stepped inside, I stood up, wincing as if I were in pain. “Please,” I whimpered, holding my belly. “I need help. Something’s wrong with me.”
The guards exchanged a glance, one of them frowning. “What’s wrong with her?”
I stumbled forward, pretending to collapse to the floor, groaning. “It hurts-please, I need a healer!”
One of the guards knelt next to me, his hand reaching out to check on me. That’s when I struck.
I grabbed his wrist and whispered under my breath. The air around us shimmered for a second, and the guard froze, his body going rigid. His partner turned in surprise, but before he could react, Sara and the other women lunged at him, knocking the tray from his hands.
I didn’t give them a chance to call for backup. With another lunge, I disarmed the second guard, sending his weapon clattering to the ground. The women grabbed it quickly, and we all stood, panting.
“Let’s go!” I hissed, grabbing one of the weapons. “We don’t have much time.”
We all climbed the ladder one at a time, leaving the pit behind us. The air felt different, fresher, as we moved further from the pit. But we weren’t out of danger yet.
“Stick close,” I whispered, leading the way away from the pit. “We have to get to the woods before they realize we’re gone.”
The other women followed, their steps quick and quiet. I could feel the pulse of my magic growing stronger with each step. My hands itched to use it, to tear down these trees and bring these monsters to their knees. But I had to be careful. We needed to escape first.
As we neared the edge of the forest, I heard voices-more guards, just ahead. I held up my hand, motioning for the others to stop.
“Let me handle this,” I whispered, stepping forward.
With a flick of my wrist, I conjured a thick fog that filled the forest. The guards shouted in confusion, their forms disappearing into the mist. I used the cover to slip past them, leading the women through the shadows and closer to the forest.
We were free.