Aria’s POV
I lay on the cold, unforgiving ground of the cell. My head ached from hunger, exhaustion, and fear. Every muscle in my body screamed for relief, but none came. I hadn’t eaten in what felt like days, and the stubborn hunger was starting to turn into a relentless, burning pain. My throat was dry, my lips cracked, and each breath I took felt like it would be my last.
But the hunger wasn’t the worst part.
It was the fear. The bone-deep terror that consumed me, tightened my chest and made my heart lurch in panic. I knew I didn’t have much time. Logan wouldn’t forgive me easily for what I’d done, and I knew. I was trapped, and helpless, and I had no idea how I was going to get out of this.
I could only hope the women I helped to escape from that pit were far away by now. Safe. I prayed Logan’s warriors hadn’t caught up to them. They deserved to be free, to return to their packs, to be reunited with their families. The thought of them being dragged back here, suffering the same fate I was, made me all the more scared.
But I couldn’t focus on that now. I had to survive. I had to find a way out.
Suddenly, a sharp metallic clang echoed through the cold stone walls of the cell, and I jerked upright. The sound of the gate opening sent a chill down my spine. I scrambled to my feet, my legs unsteady beneath me, my pulse hammering in my ears. I could barely see past the bars of my cell, but I knew someone was there.
“Hello?” I called out. “Who’s there?”
The silence that followed made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I swallowed hard, trying to steady my breath, but deep inside, I was terrified. My mind sifted through possibilities-Logan, the guards, someone coming to take me away for punishment.
And then, I heard it.
A cruel, mocking laugh, echoed down the corridor.
No. Not her.
“Well, well, well,” a voice sneered from the shadows. “Look who’s finally awake.”
I froze. I knew that voice all too well.
Erinne.
She stepped into the dim light, her lips twisted into a smirk, her eyes glinting with malice. “You know, Aria,” she purred, “I have to admit, I never thought I’d see the day when we’d switch places like this.”
Anger flared in my chest despite the fear crawling through me. “Erinne,” I muttered.
“Yes, it’s me,” she said, her voice filled with mock sympathy. “I guess it must be hard for you, mustn’t it? Once upon a time, you were Luna, and I was the one rotting in this very cell, because of you. But now… look at you.”
I had to bite back the bitter retort on the tip of my tongue. She was right. The irony was painful.
“I don’t want your games, Erinne,” I snapped. “Just let me out of here.”
She laughed again, her eyes gleaming with delight at my desperation. “Oh, darling, do you think it’s that simple? You think you can just walk out of here after what you’ve done? Logan is going to love punishing you for your lies. Claiming Alpha Denderick’s son was his? You’ll be lucky if he doesn’t kill you on the spot.”
My blood turned to ice. I hadn’t thought about Logan’s reaction to Edward. The lie I told to protect Denderick’s son had sealed my fate.
“Erinne, please,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “Don’t hurt Edward. He’s just a baby. Please, don’t let Logan hurt him.”
Erinne’s smile widened as she stepped closer, her fingers trailing along the bars of my cell. “Oh, I’m not worried about your son. It’s you I want to see suffer, Aria. I want to see you pay for putting me in this dungeon. Logan will take care of you, and I’ll be right by his side, watching.”
I felt the tears prickling in my eyes, but I blinked them away. I couldn’t show her weakness. Not now. “We were friends once, Erinne,” I reminded her. “Does that mean nothing to you?”
Her face darkened, and for a brief moment, I saw something glint behind her eyes, something close to regret. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared.
“Friends?” she scoffed, shaking her head. “We were never friends! I only played along to get what I truly wanted-the position of Luna.”
I bit my lip to hold back my anger. I could not let go of Erinne’s betrayal to me, but my most important aim was to get out of this cell and to be reunited with my son.
“Erinne, please…” I started, but she cut me off with a laugh.
“You know,” she said, leaning closer to the bars, “there’s something I’ve always wanted to tell you, Aria. Something I think you should know before Logan tears you apart.”
I tensed, waiting for the blow.
“You’re not just a werewolf, Aria. You’re part witch.”
The words hit me like a slap across the face. “What?” I whispered. “That’s… that’s not possible.”
Erinne’s smile widened. “Oh, it’s very possible. I’ve done my research. After the mercenary came back with news of your strange powers, I had to.”
I gasped in horror. “You were the one who sent the mercenary to kill me?”
Erinne waved her hand dismissively, as though it wasn’t of importance. “Anyway, I went to the slave house where your story started, and I found out from the slavers there. Your mother? She was a witch, a poor, lowly one. And your father… well, let’s just say he wasn’t exactly an honorable Alpha. You’re a hybrid, Aria. Witch and werewolf. And that’s why you have so much power in you.”
I felt like the ground was slipping out from under me. Witch and Werewolf? That couldn’t be true. My memories were hazy. I had always assumed I was just a regular werewolf, until the day that Mia had died.
“How do you know this?” I asked, my voice shaking.
Erinne smirked. “Because I looked into it. Your mother was raped by an Alpha werewolf, and you were the result. She was so bitter that she tried to get rid of you, but even in the womb, you were powerful. Too powerful to kill.”
My mother was raped by an Alpha?
My dad was a mere Beta. How many more lies would my pathetic life be twisted into?
I stared at her, horrified, as the pieces of my past slowly started to fall into place. The gaps in my memory, the strange abilities I couldn’t explain, the fog that surrounded my childhood. It all made sense now.
I couldn’t breathe. The enormity of this revelation was suffocating me. All these years, I had no idea who I was.
And I couldn’t decide if knowing the truth was better than staying in oblivion.