Aria’s POV
Several minutes passed in silence as we waited in the pit. Then a voice reached my ears from above; an angry, impatient voice.
Logan.
The metal grate above us opened with a clang, and his irritable face peered through. He sneered as his eyes caught mine.
“Well, well,” he jeered. “Did you hear for yourself, Aria? Your beloved mate Denderick doesn’t care enough about you to search properly. You are never leaving this place!”
Logan’s hands gripped my arm so tightly I could feel the bruises forming, his fingers digging painfully into my skin. “Take her child away from her!” He bellowed at Erinne.
“No!” I screamed, holding on to Edward. I tried to shy away from Erinne’s hands, tried to even summon my witch powers, but nothing was working. Where was the power when I desperately needed it?
Erinne wasted no time in prying Edward away from my hands. My son began to wail, his screams piercing my heart and my ears.
“Come on!” Logan growled, yanking me away from my son.
************
The cold, damp air of the dungeon hit me as Logan dragged me through the corridors, and I stumbled along, barely able to keep my balance. Behind me, I could hear Erinne’s soft grunts as she struggled to keep up. Logan held her by the wrist, yanking her along with equal cruelty.
I didn’t know where he was taking us, but nothing good ever came from being dragged deeper into the darkness of Logan’s lair.
Soon we passed through another corridor into a large room. The flickering torchlight revealed rows of women chained to the stone walls.
My stomach twisted. These weren’t strangers. I recognized some of them-women who had been in that pit in the forest with me. I guessed that they hadn’t gone far before Logan’s warriors had caught up to them.
Their faces were pale, their eyes hollow. Some of them looked barely conscious, their heads lolling against the cold, damp stone. I couldn’t hold back the gasp that escaped my lips as I saw the bruises, the cuts, the sheer hopelessness in their eyes.
“What is this?” I whispered, horror filling every inch of me. “Logan… what are you doing?”
Logan’s only response was a low chuckle, and he gripped me harder as he led me further into the dungeon. I felt my stomach constrict, dread pooling deep inside me. What was this place? What had he been doing to these women?
I was immediately struck by the sight of cruel, jagged devices scattered throughout. Torture devices, I realized. My breath caught in my throat as I scanned the room-metal tables, iron spikes, chains hanging from the walls. The air was filled with the stench of sweat and blood, and my entire body trembled in fear.
This was no ordinary prison.
“What is this place?” I demanded as I pulled against Logan’s grip.
He turned to me with a sinister smile. “This is where my lineage will be secured.”
I stared at him in confusion, my heart hammering so hard I thought it might burst from my chest. “What are you talking about?”
Logan’s cruel laughter echoed off the stone walls. He let go of my arm, stepping closer to one of the tables where a woman was strapped down. She was already sobbing, her body shaking as one of the guards prepared a set of instruments beside her. The sound of metal clinking against metal sent a chill down my spine.
“These women,” Logan said, his voice low and menacing, “have been chosen to ensure the future of my pack. Their purpose is simple. They will carry my children and ensure that the Council will never take away my crown.”
My stomach dropped as the full weight of his words hit me. He wasn’t just imprisoning these women; he was using them. I felt bile rise in my throat as I watched the guard bring the instruments closer to the woman on the table, her screams growing louder as he approached.
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head in disbelief. “No, this can’t be real.”
Logan turned to face me, and something almost senile gleamed in his eyes. “Oh, it’s very real, Aria. You should feel honored. You and your son will play a part in this as well.”
My blood turned to ice. “What?” I gasped, stumbling back as he took a step toward me.
He grabbed my arm again, this time forcing me toward one of the empty chairs in the room. I struggled against him, panic flooding my veins. “Let me go!” I cried, but it was no use. Logan was too strong, his hands like iron shackles around my wrists as he pushed me into the chair.
“You’ll understand soon enough,” he muttered darkly, motioning for the guard to bring the restraints.
The leather straps were rough against my skin as the guard fastened them around my wrists and ankles, trapping me in place. My heart raced, my chest heaving as I tried to break free, but the straps were too tight. I was immobilized, completely helpless.
“Logan, please,” I begged. “Don’t do this. You don’t have to do this.”
Logan crouched down in front of me, his face inches from mine. The sickening smile on his lips never wavered. “It’s already been done, Aria. You and the others are part of something greater. Something… necessary.”
Tears blurred my vision as I glanced toward the woman on the table. Her screams filled the room as the process began. I couldn’t bear to watch, but the sounds-her agony, the clinking of the instruments, the guards’ hushed whispers-echoed in my ears, refusing to let me escape the horror.
“You’re a monster!” I roared.
Logan tilted his head, regarding me with cold amusement. “Perhaps. But monsters get things done. I will ensure my legacy, no matter the cost.”
“Your legacy?” I growled my anger flaring despite the terror that gripped me. “This isn’t a legacy. This is torture. This is madness.”
He stood, brushing off my words with a dismissive wave. “Call it what you want, Aria. But when my bloodline thrives, when my pack is stronger than ever… none of this will matter.”
I pulled against the straps again, but it was useless. I was trapped, waiting for whatever fate Logan had in store for me. My eyes darted to Erinne, who stood silently near the wall with my son in her hands, her face pale. For the first time, she looked scared-truly scared. Maybe she was starting to realize just how deep she had sunk into this nightmare.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked, my voice desperate now. “Why these women? Why me?”
Logan’s eyes narrowed as he looked at me, his cruel smile fading. “Because I can, Aria. Because no one can stop me.”