Alison’s POV
The cold night air clung to my skin, a chilling reminder that I was venturing into dangerous waters. The packs streets were dimly lit, the occasional flicker of streetlights casting long shadows against the cracked asphalt. I stood at the edge of the curb, clutching my small bag tightly, my fingers trembling slightly as I flagged down a cab.
A yellow vehicle screeched to a halt in front of me, its driver leaning over to open the passenger door. “Where to?” he asked, his tone casual, unaware of the storm brewing inside me.
“Forest Creek,” I replied, sliding into the seat and glancing nervously out the window. The driver nodded, and the car lurched forward.
As we navigated the winding roads, my heart hammered in my chest. I replayed the decision over and over in my mind, leaving the pack, leaving Xander. It wasn’t about running away; it was about finding answers. Kendrick had promised me the truth about my heritage, something Xander could never give me. But was this worth the risk? My wolf, Maya, stirred uneasily in the back of my mind, her instincts warning me of something I couldn’t quite place.
The rhythmic hum of the engine became a dull backdrop to my spiraling thoughts. I was so lost in them that I almost didn’t notice the black SUV that had been tailing us for the past mile. My stomach churned uneasily as it sped up, overtaking us briefly before swerving violently into our path. The cab driver slammed on the brakes, the tires screeching in protest as the car jolted to a stop.
“What the… ” the driver exclaimed, but his words were cut short when masked figures emerged from the SUV, their movements swift and calculated. My pulse spiked as one of them yanked open my door, their grip like iron as they dragged me out of the cab.
“Let go of me!” I screamed, thrashing wildly, but it was no use. They were strong… inhumanly so. Panic surged as I caught a faint whiff of something sharp and chemical. One of the figures held a cloth over my nose and mouth, the world around me blurring as I inhaled the sickly-sweet scent.
“Xander…” I whispered weakly, the last shred of consciousness slipping away as darkness enveloped me.
****
I awoke to the dull ache of my wrists, bound tightly behind my back. My head throbbed as I blinked, trying to focus on my surroundings. The room was dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of damp wood and mildew. It wasn’t a dungeon, but it wasn’t far from one either. My heart sank as I realized I wasn’t alone.
“Finally awake, are we?”
The voice was sharp and familiar, dripping with venom. My gaze snapped toward the figure sitting casually in a chair across from me. Priya. Her raven-black hair was perfectly styled, her icy blue eyes narrowing as a cruel smile spread across her face.
“Priya?” My voice cracked, disbelief mixing with dread. “What’s going on? Why am I here?”
She stood gracefully, her heels clicking against the wooden floor as she approached me. “Oh, don’t play dumb, Alison,” she sneered. “You know exactly why you’re here.”
“I don’t,” I pleaded, my voice rising in desperation. “You know I have no interest in Kendrick. I… ”
“Liar!” Priya’s voice echoed, her composure snapping. She leaned in close, her face inches from mine, and I could see the hatred burning in her eyes. “Ever since you left Silver Moon Pack, my marriage has been in shambles. He calls your name in his sleep, or do I think about when we have sex he calls your name too. It’s like he is obsessed with you.”
I flinched at her words, my heart sinking. “I didn’t ask for that,” I said, my voice trembling. “I only wanted to know the truth about my heritage. I wasn’t going to leave with him, I swear.”
Priya laughed bitterly, her manicured nails clicking together as she stepped back. “Do you think I care about your little heritage quest? Kendrick doesn’t see it that way. He wants you, Alison. He wants to make you his Luna, to dethrone me after everything I’ve worked for!”
Her words hit me like a freight train. I shook my head vehemently. “I don’t want to be his Luna! I don’t even understand what that position means that you all are ready to kill for it. All I want is a peaceful life, away from all this drama.”
Priya’s expression darkened, her smile twisting into something sinister. “You think you can just walk away from this? You think I’m going to let you ruin everything I’ve built?” She reached into her pocket, pulling out a small glass vial filled with a dark, viscous liquid. She held it up, letting the dim light catch the bottle’s menacing gleam.
“Do you know what this is?” she asked, her voice eerily calm.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry as sandpaper. “Wolfsbane,” I whispered, the word barely audible. My entire body stiffened with fear as she nodded, a twisted grin spreading across her face.
“Good girl,” she cooed mockingly. “Then you know what it does. A single drop can weaken a wolf. But this,” she gestured to the bottle, “this will do so much more. It’ll shut down your system completely. Painfully.”
“Please,” I begged, my voice cracking as tears streamed down my face. “You don’t have to do this. I don’t want Kendrick. I just want to live..
”
“Silence!” Priya snapped, her voice cutting through my pleas like a knife. She signaled to her men, who moved quickly to hold me down. My struggles were futile as they pried my mouth open, forcing me to swallow the burning liquid. It burned as it slid down my throat, a fiery trail that spread through my body like poison.
I collapsed onto the floor as they released me, clutching my stomach as searing pain radiated from within. Every nerve in my body screamed in agony, my vision swimming as the world around me blurred.
“Say goodbye to the underworld for me,” Priya taunted, her laughter ringing in my ears as she strode out of the room, leaving me to writhe in torment.
Maya’s voice was faint, barely a whisper in the back of my mind. Cain… she called weakly, reaching out to Xander’s wolf, but the bond between us felt faint, like a thread stretched too thin.
“I’m sorry, Maya,” I whispered, tears mingling with the sweat on my face. “I let you down. I let everyone down.”
My thoughts drifted to Xander, his piercing eyes, the way he held me like I was his entire world. A faint smile touched my lips despite the pain. “At least I found a glimpse of love,” I murmured, my voice barely audible.
The darkness crept in, wrapping around me like a suffocating blanket. I fought to stay conscious, to cling to the shred of life left in me, but it was no use. My body betrayed me, the poison taking hold.
As my vision faded completely, I embraced the cold, empty void.