Freya’s POV
There was a dampness that clung to the air, an intangible shroud of mist that permeated through me as I leaned against the gritty stone wall, my wrists crying out in agony from the tightness of the iron cuffs. The dungeon was cold and unyielding, the chill penetrating deep into the bone. All that was heard was the faint, drum-like sound of dripping water, each drop ringing out within the vacant room like a macabre toll of elapsing time.
Liam had built this dungeon beneath his mansion, a hidden room to hold his enemies captive, out of sight and out of mind, and powerless to act. And now, Roy, James, and I were the latest additions to his roll of victims. The walls that held us captive smelled of damp earth and rusty metal, and the flickering torches cast grotesque shadows that danced along the rough stone. The chains that bound us captive were thick and unbreakable, tightly wrapped around our wrists and ankles, holding us fast like captives awaiting their fate. I struggled to swallow hard, battling to keep the growing fear gnawing at my chest, but the overwhelming sense of helplessness was choking. The silence between us loomed there, heavy and unbroken, each of us confined in our own thoughts.
Finally, no longer able to bear the weight of ignorance, I breathed a shuddering sigh and said, my voice barely above a whisper.
“We’re going to die, aren’t we?”
The words hung in the air, bitter and sure, sealing the truth that we were attempting to refuse.
Roy gasped hard, his fists clenched despite the restraints. His jaw clenched, and when he spoke, there was no fear in his tone-only raw, unflinching defiance.
“I am not afraid of death,” he said, his tone laced with bitterness. “Especially not from a backstabber and coward like Liam.”
His words seethed with a fire that should have strengthened me, but all I could feel was the crushing weight of resignation settling deep inside me.
I turned my head to one side, my gaze drifting over to James. He had not spoken since we were thrown into this wretched place, his face impassive. The dancing light struggled to strike his face, but even in the shadow of it, I could sense the fatigue in his eyes. I knew that this was not merely survival for him. This was not a matter of escaping. There was something more than the chains on his wrists weighing him down. Guilt roiled in my stomach. If it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t be here.
“I’m sorry I got you into this, James,” I said, my voice barely even.
He didn’t stir for a second. Then, slowly, he rolled his head, his eyes finding mine. There was no rage there, no bitterness-only a still, hollow acceptance that tightened my chest.
I told you that already, didn’t I?” He answered in a controlled, unnervingly calm voice. “I don’t have anything to live for anymore. If I were to die today, all my regrets would be that I should have taken Maya and Liam with me.”.
His words chilled me, not due to what they contained, but because they lacked emotion. There was no rage, no desperation-just a resigned acceptance, as if he had accepted his fate long before we had found ourselves here.
Roy turned to confront him then, his face darkening with something indefinite. There was a moment’s silence that hung heavy and thick over us, as though the significance of James’s words had weighed down upon us like lead. Then Roy’s mouth curled back in a thin line, his eyes hardening once more with resolve.
“I am not going to die,” Roy said, his voice firm, unyielding. “Or at least, not alone. If I’m dying, I’m dragging that werewolf backstabber down with me.”
His statement was meant to reassure me, but all I could sense was the bitter taste of reality seeping back into the picture. Because we all knew the truth deep down.
Liam never left survivors.
And if we didn’t think of a means to escape it, none of us would last the night.
—
Ashley’s POV
I could not sit still. My heart pounded wildly in my chest while my feet strode back and forth across the floor. The tension in my body was agony, my hands frozen to the bone even though the house was hot. Every second that ticked by seemed an eternity, and the longer I waited, the more afraid I became.
Then finally Mabel came in.
The moment I saw her, the tempest inside of me lost its sanity. I sprinted toward her, anger and desperation sticking to each utterance as I hollered out her name hysterically.
“Mabel…”
I didn’t get a chance to continue before she interrupted me, however, with shock and annoyance entering into her voice.
What the hell are you thinking?! You want to meet with The Skin and Blister?!\” she shouted, her eyes darting over me in horror.
Her reaction was predictable. I had expected resistance, but I could not afford to give up.
Yes, I do! What else can I do? Steven has embarked on a mission that might just kill him! A mission so perilous that it seems to be already closing its noose around his neck, strangling the life out of him!” I exclaimed, my voice rising in anger.
Mabel shook her head, her fists clenched. “Steven is tough, Luna. He’ll be fine!”
My own breath caught and I felt the weight of my vision pressing down on me again. The image of what I had seen went through my head repeatedly like some sort of recurring nightmare. My entire body trembled as I tried to get the words out.
*I had a vision of him dying!” I wept, my voice cracking. “I saw him dead, Mabel! I saw his head hanging from a tree, his body cold and dead! What sort of wife would I be if I just stood here and let it happen? What sort of person would I be if I could prevent it and did nothing?
Mabel’s face softened, but she shook her head regardless. “A power that rises and falls, Ashley. A power you still can’t control.”
Her words stung, but I was not going to let them beat me down. I straightened my back, my resolve strengthening.
“And that’s why I need The Skin and Blister. They promised to help Steven and me-we are friends now! So take me to them.”.
Mabel hesitated, looking conflicted. “You don’t know, Ashley. After what your father did-when he ambushed The Skin and Blister-they lost their home. They don’t have a place to stay anymore. They are always moving around.”
I frowned. “Then how do you communicate with them?”
She let out a tired breath. “I call them.”
“Then call them now!” I demanded.
Mabel shook her head again. “You can’t summon up The Skin and Blister at whim. There has to be something important enough to-”
“So Steven Blackwood’s life isn’t important enough?!” I screamed, my patience wearing thin. “My husband’s life is inconsequential to them?!”
Mabel’s eyes widened in surprise before she took a deep breath. “No, of course not, Luna! That is not what I mean.” She massaged her forehead as if soothing herself. “Okay. I’ll call them for you. But I believe you’ll have difficulty getting ashwood around?”
“I’ll obtain it.”.
I didn’t waste another moment. I ran outside, still racing my heart. I spotted one of the werewolves hanging around and instructed him quickly on what I needed. He hung around for a moment before running off. In a few minutes, he came back, carrying a bundle of ashwood, his face filled with unhurried concern.
I took it and ran back inside, where Mabel was already getting to work.
She took the ashwood from me and traced a tremendous circle on the ground with studied precision, her fingers tracing out patterns in the earth. When she completed it, she moved outside of it, her expression unreadable.
Then she began to chant.
I stood there, quiet and unmoving. The words she spoke were unknown to me, full of a weird power that caused my skin to prickle with shivers. The air in the room shifted, growing heavy, charged with something old and vast.
And then-fire.
The ashwood ignited, fire dancing in a perfect circle around the circle she had drawn.
I drew in a sharp breath, backing away involuntarily. “Is that supposed to happen?”
Mabel did not answer. She went on muttering, her voice growing stronger, ringing out in the room an unnatural echo.
Invisible smoke poured out of the ring as it burned, curling in the air, blinding sight. Tears filled my eyes as I tried to see what was happening. Then, out of the heavy fog, I saw them-three tall, commanding figures, their white robes billowing as they appeared within the ring.
They were legion, and when they spoke to me, they did so in perfect harmony.
“This better be important, Mabel.”
I cut her off before she could speak, my pulse racing. “I summoned her,” I said, my voice firm. “Steven is in danger. He walked alone onto Liam’s territory, he…”
“He is going to die,” they interrupted, their voices ungodly in unison. “You dreamed it, did you not?”
A knot had formed in my throat. “I will not let that happen,” I whispered. “I can save him. Help me save him. You promised to stand with us against Liam and Ivan-stand with us now, please.”
Their faces were blank when they responded. “Steven walked away alone, with no plan. He went straight into the hands of his rival. He is foolish, and we shall have nothing to do with such foolishness.”
My entire body stood on end. “My husband is NOT stupid!” I spat, fury replacing my fear. “He is a man who loves his family and his pack more than anything! He risked his life because his sister and his beta are still in the hands of that beast! Steven is not like you. He is more righteous than any of you!”
They laughed. “More righteous?”
I didn’t flinch.
“Yes, more righteous.”.
My mother was your family, and you discarded her on the basis of a single error. You discarded her because she loved the wrong man. But you did not discard her-you chased her down, harassed her, and eventually murdered her! You destroyed her! And you have the audacity to call yourselves a family? A family that turns its back on one of its own for one mistake? That is not family! But Steven? Steven would never do that. He left to save his family, and I will not lose him. I will save him-with or without your help.”
The air was thick with silence before they spoke again. “Then it shall be without our help.” And like that, they were gone.
I clenched my fists. “So irresponsible!”
Mabel groaned. “You spoke to them rudely, Luna. You were the one asking for their help!”
“They mocked my husband. I won’t stay here and have people ridicule Steven.”
She let out a sigh. “So what are you going to do now?”
I stared her in the face, unwavering. “I’m going to save my husband.”
She grasped my arm. “You’ll be putting your life at risk.”
I shoved them away. “I don’t care!”
The pack had materialized outside. “If our Alpha is at risk, we follow you,” one of them said.
A pricking at my eyes from unshed tears, I looked back at the pack. “Then let’s go before nightfall.”
Mabel winced. “You love causing trouble, don’t you?”
I smiled. “You know I love you, right?”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m starting to question that.”
I embraced her and laughed, ready to take what was in store.