WAY POT


    Pain crashed through my skill like thunder, my eyes struggling to focus in the thick darkness. Every muscle arrested as if I''d been hit by a truck+ (N = Treling was wase than those ten hour externe training sessises at Academy Hied to move, only to discover cold metal biting into my wrists.


    Silver chaine, lock.


    The distinctive burn of silver against self skin sent memories flooding back-the masks, Sophias scream, the needle in my shoulder. Moon vertom from silver spiders.


    I beach conscious? Normal wolves stayed under at least twelve hours after a full dose.


    My racing thoughts were interrupted be silver''s scorching pain as I shifted position. I forced myself in breathe through it, falling back on Academy training.


    The room slowly came into focus some kind of underground dungeon with stone walls, ancient tribal symbols carved into the rock, and iron torches casting wette shadows. I was exged like an animal in a nussive silver enclosure.


    Who the hell has this much high-grade siber? My foggy brain started calcting. Only major packs could afford containment this borate.....


    1 squinted through the semi-darkness, my wolf senses dulled by the silver but still sharper than a human''s. That''s when I saw her-Sept, lying motionless on the stone floor just feet away, her golden hair matted with dirt, face unnaturally pale.


    My heart lurched. Shit, ke trusted me to keep his family safe, and now his daughters locked in some fucking dungeon because of me.


    I dragged myself toward her, each movement sending fire through my veins as the silver chains scraped against my skin. Swallowing the pain, I reached her side and gently checked for a pulse. Weak but steady. The relief nearly made me diary.


    "Sophia?" I whispered, carefully brushing hair from her face. "Can you hear me?" Nothing. The needle ark on her neck was swollen and bruised-they''d given her a full dose. She wouldn''t wake for hours.


    I should''ve protected her. I''m a faire es warrior. First Dad, now Sophia...


    I closed my eyes, trying to collect myself. The silver was blocking my ability to shift, to heal, even to mindlink. No way to contact ke or Steven, no way to howl for help


    Low voices filtered from somewhere beyond our cage-rough, unfamiliar tunes that set my instincts on edge.


    "Mission said grab one girl, nobody mentioned two." The voice was raspy, mal


    "Extra girl means extra pay. Another nice, followed by a dark chuckle. "Especially this fancy one. Het she''s worth something."


    *Doesn''t matter who they are, a third nice cut in, deeper than the others. "We stick to the n. Get paid, clean up loose ends, disappear north."


    "I''m getting food first. Those girls won''t wake until tomorrow with the dose they


    got."


    Heavy footsteps faded away, followed by the grinding of what sounded like an iron door.


    I inhaled deeply, sorting through the scents despite my dulled senses. Smoke, mildew, unwashed bodies... and that distinctive smell of wolves who belonged nowhere Omegas, drifters, the bottom of woll berarchy. Wolves desperate enough to do anything for money.


    Focusing on Sophia face, I felt a wave of guilf crash ever me.


    1. e. She looked so fragile, nothing like the fierer woman who defended me at the arena


    "I''m so sorry," I murmured, gently arranging her into a morefortable position. "I should have protected you better."


    Her fare, so simr to her mother''s from the portraits at ckwood, made my chest tighten. ke would be devastated if anything happened to her. The thought of his pain hit me harder than I expected.


    1/3-


    I hadn''t agreed to go out with her, if I''d insisted we stick to the main street... fd been meer alert...


    I checked her breathing, relieved to find it steady. Then I carefully examined the needle mark on her neck - no infection yet, just bruising.


    "ke''s going to kill me." I whispered, wiping diet from her cheek with the corner of my torn shirt. "And he should."


    I forced my mind back in strategy. These rogues didn''t know I went awake that was an advantage. My Warning Academy extreme adaptation training had prepared my body in process toxins Easter than most wolves. If I could stay quiet and gather intelligence, maybe I could find a way best when they returned


    The silver chains had weakened me, but I emild feel strength slowly returning to my limbs. I tested the chains methodically, searching for weak links or manufacturing flows, falling back on escape drills from Academy.


    Ohuerve. Wait. Stole when they least expect it.


    Time crawled in the windowless dungeon. Minutes stretched into what felt like hours. I had no way to know if it was still night or already morning.


    "You''re stronger than you look, Sophia," I said softly to her unconscious form, partly to keep myself focused. “Standing up for me at the arena... I didn''t expect that."


    carefully shifted her bead onto myp, making her asfortable as possible on the cold stone floor. My fingers gently worked through her tangled hair. picking out dirt and dued blood,


    "I promise I''ll get you back to your family," I whispered, "Back to ke and Luca." The unfamiliar tenderness of my own actions surprised me. I wasn''t ouactly the maturing type-more the "stab first, ask questionster" variety.


    ve gotten so used to keeping most people at a distance... except for Ello, almost everyone else gets the cold shoulder. Maybe that''s why connecting with Sephia caught me off guard


    My thoughts drifted to Steven''s words aboutke not caring who I spent time with. Why did that still sting? Why did I care so much aboutpleting his melons, earning his approval?


    Even if I don''t make it out, Steven and ke will find us. The thought brought strangefort. ke wouldn''t rest until he found his daughter, and I''d just be... coteral resour


    I heard footsteps approaching in the distance, faint but growing louder. My warrior senses snapped to attention despite the silver''s dampening effect.


    They''reing back


    I quickly assessed my condition. The silver burns on my wrists weren''t as painful now-my body was adapting. Good. One chance was all I needed, but timing would be everything.


    won''t let them but you," I whispered to Sophia, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "I promise.


    Looking at her defenseless form reminded me of Lucas''s trusting eyes. Both of ke''s children had shown me nothing but kindness, and I''d failed them both.


    Manly one of us can escape, it has to be you, Sophus.


    I gentlyid her head back on the ground, arranging her asfortably as possible. Then I stretched out nearby, assuming a convincing unconscious pose L slowed my breathing to a deep, even rhythm, leaving my eyelids slightly parted so I could watch through myshes.


    Keys jangled. The iron door creaked open


    ke trusted me, I thought as footsteps approached. And I failed him. But I won''t fall again.


    I thought of my father''s calm eyes before batt, drawing strength from the memory, Moan Goddess, give me strength to protect