Chapter 2

ELARA

The new voice, higher-pitched and laced with trepidation, shattered the tension like a stone through glass. We both turned toward the open doorway, where the guard hovered with the distinct air of someone uncertain whether retreating was still an option.

"What?" The General's bark made the poor man flinch like a struck dog.

"Th-The Alpha has ordered her brought to him..." A pause as he seemed to weigh his next words carefully. "Tonight."

An ominous silence stretched between us, the General's chest rising and falling with each rattling inhale-exhale. Then, with a growl of pure frustration, he released me- pulling away so abruptly that I collapsed back against the mattress, gasping and sputtering as air flooded my abused lungs once more.

"So soon?" The words emerged as more of a growl than anything resembling human speech.

"Yes, sir."

A loud, aggrieved sigh ripped from the General's lips as he swept off the bed, already stalking toward the door with each heavy footfall shaking the floor beneath him. "Get the Omegas in here to prepare her. I want her looking and smelling her absolute best- not a single blemish or bruise visible. Understood?"

He paused in the open doorway, one hand braced against the frame as he twisted around to fix me with a look that made my blood run cold.

"And you..." Those piercing eyes bored into me with an intensity that stole what little breath remained in my lungs. "I suggest you do everything in your power to please our incoming King this evening. Unless you'd like to be reunited with what's left of your miserable, fallen comrades."

The unspoken threat hung in the air long after they'd taken their leave, the weight of it settling over me like a veil. I released the breath I hadn't realized I was holding, wincing at the flush of agony that lanced through my torso. Gingerly, almost fearfully, I twisted from side to side- working out the knots and relieving the lingering ache from the General's assault.

Only then did I take stock of my new surroundings- a marked improvement over that eerie, lightless pit, but no less of a gilded cage for all its finery. Plush cream curtains framed an arched window, currently drawn to block out what laid beyond. Polished hardwood floors gave way to intricately-patterned rugs in rich shades of crimson and gold. An ornate vanity rested against one wall, flanked by a massive armoire carved from some dark, exotic wood.

And presiding over it all- the centerpiece- a massive four-poster bed draped in shimmering silks and downy comforters...the same one I currently occupied.

How long had I been unconscious? Hours? Days? Impossible to say without a point of reference. Gritting my teeth, I slid first one leg and then the other from beneath the coverlet, bare feet landing on the plush carpeting.

The window, I decided, already limping across the chamber with my arms wrapped protectively around my midsection. Throwing aside the heavy curtain revealed a sliver of waning moon peeking through the cloud cover informing of the day's end. I sighed, leaning my aching brow against the cool glass as memories washed over me- of simpler times spent watching the sunset with my father from the riverbank of my Pack, his deep voice rumbling with the ancient stories of our people.

Those were my happiest moments, before the world went mad.

Tears pricked my lids, blurring the view beyond the window into a hazy kaleidoscope of indistinct shapes and shadows. But I blinked them away, refusing to let them fall. I was still here, still breathing...and as long as my heart continued beating in this chest, there would always be hope.

Movement below drew my gaze downward, to the heavy iron latch securing the window in place. Cautiously, I grasped the handle and pulled- putting my weight into it until it finally gave way with a groan of protest. The window slid open a wee bit, just enough for me to lean out and take in a breath of fresh, untainted air for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

An idea began to take shape, blossoming in the back of my mind like a fragile seedling taking root. A desperate, foolish idea...but an idea nonetheless. If I could make it to the ground from this height, disappear into the night...

The sound of approaching footsteps shattered my momentary reverie. I slammed the window shut with such force that the panes rattled in their frames, whirling around just as the door swung open to admit two figures.

One was a withered witch dressed in layers of coarse fabric, her face a road map of deep crevices and furrowed lines. The other, a young woman closer to my own age- though where my own features were marred by the fading evidence of past torments, her smooth skin and bright eyes radiated innocence.

"Get her scrubbed while I lay out the dress and cosmetics," the old woman barked, her tone leaving no room for argument as she waved her withered hand in gesture.

The younger woman offered me a timid smile, taking a hesitant step forward. "Hi, I'm- "

"No time for pleasantries!" Her companion's rebuke sliced through the air like a whip-crack, prompting the poor girl to flinch. "Get to work, you foolish child!"

With an apologetic grimace in my direction, she gestured for me to follow- leading the way across the chamber to another door I hadn't noticed tucked away in the corner. A bathing room, if the tile floors and sunken tub were any indication.

I settled into the steaming water with a hiss of mingled pain and relief, permitting the young woman to scrub away weeks' worth of grime from my battered skin. Her touch was gentle yet efficient.

As she worked, I allowed my lids to slide shut- focusing on the simple act of breathing to maintain what tattered shreds of composure remained. In and out, a steady rhythm to push back the rising surge of despair that threatened to drown me utterly.

I didn't know what fresh torments awaited me at the hands of this 'Alpha'. But one thing was certain- I would not go meekly to slaughter like some broken, beaten creature. Not while my wolf still raged, snarling and snapping at her chains with every rattling breath.

Whoever their Alpha was...

I had to be ready to meet him.