Chapter 167 Chapter 167

Chapter 167 Chapter 167
“I asked where I am!” My voice cracked, rising higher, betraying the fear I was trying so hard to hide.
The second man laughed. “Does it really matter? You’re not going anywhere.”
“It matters to me.”
“Won’t change a thing.”
My breathing quickened, coming in short, sharp gasps. I forced myself to meet the darkness beneath their hoods, forced myself to ask the question I was too afraid to know the answer to.
“Are you bounty hunters?”

At the mention of the word, the two men exchanged a glance. A look passed between them—amused, knowing.
“You're sharper than you look?” The first man smiled before it fell again as he tilted his head. “Lucky we found you. It's not safe being out there alone. Many creepy folks out there .”
My heart dropped, plummeting like a stone into the pit of my stomach.
“I...I wasn't alone. I was searching for Asher?” I blurted out without thinking, and they shared a look.
“Asher?" The first man cocked his head to the side.

" Asin, the faceless Alpha of the Inglewoods pack?"

"That’s right.” Hope hit me. "I...I was with him. I know the alpha, and he'll surely come find me."

There was silence.

"Ridiculous. You really think throwing around that man's name will scare us?"

"Come on. Everyone knows those who cross paths with that man don't live to tell it, " The first man mocked me. And my fear slowly turned into anger.

" I'm not lying!" I yelled.
“No.” The word shook. “He was with me. He was right there.”
“Didn’t see anyone else.” The second man shrugged, indifference dripping from every word. “If he was there, he was gone before we arrived.”
No.
That couldn’t be right. Asher wouldn’t have left me.
He was the one who'd been in pain.
That means he was still out there, alone, lost, hurt, suffering, and probably wondering where I was right now.
Panic rose, hot and frantic, and I gripped the stone behind me to steady myself. “He was there. He was running ahead of me. I was following him.”
“Sorry, sweetheart.” The second man leaned closer, his voice dropping, sharp and cruel. "We ain't buying that crap."

“Yeah. And nobody's coming to save you."
No. No, that wasn’t true. I wouldn’t believe it. But doubt began to creep in anyway, whispering all manner of things to scare me. But I refused to allow it.

I've been through far too much already to let myself be cornered like this.

" I don't give a shit whether you believe me or not." My voice trembled. "But I'm going to get out of here, and when I do--"

" You'll what? Call your Alpha daddy?!" Both of them burst out into another laughing fit, and my gum ached from gritting it too much.

" I'll do more than that." I threatened in a low whisper. That got their attention.
The first man took a step closer to the bars, crouching so that his face was level with mine. Shadow still hid his features, but I could see the glint of eyes—pale, cold, and without mercy.
“You should stop worrying about those things. This isn't a fairytale where your prince charming comes to take down the bad guys and saves you.” His voice was low and terrifying. “No. This is real life. You should worry about yourself. Because your friend isn’t the one somebody paid good money to collect.”

"Yes. We're bounty hunters. And we're just here to collect our pay." He stood straight again. "It's nothing personal."
“That’s right.” He smiled, and it didn’t reach his eyes. "Nothing personal.”
A cold feeling settled deep in my chest, spreading outward until my hands trembled. I didn’t need to ask who wanted me captured. And subconsciously, I had a feeling I already knew who was behind all this before they even spoke his name.
Barron Von Furstenberg.
It could only be him.

It was Barron, who bought my freedom at a price. It was he who had hunted me this whole time.

Bile rose up in my throat the more I allowed that pig to take up space in my memory.
“No…” The whisper escaped me before I could stop it, small and broken.
Both men smiled.
“Looks like she figured it out.” The second man pushed off the bars, reaching into his cloak and pulling out a ring of old iron keys. They clinked softly together, a sound that sent shivers racing down my spine. He selected one, holding it up to the dim light. “Smart girl. Shame we can’t make this easier for you.”
He stepped forward, inserting the key into the lock. The mechanism turned with a heavy, grinding click that echoed through the corridor like a gunshot. The rusted hinges screamed in protest as he swung the door inward.
I scrambled backward, pressing harder against the wall, until there was nowhere left to go. “Stay away from me. Don’t come any closer.”