Chapter 49

After my tense "audience" with my father ended, I was unceremoniously dragged to a guest room, per his orders. The room was enormous—at least twice the size of the cramped apartment where I had scraped by for two years. It boasted a bed, a closet, and a dressing table complete with a mirror.

Certainly, this "prison" was the most opulent place I’d stayed since being tossed into the orphanage.

Hours crept by, each one fueling my growing restlessness. I knew I had to escape before 10 PM and make my way to the harbor. The room I was confined to was on the first floor. Jumping from that height wasn’t impossible, but the patrolling guards and omnipresent security cameras made every move a calculated risk.

As the sun sank lower, I stood by the window, silently calculating. How much time would I need to leap down, sprint to the fence, and climb over it? The odds were grim, but it was all I had. I could only pray that Oberon would figure out where I was and create a distraction to buy me time.

Suddenly, the sound of a key scraping the lock snapped me from my thoughts. My breath hitched as I turned toward the door. It opened slowly, and Malcolm stepped inside, locking it behind him with an unsettling click.

“What do you want?” I spat through gritted teeth, my glare a dagger aimed straight at him.

“Oh, Princess, you should know better than to ask.” His cold chuckle sent a shiver down my spine. “You’re the one who seduced me, after all.”

I instinctively backed up, pressing myself against the window as he sauntered toward me.

“My father told you not to touch me!” I shouted, hoping invoking the Alpha’s authority might stop him.

“Maybe he did. Maybe he even meant it.” Malcolm smirked, his eyes narrowing predatorily. “But let’s be real. Selling a virgin fetches a better price, but after the northern Alpha is done with you, no one will know the difference. Blood is blood.”

“Stay back!” I screamed, the temptation to leap from the window growing stronger with each step he took.

I turned, fumbling with the latch, but Malcolm’s grip clamped down on my wrist like a vice, and he flung me onto the bed. I struck out, my fist connecting with his torso, and for a brief second, I pushed him back. Scrambling to my feet, I bolted for the window, but he was faster. His hands caught me again, this time slamming me against the dressing table. My back collided with the mirror, shattering it. Pain shot through me, but desperation sharpened my instincts. I grabbed a jagged shard of glass, concealing it in my fist just before he hurled me back onto the bed.

He pinned my hands above my head, his weight crushing me, stealing the air from my lungs.

“Get off me!” I screamed, hoping—praying—that someone would hear.

“It’s no use, little bitch,” he sneered, his laughter curdling my blood. “You should be grateful. At least you’ll have some experience for your new master.”

I thrashed, growled, anything to summon strength from my terror, but he only tightened his hold.

“My brother and I are the pack’s strongest warriors,” he boasted, leaning down until his breath scalded my ear. “You can’t win. Just give up.”

His tongue grazed my neck, and I recoiled in disgust, bile rising in my throat.

He released one of my wrists to tear at my sweater. I screamed again, my voice cracking under the strain.

“Please, stop!” I cried, but my pleas only seemed to inflame his sick excitement.

When he let go of my other hand to strip off his shirt, I seized my moment. I drove the shard of glass into his thigh, twisting it with all my strength. He roared in agony as blood gushed from the wound.

“You bastard,” I hissed, scrambling off the bed. My heart thundered as I adjusted my torn clothes, but there was no time to think.

Malcolm staggered back, his face contorted in rage. His wolf hovered just beneath his skin, his fury spilling out in feral snarls. As he lunged for me, the window exploded inward, showering us in glass.

A massive gray wolf barreled through the frame, slamming Malcolm to the ground.

“Oberon,” I whispered, tears spilling over as relief flooded my body.

The wolf tilted its head toward me, a silent command to climb onto his back. I didn’t hesitate. Wrapping my arms tightly around his neck, I held on as he leapt back through the shattered window and sprinted toward the fence. Alarms blared, wolves howled in pursuit, but Oberon was faster—far faster than any of them.

By the time we reached the outskirts of the pack’s territory, I slid off his back, my legs trembling. He ducked into a dark alley to shift, leaving me clutching the remnants of my sweater as my mind replayed everything I had narrowly escaped.

“Throw me that cloth by the dumpster,” Oberon called, breaking through my spiral.

The absurdity of his request tugged a strangled laugh from my chest. I handed him a rag, which he wrapped around himself like a makeshift diaper. It was ridiculous—so ridiculous that I laughed, loud and uncontrollable.

Oberon raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. “My car’s around the corner. I’ve got clothes in the trunk—something for you too. We’ll head straight to the harbor.”

I nodded, following him as adrenaline began to ebb. Freedom was within reach, and Oberon was my anchor to it. I felt a pang of guilt for what he’d sacrificed, but I vowed to repay him, no matter what it took.

At the harbor, the cargo ship loomed ahead. My heart raced as I ascended the ladder, each step bringing me closer to escape. But just as my hand gripped the rail, the howls began.

“Don’t look back!” Oberon shouted. “Go! Hide inside!”

“What are you doing?” I yelled, panic gripping me. “You were supposed to come with me!”

He turned, his glowing wolf eyes meeting mine. “I’m sorry, Princess.”

Before I could protest, he struck the back of my head. Darkness closed in as he caught me, hoisting me onto the ship.

The last thing I heard before succumbing to unconsciousness was his voice, soft and resolute.

I woke with a start, my body drenched in sweat. My heart pounded as I scanned the room, my disorientation fading as I recognized my surroundings.

“Hadrian’s castle,” I murmured, the weight of my memories settling over me.

Shaking, I reached for a glass of water, but the sight of Hadrian sitting at the edge of my bed froze me in place. His cold smirk twisted into a sneer as his sharp gaze locked on mine.

“Who the fuck is Oberon?”