Chapter 93: The Hunt Begins

Ivy's POV 

From the moment we were thrown into their dungeons, the sun became nothing more than a distant memory. Days bled into nights, swallowed whole by the suffocating darkness. Time lost all meaning in this cold, damp cell, where the only light came from the flickering torches the guards carried when they came to drag us to our labor.

Every morning since I arrived, the routine had been the same—wake up before dawn, get dragged out of the filthy cell, and work until exhaustion consumed me. The guards didn’t care if we were weak, tired, or sick. To them, we were nothing but slaves.  

The stench of sweat and decay had become a part of me. At first, it made me gag, but after a week, I had learned to endure it. The other prisoners—women like me, broken but still breathing—were no different. We scrubbed floors, carried heavy loads, and endured the humiliation of being less than human in the eyes of this ancient pack.  

I had never spoken to one of them directly, but I had watched. Their ways were… different. A pack lost in time. They lived like the stories we were told of our ancestors—primal, ruthless, ruled by nothing but instinct and power.  

My task everyday was to scrub the kitchen floors. No mop, no brush—just my bare hands. The stone slabs were rough against my fingers, the grime seemingly endless. I had long since stopped complaining. There was no point.  

But today was different.  

We all waited for the guards to come at their usual time. But no one came.  

Minutes turned into hours, and for the first time since we had been captured, there was silence.  

Then, I saw it.  

The way the other she-wolves shifted uncomfortably, their bodies trembling, their skin slick with sweat. Their breathing came faster, more erratic. I knew why.  

It was their heat.  

I have heard of how unmated she-wolves became desperate, their senses overwhelmed by the pull of nature. Their eyes glazed over, their fingers twitching as if yearning for something they couldn’t have.  

Good thing we weren’t locked up with the male prisoners. At least they had that much decency.  

For me, it was different. I had never experienced heat. Maybe because I had never shifted. Maybe because I had no wolf. Whatever the reason, I was grateful.  

I tried to help the others—splashing them with the water the guards usually leave for us to wash our faces in the morning. But it did little to ease their torment.  

Then I heard it.  

Footsteps.  

My stomach twisted into knots. Relief turned to dread in an instant.  

The cell door creaked open, and before I could blink, we were being dragged outside.  

The early morning light was blinding after days of darkness. The cold air bit at my skin, but nothing compared to the chill that ran down my spine when I saw them.  

A line of unmated males stood before us, their hungry eyes roaming over our bodies. They sneered and jeered, licking their lips like predators who had just been promised a feast.  

I clenched my fists.  

Disgusting animals.  

Then, I felt it.  

A presence so strong it made my skin prickle.  

I had felt this once before—with Leo.  

But this was different.  

I turned my head slowly, and there he was.  

Their Alpha.  

An embodiment of ancient power. He sat on a throne carved from dark stone, his body relaxed but his aura suffocating. His long black hair cascaded over his broad shoulders, and his sharp jawline was covered in a short beard. He was beautiful, in the most dangerous way possible.  

His eyes—dark, cold, and unreadable—locked onto mine. My breath hitched.  

It wasn't an attraction.  

It was something deeper. Something unsettling.  

Like he could see through me.  

Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around myself and looked down.  

A voice spoke beside him. “Are these all of them?”  

“Yes, Beta,” another answered.

The Alpha barely acknowledged the response, his gaze still fixed on us, judging, calculating. Then, he nodded, and the man beside him stepped forward.  

“We are aware that the prisoners are in heat,” he announced, a smirk playing on his lips. “And we believe it is time for them to serve a special purpose.”  

A cold sweat broke over my skin.  

“There will be a tournament.”  

A murmur rippled through the crowd.  

“At the sound of the gong, all of you will run towards the forest. Any male who catches a female will have her for the rest of the day.”  

I froze.  

My stomach dropped.  

No. No. No.  

Tears burned behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.  

So much for saving myself for Leo, huh? Now, I’m about to be claimed by some uncivilized wolf while he’s out there, probably hunting for his next fresh victim to drain dry.

Please, Goddess, no.  

The man’s voice faded as he continued, his words blending into the sickening cheers of the unmated males.  

And then, before I could stop myself, I screamed.  

“No!”  

Silence.  

Every head turned to me.  

The other prisoners stiffened, their quiet sobs now stifled as fear spread through them.  

The man’s face darkened with rage. “How dare you challenge the order of the king!”  

Before I could react, his palm struck my cheek.  

Pain exploded through my skull, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth. I swallowed hard, my legs trembling, but I didn’t let the tears fall.  

“No," I repeated, my voice softer this time—almost a plea. "You can't do this. Please, Alpha, just let us go. I'm not even one of your kind!" The last part tumbled out before I could stop it, my desperation outweighing my caution.

The man raised his hand again, but before he could strike me, the Alpha’s voice cut through the air like a blade.  

“That’s enough, Joel.”  

His voice was deep, rich, and laced with something forbidden.  

I thought—just for a moment—that he would stop this madness. That he would show us some mercy.

But then he gave the signal for the man to continue.  

My stomach twisted.  

What the fuck just happened?  

The man smirked and addressed us once more. “You may turn into your wolves. Whoever makes it to the other side of the forest without being caught by lunch is free.”  

A ten-minute head start. Then the hunt began.  

The gong rang.  

Panic. Chaos.  

I stood frozen as the others sprinted forward, some shifting mid-air, others running on two legs before their bodies cracked and changed.  

I forced myself to look up at the Alpha.  

His face was a mask of dark amusement.  

No.  

I won’t let them touch me.  

With that thought, I ran.  

The wind tore at my skin, my lungs burned, my breath came in sharp gasps. The ground was uneven, but I didn’t stop.  

I ran. And ran.  

But no matter how fast I moved, I knew.  

I would be the first to be caught.  

A second gong echoed through the air.  

Then—the howls.  

A shiver of terror crawled down my spine.  

I could hear them. The males.  

Hunting.  

I stumbled forward, my voice barely above a whisper as I pleaded with the empty air—begging a wolf I wasn’t even sure existed. "If you're there… now would be a good time to show yourself."

No response. What was I expecting?

My heart slammed against my ribs. I needed to hide.  

My eyes darted around until I spotted it—a hollowed-out tree. It wasn’t perfect, but it was something.  

I slipped inside, pressing myself against the damp bark. My chest heaved as I struggled to silence my breathing.  

But I had made a mistake.  

I’d foolishly forgotten about their heightened sense of smell. It wouldn’t take long before someone picked up my scent.

Moving quickly, I scrambled out—but not fast enough. A strong hand seized my waist, yanking me back into a broad, sweat-dampened chest.

A low amused growl vibrated against my ear.  

“Gotcha.”