Chapter 60: Chapter-60

Silently, I stood in the doorway, my gaze fastened on Alex, as standing at the head of the table, his eyes scanned the room. When they landed on me, he took a deep breath, and began to speak, his voice steady and strong.

"You've been through hell and back under Marcus's rule," he stated, his gaze encompassing the entire room. "But you're still here. And now it's time to rebuild, to become the pack you were meant to be."

Everyone listened, their gazes focused on Alex. As was mine. I didn't know what I was doing here. Physically, I wanted Alex. But my heart couldn't handle him. I wasn't the type to share, and being with Alex meant I would have to share him. I'd done a little reading the night before, and I better understood the Lycan life.

The Alpha could have more than one mate, but I was a one-person kind of girl. Quietly, I turned and made my way out of the mansion. Whatever my future held, it wasn't with Alex.

Outside, the night air was crisp, the moon hanging low in the sky, casting shadows across the grounds. The scent of pine and the distant howl of a wolf filled the silence. I walked aimlessly, my thoughts racing. Was I making the right choice? Could I ever truly escape this world?

The crunch of leaves underfoot brought me back to reality. A figure emerged from the shadows, and before I could react, something hard hit me on the head and everything went black.

I came to in the backseat of a moving car, my head throbbing. Hartwell was behind the wheel, his eyes focused on the road ahead, a smug smile playing on his lips. Panic surged through me as I struggled against the ropes binding my wrists and ankles.

"Where are you taking me?" I demanded, my voice shaking with fear and anger.

He didn't answer, just kept driving.

I searched for a way to escape, my thoughts racing. What did he want from me? Was this about Alex? Or did Hartwell have some other kind of twisted plans?

The car finally stopped in a clearing deep in the forest. Hartwell stepped out and opened my door, pulling me out roughly. My legs wobbled from the sudden movement, but he didn't give me time to recover. He dragged me through the underbrush, the sounds of the night seeming to close in around us. My heart hammered in my chest as the reality of my situation set in. I was completely at his mercy, and he didn't look like he had any.

The cabin appeared out of the darkness, a small, run-down building with a single light flickering in the window. Hartwell shoved me inside, the door slamming shut behind us. The room smelled of dust and something else, something faintly metallic and unsettling.

He tied me to a chair in the center of the room and stepped back, his eyes gleaming in the dim light. "You're going to help me, whether you like it or not," he said, his voice low and menacing. "You're going to tell me everything you know about Alex's plans for the pack."

I clenched my jaw, trying to hide the fear that was bubbling up inside of me. I knew I couldn't give him what he wanted. I didn't know myself. "Why should I?" I spat back at him, hoping my defiance would annoy him enough to make a mistake.

He chuckled darkly, crossing the room to a table laden with knives and other sharp instruments. "Because if you don't," he said, picking up a knife and twirling it in his fingers, "I'll make sure your stay here is very, very unpleasant."

The cold steel glinted in the flickering light, and my stomach turned. Hartwell was a sadist, that much was clear. I needed to stall, to figure out a way to escape before he hurt me—or worse. "What could I possibly tell you that you don't already know?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

He leaned in, his breath hot against my cheek. "Let's start with the prophecy," he murmured. "I need to know the details. How can I use it to my advantage?"

I shook my head, no clue what he was talking about. "What prophecy?" I asked.

His eyes narrowed, and he grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head back. "Don't play games with me," he snarled. "You're in this as deep as anyone. Maybe deeper."

He released me, and I tasted blood where he'd split my lip. "I don't know anything about a prophecy," I spat, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice.

He stepped back, considering me for a moment, before shaking his head. "Fine," he said, his tone deceptively calm. "We'll start with something simpler. Tell me about the ritual."

Again, I shook my head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"The mating ritual," Hartwell clarified, his voice dripping with disdain. "How it works. What it means. Who's next in line if Alex were to...disappear?"

I swallowed hard, my mind racing. 

"I have all night," Hartwell said, his eyes cold. "Start talking."

The walls of the cabin felt like they were closing in on me, the air thick with the scent of his anticipation. I knew I had to find a way to escape. But how? With every passing second, my options grew more limited. And as Hartwell took a step closer, knife in hand, I knew I was running out of time.