Chapter 98 Caged
Sable’s POV
The moment they grabbed me, I knew.
This was deliberate.
Cold hands clamped around my arms, iron grips that didn’t care about the fact that I had just woken up from a nightmare, that I was still disoriented, still trying to make sense of where I was.
“Wait! What are you doing?” I snapped, trying to twist free.
It didn’t matter.
There were too many of them.
Pack warriors.
And not one of them would look me in the eye.
That was what made my stomach drop.
“Let go of me,” I said, sharper now, digging my heels into the ground as they dragged me through the halls.
One of them tightened his grip.
My heart pounded violently against my ribs, my wolf stirring weakly beneath my skin.
“What is this about?” I demanded again, forcing my voice steady.
They remained silent just dragging me through the pack house.
My chest tightened.
Kier.
The thought came fast, instinctive.
I reached for him.
Kier.
Nothing.
The connection hit something and stopped.
Like slamming into a wall.
I frowned, pushing harder.
Kier?
Still nothing.
My breath hitched.
No.
No, no, no.
That wasn’t right.
Even when things between us were messy.
I could always feel him.
Always.
But now?
Nothing.
Panic crept up my spine, slow and suffocating.
“What did you do?” I demanded, my voice rising now as I looked between them. “Why can’t I...”
“Keep moving,” one of them said flatly.
That was the first thing anyone had said.
And it wasn’t an answer.
The dragged me to the council chambers.
Or more specifically what was beneath them.
“No,” I said immediately, digging my heels in again. “No, you’re not serious.”
They didn’t stop.
“You can’t be serious,” I pushed, my voice breaking through the rising panic. “I haven’t done anything that warrants this.”
No response.
The heavy door at the end of the hall creaked open.
Cold air hit me first.
My wolf recoiled.
No.
My breathing turned uneven as they dragged me inside.
“This isn’t necessary,” I said quickly, trying to regain control, trying to sound like the rational one in the room. “Whatever the council wants, I’ll face it. You don’t need to put me down here.”
The stairs echoed under our feet as we descended.
Each step heavier than the last.
Each second tightening something in my chest.
The lower we went, the harder it was to breathe.
Like the air itself didn’t want me here.
And then I saw it.
The cells.
Bars gleaming faintly under low light.
Silver.
My heart stuttered.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I whispered.
They didn’t answer.
Of course they didn’t.
They shoved me forward, unlocking one of the cells with a sharp metallic click.
I twisted, trying one last time.
“Listen to me,” I said, my voice firm despite the fear crawling up my throat. “If this is about me leaving the pack, then I’ll stand in front of the council and answer for it. But this, this is excessive.”
One of them met my eyes briefly.
There was something there.
Regret.
But it didn’t stop him.
“Inside,” he said.
I didn’t move.
Not at first.
Not until the one behind me pushed Inside the cell.
I stumbled forward, catching myself just before I hit the floor.
The door slammed behind me.
And just like that, I was caged.
I turned immediately, grabbing the bars without thinking.
The burn was instant. I hissed, jerking my hands back as my skin screamed in protest.
“Silver,” I muttered, flexing my fingers as the sting lingered.
Of course it was. Of course they made sure I couldn’t get out.
“Hey!” I snapped, stepping forward again despite the warning the pain had given me. “You don’t get to just throw me in here and walk away.”
They were already leaving.
“Hey!” I shouted louder. “I’m talking to you!”
Nothing.
The door at the top of the stairs slammed shut.
And then—
Silence.
I stood there for a second, just breathing.
Trying to steady myself.
Trying not to let the panic win.
“You’re fine,” I whispered to myself. “You’re fine.”
But the walls didn’t feel fine.
The air didn’t feel fine.
The way the bond was completely gone, didn't feel fine.
I swallowed hard, backing up until my legs hit the edge of the narrow cot behind me.
I sat slowly.
My wolf stirred weakly, uneasy.
Still not fully recovered from the wolfsbane poisoning.
Still not strong enough to fight.
My chest tightened.
“This is not happening,” I said under my breath.
But it was.
I tried the bond again.
Kier.
Nothing.
The absence hurt more than anything.
Because if I couldn’t feel him, did that mean he couldn’t feel me?
Did he even know where I was?
My throat tightened.
He would.
Kier wouldn’t just let them take me.
Panic started to rise.
My breathing picked up.
“You’re not that girl right now,” I whispered. “You’re not helpless.”
But I felt it.
The edges of it creeping in.
And underneath it all—
Kier.
I leaned back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling.
He'll come.
He had to.
Didn’t he?
The thought didn’t comfort me the way I wanted it to.
Because I knew the council.
And if they’d gone this far...
They weren’t going to make it easy.
Footsteps echoed above.
My head snapped up.
Voices.
Faint at first.
Then closer.
Someone was coming down.
I stood immediately, heart jumping into my throat.
“Finally,” I called out, stepping toward the bars. “Took you long enough. I want to know what the hell this is about.”
“Hello?” I pressed, irritation bleeding into my tone to mask the unease creeping in. “I’m not staying down here without answers.”
The figure stepped into view.
And everything in me went still.
Liora.
A slow smile curved her lips.
“Well,” she said softly, tilting her head. “Look at you.”
“Liora,” I said flatly, my fingers curling at my sides. “What did you do?”
Her smile widened.
“Oh, Sable,” she murmured.
“You really should’ve stayed gone.”