Chapter Forty-Three

LUNA

I jerked awake when I heard the sounds of distant howling and gunshots. I quickly jumped off my bed and ran to the window, tripping over my chain. I crawled across the floor to the window, where I gripped the ledge and hauled myself up, as far as the chain would let me. As usual, only my eyes could see over the ledge.

I saw werewolves emerging from the mountains and treelines, jumping over the walls and into the compound. Some were fully shifted and were on all four paws, while some were half-shifted and still stood on two feet. My eyes searched the crowd for a particular someone, and my heart leaped in my chest when I saw him. I smiled as tears sprung to my eyes.

Beside him was Alessandro, who turned and whispered something into Giovanni’s ear, pointing right at my window. He had heard me the other day!!!

I let myself collapse on the floor, allowing tears of joy to flow down my cheeks. I was finally leaving here.

I heard very loud and angry footsteps approaching my door, and my heart leaped again. I looked around for anything I could use as a weapon and opted for a drawer on my nightstand. I pulled it out and smashed it on the floor, picking two of the sharp pieces, hiding them in my clothes.

I stood and waited while the key rattled in the lock, and then the door fell open. The red, angry eyes of my assigned guard fell on mine, and he growled. Fear enveloped my body; I took a few steps back. He was with another guard, both half-shifted. “You’re coming with us, you stupid bitch!!!”

“No!!!” He came after me, but I turned and ran, inevitably falling because of the chain. He yanked the chain, pulling me across the floor to him, then dragged me up by the hair, smiling sinisterly at me.

“What did the boss say we should do with her?”

“Take her away from here, to the other hideout. And if we cross paths with Giovanni…kill her…and then him.”

My eyes widened in fear, not just for myself, but for Giovanni too. I knew that killing a mate weakens a werewolf significantly. If they killed me in front of Giovanni, it would be much easier to kill me.

“Unlock the chain.”

As soon as the chain fell to the ground, the grip on my neck tightened. I began kicking and screaming as much as my strength would allow, but I was losing my breath. And my vision was beginning to blur. I pulled out the wood hidden in my evening dress and sent it into the neck of my attacker. He screamed and fell to the ground, lifeless, releasing me from the death grip. I fell to the ground with a thud, panting, coughing, trying to get air into my lungs. Everywhere was hurting—my hair from where he had been holding me up, my side where I had landed on. everywhere.

The other guard looked at the body in shock, the wood in the neck, the crimson red on the floor, and then back at me with bloodshot, angry eyes. “You…” His claws extended and he walked toward me with an angry scowl on his face.

I tried crawling away, dragging my front on the floor, but I stopped and covered my head with my hands, sobbing into the ground, when I felt him above me.

“Die, bitch!!!”

I heard a slashing sound, gurgling, and then a body dropping to the ground. I blinked in confusion and slowly moved my hands. I was still alive.

“Luna…” I heard Ophelia call out to me. I turned my head and saw her standing above me with a bloodied butcher’s knife. “We need to go.” She took my hand and pulled me to my feet. I looked around the room and saw the two guards lying lifeless.

“Why are you helping me?”

She ignored me, and pulled me out of the room into the hallway. We took a turn I had never taken before, stopping at a wall. “We will go through this wall,” she said, and began running her hands through the wall.

“Why are you helping me?!” I yelled.

She stopped and stood up straight, sighing. “So you can help me too.”

“How?”

“I want to leave this place. I want a better life for myself.”

“How do I come into that?”

“I want to work for your mate. I have heard that they get paid a decent amount, and they are treated well. And also, I get protection… just in case Guillermo survives today. It’s been hell, Luna. I hope you can understand my selfishness.”

“I do. If we make it out of here alive, and Guillermo doesn’t, I’d do more than secure you a job offer. You should be free to live your life where and how you want. You’ll be getting money instead, and a passport to wherever you want to go.”

Tears began streaming down her cheeks, and she launched herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck. I smiled and hugged her back, rubbing her back.

“Thank you,” she whispered into my ear.

“You’re welcome.”

We stayed that way for a while until she pulled back. Ophelia turned away and wiped her cheeks. “We need to get a move on.” She refocused her attention on the wall, carefully touching the stones.

“What are you looking for?”

“The secret passageway.”

“What?”

Just then, she pushed a stone in, and the wall creaked and caved in, revealing a stairwell. My mouth opened in shock, and pleasant surprise. “I told you. Come on.” She pulled my arm and dragged me into the stairwell. The wall creaked shut behind us; now we were enveloped in darkness.

Ophelia pulled out a flashlight and began leading us through. We went down a flight of stairs and followed a passageway, then down another flight of stairs, finally stopping at an ancient-looking door.

I ran my hands over it and could feel the mold and moss on it. “When was the last time someone used this place?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I discovered it during cleaning one fateful day.”

Ophelia put her ear to the door. I did the same and listened intently; I could hear the sounds of growling and fighting. Ophelia and I looked at each other at the same time.

“They’re out there,” I said. She nodded. “What are we going to do?”

“We’re going to get out there.” She said like it was the most obvious thing “Once this door opens, we run as fast as we can, head for the trees. That’s where Giovanni and his people are pouring in most from, so that’s safe.” She looked down at my gown and began to cut it.

“Hey!!!” Despite myself, I didn’t want to destroy my mother’s dress.

She gave me an eye and continued. By the time she was done, the floor-length gown was now a mini gown with raggedy edges.

I flexed my legs as she nodded in approval, smiling at her work.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”