Chapter 6 006
~LYKA~
The cell fell silent the moment my words left my mouth, the heavy air pressing down on all of us. The sudden quiet was deafening, thick with disbelief and fear, but I didn’t bother waiting for anyone to respond. I moved forward, my hands shaking slightly as I reached for the silver chains wrapped tightly around their wrists. The cold metal bit into my fingers as I unbuckled them one after the other, the faint clinking sound echoing softly against the stone walls.
“What! What are you saying?” Amanda exclaimed, her voice oozing with disbelief as she finally snapped out of her shock. Her eyes widened impossibly. “How can that be possible? How can the Alpha be your mate?”
I released a slow sigh, rubbing my temples. That had been my exact reaction when I first found out, but right now, that wasn’t the real problem standing before us.
We had far more pressing issues.
“I know you’re all surprised by this new information,” I said, gathering all of them closer, forcing myself to sound calm, “but we have more important matters to deal with. We need to plan our escape from this place.”
They stared at me like I was putting on some twisted performance.
“Escape?” Amanda blurted out dramatically, throwing her hands into the air. “Have you been on something? Is this the aftereffect of meeting this Alpha Demon?” she hissed.
I sighed again, longer this time, fighting the urge to snap. “You all heard me right, okay? The Alpha Demon is my mate, and we are going to escape from here. So I need you all to get your brains running.”
They still stared at me as though I had completely lost my mind.
“Wow… is this even possible?” Phoebe asked softly, stepping closer to me. I nodded, watching relief wash over her face as she realized she could move freely without the silver chains restraining her wrists.
“Yes,” I replied firmly. “The day of the duet is the day we escape from this hellhole.”
Amanda hissed in frustration, pacing the small cell. “It sounds more like the day we lose our lives.”
I rushed to her side, gripping her arm gently. “What’s wrong with you, Amanda? Why are you being so negative about this?”
She tugged my hand away sharply. “Are you seriously asking me that?” she snapped. “Have you forgotten what happened to the last people who tried this stunt? They were caught, Lyka. They weren’t returned to the cells...they were killed right in front of us. So you want our fate to be the same?”
My heart tightened painfully as the memory resurfaced. It was true. Those captives had tried to escape… and they were annihilated before our very eyes as a warning.
“Don’t argue,” Phoebe said suddenly. “I actually have someone who can help us with the escape plan...if you want.”
I turned to her sharply, suspicion flashing in my eyes. “What do you mean?”
She gave me an embarrassed smile. “I’ve been getting close to one of the guards. I’m sure he will help us.”
The idea crossed my mind briefly, but I immediately dismissed it.
“No,” I said firmly. “We can’t do that, Phoebe. We have to rely on ourselves. We can’t risk involving another person...especially a loyal subordinate of the Demon Alpha.”
She nodded in understanding.
I pulled Amanda aside, needing her thoughts, but her response made my chest tighten.
“What do you think about all this?” I asked quietly.
She sighed heavily. “You know very well this feels like going to a war front with nothing but a bread knife, while trained men are armed to the teeth. This is suicide, Lyka!”
“No,” I said sharply. “You’re wrong. We don’t have a bread knife.” I met her eyes with unwavering confidence. “We have a grenade...one that could throw the entire battlefield into chaos.”
She chuckled dryly. “And what grenade would that be?”
I hesitated, feeling awkward for a second before blurting out, “Ourselves!”
They stared at me like I had completely lost my sanity.
“Okay, I know it sounds unconvincing,” I added quickly, “but we can do this. We can escape his clutches forever.”
Slow nods followed.
“Oh… then what day do we escape?” Selina, the daughter of our former pack’s doctor, asked.
I turned to look at the cell keys clutched tightly in my hand...the ones I had taken from the guard’s body earlier...and a slow smile spread across my face.
“The day of the duet.”
They looked at me in confusion.
“Day of the duet? What’s that?” they asked.
I explained everything I had overheard on my way back from the Alpha’s study...the preparations, the distractions, the chaos it would bring.
“So you mean that’s the day you think our escape would work best?” Amanda asked.
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “That’s our best chance.”
“I know you’re scared,” I continued, “but we can’t let this opportunity slip away. This is once in a lifetime.”
She sighed, realizing I wouldn’t back down. “Fine. I’m in. But you have to make sure this doesn’t backfire. I can’t lose any of you.”
I smiled softly. “We’ll all be saved. And the boys...we’ll come back for them once we’re free. We’ll be stronger then.”
She nodded.
“Since we’ve all agreed to seize our freedom,” I said, turning to the others, “use this time to reconnect with your wolves. If things go south, we fight.”
“And no one does anything reckless,” Amanda added, glaring at me. I knew exactly who she was referring to.
“So it’s settled,” I said, my voice firm despite the fear creeping in. “On the night of the duet, we escape from this hellhole without looking back.”
They all nodded.
Still, a strange unease settled in my chest.
Something was going to go wrong.
But what could possibly go wrong?