119

Nina

The cold stone walls of my cell seem to close in with each passing hour. How long have I been here? Days? Weeks?

Time bleeds together in this darkness, broken only by the dim light filtering through the tiny window near the ceiling.

My hands trace the rough surface of the wall, fingers catching on jagged edges, a sensation that’s become almost comforting in its familiarity.

Jack. His name burns in my mind like acid. He should be dead. He should be rotting in the ground by now, not walking around, breathing, living. I did everything perfectly.

The poison was untraceable, so much so that even the most thorough autopsy wouldn’t have detected it.

I watched him drink it, watched the bottle empty as he swallowed every last drop. I remember fighting to keep my expression neutral, to stop the satisfaction from showing on my face as he thanked me for “taking care of him.”

A bitter laugh escapes my throat, echoing off the walls. Taking care of him, oh, I took care of him alright. Or at least, I thought I had.

Rolling onto my side on the thin mattress, I close my eyes and replay that evening for the thousandth time. The careful preparation, measuring the exact dosage that would mimic a natural heart failure.

The way my hands remained steady as I gave it to him, despite the anticipation coursing through my veins.

It was fun playing the role of the devoted mate, the concerned lover. He never suspected a thing. But why? Why was he still alive and healthy?

Something went wrong. Something had to have gone wrong. People don’t just survive that kind of poison. I made sure to research its effects extensively.

It should have stopped his heart within hours, leaving no trace behind. Yet here I am, imprisoned, while he continues to live and breathe.

I remember when I followed my bitchy sister for a troll in her husband’s pack. I had asked her to bring me to where they stored their drugs, and her being a stupid fool, she brought me along.

That was how I easily got the drugs. A perfect poison for Jack.

“How did he survive?” I heard my wolf ask. Her cold voice rang through my mind.

“Shut up and let me think,” I roared, shutting her off. She whimpered before retreating into silence.

Did he know? Did he somehow detect the poison?

No, impossible. I watched him too carefully. Maybe he had built up an immunity somehow? But that would mean he knew I was trying to poison him.

The thought sends a chill down my spine. Had I been that transparent? Had my careful facade cracked without me realizing it?

The sound of footsteps in the corridor makes me sit up, my heart racing. Every time I hear someone approaching, I expect it to be him, coming to gloat, to explain how he outsmarted me.

But it’s never him. Just guards bringing bland meals or checking to make sure I haven’t found a way to escape.

My fingers unconsciously move to my neck, where he nearly sniffed the life out of me.

A rat scurries across the floor, and I watch it with envy. Even it has more freedom than I do now. The irony would be amusing if it wasn’t so pathetic.

I was supposed to be the one in control, the one executing the perfect plan. Instead, I’m the one trapped while he walks free.

The worst part isn’t the confinement, though. It’s the not knowing. Not knowing how he survived, not knowing if he suspected me all along.

The questions gnaw at me day and night, worse than the hunger, worse than the cold, worse than the loneliness.

I press my palms against my temples, trying to quiet the endless spiral of thoughts. The not knowing is driving me mad. I was so careful, so meticulous in my planning.

I’d accounted for every variable, every possible complication. Except, apparently, for the possibility that he simply wouldn’t die.

The sound of my laughter echoes through the cell again, but this time, it’s tinged with hysteria.

A guard bangs on the door, ordering me to be quiet. I bite my lip to stifle the laughter, tasting blood. The metallic flavor grounds me somewhat, pulling me back from the edge of hysteria.

I need to stay sharp, need to figure out what went wrong. There has to be an explanation, some detail I overlooked, some mistake I made.

“I need to see him,” I mutter to myself.

“Enough,” my wolf growled. I did shut her out. I did shut her, so why was she talking now?

I close my eyes to communicate with her. I can see her. I can feel my wolf. She was a very strong wolf, her presence alone commanding power, but that was then.

The wolf I was seeing now wasn’t the one I once knew. She wasn’t her past self.

“I can’t feel him,” she said sadly. “I can’t feel his wolf. The bond is broken.”

“Who cares?” I snapped. “Let me be.”

“You should. Only he could protect us,” she reminded me. “Only Jack would protect us from them. You see the way they look at us, as if they wanted to skin us alive.”

I knew she was right. My wolf was right, but what could I do? He refused to come see us. He rejected me in front of everyone.

He abandoned me and allowed his mother to throw me in this cold cell.

“You’re right, but he hates us now. He doesn’t want to have anything to do with me.”

“We need to see him,” my wolf insisted. “We can still change his mind if we manage to see him alone. He still loves us. I can feel it.”

I sighed. “Then I will ask the guard to allow me to see him.”

“Hello, is anyone there?” I shouted, but no one responded. “Hello.”

I kept shouting but got no response.

“Hello.”

I shivered when I heard a loud, powerful howl. It was so angry, and it sounded like a warning growl.

“What is it?” Someone asked. “Are you crazy? How dare you shout like that?”

I blinked my eyes, giving him a cute look. I thought I could seduce him, but I was wrong.

That guard looked at me like I was something rotten, something he wanted to kill but was holding back.

“I’m sorry,” I immediately apologized, humbling myself. I don’t want to die.

I must make Jack suffer. And Scarlett. Both of them betrayed me and abandoned me.

“I need to see the Beta,” I said politely.

“The Beta?” he repeated. “You’re not allowed to.”

“Please,” I begged. “I’m begging you.” I fell to my knees. “I’m begging you.”

He eyed me before leaving, and I was left wondering if he would deliver my message or not.