Chapter 8. A Prisoner

* Zeina *

I didn't think I could feel more shattered, more discarded, until even the rogue warrior, who risked everything to rescue a filthy rogue prisoner, turned a blind eye to me. Me. Was I not pathetic enough for anyone to offer me a hand? Was rotting in chains not enough suffering to stir even a flicker of pity? Once, warriors bowed at my feet. Once, I was the Alpha of the Western Pack, and my name alone made enemies tremble.

But the moment I surrendered that title to my so-called mate, Alpha Robert, everything fell apart. The wolves who once pledged loyalty to me have turned their backs. They lost faith, the same way he did. I watch the cold, filthy walls of this dungeon and drown in regret. I was a fool to trust him. A damned fool. I thought I was enough. I thought love was enough. But I was never enough for him.

The sudden ruckus outside my cell yanked me from my daze. Of course, it was chaos just like everything else in this gods-forsaken place. The rogues had escaped. A rogue warrior came for them, walked right through the front door and out again, and no one could stop him.

Then I heard them. That arrogant stomp. That sickeningly sweet scent. That voice like venom wrapped in honey.

"Hello, Zeina. How was your stay last night?"

Celine. Her face twisted in a smug little smirk that made my blood boil. Beside her stood Robert, his brows furrowed, his eyes alight, not with concern for me, but with rage at the rogue escape.

"Most of the prisoners are gone, Zeina. Do you have any idea what happened last night?"

I glared at him. So that's what matters to him now? Not the fact that I, his former Luna, was left to rot in a cell like scum?

"Get me out of here, Robert!" I snapped. "You know I don't deserve this! If my brothers find out, I swear on the Moon Goddess, you'll pay for every damn drop of betrayal you've spilled."

My voice thundered, crackling with more fury than his. But that damn Celine just chuckled.

"The Alpha King won't hear a word from you, Zeina," she spat. "But he'll hear from me. I'll tell him you're happy, thriving, living the dream as Luna when in reality, I'm the one living the life you lost!"

There was something darker behind her eyes now. Something twisted. Her gaze made my stomach turn.

"No! You can't!" I barked. "My brother will come! He has to come for the annual visit. And when he finds me here, locked up like a dog, you'll both suffer you and Robert!"

"Oh? Since when did you stop calling me Alpha?" Robert's voice boomed like thunder cracking the sky. "You've grown bold, Zeina. Speaking to me without respect!"

I collapsed to my knees under the force of his voice. The mate bond still had its claws in me, making me weak, making me kneel. But I clenched my fists. I wouldn't let them see me break.

"Did you know the rogue who came last night, Zeina?" Celine sneered, eyes narrowing. "Surely you saw him, since you were here the whole time."

I stared her down. "Yes, I saw him. And he was looking for you."

My voice rang out, loud and clear, and I saw the flicker of fear in her eyes before she masked it. I knew it. She knew him.

Robert stepped closer, fists clenched, voice tight. "What else did you see? Did you talk to the rogue?"

I smiled coldly. "All I know is he came here looking for her, and then took every rogue who could walk. Maybe, Alpha Robert, you should ask that bitch standing next to you what she knows, because it sure as hell isn't nothing!"

Robert's eyes snapped to Celine, glowing with fury. "Did you know?! Did you know a rogue warrior was here, right under my nose?! Do you know this wolf, Celine?!"

She shrank back. Good. Let her feel what I've felt, humiliation, fear, powerlessness. For once, let her tremble.

"I... I don't know," she stammered. "But there's one wolf I've heard of who could do this. No scent, no trace, precise. It's the work of someone like... Cerberus."

The name sliced through the air like a blade. Robert's face twisted in horror.

"Cerberus?! DAMN IT!" he roared, punching the wall so hard it cracked. "He was here? And I didn't even know?!"

His fury echoed in the dungeon like a storm crashing down on us. I couldn't help but recoil. Even now, bound and betrayed, his power reached deep inside me, reminding me who he was, and who I once loved.

"And why didn't you call for me, Zeina?" he growled. "Why didn't you alert me? You're still part of this pack, even in chains!"

I rose slowly, face twisted in fury. "Why should I disturb your precious night with your new toy, Alpha Robert? I'd rather let you enjoy your betrayal in peace."

His face contorted, but I smiled bitterly. Let him choke on it.

"Come now, darling," Celine purred, taking his arm like the snake she was. "It's too late. He's gone. Cerberus planned this perfectly. All we can do now is plan our retaliation."

Together they turned, walking away as if nothing had happened, as if I didn't exist. Her dress was fine silk. Mine was almost looking like rags. She tossed me a final, smug glance.

I nearly screamed. How fast he switched, how fast he forgot me. All it took was a whisper from her.

No. I refuse to rot here like some discarded relic. I will get out. I'll find a way to reach Donna, my loyal servant. She'll help me. She has to. And when I get out... there will be blood. But how can I do it when min link doesn't work inside the dungeons?

Tonight, I patiently waited until the warrior guards have rested at the entrance of the dungeon.

My fingers brushed an old cloth, and I pulled out a fragment of my sleeve I'd torn off a while ago,hidden, saved for this moment. I bit down on my lip and began scratching words into the cloth with the edge of a jagged stone, carving every stroke with fury and desperation.

"Donna. I'm alive. Imprisoned in the West Dungeons. I need your help. Find my brother. The Alpha King must know. Zeina"

It wasn't enough. But it would have to be.

Now came the risk. The gamble.

I waited again, counting the breaths between the guards' rotations. Thirty steps. Pause. Footsteps recede. Shift change. I knew their routine better than they did. They thought I was broken. That I spent my nights crying into the straw. Let them keep thinking that.

When the moment came, I moved.

"Help! Help me!" I screamed, clutching my stomach. "Something's wrong!"

Heavy boots thundered toward me. I collapsed against the bars, panting. The young guard Markel, the lowest rank of the pack warriors appeared, annoyed and exhausted.

"What the hell now?" he muttered, already reaching for the keys.

I grabbed the bars, staring at him with wide, glassy eyes. "Please," I gasped. "You served under me once. You know this is wrong. Help me get a message out. Just one message, that's all I ask."

He hesitated. I could see the conflict in his eyes. He was young, impressionable, and barely out of training when I was still Alpha. There was a flicker of something in him, respect? Guilt?

"This is treason," he hissed.

"So is what they did to me," I growled back. "I gave Alpha Robert everything. Now he lets that snake parade around in my place while I rot down here like a dog? You know me. You know I don't belong in this cell."

He wavered, just for a heartbeat.

I pulled the cloth from behind my back and shoved it through the bars. "Get this to Donna. She'll know what to do. Just slip it to her during errands. No one will suspect you."

Markel looked around, pale and sweating, then snatched the cloth and stuffed it into his tunic. "If anyone finds out.."

"They won't," I said. "And if they do... I'll take the fall."

He nodded and backed away, the weight of what he'd just done already dragging down his shoulders.