Released from Containment (Elara's POV)

The heavy metal doors of Silver Creek Containment Facility creaked open. After five long years, I was finally stepping out into freedom. The bitter winter wind slapped my face, carrying with it the scents of my past—pine trees, snow, and the unmistakable musk of werewolves.

I paused at the entrance, my thin jacket offering little protection against the cold. At twenty-six, I felt decades older. Five years ago, my life had shattered like glass when I discovered I wasn't the true daughter of Richard and Vivian Stone, Alphas of the prestigious Stone Pack. I was a Rivers—a nobody, switched at birth by my biological mother who had been the pack's omega.

A sleek black SUV waited in the distance. Even from here, I could smell him—Mike Stone, my former brother. My heart clenched painfully in my chest.

I clutched my small bag of belongings and started walking. Each step felt like lead. My once-strong wolf whimpered inside me, weakened by years of exposure to the wolfsbane that permeated the prison walls.

"Emily," I whispered to my wolf, trying to comfort her. "Just a little longer. We're out now."

But Emily only curled tighter within me, too afraid to believe in freedom after so long.

Mike leaned against the SUV, arms crossed. His face, once warm and familiar, now looked like stone. The last time I'd seen him, he'd been screaming at me in the courtroom, calling me a thief and a liar.

"Mike," I said, my voice cracking from disuse.

His eyes flashed amber—a warning from his wolf. "Don't call me that."

I flinched but tried again. "Brother, I—"

"I am NOT your brother," he snarled, his wolf's dominance radiating from him in waves. "You stole twenty-one years of Isabella's life. You have no right to claim pack bonds."

The words hit like physical blows. My former brother. My former family. My former life. All gone because of a secret I hadn't even known.

"I didn't know," I whispered, the words falling from my lips like they had thousands of times before. "I didn't know I wasn't your sister."

Mike's lip curled in disgust. "And yet Isabella suffered while you enjoyed the privileges of a pack princess."

His words stung because they held a kernel of truth. I had lived a life of privilege as the daughter of the Stone Pack Alpha, while the real Isabella had grown up without her true family.

I could feel my wolf, Emily, cowering inside me. Once, she had been strong and proud. Now, after years in a facility laced with wolfsbane to keep our kind docile, she was as broken as I was.

"Look at you," Mike sneered, his eyes taking in my thin frame and dull hair. "Not so high and mighty now, are you?"

I bit my lip, refusing to let him see how much his words hurt. "I never thought I was better than anyone."

He scoffed. "Spare me the act. Get in the car."

"Why are you here?" I asked, not moving. "I was told no one would come for me."

Mike's jaw clenched. "Trust me, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't necessary."

A sick feeling settled in my stomach. "What do you mean?"

He opened the passenger door roughly. "Get in, and I'll tell you."

I hesitated, weighing my options. I could try to run, but where would I go? I had no money, no ID, no place to stay. And in my weakened state, I wouldn't get far.

Reluctantly, I climbed into the passenger seat. The leather was cold against my thin prison-issued pants.

Mike slammed the door and walked around to the driver's side. The moment he got in, the car filled with his scent—angry, dominant wolf.

"Isabella was in a car accident two days ago," he said without preamble, starting the engine. "She needs a kidney transplant."

The world seemed to tilt beneath me. "And you want mine."

It wasn't a question. I could see it in his eyes, in the tense set of his shoulders.

"You owe her," he said flatly. "After everything you stole from her."

"I didn't steal anything!" I protested, anger flaring briefly through my fear. "I was a baby! I had no choice in what happened!"

"Save it," Mike snapped. "Your mother did the switching. Your blood did the taking. Now you'll make it right."

Fear gripped me. I grabbed the door handle. "No. I've already lost five years of my life for something I didn't do."

Mike's hand shot out, gripping my wrist painfully. "You're coming with me, Elara. Willingly or not."

The threat in his voice was unmistakable. I yanked my arm free and flung the door open. I had to get away. Find help.

I tumbled out of the car and ran. My weakened legs carried me a few steps before a powerful force slammed into me from behind. I crashed to the ground, my head hitting the curb with a sickening crack. Warm blood trickled down my face.

"Still running away from your responsibilities, Elara?"

That voice. I would recognize it anywhere. Damon Thorne, my former fiancé, stood over me, his handsome face twisted with cruelty. His blue eyes glinted with malice as he hauled me up by my arm, his claws digging into my skin.

"Let me go," I gasped, struggling against his iron grip.

Damon laughed, the sound as cold as the wind whipping around us. "You don't give orders anymore, princess. Or should I say, imposter?"

Five years ago, this man had promised to be my mate, to stand by me through anything. When the truth of my birth came out, he not only abandoned me but helped frame me for extortion of pack funds. His betrayal had cut deeper than any knife.

"I should have known you'd be involved in this," I spat, hatred giving me a brief surge of strength.

Damon's grip tightened painfully. "You should be grateful we're giving you a purpose. Your mother certainly doesn't have one, rotting away in her cell."

My blood turned to ice. "Leave my mother out of this."

"Your mother?" Damon's lips curled into a cruel smile. "The woman who ruined your life by switching you at birth? That's touching."

Despite everything, Theresa Rivers was still my mother. The only person who had written to me during my imprisonment, explaining why she had done what she did—trying to give me a better life than what awaited me in the exiled Rivers Pack.

"What happens if I refuse?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

Mike stepped forward, his face grim. "Then we'll make sure your mother never sees the light of day. The additional charges we can bring against her would keep her locked up for life."

"You can't do that," I whispered, but I knew they could. The Stone Pack had power and influence. My mother was just an omega from an exiled pack.

"We can and we will," Damon said, his voice silky with threat. "And let's not forget your brother, Caleb."

My heart clenched. "What about him?"

"Let's just say his little mechanic shop isn't doing so well," Damon said with mock concern. "One word from me, and he loses everything."

Rage and fear battled within me. My brother Caleb was the only family I had left who still acknowledged me. The thought of him suffering because of me was unbearable.

"You're disgusting," I whispered, tears of anger pricking my eyes.

Damon's grip tightened until I winced in pain. "Careful, Elara. Your situation is precarious as it is."

I glared up at him, hating how helpless I felt. "Fine. I'll do it."

Mike nodded curtly. "Smart decision."

"Just so we're clear," I said, trying to regain some control, "after the transplant, I'm free to go? You'll leave me and my family alone?"

Damon and Mike exchanged glances that sent a chill down my spine.

"Of course," Damon said smoothly, but his eyes told a different story.

I didn't believe him for a second. These wolves had already taken five years of my life. They wouldn't hesitate to take more.

"Where are we going?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"Ocean City General," Mike replied from the driver's seat. "Isabella is waiting."

Ocean City. The territory ruled by Lucian Thorne, the Alpha King. Damon's half-brother. My pulse quickened.

I had never met Lucian personally, but his reputation preceded him. Cold, formidable, and ruthlessly fair, he ruled all the packs in Ocean City with an iron fist. Unlike Damon, he was known for his strict adherence to werewolf law.

If I could somehow reach him, appeal to his sense of justice...

It was a desperate plan. Lucian had never shown any interest in my case. But this was my only hope for survival lies with seeking protection from the one wolf powerful enough to challenge them.