Chapter 3: Unrequited Hate

Not a minute later, the hollow, echoing shouts of guards rang out down the stone corridor, followed by the harsh clanking of keys. The heavy iron door of the cell swung open, and the unmistakable, panicked voices of Eleanore and Maria pierced the gloom before they were roughly shoved inside, the door slamming shut behind them with a final, echoing thud.

Tears instantly brimmed in my eyes as I scrambled across the damp stone floor toward them.

"I'm so sorry—I really am! Please forgive me," I sobbed, my words tumbling over one another in a frantic, broken rush. "I didn't mean to, I swear! I just wanted to help the little boy, I didn't know... Please, you have to forgive me," I gasped, my chest tightening as a terrifying wave of hyperventilation took hold, black spots dancing at the edges of my vision.

Before panic could completely swallow me, warm, familiar arms wrapped tightly around my shaking shoulders. Maria pulled me into her chest, and a second later, Eleanore squeezed in beside us, burying us both in a protective embrace. They held me through the raw, ugly storm of my panic, murmuring soft, grounding reassurances until the wild rhythm of my breathing finally slowed.

Minutes passed in the suffocating quiet of the cell until I finally managed to steady my voice. Sniffling, I pulled back and spilled every agonizing detail of what had happened in the courtyard—from helping little Milo to the devastating revelation of the Alpha's rejection and the Luna's ruthless decree.

When I finished, both of them exchanged a quiet, knowing look, their initial shock fading into a hardened resolve.

"Hey, breathe," Maria said softly, wiping a stray tear from my cheek. "It wasn't your fault. That situation was rigged against you from the second you stepped into that garden."

Eleanore rolled her eyes, a cynical smirk touching her lips despite the grimness of our surroundings. "The Luna is a paranoid bitch, plain and simple," she spat, crossing her arms over her chest. "She realized you were the Alpha’s true mate and panicked out of sheer terror that you’d eventually take her place. Framing you was the only way she could destroy you before the pack realized the truth."

Maria let out a long, heavy sigh, her gaze dropping to the rough stone floor. "Right now, we just have to hope and pray that some decent pack picks us up at the auction block..." Her voice trailed off, the bitter reality of slavery hanging heavy in the air.

My chest tightened all over again as a sudden thought struck me. I looked up, my eyes wide with realization.

"Wait... what about that wolf guard, Maria? Isn't he your mate?" I asked, wringing my hands together.

Maria offered a sad, crooked smile, though her eyes softened with affection. "Oh, him? Well... hoes before bros," she joked weakly, letting out a dry, self-deprecating laugh that coaxed a watery chuckle out of me, even as guilt chewed viciously at my stomach.

Before I could apologize further, the heavy iron door rattled once more.

As if sensing we were talking about him, a tall, broad-shouldered guard stepped into the dim torchlight of the cell. It was Christopher—Maria's mate from the night before. His amber eyes swept the room, immediately locking onto Maria. The raw hatred and resentment he held for me were glaringly obvious in the hard set of his jaw, and honestly, I couldn't blame him. I had brought ruin down on everyone I touched.

Maria caught his hostile glare, her own eyes flashing with fierce protectiveness. She stood up, stepping directly between Christopher and me, and bluntly laid out everything that had happened without missing a beat.

Sensing the heavy emotional currents swirling between the two of them, Eleanore and I quietly backed away into the far corner of the cell to give the couple some privacy.

A few tense moments ticked by in absolute silence. Then, a sharp, ragged gasp echoed off the stone walls.

Eleanore and I whipped around just in time to see Maria launching herself into Christopher's arms, burying her face in his broad shoulder as tears streamed down her cheeks. He caught her effortlessly, holding her as if she were the only real thing in a crumbling world.

Seeing our wide, confused expressions, Maria pulled back just enough to look at us, a brilliant, tear-filled smile breaking across her face.

"He's not leaving me," she whispered, her voice trembling with sheer disbelief and joy.

She explained that Christopher—her mate—refused to let her be auctioned off alone. He had already gone straight to the Alpha, formally renounced his rank, and declared that he was abandoning the Bluecoat Pack entirely to follow her into whatever bleak future awaited us at the slave markets.

A profound wave of relief washed over me, so powerful my knees nearly buckled. I didn't ruin their lives. Against all odds, love had managed to carve out a tiny victory in the middle of this nightmare.

Eleanore and I smiled brightly at the reunited couple, our hearts swelling with genuine happiness for Maria. Standing there in the cold, unforgiving dark of the prison cell, wrapped in the quiet strength of my true friends, I realized that while the road ahead of us was dark and terrifying, we were still standing.

And we were going to face it together.

Time crawled. While Maria and Christopher stayed wrapped up in each other in their own quiet world, Eleanore and I sat stiffly against the damp stone, our eyes glued to the corridor. Every shadow felt like a threat, and every passing second brought us closer to the unknown.

We didn't have to wait long.

The harsh clinking of keys echoed down the hall. My heart slammed against my ribs as four guards appeared, their faces twisted in deep disgust. The cell door flew open with a screech. Before we could even stand, rough hands grabbed us, hauling us up like sacks of garbage.

Christopher was the only one spared the rough treatment. When a guard reached too aggressively for Maria, Christopher surged forward, letting out a dark, vibrating growl that made the man step back. Shielding Maria with his own body, Christopher gently guided her out, keeping her tucked safely against his side.

The rest of us were shoved out into the blinding daylight and thrown into the back of a transport vehicle. Christopher climbed in right after Maria, pressing a soft kiss to her temple before pulling her down beside him on the metal bench. Eleanore and I scrambled in, huddling together as the heavy doors slammed shut with a final, echoing thud.

The engine roared to life, and the vehicle lurched forward, speeding away from the estate.

Fear twisted a knot in my stomach. Where are they taking us? The national wolf meeting. An auction block where hundreds of pure-bloods would look at us like livestock.

Hours bled together. By afternoon, the hunger in my stomach was agonizing. I glanced over at Eleanore, blinking in disbelief. She had somehow leaned her head against the vibrating wall and fallen fast asleep. Across from us, Maria was softly dozing against Christopher's shoulder, her breathing steady and calm.

Must be nice, I thought, letting out a shaky breath. I was the only one wide awake, drowning in my own dread.

Just as I squeezed my eyes shut, desperate to calm my racing mind, the vehicle slammed on its brakes. The violent screech of tires jerked the transport to a sudden stop, instantly snapping Eleanore, Maria, and Christopher awake with gasps.

We had arrived.