CHAPTER 7

THE DUNGEON.

RORY'S POV 

"Hello?!"

My scream bounced off the damp stone walls, swallowed by the thick, unmoving air. Darkness pressed in from all sides, suffocating, endless. I sucked in a breath, but the space felt too tight, the air too thin.

Panic clawed at my chest. I had never felt this trapped before.

The walls were solid, unyielding. No cracks. No light. No way out. My dress hung in torn scraps around me, and the bruises from Elijah’s grip still ached. He had tossed me in here like I was nothing, like I didn’t matter.

I curled into myself, shivering.

Maybe I would never see my sister again.

Maybe I would die here.

"I curse the day I met Alpha Renzo! I wish you would rot in hell—but you are hell itself!"

I screamed until my throat burned, but I knew no one would hear me. No one ever did.

Then, as if my words had summoned something, a low growl rumbled through the darkness. Deep. Animalistic. My pulse spiked.

Renzo must have sent something to kill me.

"Hello?"

My voice wavered, tears slipping down my cheeks.

"Please..."

The growl came again. Closer this time.

Heavy footsteps pounded against the stone floor, each one slow and deliberate. Whatever it was, it was coming for me.

And I couldn’t see a thing.

"Show yourself," I whispered, my voice trembling, thick with tears I couldn’t hold back. I tried not to sob, but the fear inside me cracked open, spilling out.

Then, just as suddenly as it had started, the growling stopped.

Silence.

And then…

"Hello."

A frail voice, yet disturbingly clear.

My breath hitched as an old woman stepped into the faint light. Her gray hair fell in tangled strands over her pale, wrinkled face. Dark brown eyes stared into mine—cold, unreadable. Her fangs were long, far too sharp for someone who looked so weak.

For someone who had just growled like that.

"Who are you?"

I stumbled back, my entire body trembling.

Stop trembling."

She moved toward the wall, resting her frail back against the damp stone.

"Did Renzo send you to kill me?"

 I asked, wiping away the stray tears clinging to my face.

Her lips curled into a slow, knowing smile. 

"I wish."

My stomach twisted as her gaze settled on my neck, lingering there a moment too long.

"Then why are you here?"

She exhaled softly, tilting her head as if deciding how much to reveal. Then, in a voice laced with something close to amusement, she said—

"Because you want to see him."

My heart lurched.

"See who?" I forced out, though I already knew the answer.

She smiled again, slower this time. 

"The human prince. Ryker."

"How would you know that?" I asked, my voice unsteady, my body still tense from fear.

The woman smiled faintly, as if the question itself was amusing. "Everyone knows that."

My breath hitched. "Alpha Renzo sent you."

She let out a low chuckle, but there was no humor in it. 

"My brother doesn’t send people. He destroys them. If he even remembers I exist."

I stiffened. "Your brother?"

She waved a dismissive hand. 

"Don’t look so surprised. You think you're the only one trapped in his world?"

Something about the way she said it—so resigned, so bitter—made my heart squeeze. But I shook my head, forcing myself to stay focused. 

"Please, just leave. I don't want any more of this—drama, or whatever this is."

She sighed, pushing away from the wall, her frail form moving with unexpected grace. 

"If you want to see your human prince again, lift the stone beneath your feet. Just a little strength will do. Use your elbows to squeeze through. It’s the fastest way to the forest. He’ll be there."

I blinked, my pulse roaring in my ears. "You’re... helping me? Why?"

Her dark brown eyes met mine, unreadable. "Because trust is earned in small steps. This is your first."

A chill crawled up my spine. "Renzo will kill me if I try to leave."

The woman let out a soft breath, almost like a sigh.

 "If he truly wanted you dead, you wouldn’t be standing here… would you?’

I swallowed hard, my thoughts spinning. 

"But why? You don’t even know me."

She hesitated, as if weighing her words. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she said—

"Because once, a long time ago, I wanted to see someone one last time too."

And then, without another word, she turned and disappeared into the darkness.

"I don't even know your name," I called out.

But she was already gone.

I swallowed hard, staring at the empty space she left behind. My chest tightened. "And this won’t be the last time I meet him," I muttered.

Without wasting time, I crouched down and pressed my hands against the cold stone. Gritting my teeth, I pushed with all my strength. It was heavy, but after a few tries, it shifted just enough.

Cool air rushed in. I took a deep breath and squeezed through, dragging myself out of the darkness—straight into the night.

***

“Whew!”

I exhaled deeply, savoring the crisp forest air. It reminded me of my last night with my mother.

I took off running, my heart pounding with one thought—I was finally going to see him. The man I had ever loved.

But just like every other night, the forest was empty. Dark.

“Hello?” I called, my voice echoing into the void. 

“Anyone?”

The humans should still be around at this hour… but where were they?

Then I heard it—faint, uneven breaths.

The scent of blood was thick, clinging to the damp earth. My stomach twisted as I moved closer, my pulse quickening.

And there, in a pool of blood, lay someone motionless.

Not just someone.

Bodies lay on the ground, some not moving, others barely alive. Blood soaked into the earth, sinking into the forest roots like it belonged there.

My hands trembled as I knelt down, reaching for the nearest body. As I turned him over, my breath caught in my throat.

“Ryker?”