Chapter 3

Kyra's POV:

I stood rooted in place, heart hammering against my ribs as three guards stepped forward and began unlocking the chains on every girl’s wrists and ankles, including mine. The metal fell away with a dull clank, yet my limbs still felt heavy, as if invisible shackles remained.

Another horn blared and the guard yelled. “Run!”

Chaos erupted as girls bolted in every direction, bare feet pounding the earth. I hesitated only a heartbeat before terror propelled me forward into the trees.

My legs, weak from days of hunger and confinement, burned with every stride. I stumbled over roots and loose stones, scraping my palms as I caught myself, only to push up again. Branches whipped across my face and arms, leaving stinging cuts.

My breath came in ragged gasps, and all around me, screams tore through the air, high-pitched, animalistic cries of terror as arrows whistled like deadly hornets. I glanced sideways and saw a girl with dark braids just ahead of me stumble as an arrow buried itself in her back.

She fell forward with a choked scream, blood blooming across her dress. Another girl nearby tried to zigzag desperately, only for two arrows to find her, one in the thigh, the next in her chest. Her final scream cut off into a wet gurgle as she collapsed.

The sight slammed into me like a blow. These weren’t just bodies. They were girls who had whispered hopes in the dungeon only hours ago. Girls who had dreams, families, futures. Now they lay dead on the forest floor, eyes wide and empty, blood soaking into the earth.

The casual brutality of it and how easily their desperate flight for life ended, made something deep inside me fracture and nausea rose in my throat as my vision blurred with tears.

I cried openly, violent sobs shaking my frame as I ran. I clapped trembling hands over my ears to block the screams, but they still pierced through as I kept running because I had no other choice.

‘Run. Just run.’ I told myself but my legs screamed in protest. Still, I pushed harder until an arrow had struck me. “Arghh!’ I let out a scream as sharp pain exploded in my left thigh. The force nearly knocked me down but I staggered, a raw cry tearing from my throat as blood poured down my leg.

For one crushing moment, I wanted to give up, to collapse here and let it end. ‘No ‘ I told myself fiercely through the agony. ‘I cannot die here. I have to survive.’

Gritting my teeth, I limped forward and threw myself behind a large rock, pressing my back against its rough surface. My hands shook as I clutched my bleeding thigh but then a darker thought crept in. ‘What is the use of surviving?’

If I lived through this nightmare, I would only become one of Alpha Mason’s sex slaves that is raped, beaten, starved, and eventually killed when he grew bored. Wasn’t it better to die here, quickly, than suffer that slow, humiliating death?

I sat there, torn between the desperate instinct to keep fighting and the tempting peace of simply accepting my fate.

Suddenly, the sound of heavy hoofbeats approaching and a horse neighing nearby forced me to clamp both hands over my mouth, trying desperately not to make a sound. “It’s useless hiding behind that rock, little she-wolf.” A deep, amused voice called out. “I can smell you from a mile away.”

“Oh goddess.” I muttered, shaking with teary eyes while he chuckled. Then the sharp ‘thwip’ of a bowstring cut through the air. An arrow whistled past and embedded itself in the ground just inches from my foot.

I screamed and scrambled upright, putting weight on my good leg. Then I spun around to see Alpha Mason atop his massive black horse just beyond the rock, bow still in hand, watching me with a wide smile.

My eyes widened in terror and without thinking, I turned and ran, limping badly, each step sending fresh fire through my wounded thigh.

Mason followed at a slow, leisurely pace, laughing softly. “Keep going.” He called, voice dripping with amusement. “I love that you still fight even when you know there’s no way out. Such bravery.”

I ignored him, tears streaming down my face as I prayed silently. ‘Moon Goddess, please save me.’ I pushed forward through the pain, branches tearing at my skin, until I reached the edge of a steep cliff.

I took a step back, and turned around to find Mason a few feet away now, bow drawn, arrow aimed straight at my chest. I glanced back at the deadly drop, then at him again.

“Accept your fate.” He said calmly. “Come to me and I won’t kill you. Or…” He nodded toward the cliff. “You can jump. The choice is yours.”

Thoughts raced through my mind, and in that moment only my father’s face flashed across my mind and a single tear slipped down my cheek.

“Forgive me, dad.” I whispered, and with my eyes closed, I took a step forward and jumped. “Arghh!” I screamed when the world vanished beneath my feet, wind tearing the sound from my throat while I plummeted. My heart slammed against my ribs so hard it felt ready to burst as the cliff face blurred past in a sickening rush.

A branch scraped my arm and I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the end that never came. Instead, strong arms wrapped around me, stopping my fall so abruptly that my breath was punched from my lungs and my scream died in a ragged gasp. My body jolted, then settled against something solid.

I opened my eyes slowly and whipped my head around to see that the man holding me was the most handsome I had ever seen. He had silver hair that fell loose around his broad shoulders, and piercing blue eyes that were locked directly on mine as he cradled me against his chest with one arm supporting my back and the other under my knees, as if I weighed nothing.

‘This isn’t real.’ I thought hazily, even as warmth seeped through my torn dress from his body. ‘I’ve finally lost my mind.’

He stepped down from the branch as lightly as a shadow, boots barely disturbing the earth as he landed safely at the base of the cliff. I wanted to pull away, but my body refused to obey. Instead, my head swayed, my eyelids grew impossibly heavy and everything went blank.