Imprisoned in the royal pack

“Take your hands off my brother,” the man growled, his voice booming like thunder against the cave walls. “You are touching an Alpha King!”

I froze, trapped beneath the wounded man.

Before I could open my mouth to explain, the stranger’s body went completely limp on top of me. His glowing amber eyes closed, and his heavy head thudded against my shoulder. His raspy breathing stopped. He had lost consciousness.

The second man rushed across the cave in a terrifying blur of speed. He shoved me aside so hard I hit the cold stone floor, grabbing his brother into his arms like he weighed nothing at all.

"Aster! Aster, open your eyes!" he shouted, his harsh voice shaking with desperation.

Aster.

The name hit me like a physical blow.

Shock washed over me. Everyone in the werewolf kingdom knew the stories of the Twin Alpha Kings, Aster and Asher. They ruled the brutal Northern Territory with absolute power, feared by rogue clans and established packs alike.

I had just been holding one of the most powerful, dangerous wolves in existence in my arms.

I looked up at the twin holding him. This had to be Asher. Though they looked almost identical, Asher’s expression was far harsher, his face twisted in raw, deadly violence.

Asher’s eyes swept over the cave floor. He saw the broken silver arrowheads, the blood covering my hands, and the torn strips of my dress wrapped tightly around his brother's chest.

His expression hardened into pure rage. He didn't see a savior. He saw an assassin.

"Seize her!" Asher ordered the royal guards lining the cave entrance.

Two huge guards stepped forward, grabbing my arms roughly and yanking me to my feet.

"Wait! You don't understand!" I gasped, struggling against their iron grip. "I didn't hurt him! I found him here wounded! He was dying of silver poison—I pulled out the silver to stop it from reaching his heart!"

"Silence!" one guard barked, digging his fingers into my shoulders. "She set a trap for the King!"

"Look at her," another warrior sneered, sniffing the air. "She smells like Skyton Pack, but she's wandering alone in the Free Man’s Land. She's a spy."

Asher turned his furious gaze on me. "Who sent you? Why were you touching my brother?"

"Nobody sent me!" I yelled back, tears of frustration burning my eyes. "I was running from Skyton! I only came into this cave to get out of the freezing rain!"

Asher sneered, completely unimpressed. "A little too convenient that you happened to stumble upon an Alpha King right after an ambush."

"Your brother would be dead right now if I hadn't removed that silver piece!" I snapped, my temper boiling over. "I bandaged his chest! I saved his life!"

Asher’s eyes flashed a dangerous, glowing amber. "Watch your tone, female. You speak to an Alpha King."

"I am telling you the truth!" I begged, my voice cracking with desperation. "Please, just let me go! I’ve been rejected, exiled, chased through the woods, and nearly killed tonight! I don't want any trouble!"

Asher remained completely unmoved. His focus shifted back to his brother's pale, bloodless face. "Healer! Check him now!"

An elderly man in white robes hurried into the cave, kneeling beside Aster. He pressed his hands against Aster's chest, his brow pulled down in deep concern.

"Someone pulled out a major silver fragment," the healer reported quickly, inspecting the bloody bandage. "It slowed the poison's spread down..."

For a split second, relief washed over me. He's going to prove I helped!

"...but several pieces remain deeper inside him," the healer added grimly. "His condition is critical."

Asher looked up at the guards holding me. "Lock her up. Bring her to the castle for questioning."

Panic seized my chest. Being taken to the castle of the Twin Alpha Kings as a suspected assassin meant torture and execution. It would be ten times worse than anything Carter had planned for me.

I had to escape. Right now.

With a surge of desperation, I brought my heavy heel down squarely on the guard’s foot on my right. He grunted in pain, loosening his grip for a split second.

I twisted my arm free, ducked under the second guard, and sprinted for the cave entrance.

I burst through the wet vines into the pouring rain.

"Catch her!"

I tried to call my wolf forward, pushing for a full shift, but my body was completely spent. The pain of the rejected mate bond, the miles of running, the freezing rain, and the total lack of food left my wolf too weak to respond.

Before I could make it three steps down the muddy slope, something hard struck the back of my head.

Pain exploded through my skull like white lightning.

My legs gave out. I hit the wet earth, my vision rapidly fading into blackness. The last thing I saw was Asher carrying his brother away into the night while royal guards surrounded me.

I tried to help him... was my last bitter thought before total darkness swallowed me whole.

When I woke up, my head was throbbing with a sharp, blinding ache.

I groaned, slowly opening my eyes. I was lying on a cold stone floor. Touching the back of my head, my fingers came away sticky with dried blood.

Looking down, I realized my torn, bloody dress was gone. Someone had changed me into a simple, oversized gray prison gown.

I sat up slowly and looked around. Heavy iron bars surrounded my small cell, sealed by a massive metal door. The dungeon was pitch-black, damp, and freezing cold. Far off in the shadows, I could hear the faint sound of heavy chains clanking and low, desperate growls from other cells, but I couldn't see anyone.

I tried to reach inward to my wolf, but a cold, sickening numbness washed over me.

Looking closely at the bars, I noticed thin veins of silver woven directly into the metal structure, suppressing my ability to shift or heal properly.

A heavy, crushing helplessness settled over my chest.

I sat back against the cold stone wall and pulled my knees tightly against my body. I couldn't believe how quickly my life had fallen apart.

Just yesterday morning, I had been the Beta’s daughter, preparing to become Luna of the Skyton Pack. By nightfall, Carter had publicly rejected me, Janet had betrayed me, my parents had abandoned me, and I was chased into the woods like a wild animal.

And now, I was a prisoner in the territory of the legendary Twin Alpha Kings.

My day didn't simply go from bad to worse. It went from worse to completely impossible.

Despite my own terrifying situation, my thoughts kept drifting back to Aster. Did he survive the journey? Did the healers manage to pull the remaining silver out of his chest?

And if he woke up... would he even remember that I tried to save him?

Hours dragged on in the dark. No food, no water, and no answers.

Just as despair was about to break me, the echoing sound of heavy boots shattered the quiet of the dungeon corridor.

I rose quickly, pressing my back against the wall as the footsteps grew closer. A royal guard stopped in front of my cell, flanked by two armed warriors holding silver spears.

The guard pulled a heavy iron key from his belt, inserted it into the lock, and turned it with a loud CLICK. The heavy metal door creaked open.

I took a cautious step backward, bracing myself for whatever punishment they were about to inflict on me.

The guard looked directly at me and said:

“You are needed in the Alpha infirmary.”