Chapter Four

Mira's POV

I don't know how long I've been in this dungeon. There's no clock, no way to tell time except for the tiny bit of light that comes through the small window near the ceiling. I think it's been two days, maybe three.

My body aches from lying on the cold stone floor. I'm so thirsty that my throat burns, and my stomach cramps from hunger. The guards brought me stale bread and a cup of dirty water once, but that was hours ago. Maybe yesterday. I can't remember.

The rats don't scare me anymore. At first, I screamed every time one came near me, but now I'm too weak to care. They scurry across the floor, and I just watch them with tired eyes.

Luna barely speaks to me now. She's retreated so far into my mind that I can hardly feel her presence. The rejection bond and this terrible punishment have broken something inside both of us.

I hear footsteps above, and I force myself to sit up. My vision blurs, and I have to wait for the dizziness to pass. Maybe it's a guard bringing more food. Even stale bread sounds amazing right now.

But the footsteps stop at my cell door, and I hear the lock turning. That's strange. Guards usually just slide food through the bottom slot.

The door opens, and bright light from a lantern makes me cover my eyes. I've been in darkness so long that even dim light hurts.

"Get up," a familiar voice says. It's Amos.

My heart does something stupid—it jumps with hope even though this man rejected me and put me here. I squint at him through my fingers, trying to see his expression.

"I said get up," Amos repeats, his voice cold and commanding.

I try to stand, but my legs won't cooperate. I've been sitting and lying down for so long that my muscles don't work properly. I fall back against the wall, embarrassed by my weakness.

Amos makes an impatient sound and steps into the cell. He grabs my arm and pulls me to my feet. His touch sends sparks through me even though our bond is broken. My body still recognizes him as my mate, even if he doesn't want me.

"You're coming with me," he says, dragging me toward the door.

"Where?" My voice comes out as a whisper, barely audible.

He doesn't answer, just pulls me along. I stumble behind him, trying to keep up. My legs feel like jelly, and I'm so dizzy that everything spins.

We climb the stairs out of the dungeon, and the fresh air hits me like a physical thing. I gasp, breathing deeply for the first time in days. The sun is setting, painting the sky orange and pink. It's beautiful.

Amos leads me across the pack grounds toward a building I've never been allowed to enter—the Alpha's personal quarters. Pack members stare as we pass, whispering to each other. I must look terrible with my dirty clothes and tangled hair.

Sarah appears from somewhere, her face twisted with anger. "What are you doing, Alpha? Why is she out of the dungeon?"

"That's not your concern," Amos says without stopping.

"But Kyle said—"

"I don't care what Kyle said." His voice is sharp, and Sarah steps back, looking shocked.

We enter the Alpha quarters, and Amos takes me to a small guest room. It has a real bed with clean sheets, a bathroom, and even a window with curtains. After the dungeon, it looks like paradise.

"Clean yourself up," Amos orders, finally releasing my arm. "There are clothes in the closet. When you're done, come to my office. It's down the hall, last door on the right."

He turns to leave, but I find my voice. "Why are you doing this?"

Amos stops but doesn't turn around. "Because I might have made a mistake," he says quietly. "And if I did, I need to know the truth."

Then he's gone, closing the door behind him.

I stand in the middle of the room, hardly believing this is real. Maybe I'm hallucinating from hunger and dehydration. Maybe I'm still in the dungeon, dreaming.

But the bed looks real. The bathroom looks real. I walk slowly to the bathroom and turn on the faucet. Clean, clear water flows out, and I almost cry. I cup my hands and drink and drink until my stomach hurts.

Looking in the mirror, I see a stranger. My face is pale and dirty with dark circles under my eyes. My hair is a tangled mess. I have bruises on my arms from where the guards grabbed me, and my lips are cracked and bleeding.

I strip off my filthy clothes and step into the shower. The hot water feels like heaven on my cold, aching body. I wash my hair three times, scrubbing away the dungeon's dirt and smell. I stay under the water until it starts to run cold.

After drying off, I find simple clothes in the closet—jeans and a soft gray sweater. They're a bit big, but they're clean and comfortable. There's also a hairbrush, and I carefully work through the tangles in my hair.

When I'm finally presentable, I look at myself in the mirror again. I still look thin and tired, but at least I'm clean.

I know I should go to Amos's office like he ordered, but I'm terrified. What if this is some kind of trick? What if he's just going to punish me more?

"Luna?" I call to my wolf. "Are you there?"

"I'm here," she responds weakly. "Be careful, Mira. I don't trust him."

"Neither do I," I admit. "But what choice do we have?"

I leave the room and walk down the hall. The Alpha quarters are beautiful with polished wood floors, paintings on the walls, and expensive furniture. It's so different from my tiny room near the storage area.

I find Amos's office and knock quietly on the door.

"Come in," his voice calls.

I open the door and step inside. The office is large with a big desk, bookshelves covering the walls, and a window overlooking the pack territory. Amos sits behind the desk, watching me with an unreadable expression.

"Sit," he says, pointing to a chair across from him.

I sit down carefully, keeping my eyes lowered. My heart pounds so hard I'm sure he can hear it.

"Look at me," Amos commands.

I slowly raise my eyes to meet his. His gray eyes study my face, and I see something there I didn't expect—uncertainty.

"I'm going to ask you some questions," he says. "And I want you to tell me the truth. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Alpha," I whisper.

"Tell me what happened the night Kyle was injured. Don't leave anything out."

This is it. This is my chance to finally tell someone what really happened. But I'm so scared. What if he doesn't believe me? What if this is a trap?

I take a deep breath and begin to speak, my voice shaking.

"Kyle had been making me uncomfortable for weeks before that night. He would touch my back when passing by, make comments about my appearance, and corner me in empty rooms. I tried to avoid him, but he always found me."

Amos's expression doesn't change, so I continue.

"That night, I was in the storage room organizing supplies. Kyle came in and locked the door behind him. I asked what he was doing, and he said he wanted to talk privately. I told him I needed to finish my work, but he came closer."

My hands shake in my lap as I remember that horrible night.

"He grabbed me and pushed me against the shelves. He said Sarah didn't need to know, that we could have fun together. I told him no and tried to push him away, but he was stronger. He started touching me inappropriately."

I see Amos's jaw clench, but he says nothing.

"I panicked. I kneed him where it would hurt and pushed as hard as I could. He fell backward and hit his head on a shelf, then landed badly on his leg. I didn't mean to hurt him that badly. I just wanted him to stop."

Tears run down my face now, but I don't wipe them away.

"Sarah came in right after. She saw Kyle on the ground and immediately started screaming that I attacked him. I tried to explain, but she wouldn't listen. Nobody would listen."

I finish my story and wait, hardly breathing. Amos sits completely still, his hands folded on the desk. The silence stretches on forever.

Finally, he speaks.

"Why didn't you report Kyle's behavior before that night?"

"I tried," I say desperately. "I told my supervisor that Kyle made me uncomfortable, but she said I was being dramatic. She said Kyle had a mate and would never look at another female."

Amos nods slowly, like he expected that answer.

"Who was your supervisor?"

"Helen Rivers. She's friends with Sarah's mother."

More silence. Amos stands and walks to the window, his back to me.

"I found five other complaints about Kyle's behavior toward females," he says quietly. "All dismissed. All from females who eventually left the pack."

Hope flares in my chest. He believes me. He actually believes me.

But then he turns around, and his expression is hard.

"Even if what you're saying is true, you should have fought harder to make people listen. You should have demanded a proper investigation."

My hope dies as quickly as it came.

"I was eighteen and alone," I say bitterly. "Nobody cared what I had to say."

"That's not an excuse."

I stand up, anger replacing my fear. "Then why did you bring me here? Why did you let me clean up and tell my story if you were just going to blame me anyway?"

Amos looks surprised by my outburst, but I can't stop now.

"You rejected me without even asking what happened. You threw me in a dungeon based on lies. And now you want to blame me for not being strong enough to fight against the entire pack?"

"Sit down," Amos orders, his Alpha voice making my wolf whimper.

"No," I say, and I'm shocked by my own bravery. "If you're going to send me back to the dungeon, just do it. I don't want to play these games anymore."

We stare at each other, and something shifts in the air between us. Amos's eyes flash with his wolf, and I see Titan pushing forward, fighting for control.

"My wolf says you're telling the truth," Amos finally admits. "And the evidence supports your story. But Kyle is my brother. Sarah is my Beta's daughter. If I believe you, it means they've been lying to the entire pack for months."

"Yes," I say simply. "It does."

"That would cause chaos. Division. It could tear the pack apart."

I understand what he's really saying. Even if he believes me, he might not be willing to risk the pack's stability for my sake.

"So what now?" I ask, exhausted by everything.

Amos runs his hand through his hair, looking tired.

"Now, I need to think."