Chapter 5: The Mark That Sealed My Fate

⋅ ⋅ ⚘ALEXIA'S POINT OF VIEW⚘ ⋅ ⋅

“What the hell happened between you two?!” Lena hissed, her hand wrenching my hair back so hard I felt the roots tearing right out of my scalp.

A searing spike of agony shot down my spine, but her rage suddenly died into silence.

She abruptly released me, taking a step back. Without another word, she stormed out of the office.

I fell forward, hands cradling my head as tears of sharp pain pricked my eyes. My scalp throbbed viciously, every strand of hair aching as though it had been ripped straight from my head.

“Are you okay?” Kaia asked softly.

She stepped toward me, her arms reaching out in concern, but before she could lay a hand on me, the doors opened, and two guards marched in.

“What are you doing here?” Kaia demanded.

“Luna Lena ordered us to take Alexia to the Alpha’s office immediately,” one guard barked.

Before I could move, they seized my arms and yanked me to my feet. Ignoring my gasps of pain, they dragged me through the hallways until we arrived at Drake’s office.

The guards shoved me into the room, forcing me down onto my knees before Drake and Lena.

Drake crossed the room in a few strides. He reached down and gripped my chin in a tight, brutal hold, his fingers digging painfully into my jawbone as he yanked my head back to inspect my neck.

“See?!” Lena hissed, hovering right beside him. Her eyes flicked toward the mark on my neck, her expression twisting. “The mark is proof! She had a scandalous one-night stand with Alpha Mason! You need to banish her from the pack immediately, Drake! She’s a disgrace!”

Drake let go of my jaw, staggering back a step as his eyes flared with unmistakable fear.

“Alpha Mason…? But… we’re talking about the Alpha King himself, Lena. We can’t just—”

“He doesn’t even want her!” Lena spat. “Where is he? Why didn’t he take her with him? I’m sure she used her vile witchcraft or filthy tricks to seduce him!”

“I didn’t seduce anyone!” I shouted, my voice trembling as I glared up at her. “And you have no right to banish me to become a rogue! My parents gave their lives to protect this pack, and I have given every single day of my life to healing your warriors! I haven’t done anything wrong! This isn’t fair!”

“Will you shut your mouth?!” Lena barked, her face twisting with disgust. “Do you honestly think a wolfless omega gets a voice here? You are nothing!”

A bitter, hysterical laugh bubbled from my throat. I met her furious glare, piercing her with a look of contempt.

“You’re just jealous, Lena,” I said, my voice echoing clearly across the room. “You’re furious because Mason didn’t want a spoiled brat like you, so he chose me instead.”

Lena gasped, turning to Drake in a rage.

“Drake! Are you going to let her talk to me like that?!”

Drake’s jaw clenched, his pride thoroughly bruised. For a brief moment, hesitation flickered across his face. His gaze darted toward Lena, then back to me, as though he knew exactly how dangerous this decision could be if Mason ever returned.

But whatever fear he felt was quickly buried beneath his wounded pride.

“Guards!” he called coldly.

The two guards stepped back into the room.

“Take her to the dungeons,” Drake ordered, his face turned away from mine. “Lock her in the deepest cell, and ensure she receives no food or water until I decide what to do with her.”

The guards grabbed me by the shoulders and dragged me out of the office once again, hauling me down into the damp, freezing depths of the dungeon before slamming the iron cell door shut.

I collapsed onto the cold floor, curling into a tight ball.

I didn’t understand why this was happening to me. What had I ever done to deserve such cruelty?

Time dissolved into an endless blur in the darkness.

Deprived of food and water, the hunger clawed at my stomach like a living monster. Because of the pregnancy, the weakness was ten times worse.

My lips were dry and cracked, my hands trembled uncontrollably, and nausea twisted my empty stomach until I could barely breathe.

My vision constantly swam with black spots, and there were moments when I struggled to remain conscious.

Sometimes, I would press a shaking hand against my stomach, desperately searching for any sign that my baby was still okay.

When I finally felt the faintest flutter beneath my palm, a sob escaped me. I closed my eyes, pressing my hand protectively over the tiny life growing inside me.

“Please, little one…” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “Hold on. Mama will get us out of here. I promise.”

But I had no idea whether I was making a promise I could keep.

Mother… Father… please show me a way out, I prayed in the darkness, tears slipping down my dirt-streaked cheeks.

And as the agony dragged on, hatred began to fester in my chest for Mason.

I hated him for disappearing without a trace, for marking me, and for leaving me locked in a cell while carrying his child.

I hated him for abandoning me when I needed him most. Yet some traitorous part of me still waited for him to come back, still hoped he would somehow find me and make everything right.

And every time that foolish hope surfaced, a strange, crushing pain gripped my chest, making my heart ache so intensely that it took my breath away.

I was lying almost lifeless on the filthy cell floor when the iron lock suddenly clicked.

The whole pack had forgotten about the wolfless omega.

A figure slipped inside.

It was Kaia.

She hurried to my side, her eyes darting nervously toward the dungeon entrance as though she expected someone to appear at any moment. Her hands trembled as she gently helped me sit up.

“I don’t have much time,” she whispered, glancing over her shoulder again. “If they catch me down here…”

She swallowed hard before pulling a warm, steaming food flask from beneath her cloak and setting it in front of me.

“I had to steal this from the kitchen. Please, Alexia. Eat quickly.”

I tried to sit up straighter, but pain shot through my body. My muscles ached from lying on the cold stone for so long, and even the smallest movement made my body throb. My stomach cramped painfully, while my pounding head made the room spin.

“I’m so sorry I’m late,” she whispered hurriedly, her voice thick with remorse. “I’ve been trying to find a way to get down here without the guards seeing me.”

“Thank you…” I breathed, staring at her through a haze of grief and exhaustion.

I never thought anyone in this pack would come to help me.

She popped the lid open, and the scent of rich soup filled the air.

I devoured it, my starving body desperate for nourishment.

My stomach cramped painfully at the sudden food, but I forced myself to slow down. I couldn’t afford to lose a single bite. Not when I was eating for two.

“Listen to me, Alexia,” Kaia murmured, watching me finish the food. “You need to run. Tonight. That’s all I can do for you.”

My eyes widened in disbelief.

She had stolen the keys, snuck into the dungeons with food, and was now offering me an escape route.

But escaping wouldn’t be easy. The moment I stepped outside this cell, I would become a fugitive. If the guards caught me, I knew Lena would make sure I never saw another sunrise.

Kaia grabbed both my hands, her eyes filling with tears.

“I know you’re scared,” she whispered. “But you have to be brave now. There may not be another chance.”

Her fingers tightened around mine, and I could see the fear in her eyes. She was risking everything by being here, and somehow, that gave me the strength to keep going.

“Think of your baby,” Kaia urged, holding out a dark cloak and pressing the iron key into my hand. “If you stay here, Lena will kill you both.”