ログインKYLIE'S POVI lay crumpled on the cold ground, my body trembling uncontrollably. My dress was torn, my skin bruised, my spirit shattered into pieces so small I didn't know if they could ever be put back together. I pulled my knees to my chest and curled into a ball, sobbing bitterly.Behind me, Gunner pulled up his belt and began buckling his belt. He released the satisfied sigh of a man who felt no shame.I watched through blurred vision as he tucked his shirt in and fastened his trousers casually. "That was refreshing," he said, his voice full of life. "Been a while since I enjoyed my little slave properly."The word "slave" hit me like a physical blow. I squeezed my eyes shut, fresh tears streaming down my cheeks."You won't get away with this." The words came out broken from my lips. "I'll get you for this, Gunner. I promise you. I'll make you pay."Gunner laughed arrogantly."I'm not sure that's going to happen, Kylie." He stepped toward the cell door and raised his voice. "Mal
KYLIE'S POV:Seven days.Seven days in this cold, dark cave. Seven days of staring at the same stone walls, the same rusted bars, the same plate of food that sat untouched on the floor of my cell.I refused to eat.At first, it was because I didn't trust it. Poison, drugs, something to keep me weak and compliant. But as the days crawled by, it became something else.I didn't deserve to eat. Doris had betrayed me.The thought played on an endless loop in my mind, eating away at me worse than any hunger. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face and all lies she had kept hidden from Leonidias and I.She had played me perfectly. And I had fallen for it like the naive fool I was.Leonidas's face haunted me too. Was he okay? Was he searching for me? Had he given up? Did he believe Doris's lies about what happened?The worst thought—the one that made me want to curl up and never move again—was the possibility that he might actually replace me. That Doris might already be standing at his
THIRD POV:The Head of the Council studied Leonidas with patience."Leonidas," he said quietly, "I am sorry for what happened to Kylie. Truly. She proved herself worthy and that is no small thing." He paused. "But this is a critical moment for the Republic. The four packs require a new Alpha King. The transition must happen. The stability of our people depends on it."Leonidas's jaw remained set like stone. "And you expect me to put my emotions aside and carry on as if nothing happened? As if she didn't just vanish?""I expect you to lead." The Head's voice sharpened just slightly. "That is what alphas do. They make impossible choices. And they move forward, because their packs cannot afford for them to fall apart."Leonidas's eyes flashed. "What if I refuse to replace her?"The Head of the Council met his gaze without flinching. "Then Gunner wins by default. He becomes Alpha King. The South Pack takes the throne, and the Blood-Rose Pack remains in exile for another generation—perhap
THIRD POV:The days raced away like a breeze. Leonidas didn't sleep nor eat. He barely even spoke.Edgar brought him food but Leonidas ignored it.Doris approached him with updates from the official search parties. Leonidas stared through her as if she weren't there.The second selection kept being postponed. Then the third day dawned, and with it came the Head of the Council.The old man found Leonidas in the hotel's garden, standing motionless among the manicured hedges, staring at nothing. "Alpha Leonidas."Leonidas didn't turn.The Head of the Council moved to stand beside him, his old eyes studying the younger alpha's profile. What he saw clearly troubled him."We've combed through every territory in the Republic," he said quietly. "Every rogue den we could locate. Every abandoned stronghold. Every cave, every forest, every possible hiding place within a hundred miles." He paused. "There's no sign of her, Leonidas. I'm sorry."Leonidas's jaw tightened, but he said nothing."We'
KYLIE'S POVI stared at Malachi, my mind struggling to process what he said."Why?" The word came out hollow, barely a whisper. "Why would Gunner do this to me?"Malachi tilted his head, studying me like I was a fascinating puzzle. "Perhaps he's just obsessed with you. Some men don't handle rejection well. You chose another alpha over him." He shrugged. "That kind of wound festers."I gripped the bars of my cage, my knuckles white."He's crazy," I said, my voice rising. "You have to know that. Gunner is unhinged. He's doing this to spite Leonidas, and to punish me for daring to escape.""Please," I pressed my face closer to the bars, desperation bleeding into my words. "Let me go. I need to be with him. Leonidas needs me. Without me, he'll lose his chance at being Alpha King. The second selection—""I don't think he will." Malachi cut me off. I blinked. "What?"He leaned against the tunnel wall, crossing his arms over his massive chest. He looked almost comfortable, like we were hav
KYLIE'S POVMy consciousness gradually returned to me in fragments.The first thing I felt was the cold. It seeped through my clothes, through my skin, and deep into my bones. The ground beneath me was hard, uneven, and damp.Then, the pain. My head throbbed with every heartbeat. My wrists burned where rope had bound them—though the ropes were gone now. My throat felt raw, scraped hollow from screaming or from the lack of water, I couldn't tell.Finally, I opened my eyes to nothing but darkness. There was no light and no sound, except the slow drip of water somewhere in the distance.I lay still for a long moment, letting memory return to me.I pushed myself up slowly, my hands exploring the space around me. I felt rock walls, a dirt floor, and the cold bars of a cage.This was a cell. And not just any cell—a cave cell.I crawled along the perimeter, my fingers tracing every inch of metal I could reach. The bars were thick and solid.There was no way out.I pressed my forehead again







