My mind raced as I tried to process the situation. We had to act fast, and we had to act smart. The fear in my gut turned into full-fledged panic as I turned to Ava, my eyes locking with hers."Ava," I whispered urgently. "We have to go, now. They're going to break down the door any second."Ava's face paled as she assessed the situation. "We can't stay here," she said, her voice shaking. "We have to find another way out."My mind raced as I tried to come up with a plan. "There's the underground kitchen hatch," I suggested. "It may be our only chance."Ava nodded, her eyes filled with determination. "Okay, let's go."As we hurried towards the hatch, the sound of the door banging against the door frame grew louder. With each passing second, my heart threatened to burst out of my chest."We have to hurry," I said, my voice barely above a whisper."I'll slow them down," Ava said resolutely. "Go, get out of here."I shook my head. "No, Ava. I can't let you face them alone. We'll go toget
20But then a rat emerged from the bushes, I let out a relieved laugh. "Just a rat," I muttered to myself before continuing on my path. But the feeling of being watched didn't leave me.I continued on my path, constantly looking over my shoulder and scanning the area for any signs of danger.But my fear soon turned into panic when I heard footsteps behind me."Who's there?" I called out, but no response.I slowly began to pick up the pace, feeling my heart hammering in my chest at the sound of the footsteps closing in on me. "I said, who's there?" I called out again, my voice shaking with fear."Oh, just a couple of friends looking for a little fun," the stranger replied with a low chuckle.The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I broke into a run, my mind racing with thoughts of how to get away from the strangers. "She couldn't have gone far, look everywhere, she is there," one of them shouted, only increasing my panic.I heard the sound of footsteps pounding mud behind me
21My heart pounded as Alpha Grimmjaw leaned in closer, his eyes shining with amusement."First things first," he said, his grip on my chin tightening. "You need to prove that you're worth keeping alive. So, let's see how well you can obey."He gestured to one of his minions, who handed him a knife. My eyes widened in horror as he pressed the blade against my throat."Tell me," he said, his lips inches from my ear. "Are you really willing to do anything?"I swallowed hard, nodding frantically."Good," he murmured. "Then prove it. Prove that you're worthy of my protection."My mind raced as he moved the knife away from my throat, but I knew there was no escaping him. I had to comply if I wanted to survive."Okay," I said, my voice trembling. "What do you want me to do?"Alpha Grimmjaw's smile widened. "Simple. You're going to kill one of my enemies."My heart lurched at his words. Kill? Me? I couldn't even imagine such a thing, but he didn't give me a chance to object. He grabbed my ar
22Maximus POV."Where is she?" I demanded, my voice laced with anger. "It's been months, and Felicity is still missing. Why have we not found her yet?""We're doing everything we can, Your Highness," one of my advisors responded in a calm tone. "We've deployed all our resources and sent scouts to every corner of the kingdom.""But it's not enough," I growled, feeling the frustration boiling inside me. "How could she have disappeared without a trace? This is unacceptable.""Perhaps she's hiding in a nearby village or town," suggested another advisor."That's impossible!" I snapped back. "She wouldn't be able to hide for this long without being discovered. Someone must be helping her.""Your Majesty, we need to consider the possibility that she's left the kingdom altogether," said a guard who had been silent until now. "We should start looking beyond our borders.""Absolutely not," I declared, my eyes narrowing. "We cannot let her escape without facing the consequences of her actions.
23"I'll do it," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "But on one condition."Alpha Grimmjaw raised an eyebrow. "And what's that?""I want to be treated with respect," I said, my voice steady. "I want to be treated like a human being, not a prisoner or a slave."Alpha Grimmjaw chuckled. "You're in no position to make demands, Sarah," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "But I'll humor you. You want respect? Fine. You'll get it. But don't think that means you're free to do as you please. You're still mine, and you'll do what I say, when I say it."I nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. At least I have some kind of leverage now.As the days went by, I tried my best to hold up my end of the bargain. I cooked and cleaned for Alpha Grimmjaw and his guards, bearing the insults and abuse they hurled at me with as much dignity as I could manage.But it was never enough. Alpha Grimmjaw always found something to be unhappy about, always found a reason to punish me.One day,
24As I continued to serve Alpha Grimmjaw, I still looked for any way out. I searched for weaknesses in his guards, for hidden exits in the castle, for anything that would give me a chance to escape. But it seemed as though there was no way out.Every day became a struggle for me. I was constantly on edge, waiting for my chance to flee. My heart raced at even the slightest sound, my hands shook with fear. And my belly was getting bigger and bigger, luckily Alpha Grimmjaw didn't notice.One day, as I was cleaning Alpha Grimmjaw's quarters, I heard a faint rumbling noise from the walls. At first, I thought it was just my imagination, but the noise grew louder and more persistent.Suddenly, I realized what it was - a secret passage! My heart leapt with hope. This was my chance.I continued to clean as if nothing had happened, trying not to draw any attention to myself. I waited until evening, when Alpha Grimmjaw would be busy in his war room.As soon as the coast was clear, I made my way
25Maximus POVIt had been months since Felicity had run away, disappearing without a trace. My patience was wearing thin, and I was growing increasingly furious at the thought of my beloved daughter out there all alone.Consequently, I invited a meeting to discuss the matter with my guards."I'm afraid we haven't yet located any trace of Felicity, Your Highness" Marcus, one of my trusted guards reported, causing my heart to sink."It's been months, your highness! Do you think we'll ever find Lady Felicity?" asked one guard."I won't rest until I do," I replied firmly. "We'll turn over every stone and follow any lead we can find until we locate her.""But it's been so long, your Highness. We've scoured every inch of the kingdom. We've questioned everyone who might have seen her. I'm afraid we're at a dead end," Another guard spoke up, causing my temper to flare."Are you telling me that my own kingdom cannot find one missing omega?!" I shouted, incredulous."Of course not, Your Highne
26Maximus POV" Ouch!" I groaned as I slowly woke up, my body stiff from sleeping on the hard ground. I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the last remnants of the dream that had felt all too real.Suddenly, a loud voice broke through my thoughts. "Oi, wake up! What do you think you're doing, sleeping on my goods?"I jumped, my heart pounding as I scrambled to sit up. I saw a burly villager glaring down at me, his arms crossed over his chest in annoyance."I-I'm sorry," I stammered, feeling embarrassed and foolish. "I didn't mean to-"He slapped me hard across the face, making me wince in pain. "You think that's an excuse? You had better get along before I teach you a lesson you won't forget." I didn't know where I was or how I had ended up sleeping on someone's goods. I felt my anger rise. Had he dared to slap me? I remembered it was no use making a scene, so I calmed down ." I told you that I'm sorry, uh ? What's the problem again?" I shouted."Well, you'd better be sorry, and