Stay Put

Traci’s POV

“Corbin, we have a problem.” The second the words left my mouth through the mindlink, panic nearly swallowed me whole again.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Corbin’s voice came through instantly, calm and steady like always. “Are you okay?”

No. Absolutely not.

I pressed both hands against the bathroom counter trying to steady my breathing while staring at my reflection in the mirror. Blood still stained the corner of my mouth from earlier. Bruises darkened beneath my eyes while fresh whip marks burned across my back underneath my shirt.

I looked like death warmed over. Wonderful.

“Traci?” Corbin’s voice sharpened slightly. “Talk to me.”

“I… I was heading back to start chores and Beta Travis grabbed me.” The words tumbled out too fast. “He dragged me to the dungeon and chained me and….”

“Sweetheart.” His tone softened immediately. “Take a breath first.”

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Easy for him to say. My heart felt like it might beat straight through my ribs right now. “I know what they’re planning,” I whispered shakily. “I heard Darcy talking after breakfast. They’re going to kill me.”

Silence hit the link briefly. Then Corbin’s voice turned dangerously calm. “Slow down and start from the beginning.”

“I went upstairs after breakfast to clean Darcy’s room.” I swallowed hard trying to steady myself. “I heard her talking to Sharon inside before I went in. They were laughing about the tournament. Corbin, they already arranged everything.”

“What exactly did you hear?” He asked worriedly.

“They said my fights were set up.” My voice cracked slightly. “They said the matches were to the death.”

A low growl rumbled through the link. Not from Corbin himself. From Koda. Even his wolf sounded pissed. “Where are you right now?” Corbin asked carefully.

“In the restroom on the Alpha floor,” I whispered.

“Good. Stay there.”

“I’m trying.”

“No.” His voice softened again. “I mean don’t move from there.”

I nodded before realizing he couldn’t actually see me. “Okay.”

“Are Darcy and Sharon still inside the room?” He asks.

“Yes.”

“How many people are with them?”

I rubbed my forehead trying to think back. “I don’t know. I only heard those two talking. I didn’t look inside.”

“That’s fine.” Corbin paused briefly. “Listen carefully, babygirl. Do not go near that room until I get upstairs.”

“I won’t.”

“If they see you now and realize you overheard them, they’ll start trouble immediately,” he warned me.

My stomach twisted harder. The sad part? He was right. Darcy never needed much excuse to make my life miserable. Finding out I knew their plans would only make things worse.

“Corbin,” I whispered quietly. “What if they really do kill me?”

“They won’t,” he said with certainty.

“You don’t know that,” I whisper yelled.

“Actually,” he replied calmly, “I do.”

Something inside my chest loosened slightly at his words.

Corbin always sounded certain. Like nothing in the world could shake him. Half the warriors in the pack respected him more than the Alpha himself because Corbin actually protected people instead of abusing them.

Well. Protected the people he could.

“How bad was it this time?” he asked carefully.

I hesitated. Too long apparently.

“Traci.”

“I’m okay,” I said but I guess it wasn’t convincing enough.

“Sweetheart,” he said sternly.

“I said I’m okay,” I repeated. I guess if I say it enough it might become believable.

“You’re a terrible liar.”

I rested my palms against the sink again while pain throbbed across my back. “He used silver again.”

The silence that followed felt dangerous.

“Koda wants permission to bite Travis’ face off,” Corbin muttered darkly.

Despite everything, a tiny laugh escaped me. “Honestly,” I sniffled, “I’d pay to watch that.”

“There’s the sarcasm. Good sign.”

“I learned from Sarah.”

“Nah. Yours comes naturally.”

Another shaky breath left me while tears burned behind my eyes again. “I’m scared, Corbin.”

That one slipped out before I could stop it. The link softened instantly. “I know, sweetheart.”

No judgment.

No dismissal.

Just understanding. Moon Goddess, I loved him for that.

“You stay exactly where you are,” he continued firmly. “I’m heading upstairs now. I’ll get them out of that room before you move an inch.”

“Okay,” I whispered once again.

“And Traci?” He continued. “You’re not alone in this.”

My throat tightened painfully. “Thanks, Uncle Corb.”

He chuckled softly. “You know I like when you call me that.”

“Well you basically adopted me years ago.”

“Damn right we did.”

The link faded afterward, leaving the bathroom painfully quiet again.

I leaned heavily against the counter staring down at the tiled floor beneath me.

Corbin and Marge weren’t really my family. Not by blood anyway.

But ever since I turned twelve they’d looked after me more than anybody else ever had. Marge always slipped extra food onto my plate when nobody watched. Corbin trained me secretly before sunrise and taught me how to survive inside a pack that clearly wanted me broken.

Most of the warriors helped where they could.

They made sure I had blankets during winter.

Boots when mine fell apart.

Medicine after beatings.

Food hidden away when punishments kept me from eating.

They couldn’t openly protect me without risking punishment themselves, but they tried. Moon Goddess, they tried.

My mindlink buzzed again suddenly. “Traci, what plan?” Sarah demanded instantly. “What the hell is going on?”

I sighed softly. “I overheard Darcy and Sharon talking about the tournament.”

“What about it?”

“It’s rigged. They arranged my fights ahead of time.” I swallowed hard. “Sarah, they’re planning to kill me in the arena.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

“How bad was the beating today?”

I winced immediately. “You sound like Corbin.”

“That’s because somebody has to monitor your terrible life choices.”

“I don’t have life choices.”

A weak laugh escaped me. Sarah always managed that somehow. Even during the worst moments.

“What exactly did they say?” she asked more seriously.

I repeated everything I overheard while pacing slowly around the restroom. By the time I finished, Sarah sounded ready to murder somebody.

“That psychotic bitch.”

That actually made me laugh harder.

“Where are you right now?” she asked quickly.

“Bathroom on the Alpha floor. Corbin’s coming up first.”

“Good. Stay put.”

“That’s literally what everybody keeps telling me.”

“Because you have the survival instincts of a raccoon.”

I gasped dramatically. “Rude.”

She wasn’t wrong unfortunately.

“I’ll come help clean once Corbin clears the hallway,” Sarah continued. “The faster we finish upstairs, the faster we get you away from Darcy before she starts acting possessed again.”

I smiled faintly despite the pain. “Thanks, Sarah.”

“Always.” Her voice softened slightly. “And Traci?”

“Yeah?”

“If they think they’re getting rid of you that easily, they’re dumber than I thought.”

The link faded after that.

For a few seconds I just stood there alone listening to my own breathing while cold fear still twisted violently inside my chest.

The tournament.

The arranged fights.

The dungeon.

The beatings.

Everything kept getting worse. And for the first time in a long time, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something huge was coming.

Something dangerous.

Something that was about to change everything.