Page 46 of Alpha's Runaway Mate

I glanced at Leo, who looked shaken, and gripped my arm again as we sprinted down the tunnel, away from the mess of the bodies. Only then did I tell Leo to open his eyes. The end of the tunnel was finally in sight, and we burst into the dense woods. I felt a wave of relief wash over me. But that relief was short-lived when a familiar scent pricked at my senses; we were not alone. Heavy footsteps announced the presence of more enemies.

“How many are there?” I asked Isolde, but she remained rooted on the spot, her expression a mix of satisfaction and simmering anger.

I was confused at first, but that confusion quickly gave way to realization when I heard that familiar sinister voice. “Lyra Winters, we meet again.” Hecate’s voice slithered through the air, cold and taunting.

Instinct screamed for me to flee, but as I turned, a sharp sting pierced my neck. Dread coiled in my stomach as I realized I was face to face with Thane Blackwood, a look of triumph gleaming on his face as he seized Leo by the shoulders.

“No!” I shouted, my voice echoing in the darkness.

As my vision blurred, and the woods began to spin, I felt the ground sleep beneath me.

The last thing I saw before I lost consciousness was the face of my best friend —Isolde, watching with fulfillment as I succumbed to the darkness.She betrayed me.

Chapter Twenty-One — Lyra’s POV

My head thrummed violently, the misery echoing through my skull. It felt as if it might split at any moment. A groan escaped my lips, and my hands traveled to my temples, rubbing them in a desperate attempt to numb the pain. The sound of chains rattling jolted me back to my reality, pushing the headache to the back of my mind. My eyes snapped open, and a wave of consciousness washed over me as I looked around and realized Leo was not with me. As my eyes adjusted to the dim lights, I noticed the thick silver chain binding my wrists, it's cold metal biting my skin. Panic surged through me as my eyes traced the chains to the wall, where they were anchored to a heavy hook. Instinct took over, and I tugged at it with all the strength I could muster, my heart racing at the thought of what they might have done to my son. Fear constricted my chest as I pulled harder and even more relentlessly. Just then, a mocking voice sliced through the air, low and mocking.

“You’re a hard woman to find, Lyra Winters.”

I froze at the sound of the voice, dread pooling in my stomach.

“Don’t bother,” the voice continued. “The chains are spelled. There’s no way you’re getting out of there unless Hecate dispels them.”

I didn’t need to see him to know that arrogant, distasteful, and contemptible voice belonged to Thane Blackwood. He stepped into the light, and I saw him, a mere shadow of what he was six years ago, save for his monstrosity. His once black hair had turned gray, wrinkles had formed near his eyes and mouth, atestament to the toll the curse had taken on him, but that filthy smirk still twisted his lips.

“Where the hell is Leo?!” I spat, my voice dripping with anger and contempt. “What have you done with him?”

“Leo?” he taunted, crouching in front of the cage. “You shouldn’t worry about a lost cause.”

I screeched, rage coursing through me as I moved to the edge of the cage, a few inches away from Thane’s smug face. My voice was a fierce growl as I said, “If you dare lay a single finger on him—”

He raised a hand, silencing me. “Spare me the motherly threats, Lyra. You have no power as long as you’re bound to those silver chains. After five years, you think we won’t be smarter?”

I gritted my teeth, struggling against the chains as he leaned closer, a predatory gleam in his gaze.

“This time, I’m not letting you out of my sight. I have waited five years too long, so imagine my surprise and relief when the girl came to us a month ago informing us that you were back with your pack.”

The girl? Was he talking about Isolde? My heart squeezed in my chest at the thought of my friend betraying me.

“I thought it best for you to remain in your pack until the next full moon before we took you. You should be thanking me,” he said, a smug curling up his lips. “It’s quite generous of me to let you roam freely in your pack, to savor your last days before you die.”

I fought the urge to scoff. “We both know that the reason why you left me was because you were scared. You were scared I’d escape again. Who knows? Maybe for another ten years?” I allowed myself a smirk. “By then, maybe you’ll be dead.”

Thane’s eyes glowed red, and his expression turned icy. “I’ll take great pleasure in watching you and your son die.”

Rage reignited in me, and my eyes blazed with fury at the thought of Thane hurting Leo. In a swift contemptuous breath, I spat directly into his face, my voice sharp and unwavering, “Go to hell, Thane.”

Before I realized it, he seized my neck, yanking me toward the bars of the cage until my face was pressed against the cold metal. A sharp sting shot through my throat, and the metallic smell of blood filled the air—his claws were out. I winced as he tightened his grip, his voice a low growl. “You’re going to regret that.”

He released me with a force that sent me crashing to the ground before turning on his heel and striding away.

*****

Through the small window carved into the wall of the cage, I gazed at the moon. In just one night, the full moon would be out, casting its light on whatever fate awaited me. But right now, my only concern was Leo. He was so young, too young, to be threatened by the cruel hands of Thane Blackwood. He had his whole life ahead of him—a bright, beautiful life he deserved to live, not one filled with this nightmare. My anger resurfaced as my thoughts drifted bitterly to Isolde, my supposed best friend. She had to have known what they had planned for me. Could she really be so heartless in me as to let them take Leo, too? To stand by while they plotted to destroy an innocent kid?

The creak of a door opening and closing jarred me from my thoughts. I thought it was Thane, and braced myself, but when I heard the sound of the feminine voice, I immediately knew it was Hecate. I scoffed, leaning back against the walls of the cage, “Have you come to gloat as well?” I asked, not bothering to lift my gaze.

The sound of steel scraping the concrete floor pierced the silence, and a moment later, a tray of food slid through a small opening in the cage.

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