h4Chapter 57: Chapter 57/h4

    When morning came, it did note with sunlight it came with pain. A sharp, gnawing ache ran through my body the moment I tried to move. My back was stiff, my muscles screamed in protest, and the worst of all the burning, throbbing pain that lingered between my thighs and along my backside. The memory ofst night hit me like a p, and for a moment, Iy still on the cold floor of my room, curled in on myself, wishing that if I stayed quiet enough, the world might forget me. But duty was stronger than wishful thinking. An omega’s life had no pause button, no mercy, no room for weakness. I forced my limbs to move, even though every shift of my weight felt like knives digging into raw wounds. When I pushed myself up, my palms trembled against the uneven wood of the floor, slick with sweat. My vision blurred, and ck spots danced across my sight, but I gritted my teeth and steadied myself.

    "I can’t stop... not now," I whispered hoarsely to no one, only to remind myself that I still existed.

    The packhouse was already awake. I could hear footsteps, voices, the ttering of dishes in the kitchen. Omegas weren’t allowed to bete. Omegas weren’t allowed excuses. Omegas who failed their duties often wished they had never been born. I straightened slowly, my body swaying as though I carried invisible chains, and forced myself to wash up with the little water left in the y jug in the corner. The icy ssh on my face stung, shocking me into full awareness, though it did nothing to wash away the hollow ache that lived beneath my skin.By the time I tied my hair back and slipped into my in work dress, I was shaking not from cold, but from the sheer effort of pretending I was fine. When I stepped into the hallway, the air was thick with the scents of the pack the dominance of alphas, the sharp tang of betas, the subdued hum of fellow omegas. My body instinctively wanted to shrink back, to curl inwards and disappear, but I forced myself forward, each step slow but steady. The kitchen was a storm of activity. Pots nged, spoons scraped against iron, and the scent of frying meat made my stomach churn. I joined the others, scrubbing dishes, chopping vegetables, hauling heavy buckets of water. Every movement sent ripples of pain through me, but I didn’t let it show. Not one sound ofint left my lips. If they noticed, they didn’t care or maybe they were too busy hiding their own pain to notice mine. As the morning dragged on, I heard the sound that loosened the tight knot in my chest: Alpha Zach’smanding voice, deep and sharp, barking orders to his patrol team. My blood ran cold at first, as it always did when his presence filled the air, but then came the words I had been desperately hoping for.

    "To the border. We move now."

    The pounding of boots followed. Warriors answering their Alpha, eager to fall into formation. The heavy door of the packhouse mmed shut, and silence fell in his absence. I released a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding, my shoulders sagging just slightly. Relief bitter and temporary flooded me. He was gone.At least for now. I wouldn’t have to endure his piercing gaze, the cruel curl of his lips, the unpredictable violence that lurked in his every step. The border would keep him busy. The pack would keep him distracted. And I would have one single morning to gather what was left of myself. Still, the relief didn’t erase the pain. It didn’t erase the bruises. It didn’t erase the memories. By the time the morning chores were over, my body was trembling so violently that I nearly dropped thest pot I was carrying. I stumbled into the storage room, pressing my forehead against the cool stone wall, breathing in ragged gasps.

    I wanted to cry, but no tears came. Maybe I had cried them all away long ago. Maybe my body knew better that crying wouldn’t change anything. Instead, I bit down on my lip until I tasted blood, just to feel something sharp and present, something that wasn’t the dull, lingering echo of what had been taken from me. The day passed in a blur of pain and duty. I moved like a shadow among the omegas, finishing my chores with trembling hands and a body that felt ready to copse at any moment. Every second, I feared Alpha Zach might return from the border early, his wrath crashing down on me without warning. But word spread that he was still out with the patrol team, and that tiny shred of safety gave me courage I didn’t know I had.

    When night fell, I waited until the kitchen quieted and the other omegas drifted off to their corners. My heart hammered in my chest as I carefully wrapped a small bundle of food half a loaf of bread, a scrap of meat, and a sk of water. It wasn’t much, but it was more than what she was being given. I tucked the bundle beneath my worn dress and stole a few strips of clean cloth from theundry basket. My hands shook as I added a small jar of salve I had hidden weeks ago, an ointment meant for cuts and burns that I had stolen from the healer’s stores. If anyone found out, I would pay dearly for it. But if I didn’t the girl in the dungeon would wither away to nothing. I waited for silence. I waited for the footsteps of the guards to fade. And when the packhouse slept, I slipped out like a ghost. The night air was sharp against my skin as I crept across the yard, keeping to the shadows, my breaths shallow and fast. Every sound every creak of wood, every rustle of leaves made me flinch, but I didn’t stop. The dungeony beneath the stone outbuilding at the far edge of the packhouse grounds, a ce where the stench of fear and despair never lifted. When I reached the iron door, I pressed my ear against it. Silence. No guards tonight. Perhaps they thought she was too broken to escape, or perhaps they simply didn’t care if she starved in the dark. I slid inside. The air was thick, damp, suffocating. The faint torchlight flickered, barely enough to see by. The smell of mildew and blood wrapped around me, and I fought down the urge to gag.

    "Ellie...?" The voice was weak, trembling.

    My heart clenched as I hurried toward the corner where shey shackled. Her eyes, wide and desperate, found mine in the dim light. Even in her broken state, relief shone through them like a spark.

    "It’s me," I whispered, kneeling beside her. "I brought something."

    Her wrists were raw from the chains, her skin pale beneathyers of bruises. The wounds on her legs were worse angry and swollen, still bleeding in ces. Rage and sorrow tangled inside me, but I pushed them down. I couldn’t afford anger. Not here. Not now. Carefully, I unwrapped the bundle. "Here, eat something first."

    Her trembling hands reached for the bread, but she was too weak to tear it apart. I broke it into pieces for her, feeding her slowly, watching her chew with effort. Tears pricked my eyes when she tried to thank me, her voice cracking from thirst. I uncorked the sk and held it to her lips, guiding the water down her throat.

    "Better?" I asked softly.

    She nodded, eyes wet.

    Only then did I bring out the cloth and salve. My hands were gentle as I cleaned her wounds, though each touch made her flinch. She bit down on her lip to keep from crying out, and I whispered, "It’s alrightit’s alright. You’re safe with me."

    I worked quickly, wrapping her legs and wrists with the clean strips of cloth, covering the cuts with ointment. My heart pounded with every second that passed. If anyone discovered me here, if Alpha Zach knew I dared to interfere, I wouldn’t just be beaten. He would kill me without hesitation. When I finished, I brushed the damp strands of hair from her face. "You’re stronger than you think," I whispered. "You’re not alone anymore."

    Her lips quivered, and she finally asked, voice breaking, "Why... why are you helping me?"

    I swallowed hard. "Because no one helped me when I needed it. And I can’t I can’t watch him destroy you too."

    Her tears slipped free then, sliding down her bruised cheeks. She clutched at my hand with what little strength she had left. "He’ll kill you if he finds out."

    "I know," I admitted. "But listen to me. I swear to you I’ll find a way. I’ll get you out of here. I don’t know how yet, but I will."

    She shook her head faintly, as if hope was too dangerous to hold on to. But I gripped her hand tighter, my voice firm even though I was shaking inside. "You hear me? You are not going to die in this ce. I’lle back for you. As many times as it takes. Until I can get you free."

    The silence between us was heavy, but in it, something fragile bloomed. Not quite trust, not yet but something close. For the first time in a long time, I felt like my existence had meaning beyond suffering. For the first time, I wasn’t just surviving for myself. I was surviving for her too. When I finally pulled back, tucking the empty sk and cloth remnants into my dress, she whispered after me, "Don’t forget your promise."

    My chest ached as I looked at her onest time before slipping out into the night.

    "I won’t," I whispered back. "Not ever."

    And as I crept away from the dungeon, heart pounding, I realized that promise was the only thing keeping me alive too.

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