h4Chapter 59: Chapter 59/h4

    I did not sleep. All through the long, suffocating night, Iy awake, my eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling as if the cracks above my head were veins running through a dying body. The shadows shifted across the room, growing longer, twisting into shapes that looked like ws reaching for me. I hugged my nket tighter, but it offered no warmth, nofort. My body was sore, aching in too many ces to count, yet exhaustion refused to im me.The psycho Alpha never came.That was what frightened me most. On nights when he stormed into my room, at least I knew what to expect pain, humiliation, his dark presence pressing me into silence. Butst night, there had been nothing. Only silence. And silence from him was worse than cruelty. Silence meant he was plotting. Silence meant I could not predict his next move. I turned on my side, clutching my knees to my chest. My thoughts drifted to the girl in the dungeon. Her swollen face, her broken body, the way she had clung to me thest time I snuck in to bring her scraps of food. "Please... don’t leave me here. Please."

    Her voice echoed inside me like a wound that refused to heal. I couldn’t abandon her, not when she had no one else. But how could I save her when I was barely surviving myself? And still if I did nothing, she would die. I whispered to myself, over and over, like a mantra. You have to try. You have to do something. And as the night dragged on, a dangerous idea began to take shape in my mind. I had the pills.

    Weeks ago, I had stolen them from the pack hospital, hiding them under a loose floorboard in my room. I’d thought of using them on myself, not to end things, but to escape into sleep when the nights became unbearable. I never dared to swallow them, too afraid of what he’d do if he found me unconscious. But now maybe they could serve another purpose. If I could make him drink them, if I could put him into a deep enough sleep, I would have time. Time to sneak into the dungeon, time to break the lock or find the key, time to help her escape. It was a fragile n, reckless and desperate but it was all I had.

    By dawn, my decision was made. I rose from the mattress, my limbs stiff and heavy, and retrieved the small bottle from under the floorboard. My hands shook as I crushed the tablets into powder, grinding them with a spoon until they dissolved into a fine white dust. I hid the powder inside the pocket of my apron, praying no one would notice. The kitchen was already bustling with activity when I entered. Servants moved about quickly, preparing breakfast for the Alpha and the high-ranking members of the pack. The air was thick with the smell of frying eggs and fresh bread. My stomach churned with hunger, but fear kept me from touching anything.

    I knew his routine. Every morning, before doing anything else, Alpha Zach demanded coffee strong, ck, and bitter. The other servants often fought over who had to serve him, each terrified of his wrath. Today, I would volunteer. I brewed the coffee carefully, my hands trembling as I worked. The rich aroma rose with the steam, filling my lungs. When no one was looking, I slipped the powder into the cup, stirring until it vanished. My heart pounded so loudly I was certain someone would hear it.

    "Take this to him," Elizabeth said, shoving the tray toward me.

    For once, I didn’t argue. "I’ll do it."

    The tray felt unbearably heavy in my hands as I carried it down the hall. Each step echoed, a drumbeat of dread. When I reached the Alpha’s office, I paused outside the door, my breath shaking. If this worked, I might save a life. If it failed

    I pushed the door open.

    He was there, seated behind his massive oak desk, papers scattered before him, his posture rigid andmanding. The morning light filtered through the windows, casting sharp angles across his face. His eyes lifted, cold and piercing, locking on me the moment I entered.

    "You’rete," he said, his voice low and edged with danger.

    I lowered my gaze quickly, carrying the tray to his desk. "Your coffee, Alpha," I murmured.

    He reached for the cup, his gaze never leaving mine. My chest tightened as he raised it to his lips. One sip. My breath caught. Two sips. My pulse thundered. Three sips. He drank half the cup, the dark liquid sliding down his throat as I prayed for the pills to take hold. I waited. One minute passed. Two. Three. My hands clenched the apron, sweat trickling down my back. But nothing happened. His eyes remained sharp, his movements steady, his presence as suffocating as ever. A smirk curved his lips. He set the cup down with deliberate slowness, his gaze narrowing in amusement.

    "You think I don’t know what you’re trying to do, little mouse?"

    The blood in my veins turned to ice.

    He rose from his chair, his height towering over me like a shadowe alive. "Did you truly believe something like this would work on me?" He tapped the rim of the cup. "Sleeping pills. How pitiful."

    My throat closed. My n my only n had failed.

    He stepped closer, his hand shooting out to grip my chin, forcing my face up. His fingers dug into my skin until it hurt. His breath brushed against my ear, low and venomous.

    "You forget who you belong to," he whispered. "You forget that every breath you take, I allow. Do not mistake my silencest night for mercy. It was patience."

    Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. If I cried, he would only enjoy it more. Oh God, he’s going to kill me now.

    He shoved me backward, and I stumbled, catching myself against the wall. My chest heaved, my heart hammering so hard I thought it might burst.

    "The next time you try something like this, Ellie," he said coldly, "I won’t kill the girl in the dungeon. I’ll kill you."

    The words sliced through me, sharper than any de.

    Then he turned away, dismissing me as if I were nothing more than dirt beneath his boots.

    I stood frozen, trembling, my mind a whirlwind of fear and despair. My n had failed. He was stronger than I had ever imagined, more dangerous than I had ever dared to believe. And yet Somewhere deep inside me, beneath the terror, a small ember of determination still burned. He hadn’t killed me. Not yet. That meant there was still time. Time to find another way. Because as long as I lived, I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t abandon her. No matter the risk.

    I couldn’t breathe properly for the rest of the day. Everywhere I went, I felt his eyes on me. Even when he wasn’t there, I could feel the weight of his presence pressing down, like invisible chains wrapped around my throat. I tried to busy myself with chores, scrubbing floors until my hands were raw, carrying trays of food until my arms ached, but it didn’t matter. Fear clung to me, bone deep and suffocating.

    He knew. The psycho Alpha had known about the pills, about my n. He had looked at me with those merciless eyes, and I had seen it in them: a warning, a promise, a threat of the kind of pain only he could invent. And yet he had not stopped me from breathing Why? That was the question that gnawed at me as the hours crawled by. Why hadn’t he killed me? He could have. He should have. A single twist of his hand and my neck would have snapped. Amand to the guards, and I would’ve been thrown into the dungeon myself. But instead, he had only warned me. Next time, I’ll kill you. The words reyed in my mind until they felt branded into my skull. But he hadn’t killed me this time. Which meant I still had a chance. When night finally fell, Iy on my mattress, eyes wide open. My body screamed for rest, but my mind refused to obey. Every creak of the walls made me flinch, every gust of wind sounded like footsteps. Still, I waited, heart hammering, until the corridors outside grew quiet, until the chatter of servants faded into silence.

    I couldn’t let fear paralyze me. The girl in the dungeon broken, beaten, begging needed me. If I didn’t go tonight, there might not be a tomorrow for her. Slowly, I rose from the mattress and slipped into the shadows.

    The corridors were dark, the flickering torches casting eerie patterns across the walls. My footsteps were soft, careful, each one a risk. If anyone caught me wandering where I didn’t belong, I wouldn’t be able to exin it away. And if he caught me, I pushed the thought aside. I had to focus. When I reached the entrance to the dungeon, I hesitated. The heavy wooden door loomed before me, iron bolts securing it shut. Two guards usually stood watch here, but tonight, it was empty. My breath caught.

    Why weren’t they here? Part of me wanted to turn back, but desperation pushed me forward. I slipped through the door, the hinges groaning softly as I eased it open. The air inside was damp and cold, the smell of mold and blood mingling in the suffocating darkness.

    "Ellie?"

    Her voice was weak, barely a whisper, but it reached me.

    "I’m here," I whispered back, hurrying to her cell. She was curled on the stone floor, her wrists chained, her face pale and bruised. The sight of her nearly broke me in half.

    "I thought you wouldn’te," she rasped, tears glistening in her swollen eyes.

    "I promised, didn’t I?" My voice cracked. "I’ll get you out of here. Just hold on."

    I tugged at the lock on her chains, my fingers raw from pulling. It was heavy, iron, impossible to break without a key. I cursed under my breath, hating my own weakness.

    "You shouldn’t be here," she whispered suddenly, her voice urgent despite its weakness.

    "What do you mean?" I asked, ncing around nervously.

    Her eyes darted toward the shadows beyond the cell. "It’s a trap."

    A chill ran through me.

    And then I felt it the shift in the air, the oppressive presence pressing down like a storm about to break. A slow p echoed through the dungeon, the sound bouncing off the walls, sharp and mocking. My blood froze.

    He stepped out of the shadows, tall and terrifying, his expression carved from stone. Alpha Zach. His eyes gleamed with amusement, though his smile was cruel.

    "Well, well," he drawled, his voice smooth and dangerous. "The little mouse thinks she can y savior again."

    I stumbled back, my breath catching in my throat. My heart mmed against my ribs so hard it hurt. "I—"

    "Shh," he cut me off, lifting a finger to his lips. "Don’t waste your breath with excuses. You knew the risk. And yet here you are."

    I shook my head desperately. "Please, don’t hurt her. She’s done nothing.

    "Done nothing?" Hisugh was low and humorless. "She exists. That is enough."

    He took a step closer, his presence swallowing the space between us. "And you," he said softly, his eyes narrowing. "You think I don’t see you sneaking around, whispering promises you can’t keep? You think I don’t hear the thoughts you try to hide?"

    My knees buckled, and I fell to the cold stone floor. Tears stung my eyes, but I bit my lip hard, forcing myself not to cry. If I cried, he would win.

    "You’re lucky," he continued, his tone almost casual. "Do you know why?"

    I couldn’t answer. My voice was gone.

    "Because I find your defiance amusing," he said. "Pathetic, but amusing. You keep struggling, like a bird with broken wings. You can’t fly, but you p anyway." He crouched down in front of me, his eyes boring into mine. "And I enjoy watching you suffer."

    The girl in the cell whimpered, tugging weakly at her chains. "Please..."

    He ignored her. His attention was fixed on me, as if I were the only thing that mattered.

    "You want to save her," he said. "But you can’t even save yourself. Do you understand that, little mouse?"

    I swallowed hard, my throat dry.

    He tilted his head, studying me for a long moment. Then, to my shock, he stood and stepped back.

    "Go," he said simply.

    I blinked. "What?"

    "Go," he repeated, his voice sharp. "Back to your room. Now."

    Confusion twisted in my chest. This wasn’t like him. He should have punished me, should have made me bleed. Why was he letting me walk away? My body trembled as I rose slowly to my feet. My instincts screamed at me that this wasn’t mercy it was something else. Something worse. I backed away, my eyes never leaving his. He didn’t move, didn’t stop me. He just watched, his expression unreadable, until I slipped through the dungeon door and closed it behind me.

    Only then did my legs give out. I sank to the floor, my whole body shaking, tears spilling freely now.

    I had failed again. The girl was still trapped. And now he knew really knew that I wouldn’t stop trying.

    Which meant next time, he wouldn’t let me go so easily.