Chapter Two: Trapped
Nora's POV
Pain.
It was the first thing I felt. A dull, aching weight pressing down on my limbs, making it impossible to move.
I groaned, blinking against the pain on my head. The air was cold and stale, the only light coming from a single, flickering bulb hanging from the ceiling. The room was small—barely more than a cage. No bed. Just cold, hard stone beneath me.
I shifted, but the sharp clink of metal stopped me.
Chains.
My wrists and ankles were bound in silver. The burning agony shot through me, making me grit my teeth. My breath turned ragged as panic clawed at my chest.
I yanked at the chains, wincing as the metal bit deeper into my skin. "No, no, no…"
This couldn't be happening.
I had to get out.
Desperation fueled me. I pulled harder, ignoring the fresh waves of pain. But the more I struggled, the more the silver seared into me, draining my strength.
Lara. I whispered her name, reaching out for my wolf.
Silence.
The emptiness was instant. Suffocating.
It felt like she was gone—like someone had ripped her away from me. I tried again, searching for her presence, but it was like screaming into a void.
My heart pounded.
No, no, please.
She had always been there, even when I pushed her away. But now? She was silent. Weak. Trapped, just like me, and without her I felt empty.
Tears burned at the edges of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.
I wasn't going to break.
Not now. Not ever.
Footsteps echoed from outside the door, growing louder. I stiffened, muscles tensing as the heavy iron door creaked open.
Beta Grey stepped inside, a tray of food balanced in his hands. His brown eyes flickered with amusement as he looked down at me.
"Good. You're awake." He set the tray on the ground. "Alpha Killian ordered me to bring you food."
I barely glanced at it—a plate of roasted meat, a piece of bread, and a glass of water. My stomach twisted painfully. I was starving. Weak.
But I wouldn't take their food.
With a glare, I grabbed the tray and threw it across the room. The plate shattered against the stone wall, food scattering across the floor.
Grey sighed, arms crossing over his chest. "Dramatic."
"I'd rather die than accept anything from them," I spat, my voice hoarse but steady.
He chuckled. "Suit yourself. But the Alphas won't be pleased."
"Good." I met his gaze without flinching. "Tell them I'd rather rot in this cell than be their mate."
Grey shook his head, clearly amused. "You're feisty. I can see why they're interested in you." He turned toward the door, pausing just before stepping out. "Let's see how long that fire lasts."
The door slammed shut, the sound reverberating through the room.
I clenched my fists, anger burning in my chest.
I wouldn't give in.
I lost track of time. Minutes? Hours? My head spun, my body growing weaker.
Maybe I should have eaten.
I groaned, leaning back against the wall, exhaustion dragging at me. Just as my eyes started to close, the door creaked open again.
This time, it wasn't Grey.
It was them.
Killian and Keal.
My heart stuttered, but I forced myself to sit up straighter, masking my weakness with defiance.
Killian entered first, his silver eyes sharp with fury. His presence filled the room like a storm—dark, dangerous, and unpredictable. Keal followed, quieter, his dark gaze unreadable.
Killian moved fast—too fast. Before I could react, his hand wrapped around my throat, pinning me against the wall. My chains rattled as I gasped, my fingers clawing at his wrist.
His touch was ice-cold, his grip unshakable, and for a moment I thought I saw my life fading away.
"Why do you insist on making things difficult?" His voice was low, edged with something dark. "Do you think defying us will change your fate?"
I glared at him, refusing to show fear. "I'd rather die than be bound to you."
His grip tightened. "Say that again."
Air barely made it past his hold, but I refused to back down.
Killian's jaw clenched, his silver eyes darkening. For a second, I thought he might actually snap my neck.
But then—
"Enough."
Keal's voice was calm, but there was an edge to it.
Killian didn't release me right away. His grip loosened slightly, but his anger simmered just beneath the surface.
"She needs to understand," he growled. "She belongs to us."
"She will," Keal said evenly. "But not like this."
Killian's gaze flicked back to me, searching my face as if daring me to speak.
I did.
"You can do whatever you want to me," I whispered, voice raw. "But I will never accept you as my mate."
Something flickered in his expression—anger, frustration, something deeper—but he scoffed and released me.
I gasped for air, rubbing my throat. "And you're a monster, You will always be."
Killian let out a low, humorless laugh. "You haven't even seen the monster yet, little mate."
A chill ran through me, but I didn't let it show.
Keal, who had remained silent, finally stepped forward. He crouched to my level, dark eyes studying me. Unlike Killian, he didn't touch me. Didn't force me.
He just looked.
"You're afraid," he murmured. "Not of us, but of what being our mate means."
I swallowed hard but didn't answer.
He sighed, standing. "We're not your enemy, Nora."
I laughed bitterly. "Then let me go."
Keal didn't respond. Instead, he turned and walked toward the door. Killian followed, but not before throwing me one last look.
"You belong to us," he said, his voice final. "Forever."
Then they were gone.
The second the door shut, I let out a scream—one of rage, frustration, and helplessness, the one that says I hate you.
I slammed my fists against the wall, my chains rattling violently.
I would never accept them.
No matter what they did to me.
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