I should have known they would twist the knife deeper. I sat frozen, my chest heaving, tears burning my eyes as Helena strutted over to Ivan and climbed into his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her manicured fingers trailing along his jaw as if I wasn’t even in the room.

And then—she kissed him. Right in front of me.

A searing rage exploded inside me. My nails dug into the wooden table, my breathing ragged. The sound of their lips meeting, the way Ivan smirked against her mouth, it was too much.

I slammed my hands against the table.

“You traitors!” I screamed.

Helena pulled away with a laugh, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Ivan smirked, wiping his mouth as if my presence was nothing more than an annoyance.

“Traitors?” Helena mocked. “Oh, Cynthia. You’re so stupid.”

Ivan leaned back in his chair, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement. “You still don’t get it, do you?”

I clenched my fists. “You attacked my pack! You left my parents barely alive! And now—now you stand here, flaunting this in my face?” My voice shook, but I held my ground. “You’re wrong about them. My pack isn’t guilty of anything. My parents didn’t—”

Ivan spat on the floor. “You’re pathetic.” His smirk widened. “You can’t do anything now, Cynthia. You’re nothing but my toy.” His voice dropped to a whisper, dark and cruel. “My slave.”

The words sliced through me like a blade.

Helena sighed dramatically. “Enough with the dramatics. Soon, you’ll be out of the picture anyway.” She leaned forward, resting her chin on Ivan’s shoulder. “Once the divorce is finalized, I’ll be the rightful Luna.” She grinned. “And you? You’ll have to watch it happen.”

My heart pounded, but I refused to let them see my fear. I stood tall, swallowing the lump in my throat.

I would not let them break me.

The garden was quiet, the cool night air doing nothing to ease the storm raging inside me.

Tears streamed down my face, hot and unrelenting. I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling so alone.

I had nothing. No pack. No family. No mate.

I squeezed my eyes shut. How did I let it come to this?

“You shouldn’t be out here alone.”

The deep voice sent a shiver down my spine.

I turned sharply. Damon.

His dark eyes held something unreadable, but the moment I saw him, my walls crumbled.

I lunged forward, wrapping my arms around him, sobbing into his chest.

“Damon,” I choked out, gripping his shirt. “I can’t do this anymore. I can’t—”

He held me tightly, his voice low. “I know.”

I pulled back slightly, searching his face. “You’re back?”

He nodded. “And I’m taking you away from this hell.”

My breath hitched.

But Damon’s face turned serious. “It won’t be easy. We have to be careful. If Ivan catches on—”

I nodded quickly. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Damon exhaled. “Then we play along. For now.”

And just like that, I had a plan. A chance. Hope.

The days passed painfully slow.

Ivan barely came home. And when he did, he didn’t spare me a glance.

Fine by me. It made my escape easier.

At night, I stayed in my room, careful not to raise suspicion. And now, with Damon’s help, I finally had a chance to leave this nightmare behind.

I stood in my room, staring at my half-packed suitcase, my heart pounding. This is it.

I grabbed my phone and typed quickly.

[I’m ready. Meet me in the courtyard.]

I hit send.

The moment my finger left the screen, a slow clap echoed behind me. I froze. I turned. Helena.

She leaned against the doorway, a wicked smile curling her lips. “You really thought you could run?”

My stomach twisted.

She took a step forward. “Pathetic.”

Before I could react, she swung something hard against my head.

Pain exploded in my skull. The room spun.

Darkness swallowed me whole.

I woke to cold. A sharp, sterile scent burned my nose. I groaned, my limbs feeling impossibly heavy.

Where was I?

The overhead light flickered, illuminating the white room. It was cold, clinical. Not a hospital, but something worse.

My hands were bound. I was strapped to a metal table. Panic clawed at my throat.

Then, a voice.

“You’re awake.”

Helena stepped into view, her emerald eyes gleaming with sick satisfaction.

I struggled against the restraints, my heart hammering. “Where am I?”

She tilted her head. “Somewhere no one will find you.”

Fear coiled in my stomach. “Helena, please—”

She clicked her tongue. “Begging won’t save you.”

My breath came in short gasps. “Why are you doing this?”

Helena’s expression darkened. “Because you’re a problem. And I hate problems.”

She pulled out a small device and turned the screen toward me.

My world stopped. A medical scan of me. And at the center—

A tiny heartbeat. A baby.

I was pregnant.

I gasped. “No—”

Helena’s lips curled into a sneer. “Oh, yes.”

Tears welled in my eyes. I had no idea.

Helena tossed the scanner aside and reached for something else.

A gleaming, sharp instrument.

Pure terror coursed through me.

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head violently. “Helena, please—”

She smiled.

“I’m taking it away.”

The cold metal glinted under the light.

And all I could do was scream.

I couldn’t move. The straps bit into my wrists and ankles, cold leather locking me down like a sacrificial offering. My breath came in ragged gasps, my body drenched in sweat despite the icy chill that had settled in my bones. My stomach twisted, not from fear, not from pain, but from the horrifying realization that Helena was about to take my child from me.

She loomed over me, her eyes glowing with a sick kind of pleasure as she held a gleaming scalpel between her fingers. “You should be grateful,” she murmured, tracing the blade down my exposed belly. “I’m saving you from birthing a monster.”

Rage surged through me. My child was not a monster. Ivan was. She was. But no matter how much I struggled, I was helpless.

A sharp beep pierced the air—the door’s security system activating. Helena’s head snapped up, her grip on the scalpel tightening.

Then, all hell broke loose.

The door burst open, the sound of metal crunching against metal reverberating through the sterile room. Helena barely had time to react before Damon charged in, his massive frame a blur of movement. His eyes locked onto mine for the briefest second, something fierce and desperate flashing in them.

“Get your hands off her!”

Helena spun, but Damon was faster. He grabbed her wrist and twisted, forcing the scalpel from her grip. She screamed in fury, clawing at his face, but he tossed her aside like she weighed nothing. She hit the wall with a sickening crack and crumpled to the ground, motionless.

“Cynthia,” Damon was already at my side, his fingers fumbling with the straps. “Are you hurt?”

I could barely breathe. Everything was happening so fast, my mind struggling to catch up. Damon was here. He was alive. I wasn’t alone.

“I—I don’t know,” I whispered, my voice hoarse. My hands trembled as he undid the final strap, and I sat up, my body weak from exhaustion.

Then, the alarms started blaring.

Damon cursed under his breath, his hands going to my shoulders to steady me. “We have to move. Now.”

He pulled me to my feet, and I nearly collapsed. My legs were jelly, my stomach a pit of nausea, but I forced myself to stand. There was no time for weakness.

Footsteps pounded outside the room, getting closer. Damon glanced toward the door, then back at me, his jaw tightening. “Can you run?”

I swallowed hard. “I’ll have to.”

He nodded once, then grabbed my hand, pulling me forward. We sprinted out of the room, the fluorescent lights overhead blindingly bright. The corridor was a maze of white walls and sterile floors, but Damon seemed to know exactly where to go.

Shouts echoed behind us. “They’re escaping! Stop them!”

I risked a glance over my shoulder. Three guards rounded the corner, guns raised. My heart lurched.

“Down!” Damon yanked me forward, just as bullets ripped through the air, shattering the glass panels lining the hallway. I ducked, pressing myself against him as he shoved open a door, leading us into another corridor.

We ran, my lungs burning, my body screaming for rest. But I couldn’t stop. Not now. Not ever.

Another set of guards appeared ahead, blocking our path. Damon didn’t slow. He let go of my hand and lunged at them, his fists slamming into the first guard’s jaw with a sickening crunch. The second guard barely had time to react before Damon spun, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him against the wall.

I stumbled back, my breathing ragged. Damon was a force of nature—powerful, lethal. But there were too many of them.

“Go, Cynthia!” he yelled, shoving the last guard aside. “Find a way out—I’ll catch up!”

I froze. “No! I’m not leaving you—”

Damon grabbed my arm, his grip firm but not painful. His eyes burned into mine, desperate. “You have to.”

A door behind us burst open—more guards, more guns. Damon turned, his body moving to shield me.

I had a choice. Stay and die with him. Or run and live.

I wanted to fight. But I wasn’t just fighting for myself anymore.

I was fighting for my child.

Tears blurred my vision as I forced myself to move. I turned and ran, my heart shattering with every step that took me away from him.

The facility was a labyrinth, but I followed the dim exit signs, pushing forward even as my body threatened to collapse. My breath came in ragged gasps, my bare feet slapping against the cold floor. I didn’t look back. I couldn’t.

Gunshots echoed behind me.

I choked on a sob, my mind screaming at me to turn around. But I knew what Damon would want me to do.

I reached a heavy steel door, slamming into it with what little strength I had left. It wouldn’t budge.

“No, no, no…” My hands fumbled for the lock, but my vision swam. My body was failing me.

A deafening bang behind me. I whipped around—one of the guards who had shot at me, missing by inches.

Panic flooded my veins. My hands found the door handle, twisting frantically.

It finally gave way, swinging open into the cold night air.

I stumble outside, my body shaking violently from exhaustion and fear. The facility was surrounded by a dense forest, the trees stretching endlessly before me.

Behind me, alarms blared, voices shouting. I didn’t stop.

I ran. Branches scratched my arms, my bare feet sinking into the damp earth, but I kept going. The cold air burned my lungs.

Damon’s voice echoed in my head. “I’ll find you, Cynthia. Run!”

So I did. I ran like hell. And I didn’t look back.