bra’s /bPOV

    “You think you can keep me here forever?” My voice, sharp and steady, rang out through the sterile silence of the roomb. /bbI /bbtried /bbto /bbignore /bbthe /bpounding in my chest, the echo of dread bouncing off the walls. But my body didn’t lie. The tension in my limbs, the fire bbehind /bbmy /bbeyes/bb–/bit all told the same story. I was trapped.

    The door mmed behind me with a finality that made my heart skip a beat. Soldiers, always soldiers, always watching. There bwas /bbno /bescape, no freedom.

    I was locked in, with no way out.

    Kimberly had tried to visit, once. Her fist pounding against the door, shouting, demanding to see me. I heard her voice, the sharpness of her frustration, but the guards, unyielding, didn’t let her through. She’d left, cursing, promising to fight for me, but even that felt hollow now.

    The room, once a sanctuary, had be a cage.

    I hadn’t been free for days. Thorne was the only one who came. And even when he did, it was never in peace.

    His presence was suffocating.

    When night fell, he’d climb into bed beside me, his hands grabbing me, pulling me close as though I belonged to him. I resisted. I always did. I pushed against him, but his grip tightened.

    “You wouldn’t want me to restrain you,” he’d growl, his voice low and dark, the kind of threat that sent a chill straight through me. b“/bbSo/b, behave.”

    And so, I’dy there, in his arms, still and silent, as sleep consumed me. But peace didn’t follow. Nightmares gripped me. The walls closed in on me even in my sleep.

    But I wasn’t done fighting. I couldn’t be.

    The days dragged on, each one blending into the next. His constant surveinced, the never–ending watchful eyes, drove me to the edge. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. The suffocation was bing unbearable.

    Would this never end? Would he really lock me away forever?

    It felt like a twisted game, a madness only Thorne could dream up. He wouldn’t stop until I was broken–until I waspletely alone, isted from everyone I cared about.

    Thad to escape.

    The thought consumed me. And so, I made a choice. I would starve myself. If I couldn’t move, couldn’t run, I could make him move. If I became sick enough, he’d have no choice but to take me to the hospital. And there, I’d find my chance to break free.

    I barelysted two days.

    Thorne came back early, his cold eyes scanning the room.

    I didn’t look at him. I couldn’tb. /b

    “The maid told me you’re refusing to eat,” he said, his tone like a whip.

    I didn’t say a word, My gaze was fixed out the window, on the endless stretch of sky that taunted me with bits /bbfreedom/b.

    Chapter b147/b.

    bHe /bbsnorted/b, unimpressed. “What, are you nning bto /bbrun /baway againb? /bYou think your so called second chance mate is going toe sava byou/bb?/bb” /b

    I bit back the urge to snap at him. He wanted a reaction. He always did.

    He picked up a te of sandwiches and brought them to me. “Eat,” he demanded, his voice cold and final.

    i stared at the te, my stomach churning. But it wasn’t the food that revolted me—it was him.

    I red up at him, fury bubbling beneath the surface. His eyes were dark, unreadable. But there was something there, something bthat /bflickered just beneath the surface. Jealousy? Fear? Maybe a little of both.

    “If you don’t, I can’t promise what will happen to Kimberly, or Jory, or Dorian.” His words were dark, full of warning.

    My breath hitched in my throat. My eyes widened in disbelief. “You wouldn’t.”

    He chuckled, an icyugh. “You think I wouldn’t? You used me of being heartless. Threatening your friends sounds exactly like something bi /bwould do.”

    The room was thick with tension. The air between us crackled. But I wasn’t going to give in. Not to him.

    I grabbed a sandwich, biting into it with far more force than necessary. If this was how he wanted it–fine.

    His gaze never left me as I chewed. He watched me, and for a moment, I could almost feel the power shift.

    “You really care about them,” he said softly, the words like a dagger. “Which one do you care about the most? Kimberly? Jory? Or Dorian?”

    I finished my sandwich and shoved the te away from me.

    “You know, you’re so damn jealous,” I scoffed. “Cael, Jory, Raelen… now Dorian. You’ve got quite the list, Thorneb./bb” /b

    His jaw tightened, his eyes shing dangerously. “Because a lot of men want you.”

    The vulnerability in his gaze was there, but I refused to acknowledge it. Instead, I leaned back, crossing my arms over my chest. “Before, I’d tell you you’re the only man I ever loved,” I said, a bitter chuckle escaping me. “But now? Now I’m done.”

    His entire body went rigid. His fists clenched at his sides. I could feel the rage simmering inside him.

    “If I can’t have you,” he snarled, his voice strained, “then no one else will.”

    With that, he stormed out of the room, mming the door behind him with a force that rattled the walls.

    I picked up the te, my hand trembling with fury, and hurled it against the wall. It shattered, a symphony of broken porcin filling the

    room.

    My heart was pounding in my chest, but my resolve had never been clearer. I wasn’t staying here. Not a second longer.

    I was going to find a way out.

    But as the minutes ticked by, reality set in. The hunger strike had failed. My freedom still felt miles away.

    Suddenly, a knock on the door.

    “The King asked for her to be taken to the Counseling Hall,” a voice called from the other side.

    The guards outside muttered among themselves. “But Alpha Thorne-”

    20:47 Mon, 4 Aug

    “Alpha Thorne is not the Kingb,/b” the voice interrupted, and I heard the shift in the air–the weight ofmandb. /bb“/bbOpen /bthe idoor /i

    Reluctantly, the guards obeyed.

    I was dragged out of the room, my hands bound by cold metal. The soldiers didn’t speak, their expressions unreadable as they bmarched /bbme /bthrough the halls.

    I was taken to arge, open hall. At the far end of the room sat Lance, his eyes gleaming with something dark and dangerous. Mi bstood /bbeside him, her eyes glinting with malice.

    I knew what this was.

    This wasn’t just a visit. This was punishment. For escaping, for killing those soldiers.

    For daring to defy them.

    Lance’s lips twisted into a mocking smile. “Alpha Thorne has done well protecting you, I see. But I think it’s time you face the consequencesb. /b

    “You have a problem with the way he does things?” I shot back, the words sharp and full of venom. “Maybe don’t bring him into it bif /bbyou /bbcan’t /b

    handle it.”

    Lance’s expression soured, but before he could reply, Mi jumped in, her voice filled with spite. “You’re going to pay for everything, ra.

    suffer.” And we’re going to make sure you

    She stepped forward, her hand swinging toward me, and I could feel the weight of her anger before the p evennded.

    But I wasn’t going down that easily.

    I met her eyes, my gaze filled with ice and fury. “Youy a hand on me, Mi,” I growled, “and I’ll bite your fingers off. Go ahead. Try me.”

    The p froze in midair.

    Mi’s hand trembled, her confidence faltering. She red at me, fury etched into her features. But it was toote. I’d broken through her fa?ade.

    “Do it,” I challenged. “Hit me. Let’s see how far you’re willing to go.”

    A tense silence filled the room, broken only by the sound of Mi’s angry breath.

    Then, Lance’s voice cut through. “Enough,”

    The moment had shifted. And as much as I hated it, I knew I had to be ready for what came next.

    Mi gave me onest re, then turned to the soldiers. “Hold her down. Bring the axe.”