CHAPTER 35: CHAPTER 35

I woke up with that feeling again the one I’d started calling prisoner’s intuition. You know when you’re so used to being trapped that your body just knows when today might be the day you finally break free? That was me. I sat up slowly, blinking into the dimly lit room, and the first thing I saw was him.

Alpha Zach. The psycho who has refused to give me a moment of privacy. even though I have shouted a thousand times that I wasn’t his, that this was insane, that omegas had rights too though apparently, none of that mattered when the Alpha in question was half feral and had the strength to rip a man’s head clean off his body. I had unfortunately seen that firsthand, and trust me, it was not the kind of live performance anyone wants burned into their memory forever. He was sitting in a chair right beside my bed. His head tilted slightly back, one arm crossed over his chest, the other dangling lazily at his side. He looked peaceful.

No no no. Peaceful. What a joke. This was the same man who roared like thunder and looked at me like I was both prey and prize. But then I noticed it. Something rough and itchy brushing against my calf. I glanced down. And my entire soul screamed. A. Rope. What the hell is wrong with him?" A rope was tied around my ankle. Not just tied it was knotted so tightly it looked like it had been engineered by a sailor with a personal vendetta. The other end of the rope My gaze followed it straight into Alpha Zach’s hand, his is fingers were loosely curled around the rope, his breathing deep and steady, his whole body relaxed. He was literally sleeping with me on a leash.bMy brain short-circuited.

"What in the actual hell..." I whispered to myself, covering my mouth immediately after.

Okay. Deep breath, Ellie. Deep breath. Don’t panic.

Except—no, panic was completely valid in this situation! Who does this?! Who ties a rope to a person and then uses it as their personal sleep-time teddy bear?! I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to kick him in the shin so hard he woke up and maybe just maybe realized how insane this was. But then I remembered: insane was his default setting. And insane Alphas? They didn’t need reasons especially this crazy one. So, I did what any rational, terrified omega would do. I plotted my escape. At first, I tried the slow approach. I eased back into the covers, grabbed the edge of the rope with trembling fingers, and began to tug. Not too hard. Just enough to see if I could maybe, possibly, wiggle it free but nothing. I tugged harder.

The knot laughed at me.I yanked it and the rope yanked back. Not joking. Zach’s fingers twitched in his sleep, tightening just slightly, and the pull dragged me an inch across the bed like I was some oversized fish caught on a line. I froze. My heart thudded so hard I was sure he could hear it. But he didn’t wake. Instead, he mumbled something under his breath.

At first I thought it was just nonsense, but then I leaned closer and heard it:

"...mine..."

My stomach flipped. Oh no. No no no no no. He was dreaming about me.

I wanted to vomit but still, I wasn’t giving up. No rope, no Alpha, no psycho leash-sleeper was going to stop me.

Phase Two: The Great Untying. I bent awkwardly, trying to reach my ankle knot. Do you know how humiliating it is to half-fold yourself like a pretzel just to claw at a rope some maniac tied around you? Very. My hair flopped in my face, my fingers scraped against my skin, and every tug made the rope burn like fire. But I kept going. I Pick, Pull, and Twist. The knot refused to budge. And the more I tried, the more it seemed to tighten, like it was mocking me.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" I hissed under my breath, giving it one last angry yank.

Big mistake. Zach’s hand jerked. His entire arm flexed. The rope snapped taut, and suddenly I was yanked down the bed like a ragdoll, my head almost smacking the wooden headboard. I slapped both hands over my mouth to keep from squealing.

Slowly, slowly, I peeked at him. His eyes remained closed. He shifted in the chair, adjusting his position, and then oh God he pulled the rope closer. My leg was dragged even nearer until I was practically sprawled half off the bed like some omega sacrifice. I wanted to cry. Instead, I whispered the only word that fit:

"Psychopath."

Phase Three: Creative Genius Mode.bIf I couldn’t untie the knot maybe I could cut it.

My eyes darted around the room. Surely there had to be something sharp nearby. A fork, a piece of broken glass, maybe even my own sharpened fingernails. There! On the nightstand. A letter opener. Perfect. I slowly slid off the bed, dragging the rope silently with me. Step by step, I edged toward the table. My heart pounded so loudly I was sure the walls could hear it. The rope tugged at my ankle, but Zach didn’t stir. I reached.

My fingertips brushed the metal handle. Almost there Suddenly, the rope snapped tight again, and I was yanked backward so hard I face planted into the mattress with a muffled whump. Tears sprang to my eyes. Not from pain. From pure, unfiltered humiliation. This was my life now. Leashed like a pet. By a lunatic. Who didn’t even wake up while reeling me in like a salmon. And then, of course, he did wake up. I heard the low rumble first. A growl. The kind of growl that vibrated in your bones and made you want to curl up and hide under the bed forever. I froze.

Slowly, slowly, I lifted my head. The crazy eyes were open. He didn’t speak right away. Just stared, unblinking, his hand still curled lazily around the rope as if this was the most natural thing in the world. Then he said, in a voice so calm it terrified me more than his shouting ever could:

"Where do you think you’re going, little omega?"

My throat dried up immediately.

Words scrambled in my brain, desperate to form a sentence.

"I—I wasn’t—I dropped—uh—" I gestured vaguely toward the nightstand. "I was... dusting?"

Yes. Dusting. At three in the morning. With my face. Into the mattress. I was a genius.

His lips curved. Not into a smile. Into something darker. Something that said he saw right through me.

"You’re mine," he murmured. "Even in your sleep, you don’t leave me."

He tugged the rope hard.

I yelped as I toppled fully onto the bed, landing inches from him. His other hand shot out, grabbing my chin, tilting my face so I had no choice but to meet his gaze.

"I don’t need chains," he whispered, eyes burning into mine. "I just need this." He gave the rope another small pull, sending a shiver of panic through me. "And you’ll never escape."

I swallowed hard, my mind screaming a hundred insults I didn’t dare say out loud. Because one thing was painfully, humiliatingly clear, I wasn’t going anywhere. Not tonight.

My whole body went stiff, frozen in pure, uncut terror. His piercing golden eyes landed on me instantly, glowing even in the dim light.

And then he smiled. Not the good kind of smile. Not the "oh, how cute" smile. No. The kind of smile wolves saw before their throats were ripped out. His voice came next. Low. Rough. Mocking.

"So, my little omega thought she could escape?"

The rope in his hand tightened with one brutal tug, yanking me off the bed so fast I squealed. I landed in a heap on the floor, tangled in blankets, hair sticking to my sweaty face, panic exploding in my chest.

"Wait! No! I wasn’t—It’s not what it looks like!" I babbled, flailing like a fish on land. "I was just—stretching my legs!"

"Stretching?" he repeated, tilting his head like a predator playing with prey. His inner voice roared in my ears, even though his lips didn’t move: She dares. She thinks she can run from me. Mine. Always mine. Break her. Cage her. Make her beg to stay. Tears pricked my eyes. "Yes! Stretching! I—uh—my ankle cramps at night and I was just testing if—if the rope was... elastic?"

Did I really just say that?

I wanted the floor to swallow me whole. He leaned down from the chair, eyes never leaving mine, hand gripping the rope like a chain. His voice slid down my spine like ice.

"You think I’m stupid, omega?"

"Yes?" I squeaked before realizing my mistake. "I mean—no! No, Alpha! Of course not, Alpha! You’re—you’re the smartest! The most brilliant! The handsomest! The—"

He yanked the rope again and I tumbled forward, crashing against his knees. My face was inches from his, close enough to feel his breath on my skin. My heart pounded so violently I thought it would leap straight out of my chest and run for the hills.

His inner voice was thunder now, cracking through my skull.

"Inner voice; Never let her go. Never. She belongs to me. If she tries again, break her legs. Teach her she is mine.

I swallowed hard, panic spinning me in circles. My brain was screaming a thousand things at once: run, cry, faint, play dead, do a backflip anything to survive.

But the only thing that came out of my mouth was: "Do you want tea?"

There was silence. He stared at me. And then he laughed.

A dark, terrifying laugh that echoed in the room and made every hair on my body stand on end.

"You’re ridiculous," he said, tightening the rope so it bit into my ankle. "Pathetic. But mine."

And just like that, my pathetic escape attempt ended with me caught immediately face burning, ankle burning, and heart pounding in the grip of the psycho Alpha who would never let me go.