46

I didn't know how long it had been since Sandrino led me to a cell in the castle's basement, but I still had faith that keno would find me. At least I hoped so...

My gaze fell to the bars, which to my regret were made of silver, and my wolf was unable to break through them, but I continued to plan my escape from this prison and would never stop.

I sat with my knees bent on this uncomfortable cot and stared at the stone wall in front of me, as I did most of the day, for there was no window or anything else to focus my attention on.

A bucket sat in the corner of this cage and I shook my head, bitterly thinking how many times I've had to relieve myself on this one.

Like a miserable dog...that's how these vampires treated me and they would pay for it!

The only consolation was the baby in my womb that I already loved more than I could ever have imagined. I closed my eyes reliving that indescribably good sex with keno and it tingled all over my body just thinking about him getting me pregnant.

His smell... His dominance... I missed everything that made me doubt him at first and I couldn't wait to tell him about our offspring.

It just wasn't what everyone said it was... They all always said love was something that grew from spending time together but the further Keno was away from me the stronger our bond grew and I knew that I would never let go of him once I got out of here.

We would live in the screwed up little village forever and Jamal and Aymo would make the perfect uncles.

"Shit," I whispered over my thoughts, noticing the tears in my eyes as the image blurred along with everything else. There was still hope and I was holding on to her, but what if Keno didn't find me... What if Gloria found out about the baby before I got a chance to escape? She wouldn't accept it... She would probably even cut it out of my stomach herself, as power-obsessed as she was about her imagination..

Only humans and vampires.... That was their worldview. The wolves should disappear, but I didn't know why at all...

We didn't kill people and actually lived quite peacefully and secluded... What the hell did those monsters have against us anyway???

"Here," Hagen snapped me out of my thoughts and I glanced at the bars, where he was just pushing a plate underneath. "Your food."

I looked down at the plate and recognized, as I do every day, a dry roll and an apple that I wanted to throw at his head.

"Thanks," I ground between my teeth and gave him a fake smile, because the last time I didn't say thank you, I didn't get a meal at all for what seemed like forever.

"Once the Alpha's out of the woods, you can live upstairs with us," he told his vision of the future, leaning close to the bars to give me an amused look. "One can certainly have a lot of fun with you."

"If you want to have fun, go into the forest and look for Yasha. She suits you," I retorted in disgust, getting up from the bunk to slowly walk towards him. "Or you can come in to me now and show me what fun means to you," I teased him in a seductive voice, really hoping he would accept my offer because then I would scratch his fucking eyes out!

"Take it easy. You'll get me soon enough," he grinned dirty and stretched his arm between the bars to stroke my cheeks with his ice-cold finger.

I growled softly and wanted to grab his hand, but he quickly pulled it back and only laughed maliciously to turn his back on me and disappear from the basement.

"Bastard," I swore, and picked up the plate to sit back on my bunk, where I began to eat that really old apple. Unfortunately, the bun was so hard that even my sharp teeth couldn't tear it, so, angry as I was, I deftly threw it through the bars and started yelling in rage as I stood up, throwing the plate to the floor as well .

"Hey, hey," Hagen warned, reappearing in front of my cell and glaring at me. "Stop screaming!"

"And what if not you ugly apparition!" I yelled at him angrily and tried to grab him through the bars, but the silver burned the skin of my arm and I whimpered in pain, which made him laugh again.

He'd be the first dead once I got out of here, that's for sure!

"Calm down!" he ordered again, looking behind him at the bun on the floor. "Apparently you get too much food from us."

"I want to speak to Gloria right away," I said to him assertively, pacing back and forth impatiently to await his reply.

"She's not here. At the moment she's looking for your alpha in the forest to make it clear to him that you don't want him," he said suddenly and I immediately looked at him in bewilderment.

"He won't believe her!" I warned him, but he just shrugged.

"You ran away again. We'll see if he believes her. Also, you should be thankful that Gloria sees something in you, Aria. She could just kill you, but she doesn't want that. You should be really happy appreciate about it!"

"Oh yeah," I said hysterically and turned to my bunk, only to look at Hagen again afterwards. "I'm really very happy and thankful for this life here. I can hardly put it into words!"

The irony in my voice was hard to miss, but I didn't want to hide it either.

"Just accept your destiny, like we all do, and you'll live happier."

He was about to turn to leave when I spoke again.

"Hagen. I beg you. Release me and I swear I will make sure that nothing will happen to you!"

It was worth a try, but he just ran away, leaving me alone down here again.

And again I sat down on the old bunk, pulled my knees close to my body and sadly wondered if Keno was really going to forget me...