It won’t work.A tired voice says from beyond the bars next to me. I stop, holding my dirty shirt close, my excitement waning and taking with it the endorphins blocking my pain.

“Why won’t it work?” I ask, half heartedly believing it now.

They take everything. They do a sweep each day, and they take anything that is not clothing on us.” She whispers. “And they know what you are now, so they may not even bring you water to drink.”

“Shit.” I mutter, pressing my back against the rocky wall and sliding down, hugging my shirt like it is my favorite childhood stuffed animal. This is not how I go out without a stand and as weak as I was when Merikh found me. I have finally found my strength, a life I want to fight for so damn it, I will figure out a way out. I have to.

It would be a lie to say things will be alright,” Elle says, moving closer to the bar. I slide my eyes to look at her, my heart breaking at her appearance. This isn’t how I wanted to find my mother. I wanted to blaze in and save her. Drag her from this hellhole and nurture her back to health.

“They can’t be all that bad if I’ve finally found you.” I whisper, and she furrows her brows in doubt.

“I’m not who you think I am,” she whispers.

“So you aren’t Caspian’s mate? The king of the sirens?” I ask her, and she blinks at me before looking around. She moves closer, her hands resting on the silver bars but having no reaction to the metal that should burn her.

Are you one of them?” She whispers.

“One of who?” I ask, confused.

“The fae that they used in the past to trick me.” She pushes off the bar, using her arms to drag herself away from me. Her legs are limp as she puts distance between us from the bars. “You aren’t the first attempt to make me think you are my daughter. But I know she is dead, so I won’t fall for your tricks.”

“You left me in a bog and told me someone would be there for me soon.” I tell her. “For years I thought you were dead, and I had no idea who I was, what I was. A slave in my alpha’s house where his daughter made my every day a living hell.”

She covers her ears as she whimpers.

“No, no, no!” she hisses. “My brother would never do that…he…”

She pauses, looking at me with a spark in her eyes.

“What is my niece’s name?” She asks like she is testing me, and I snort.

“Leslie.” I say with ease, “And your brother’s name is Alpha Bentley. Though I didn’t know I was related to them until after The Lycan King took me as his mate.”

you?” She

like he

up and looking like she

if he could have me. War if Alpha Bentley

King?” she repeats the words

to myself, tears springing in the corners of my eyes. Damn, how

him…” Melody

regretting the action as pain seeps in from my aching muscles, and I remember just how much I

silence, and I hear the soft sound of sobbing. Melody covers her face, her body rocking with heaving sobs before she looks up and drags

She whispers, a

is me, mom.” I whisper, and she slaps a hand over her

heavens.” She says in a shaky voice before

I reach through the bars, my bare

finger her hand and I pull it from her

you are alive,” I say, my voice small and filled with emotions as I try to

to look at her. How can I when I’m finally laying eyes on my mom for the first time

“I am.”

the prison, and my mom snaps away from me. Everyone goes dead silent. I wince as I slowly extract my arm from the bars and

pushes a cart inside before closing the door behind him. He hums a little tune, his voice hoarse and crackly as he searches his little cart for something. Fear grips my heart. Would they torture

the answer is yes, but I can’t bear to see

her,” I roar at him, throwing myself at the bars, trying to reach

man. He turns slowly, his eyes scanning me with curiosity before he rolls

says in song form, in

to heal me,” Melody says with a

look at Trina and Lenard, who cast their sad gazes away. They look far better off than my mother. Hell, they look like

to

rather he not.” I

heal you so you can handle more punishment later.” Lenard explains, sorrow on his face. The way these two have gone somber makes me unsettled and I furrow my brows, watching them.

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255