"He hates you," he murmurs, mulling over my words.

I hold his gaze and continue. "He calls me an embarrassment, among other cruel things."

"So you never accepted his rejection?"

"You’ve got it backwards. He refuses to reject me, and he won’t accept my rejection either, even though he wants nothing to do with me."

"Who the hell is your mate?" Dash’s voice suddenly rings out from behind Alexis. "What a complete jerk! Tell me his name. I’ll beat him senseless!"

"You’ve been awake this whole time," I mumble. Another sharp pain surges through my chest, and I close my eyes to ride it out. Once it fades, I draw a shaky breath of relief.

"I’m an Omega runt. He’s one of the Alpha’s sons."

"I have to admit, that’s a terrible match." I hang my head. "Maybe this is just some cruel joke from the Moon Goddess. Bound to one of the boys who bullied me as a child. How hilarious is that?"

"You’re mated to an Alpha?" Dash asks, clearly stunned.

His surprise is understandable. Such pairings are extremely rare. For the lowest Omega runt of the pack to be tied to an Alpha’s son is unheard of, and that is exactly why Ezra resents our bond so deeply.

When I lift my head, I see a flicker of shock on Alexis’s face too, which catches me off guard.

"I’m sorry," he says softly.

His words leave me confused.

"You’re sorry? Why?"

"Cass." The way he speaks my name feels strangely familiar, as if I have known him my entire life. A strong pull tugs at me, drawing me toward him.

But why?

"No one deserves to be treated the way they treat you," he whispers.

He glances away and pushes himself to his feet. The cloth covering his lap slips off, and I quickly avert my eyes, though not before catching a glimpse of him as he turns toward the cell bars.

I can almost hear Lauren’s playful voice echoing in my head right now, teasing me relentlessly.

Pull yourself together, Cass. This is neither the time nor the place, I chide myself internally.

"Guards," Alexis calls toward the hallway.

Two guards approach.

"I’m finished with her help," he tells them.

"I’m not done yet," I speak up.

He ignores me as the guards unlock his cell and lead him back to his usual space. I can tell he has no desire for further conversation as he settles down against the wall.

"Here. At least tend to your own wounds." I pass the cloth through the bars to him.

He takes it and nods in thanks.

I lie back down, trying to fall asleep, but my mind keeps wandering to the men around me. How can they be labeled enemies? They come from one of the most feared packs in the land, yet they act nothing like monsters. They treat me far better than my own kind ever do.

The next morning, I rise to begin my cleaning duties once more. I tidy up the empty cell where the rogue was held, then the other prisoners are moved aside so I can clean their cells as well. By afternoon, I head to the kitchen to collect my meal. I’m surprised I’m still allowed to move freely after everything I said to the guards the night before. They told me the other prisoners would receive no food for another three days, so this tray is meant only for me.

"Here you go," Matilda says, handing over the tray. I peek inside and see a full portion for myself.

"Thank you." I offer her a small smile and watch her walk away. I cannot bring myself to eat while the others starve.

Dinnertime has arrived, and most of the kitchen staff are busy serving the main hall. I glance around and spot a basket of apples tucked in the corner.

Without a second thought, I step toward it. My heart hammers wildly in my chest. When I confirm no one is watching, I grab several apples and tuck them onto my tray before closing the lid. I hurry out the back door.

"Watch where you’re going, runt!"

I lift the tray quickly, narrowly avoiding a collision with Bryn and Kayce.

Bryn shoves me to the ground. I clutch the tray tightly, refusing to let it slip. My knees and elbow scrape against the stone, and my hip throbs painfully from the fall. "Pay attention, you idiot!" she shouts.

"S-sorry," I mumble quickly.

I would normally stand my ground and push back when angered, but I hold my tongue now. I cannot let them see what I’ve hidden on the tray. Bryn looks confused, clearly expecting me to fight back.

"I don’t have time for this nonsense, Bryn!" Kayce grumbles. "Ugh, why do I have to sit through all these pointless meetings?" He ignores the scene and storms off.

Bryn abandons me at once and chases after him. "Because you’re going to be Alpha soon..."

They forget all about me, and I breathe out in relief.

I scramble to my feet and rush back to the dungeon. The guard at the top of the stairs doesn’t bother checking my tray as I pass. I hurry down to the cells.

By the time I reach my cell, the food on the tray is mashed and messy, but it doesn’t matter. I hold up the apples toward the men. "Hurry, take these."

Dash gasps. "You’re an angel, Curls!" He snatches the fruit and tosses a few over to the prisoners in the opposite cell.

"You could have gotten yourself into terrible trouble," Alexis says.

"Yeah, I almost did," I reply, turning to my own food.

"Did those bruises come from that run-in?" He nods toward my scraped skin.

I nod and take a bite of food. "Courtesy of the Alpha’s daughter. She’s truly awful. Luckily, she never looked inside my tray."

"You’re hurt."

I shrug it off. "It’ll heal soon enough."

"Don’t do this again," he says, his tone firm.

His words irritate me. I set down my food and plant a hand on my hip. "Excuse me, but I do what I please. If I want to bring you all food so you don’t starve, I’m going to do it."

I’m not sure why I feel bold enough to speak to him this way, but the cell bars between us make me feel safe.

Dash chuckles, but Alexis’s expression remains stoic and unamused.

I return to my meal, though I can feel his eyes on me the entire time, even as he eats his apple. I do my best to ignore him as night falls. Thanks to the fruit, the men have a little more energy tonight.

"That’s just like you, chasing anything that moves!" Dash teases Quinn.

"Shut up. I do not," Quinn retorts.

"Sure you do," Peter chimes in, and he and Dash burst into laughter.

They begin swapping stories about their past romances, and I listen on, feeling a little uncomfortable with their crude talk.

"What about you, Curls?" Dash asks.

I turn away. "Don’t even ask."

He grins. "So you’re a virgin then."

"No! I didn’t say that. Just drop it!" I panic, my cheeks flushing bright red.

The men laugh, but I refuse to admit the truth. Listening to their stories only makes me glad I’ve never been with anyone.

Footsteps echo down the hallway, and we all fall silent.

My stomach drops when I see Niles approaching, the unpleasant older guard I’ve been avoiding.

He stops at my cell, leaning one shoulder against the bars, his back to the other prisoners. He gnaws at his thumbnail and stares me down. It seems he’s on duty tonight.

I stay quiet, refusing to engage.

"My offer still stands, you know. Once your punishment ends, I’ll claim you as my mate."

I say nothing.

"No one else will ever want you. I could keep you safe," he presses.

"No," I whisper.

"You’d rather spend your life alone?"

"Yes," I repeat softly.

"I’m tired of hearing you turn me down! You’ll never get a better offer than this."

"I’m fine with that."

"You’ll die lonely, with no one by your side."

"I’m fine with that," I say again.

Anger flashes across his face. He opens his mouth to speak, but a low, menacing growl cuts him off. Niles jerks his head back sharply. Both Alexis and Dash glare at him with pure hostility, and a powerful surge of energy rolls out from their cell. I’ve never felt anything like it during my time here. It vanishes just as quickly as it came, and for a moment I wonder if I imagined it.

Niles snarls at them but doesn’t dare linger. He turns to leave, throwing one last hateful look my way. "I won’t keep asking nicely any longer, you stubborn girl." With that, he disappears down the hall.

Unease settles over me. He was far angrier than before.

"What a creep," Dash mutters.

I can’t catch a single break around here.

As the night drags on, sleep eludes me. The thought of Niles patrolling the halls leaves me on edge.

The dungeon falls quiet, and everyone else drifts off to sleep. Then I hear soft movement nearby.

I sit up in alarm, only to be grabbed and pulled firmly against the cell bars.

My eyes lock onto familiar green ones.

"Alexis?" I whisper.

His hand rests gently around my neck. One tight squeeze would end me in an instant.

"Cass," he murmurs.

Shock washes over me.

"What are you doing?"

"You talked back to me earlier," he says. "If you’re going to be bold with me, you have to face the consequences."

I realize he’s referring to our argument over the apples.

"Do you think you can handle those consequences?" His tone is calm, yet his expression is deadly serious.

My lips tremble. Even with the bars separating us, he could hurt me effortlessly if he chose to. Fear lingers, but I don’t sense any malice from him.

His hand loosens around my neck and slides up to cup my chin. I could easily pull away, but my body feels frozen in place. His fingertips brush softly across my lips, and a warm flutter stirs inside me. I hate to admit it, but I like his touch. His gaze drifts down to my mouth. "I could kiss you right now."

His voice is deep and husky.

My mind goes blank. I don’t know what to say, but the thought doesn’t repel me in the slightest.

He leans closer to the bars, guiding my chin upward toward him.

"Would you want that?" he whispers.

His warm breath brushes my lips, and my skin tingles all over.

"Why would you want to kiss me?" I ask. I can’t bring myself to admit how badly I want it. I crave the feel of his lips against mine, a feeling I’ve never known before.

"Why wouldn’t I?"

"Because the men in my pack all reject me."

"They aren’t real men. You’ve only dealt with foolish boys. I am not one of them."

A fresh shiver runs through me, and a warm heat pools low in my stomach. I long for him to take what he wants, to lose himself in me completely. I stare at his lips, desperate to feel them against my own. I’ve never wanted anyone this fiercely, not even Ezra when we first learned of our mate bond.

Suddenly, Alexis’s gaze flicks over my shoulder, and he pulls his hand away at once.

Disappointment crashes over me. I turn and spot Niles standing in the hallway.

Rage twists Niles’s features. I have no idea how long he’s been watching us.

He strides forward, unlocks my cell, and steps inside.

"The Alpha and Luna want to see you." His voice is tight and forced.

I frown in confusion. "Now?" It must be one or two in the middle of the night. Something is very wrong here.

"Yes," he replies, forcing a cold smile.

I shuffle backward until my back hits the cell wall and shake my head. "I refuse. Let them punish me if they wish."

His anger flares. "Always so loud and disobedient! Can’t you follow a simple order?"

"They didn’t really send for me, did they?" I see through his lies at once.

He lunges forward, grabs my arm, and yanks me toward the door. "You’d give yourself to trash like him, but you won’t look twice at me?"

"Let me go! Stop!" I scream.

"Leave her alone!" Alexis roars.

He slams his body against the cell bars, stretching his arms through the gaps to grab Niles, but he’s just out of reach.

"You won’t say no to me tonight!" Niles snarls. "You’re mine. No one else gets to have you."