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“The other being the escapee.” I knew Faela had escaped from one of the pits, but I was about to see them for myself. How had she not gone insane?
Chord stopped at the next corner and turned around so that he was facing Ledger and me.
“I’m going to take you into an empty pit before I take you into hers,” Chord said, seriously. “The first time in one of them can be jarring. Stay calm and try not to suppress the reactions of your wolves.”
I swallowed, feeling Ledger shoot me a look, but I ignored the urge to meet his eyes. This was a terrible time for my dominance to rear its head.
Chord turned and led us around the corner. A wave of wrongness hit me like a bullet, and I fought the instinct to run far away. I thought the bone cage doors had been terrible, but this was on a whole other level of disturbing.
The hallway was empty except for holes that lined the floor on both sides. Chord produced a torch from somewhere and, with a quick spark, lit the end. He then made his way to a random hole before turning to both of us again.
“Alphas first.” He held out the torch to my cousin.
“Pass,” Ledger remarked, turning his eyes to me with a challenge in them.
I gritted my teeth then stepped forward and took the torch from Chord, who looked surprised by the alpha-apparent’s actions. I wasn’t, but I didn’t let it show.
Alphas were meant to shield and protect. By passing this task to me, Ledger was showing his unwillingness to do that for his pack members.
I faced the dark hole, my mind racing with the horrors I was about to see firsthand down in the pit. I took a breath then jumped into the hole, knees bent to absorb the impact.
The light from the torch illuminated the dark space. A tidal wave of dread hit me, and I doubled over, panting and trying to get ahold of myself. It took a moment, but I was able to push my apprehension to the side and straighten.
Chord landed beside me a moment later not showing any signs that the room affected him like it had me. Ledger dropped in next. His eyes were wide with fear, and I felt a tiny bit of satisfaction.
No one spoke as we took in the room. It really was a pit made of stone. I couldn’t see the remains, but I could feel them. They pressed against me in an unconscious way that I could sense, like fingernails on a chalkboard.
“The prisoners assigned to the pits, do they only stay here, or do they have a cell above for the night?” I asked, thinking that being here 24/7 would surely make anyone go crazy. Too crazy to plan an escape.
“They remain here for their entire sentence.” Chord’s voice was soft, but the sound was grating to my ears.
She definitely had help to escape.
Any shifter could easily jump out of the pit but finding the will to do it when stuck in here all day, every day? It was impressive that she lived as long as she did in one of these and still has the awareness to formulate a plan.
‘Alpha-female through and through,’my wolf said, the admiration clear in his tone.
I was impressed by her as well. She was more fearless than most alphas. My eyes cut to my cousin, his earlier refusal speaking volumes about his character.
“Okay, I’ve had enough,” Ledger announced, moving toward the opening. “See you up top.”
Chord and I shared a look as Ledger jumped back through the hole. Out of the three of us, my soon-to-be alpha cousin was the coward.
I let Chord exit next then I followed. Once I jumped up, I noticed that Ledger’s face was pale and he looked sick. I inwardly checked myself, wondering if I was reacting the same without realizing it. I appreciated this place for what it was, but I could move past the fear and unease.
‘We’re stronger. We’ve always known this,’my wolf spoke from a distance, but I could feel him acclimating.
“A couple more hallways, then we will get to the pit where she escaped,” Chord stated, gesturing for us to follow him.
Ledger fell into step behind Chord while I was left to bring up the rear. The order was strategic, we protected the alpha by keeping him in the middle, but in the darkest part of my heart, I felt that he didn’t deserve to be alpha.
Those were traitorous thoughts that I had to keep hidden, for Pearl’s sake.
Chapter Seventeen
Pearl
‘Are we lost?’I asked my wolf as we came to another junction.
