But then my eyes drifted to my stomach. I thought of the baby inside me and snapped awake, shaking my head hard.
Wake up, Serenity.
How much longer are you going to depend on others before you become truly strong?
You've already done it once, I told myself. You survived on your own without the pack. This is no different. Even alone, you can save yourself.
Strength slowly returned to my limbs. I wiped my tears and forced myself to stand.
I couldn't pin all my hopes on someone else. For the sake of my baby, I had to find my own way out.
I forced myself to calm down, pushing back the fear still gnawing at my sanity, and began to think.
This was a storage room. There had to be useful tools somewhere.
I groped along the walls, feeling through the tool racks. Among the jars and boxes, my fingers finally closed around something cold, hard, and metal. Judging by its shape, it was probably a pestle for grinding ceremonial herbs.
Yes. This could work.
I grabbed it and went back to the door. The door was locked from the outside, but destroying it from the inside should be easier than from out there.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
I raised the pestle and slammed it against the lock with everything I had. I didn't know how many minutes passed. By the time my arms were so numb from the vibrations that I could barely grip the pestle, the lock finally began to give.
Hope surged through me. I switched tactics and started ramming the door with my body.
My shoulder crashed into steel again and again. The whole cabin seemed to shake with each impact.
The door began to loosen. Thin slivers of moonlight crept through the cracks—still dim, but no longer pitch black. The terror in my heart eased.
I let out a breath of relief.
That was when I noticed my forehead was drenched with sweat. And then—a cramping pain stabbed through my abdomen, so sharp it doubled me over.
The baby...
Why now, of all times…
The pain was so intense I could barely think. I was so close to escape, but now all my strength had drained away. I didn't dare move.
I gasped through wave after wave of agony, unable to get enough air. As my consciousness blurred, hallucinations crept in.
"Serenity! Where are you? Answer me!"
I thought I heard Elias calling my name.
CHAPTER 9
ELIAS VERNAL
The Moon Ceremony was about to begin. Pack members had gathered at the sacred lake.
Tonight's moon was exceptionally bright, its silver glow spilling across the water as if the Moon Goddess herself were laying a path for this ceremony. Everything was ready. But the crucial "Luna" wasn't at the altar.
Serenity's shadow flashed through my mind, and my mood soured.
I had never imagined Serenity would refuse me. After she hung up on me, it took me a while to recover. I had even entertained petty thoughts of sending all my warriors out to find her current address, then showing up personally to demand an explanation. How dare she refuse me?
