Chapter 3: A Taste of Freedom

Aria's POV

The dungeon was silent except for the occasional dripping of water and the rattling of my chains when I shifted. I had spent hours—maybe days—thinking of ways to escape. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Killian’s face. His words echoed in my mind.

"You’re mine now, whether you like it or not."

I didn’t belong to him. I would never belong to him.

But escaping wouldn’t be easy. The chains were silver-lined, dampening my wolf and burning my wrists every time I struggled. My body was weaker than I wanted to admit, but my mind was still sharp. I could fight. I would fight.

The sound of footsteps broke the quiet, and I froze. This time, there were two sets. The door creaked open, and light flooded in, momentarily blinding me.

When my eyes adjusted, I saw him. Killian. His tall frame and piercing eyes were unmistakable. Beside him was the man who had taunted me earlier—the one with the cruel smile.

“Enjoying your stay?” the cruel one asked with a chuckle.

I didn’t respond. Words felt pointless against men like them.

Killian crossed the room, his boots clicking against the stone floor. “You’ve been quiet, Aria,” he said, his voice low. “Plotting something, I assume.”

I met his gaze with all the fire I could muster. “You’ll see what I’m plotting soon enough.”

The cruel one laughed again, but Killian didn’t. His expression remained unreadable, and that unsettled me more than I cared to admit.

“Leave us,” Killian said, his tone sharp.

The other man hesitated, his amusement fading. “Alpha—”

“I said leave.”

The man scowled but obeyed, shooting me a warning look before exiting the room.

When we were alone, Killian crouched down, his face level with mine. The intensity in his dark eyes made my heart race, though I told myself it was only from anger.

“You’re not making this easy, are you?” he said.

“Why should I?” I shot back. “You destroyed my life. The least I can do is make yours difficult.”

Something flickered in his expression—something almost like regret—but it was gone before I could be sure.

“I didn’t want this war,” he said quietly.

His words caught me off guard, but I refused to soften. “Then why start it?”

He sighed, standing up and running a hand through his hair. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me.”

Killian shook his head, turning away from me. For a moment, I thought he wasn’t going to answer, but then he said, “Your pack betrayed mine. My father died because of your Alpha’s greed. I did what I had to do to protect my people.”

His voice was steady, but there was a weight to it that made me pause. Could it be true? Could my pack have been the ones to strike first?

No. I wouldn’t let myself believe that. Killian was a murderer. A monster. Whatever his reasons, they didn’t justify what he had done.

“You’re lying,” I said firmly.

He turned back to me, his eyes hard. “Believe what you want. It doesn’t change the truth.”

The tension between us was suffocating, but before I could respond, the door opened again.

“Alpha,” the cruel man said, stepping inside. “We have a situation.”

Killian’s jaw tightened. “Handle it.”

“It’s… complicated,” the man said, glancing at me.

Killian let out a frustrated sigh and turned to leave. “This isn’t over, Aria,” he said over his shoulder before disappearing through the door.

---

As soon as the room was empty, I sprang into action. I had noticed something during our conversation—Killian had been so distracted that he didn’t check the chains. And when the other man entered, the door hadn’t been locked properly.

This was my chance.

Ignoring the searing pain in my wrists, I tugged at the chains until they loosened just enough for me to slip free. My heart pounded as I crept to the door, praying no one would hear me.

The hallway was dimly lit and eerily quiet. I moved as quickly and silently as I could, my senses on high alert.

Freedom was so close, I could taste it.

I made it to a staircase and began to ascend, my breath coming in shallow gasps. Every creak of the floorboards beneath me felt deafening, but I didn’t stop.

At the top of the stairs, I found myself in what looked like the main part of the packhouse. It was a stark contrast to the dungeon—warm, well-lit, and filled with the scent of pine and earth.

But I couldn’t stop to admire it. I needed to get out.

I spotted an open window at the end of the hall and made a run for it. The cool night air hit my face as I climbed through, my heart racing with both fear and exhilaration.

I was free.

Or so I thought.

I barely made it ten steps before I was tackled to the ground. A growl erupted above me, and I looked up to see Killian, his eyes blazing with fury.

“Did you really think you could escape?” he snarled.

I struggled beneath him, my wolf clawing to the surface despite the silver that still lingered in my system. “Get off me!” I screamed, my voice raw with desperation.

Killian didn’t move. His weight pinned me down, and his grip on my wrists was unrelenting. “You’re only making this harder on yourself,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.

“I’d rather die than stay here,” I spat.

For a moment, his expression softened, and I thought I saw something like pain in his eyes. But then it was gone, replaced by the cold, unfeeling mask he always wore.

“You’re not going to die, Aria,” he said firmly. “Not while you’re my mate.”

His words sent a chill down my spine. Mate or not, I knew one thing for certain—I couldn’t let Killian Thorn break me.