CHAPTER EIGHT

In the darkness, I hear the knocking from the next cell over. It is the prisoner girl who gave me the knife. Romulus' old mate.

I don't want to talk to her.

But she keeps knocking.

"What?" I say, finally.

"It is you," she says.

"Who else would it be?"

"I thought they might have already killed you. What happened?"

"I'm getting executed. Tomorrow."

"Good," she says.

I lose my cool.

"Good?" I cry, jumping to my feet. "Why is that good? How is any of this good? You told me to kill the Alpha and now I'm going to die!"

The prisoner girl is silent for a moment. "I have a plan," she says.

I fall quiet. My heart is pounding. My nerves feel frayed.

"A plan?"

"To save us both. Come here to the wall."

I look around. That's when I notice it. A crack in the bricks separating our cells.

I go over.

I am sore all over. And I am still hungry. But I am hopeful. I think she has a plan.

I peer through the gap at her. "What's your plan?"

"It's simple," she replies. She passes an herb through a gap in the wall.

"What is this?" I ask.

"An herb," she tells me. "It will mask your scent."

"Okay. And?"

"Tomorrow on execution day, I want you to follow me. We are going to run."

"Run?" I cry. "We can't run! The pack will devour us!"

"The herb will shield you from their scent," the girl says.

"How can you be so sure?"

"I was the Alpha's mate once, remember? I have used this herb many times. But once I know it is no longer working, I will run. And I want you to follow me."

"Where will go?" I ask.

"There is another pack not far from here. They can help us. They are good."

I don't know what to think. How can I trust her?

"How far will we need to run?" I ask.

"Through the forest."

"The forest," I say, thinking of the place I traveled on the back of Romulus' horse. It feels like a very long time ago now.

"How long will the herb last?" I ask.

"Hours," she says.

"And the pack? What if they follow us?"

"They won't. Trust me."

I hesitate. I don't know what to do.

"Please," she pleads. "I don't want to die. I don't want you to die. Please do it. Please."

"Okay," I say, finally. "Okay. I will do it."

"Good," she says. "Good."

She falls quiet.

I ponder the plan. I don't know if I can trust this new girl. She has led me astray before. But if she can get me away from this lair and into the forest, then I can find my own way home from there.

I can return to my pack.

But I will have to leave her to do so.

Can I do it? Leave her in the forest and run the other way?

Just then, a pounding comes from the door.

"Wait here," I whisper through the wall. "The guard is back. I'm going to talk to him."

I jump away from the wall just in time.

The door opens. A guard comes in holding a plate of raw meat and a jug of water.

It is a different guard this time. He is an old wolf. He must have seen a lot of wolves in his lifetime. He looks at me suspiciously.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

"Nothing," I say, moving farther away from the wall. "Is that for me?"

He nods and hands the plate of meat toward me. On it is a leg of lamb.

My stomach gurgles. I cannot contain myself. I grab the meat and devour it. It's been too long since I've eaten proper food.

The guard watches me with a disgusted look.

"Sorry," I say, when I'm done. "I was starving."

His face softens. He hands me the jug of water.

I gulp it down and hand it back. "Thank you."

He nods. "It is a shame that you have to die."

I'm caught off guard by the remark. "What?"

"I said it's a shame. You're a good wolf."

"I am? What makes you think that?"

The small shred of kindness he shows me warms me. The meat, too, gives me strength.

"Romulus chose you as his mate," he continues. "You out of every girl. That means you must be pretty smart."

I pause. I'm not so sure myself. I've never thought of myself as smart.

"You would have made a good Alpha's wife," the guard adds.

I almost laugh. Me? A good Alpha's wife? The same person who stabbed him with a silver dagger?

"But that was before," the guard continues. "Before you stabbed him. I'm sure if you had married him and lived as his wife, you would have learned how to be good. I'm sure you would have made a good Alpha's wife."

When he says this, I realize that maybe I can be a good Alpha's wife after all. Just not to Romulus. Not to someone cruel who claims me against my will. But to an Alpha of my choosing.

The old guard looks at me. A dark, wistful look comes over him. "I hope you enjoyed your last meal. Tomorrow, you'll be dead." He sighs. "Sleep now. They'll come for you in the morning."

Then he turns on his heel and leaves.

The door clicks shut behind me. The darkness swallows me.

His words linger in my mind. Maybe there is something special about me, if an Alpha like Romulus chose me to be his wife? Perhaps there is something special about the girl in the other cell too? Maybe she is smart as well. I should trust her plan.

I turn back to the wall. I stand up against the bricks and peer through the crack.

But now I can hear the sound of snoring from the next cell. The prisoner girl has fallen asleep.

I'm full, so I lay down and try to sleep. I wonder what tomorrow will bring. Will I escape, or will I die? If I die, will my pack ever know what happened to me?

I curl up into a ball. Within minutes, I am fast asleep.