But it did happen, and now I was here, lying on a cold, hard bed in a pack that hated me, my heart breaking over and over again as I whispered into the darkness, "I’m sorry, Tori. I’m so, so sorry."
But the shadows swallowed my words, and there was no one left to hear them.
Nadia'S POV
A year. A whole year since I was dragged here, to this prison in the guise of a pack. Time lost all meaning in the endless cycle of torment and labor. The days blurred together, each one more unbearable than the last, each humiliation cutting deeper than the one before. My body was numb to the ache, but my soul—my spirit—was shredded beyond recognition.
Today was different, though. Today was Alpha Lucas's coming of age ceremony. His 18th birthday. The whole Lockheart Pack buzzed with excitement and anticipation. The great hall was being prepared for a feast, the tables set with dishes I had scrubbed clean until my fingers bled, and the floors polished so that they gleamed beneath the candlelight. I was given the same rags to wear, my frostbitten hands working tirelessly without a hint of compassion from anyone.