Chapter 87

**Hunter's POV**

The night was cold, but not as cold as the feeling creeping up my spine. I didn't know why, but every time I thought about where we were taking the kid, a shiver ran through me, deep and unsettling. I didn't pity most of the people we captured—runaways, criminals, or the unlucky bastards who got lost where they shouldn't be. But this one... this one was different.

He was just a kid.

"Such a pitiful child," I muttered under my breath as I adjusted the restraints on his wrists. His body was completely bound, ropes digging into his skin so tightly that it almost looked painful. We'd even stuffed a gag into his mouth, one of those enchanted voice-blockers to make sure he couldn't scream or bite. As if he could even resist at this point.

"Getting sentimental, Garrick?" one of the other guards chuckled, slapping me on the back as we shoved the boy forward.

I grunted, not amused. "No, just... You ever get that feeling? Like something ain't right?"

The others scoffed. "Oh, we all know something ain't right. We're delivering this one to *her*."

A heavy silence fell over us. None of us wanted to say her name.

Lady Gloria.

Even thinking it made my blood turn to ice. She wasn't human—at least, not in the way normal people were. The way she looked at her 'purchases' made my stomach churn. It wasn't just business for her. It was something else. Something worse.

I glanced at the boy as we forced him into the back of the transport truck. His white hair was messy, falling over golden eyes that still had a fire in them, even though his body looked completely restrained. He glared at us, unyielding, despite the situation he was in.

I sighed. *Damn kid. You don't even know what's coming.*

"Just get him in," the leader ordered.

I pushed the boy into the truck, his body stumbling forward before he hit the cold, steel floor. The doors slammed shut behind him.

I turned to the others. "I don't know how long he's gonna last, but... I hope he fights."

One of the other guards laughed, though there was no humor in it. "It won't matter. No one survives *her*."

No one.

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**Ichiro's POV**

*"Fucking shit!"*

The words were supposed to come out loud, but all I got was a muffled groan, the damned voice-blocking ball stuffed in my mouth rendering me near silent. My jaw ached from how tight the contraption was, and the rough ropes digging into my wrists and ankles only made my situation worse.

I barely had time to process before I was shoved forward into the dark, metallic interior of the transport truck. My body stumbled, knees hitting the cold steel floor with a dull thud. The men didn't even look at me as they slammed the heavy doors shut behind me.

*Darkness.*

Pitch black.

There was no window, no sliver of light. Only the distant sound of the truck's engine humming to life as the vehicle jolted forward, my body rolling slightly from the sudden motion.

I breathed through my nose, steadying myself. *Don't panic. You've been in worse situations.*

…But had I?

This was different. The forest was a nightmare, sure, but at least I was free there. I had control, I could fight, I could run. Here, tied up like a piece of cargo, I was completely helpless.

No weapons.

No Albi.

No way to tell where the hell I was going.

I clenched my fists. *This isn't how it ends.*

I forced myself to shift, pressing my back against the cold wall of the truck. The ropes were tight, too tight, cutting off some circulation in my arms. I flexed my fingers, testing the bindings, feeling the way they pressed into my skin. *Damn it, they knew what they were doing.* There was no give, no weak point.

I moved my legs next, trying to adjust my position, but the restraints on my ankles made it impossible to do anything but sit awkwardly. Even if I could get the gag off, the moment I tried to speak, they'd hear me.

I let my head fall back against the wall, closing my eyes for a moment. *Think. Observe. Adapt.*

I started mentally mapping out everything that had happened up to this point.

The mansion—large, multiple halls, at least three floors. The guards had taken me through several corridors, but they were careful not to let me see too much. That meant there were hidden rooms, places they didn't want me to know about.

The way they spoke about Lady Gloria… that was important. They feared her. Not just as a leader, but as something else. Something *worse*.

And now, I was being transported. *Where?*

I had no idea.

I focused on my breathing, listening to the faint sounds outside the truck. The wheels rolling over dirt—no pavement, which meant we were still in the wilderness. Maybe a backroad leading to another property? Another auction house?

I gritted my teeth against the gag. *Doesn't matter. Wherever they're taking me, it's bad.*

That left only one option.

*I have to escape before we get there.*

My heartbeat picked up.

I inhaled through my nose, steadying my mind.

I needed to be patient. I couldn't struggle aimlessly, couldn't waste my energy fighting restraints that wouldn't budge. I had to wait for the right moment.

Most likely, that moment would come when they moved me out of the truck. They would have to untie something, even if it was just my ankles.

That would be my window.

I curled my fingers, feeling the rough texture of the ropes against my skin. I would have only a few seconds to act when the opportunity came. And if I failed?

No. *Failure isn't an option.*

I opened my eyes in the darkness, golden irises burning with determination.

*Get ready. Be ready.*

No matter what happens, I am *not* staying in this cage.

### **Ichiro's POV**

I stayed perfectly still.

My breath hitched, my body stiffened, and my heartbeat drummed against my ribs.

Two slits of glowing red eyes stared back at me from the darkness.

They were low to the ground, slithering closer—silent, unblinking. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, every survival instinct in me screaming to move, to fight, to do *something*.

But I didn't.

Something about those eyes felt… familiar.

Then, against my bound arms, I felt it—a smooth, cool touch.

A slow realization washed over me as my muscles relaxed.

*"Albi."*

A muffled, desperate sound escaped my throat, and I felt my body lean forward instinctively. The massive snake curled around me, pressing its weight against my side like a comforting embrace.

Sharp fangs sank into the leather strap of the voice blocker, tearing it away in a single motion.

The gag fell to the floor with a dull thud.

I gasped, sucking in deep breaths of stale air, feeling my jaw loosen for the first time in hours. My throat ached, and my mouth was dry, but I didn't care. I let my head drop forward, pressing against Albi's scales as relief flooded through me.

"You…" My voice was raspy, barely above a whisper. "You found me."

Albi let out a low hiss, almost like an affectionate purr, before slithering away.

I blinked as he disappeared into the dark. *Where—?*

A moment later, I heard the sound of something being dragged.

I squinted, adjusting to the blackness, until I saw it—Albi biting down on the edge of a heavy bag, pulling it toward me.

My bag.

*Smart.* I smiled happily.

I didn't get to think much longer, though.

A sudden jolt rocked the truck, sending everything airborne for a split second.

I felt my body lift slightly off the floor before crashing back down. The impact knocked the air from my lungs, but it did something else, too—light.

A small shaft of light pierced through a crack in the truck's metallic walls.

It lasted only for a moment, but in that moment, I saw it—saw *everything*.

The bag, the ropes around my wrists, the way the truck's doors were locked.

I clenched my jaw.

*This is it. This is our chance.*

I turned to Albi, eyes filled with unspoken words.

And from the way his red eyes gleamed back at me, I knew he understood.

We were getting out of here.

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