Chapter 100 - Midnight Rendezvous

(Quinn's perspective)

Cale's words echoed in my mind long after he left the room. "After that, it will be time for you to start breeding my pups." His smile had been sickening, his tone filled with a sinister promise that made my stomach churn. My knees felt weak, but I refused to crumble. Not here. Not now. Not where he could come back and revel in my despair.

As soon as the door slammed shut behind him and Derek, I collapsed onto the edge of the bed, my breath coming in shallow gasps. The enormity of my situation was suffocating. Less than two weeks until the wedding. Less than two weeks until I was marked, bound to this monster forever. My heart pounded in my chest like a trapped bird desperate to escape. And escape I must. There was no alternative.

The thought of being tethered to Cale, of bearing his children—his heirs—sent a cold wave of revulsion through me. He had already stolen so much from me: my freedom, my choices, my happiness. But he wouldn't take this. I wouldn't let him. I'd rather die than let him trap me in his twisted nightmare.

The door creaked open, and I instinctively flinched, my heart seizing with fear. But it was Kimmy. Her wide, worried eyes searched my face as she rushed in.

"Quinn, what happened? You look like you've seen a ghost," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

I grabbed her hand, my fingers trembling, and pulled her toward the stairs. "Come with me," I muttered, urgency coating my every word. She didn't question me, just followed as I led her to my walk-in closet—a massive, over-the-top space Cale had designed specifically for me. He called it a gift. I called it a gilded cage.

Once inside, I shut the door and locked it. The walls here were my secret weapon, soundproofed under the guise of privacy for his "Luna"—a word that made my skin crawl. He had no idea I'd ordered Derek to make sure no sound could escape. Cale's hearing was unnervingly sharp, and I'd learned the hard way that he liked to eavesdrop. This was the one place in the house where I could speak freely.

I turned to Kimmy, my hands still shaking. "Kimmy, I need your help. I don't have much time."

Her brows knit together in confusion, but she nodded. "Anything. What is it?

I took a deep breath, the words tumbling out of me in a frantic rush. "I need you to get a message to Luca. It's urgent. Cale… he's forbidden me from seeing him. The wedding is less than two weeks away, and after that…" My voice cracked. "I can't let that happen, Kimmy. I have to see Luca before it's too late."

Kimmy's eyes widened in disbelief, her hand flying to her mouth. "He said that? About…" She trailed off, horror evident in her expression.

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Yes. And he'll mark me. Once that happens, I… I'll never be free of him. I need Luca to know. I need him to help me figure out a way out of this."

Kimmy hesitated, glancing at the door as if Cale might burst in at any moment. "You know how dangerous this is, right? If Cale finds out…

"I know," I said firmly, gripping her shoulders. "But I don't have a choice. Please, Kimmy. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't life or death.

She searched my face, then nodded resolutely. "Okay. I'll get the message to him. But you need to promise me you'll be careful. If Cale suspects anything…"

"I will," I promised, though we both knew it was a hollow reassurance. "Just tell him I need to meet him. As soon as it's safe. Anywhere, anytime. Just… make it happen."

Kimmy gave me a tight hug before slipping out of the closet, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I sank onto the small velvet couch, staring up at the ceiling. My mind raced with possibilities, each one more desperate than the last. Could I run? Could Luca and I escape together? Or was I fooling myself into believing there was any hope at all?

Time dragged as I sat there, my pulse pounding in my ears. Minutes felt like hours. Every creak of the house sent my heart into overdrive, paranoia whispering that Cale knew, that he was coming for me. But the door remained shut, the silence oppressive.

Finally, I stood, pacing the length of the closet. I couldn't just sit here and wait. I needed to prepare, to think of contingencies. My eyes fell on the shelves of clothes and shoes, all chosen by Cale to fit his image of the perfect Luna. A wave of defiance surged through me. These weren't my choices. None of this was. But I would take back control, piece by piece, starting now.

I pulled open a hidden compartment in the back of the closet—one I'd insisted on during construction. Inside was a small stash of essentials: a burner phone, cash, and a map of the surrounding area. It wasn't much, but it was a start. If everything went wrong, this would be my lifeline.

The hours stretched on, each second a reminder of how precarious my situation was. My thoughts spiraled, alternating between hope and despair. Would Kimmy get to Luca in time? Would he even agree to meet me? And if he did, what then? Could we really stand against someone as powerful as Cale?

A knock at the door jolted me from my thoughts. My heart leapt into my throat, but I forced myself to stay calm. "Yes?" I called, trying to keep my voice steady.

"It's me," Kimmy whispered.

I unlocked the door and pulled her inside, my eyes searching hers for any sign of news. "Did you do it?"

She nodded, her expression grave. "I got the message to him. He'll meet you. Midnight, at your Inn. He said it's the safest place."

Relief washed over me, but it was fleeting. Midnight. That gave me only a few hours to prepare. And it meant sneaking out without Cale noticing—a nearly impossible task.

Kimmy squeezed my hand. "Be careful, Quinn. Please."

"I will," I said, though the weight of the risk loomed heavy over me. "Thank you, Kimmy. For everything."

As she left, I felt a renewed sense of determination. Midnight was my chance, my lifeline. I couldn't afford to waste it.

When the clock struck eleven, I slipped into a simple black outfit and laced up sturdy boots. My heart pounded as I tucked the burner phone and cash into a small bag. Every step felt like walking a tightrope over a pit of vipers. One misstep, and it would all be over.

The house was eerily silent as I crept through the halls. Shadows loomed like silent sentinels, and every creak of the floorboards made me freeze, holding my breath. But I kept moving, driven by the knowledge that freedom was within reach.

I slipped out the back door and into the night. The cool air hit my face, a sharp reminder of what was at stake. I undressed, putting my clothes in a bag, placed it loosely on my back and I shifted. My wolf would get me there in half the time of my human form. The path to the Inn was treacherous with the speed I was traveling, but I knew it well. I'd walked it a hundred times in my mind when I needed to be by myself, every twist and turn etched into my memory.

As I neared my Inn, a figure emerged from the shadows. My breath caught, but then I saw him—Luca. Relief and fear collided in my chest as I ran to him.

"Luca," I told him telepathically. "Thank you for coming." Even my voice was trembling in my head.

His eyes searched mine, filled with a mix of anger and concern and responded to me through our connection. "Quinn, what the hell is going on? Why did you shift? Come, lets get inside so you can get dressed."

Once we got to my old room, he waited outside my door to allow me to change and finally, once I was done, I told him to come in.

His gaze swept over me, assessing. "What's going on, Quinn?"

I hesitated, the words catching in my throat. How could I even begin to explain? "Cale... he's planning to mark me. Before the wedding."

Luca's expression darkened, his jaw tightening. "Of course he is. That bastard doesn't know when to quit."

"And after that..." My voice broke, but I forced myself to keep going. "He wants me to start... to start having his children."

The silence that followed was deafening. Luca's eyes burned into mine, a mixture of anger and something else—something that looked dangerously close to pain.

"I can't let that happen," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I need your help."

He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming in the small space between us. "What exactly are you asking me to do, Quinn?"

"I need a way out. A plan. Something. Anything."

His eyes searched mine, and for a moment, I thought he might refuse. But then he nodded, his expression hardening. "Alright. We'll figure something out."

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in my chest. "Lets get away. You and me. Forever and never come back."