Break free from this hell

A Week Later – Ava and Emma's Room 8pm

The silence between us had become almost unbearable. For the past week, Emma and I had fallen into a rhythm of sorts—forced, exhausting, but necessary. I would do the chores, handle the pack's needs, and try to keep my head down while Emma, more and more each day, seemed to be cracking under the weight of it all.

Tonight was no different. We were in our room, the moonlight barely filtering through the curtains as Emma sat on her bed, her knees pulled up to her chest. She was crying again, tears slipping down her face as she stared at the floor.

"I can't take it anymore, Ava," she sobbed, voice raw. "I'm nothing more than a damn maid to him. A servant, a tool for his amusement."

I sighed softly and crossed the room to sit beside her, wrapping an arm around her trembling shoulders. "I know, Emma. I know. But you can't let him break you. We'll get out of here. I swear it."

She turned to look at me, eyes filled with pain. "How, Ava? How are we supposed to get away when we're nothing more than slaves to them? We don't have any power. We don't even have any choice."

I wiped away a tear from her cheek, trying to be strong for her even though my heart was breaking, too. "We do have a choice. We just have to be smart. We've been living under their rules for far too long, but we've learned enough. They underestimate us."

Emma sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "What if we fail? What if they catch us?"

"They will," I said, my voice firm. "But we can't live in fear. If we stay here, they'll keep pushing us further down. We can't let that happen. We have to escape—together."

I felt a spark of determination rise inside me, and I grabbed her hands, squeezing them tightly. "I've been thinking about it. We wait for the right moment. We'll steal one of their cars. We know the layout of the pack grounds better than they think. And we'll head for the border. The nearest town is only a couple of hours away( people of the black knight pack houses )."

She looked at me, her expression filled with doubt but also something else. A tiny glimmer of hope. "You really think we can do this?"

"I know we can," I said, giving her a soft but confident smile. "We've got each other. That's all we need."

Emma's shoulders sagged with relief, and she let out a small, shaky breath. "Okay. I'll do it. I'll follow you anywhere. Just… please, Ava, don't let them break us."

"I won't. I promise," I said softly, pulling her into a tight hug. The weight of everything was heavy, but in that moment, with her in my arms, I felt a little lighter.

Sitting Room – Alpha Leo's POV

It had been a long week of silence and tension between me and Ava. I hadn't really given a damn—after all, she was just my mate by fate, not choice. She would have to learn her place, just like everyone else in this pack. The silence in the house had become suffocating, though, and I was tired of it. Tired of the way she looked at me, like I was a stranger—or worse, a monster.

Tonight, I decided to make my own entertainment.

"Rex," I said, leaning back on the leather couch, "bring them in."

Rex gave me a knowing smirk, his eyes glinting with a predatory hunger. "You sure, Alpha? We can always keep this between us."

I raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corner of my lips. "I don't want to keep anything between us. Let's put on a show."

With a nod, Rex walked out, and a few moments later, two women entered the room. Their heels clicked against the floor, their eyes already trained on us like trained animals. The scent of their perfume mixed with the stale air of the sitting room, filling the space with an undeniable, sharp tension.

I leaned forward, my fingers tapping on the armrest. "Get to work," I ordered, my voice low and commanding.

They did as they were told, their movements mechanical, but I could see their eyes flicking nervously toward Ava and Emma, who were standing near the door, barely visible in the shadows.

I caught Ava's gaze and held it for a second longer than necessary. Her face was a mix of disgust and pain, but I could see the fire behind her eyes. She wasn't broken—yet.

"Watch closely," I told her, though I wasn't sure if she could even hear me. "You'll learn your place eventually."

I wasn't expecting her to respond, but I was amused by the way her eyes narrowed at me. That defiance was something I didn't get from most of the people around me. It only made me want to break her more.

The women, on the other hand, didn't hesitate. They were experienced. They knew their roles. And they went to work on me and Rex, with all the practiced ease of someone who had done this countless times before.

Rex leaned back, clearly enjoying himself, while I let the numbness of the moment wash over me. The act didn't excite me as much as the control did—the dominance, the power I wielded over everyone in this room, including Ava and Emma.

I could feel Ava's eyes on me, watching every movement. And though I could sense her disgust, I could also feel something else. A sort of reluctant fascination, as though she couldn't help but be drawn into the chaos, the violence of it all.

Good.

Let her watch.

Let her see exactly what I was.

Ava and Emma's Room – Ava's POV

The sound of moans and groans echoed faintly through the walls. I didn't know if Emma could hear it too, but I could see the way her hands were clenched in her lap, her face pale and tight with disgust. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't. We couldn't.

We were prisoners here. Forced to witness it. Forced to endure it.

I held Emma's hand tightly, my thoughts racing. We had to escape. We had to.

"We'll do it, Emma," I whispered to her. "We'll make it out. Just hold on a little longer. I promise you."

She nodded, her voice trembling. "I hope you're right."

And for the first time in what felt like forever, I had a fleeting, but real, hope that we could finally break free from this hell.