Flowers can't bloom in the dark and I could feel myself fading.

I only knew I had been in here five days because Everett told me every time he came down here. The first two days, I had hounded him with questions. On the second day, he brought me clothes and removed my cuffs. Apparently, Alpha allowed it. Even though it was too late, and I was already feeling the effects of the dampness and pain.

Blood coated my wrists.

My being here got to where I lost my shit and threw myself so hard against the bars; I was sure I had broken my entire body. I was shaking all over, my body in a complete shock at how quickly I lost my temper. Everett merely watched me with pity before saying goodnight and leaving.

That was when I realised it was futile. All the talking, the aggravation, the planning, would not get me anywhere if I couldn't even open the cage.

So now, I just sat and waited.

I ate the food they gave me. It was one meal a day.

I slept when they said it was night.

I observed when they changed shifts.

It was sporadic, but I was smarter, and picked up the pattern pretty quickly. I had been here five days, after all. It finally came back to the beginning, and I knew the next door guard would be Sadie.

Did I mention I was sick with a cold?

Yeah. I was.

And it sucked.

I just wanted a warm bath with smelly candles, a comfy bed, and a bowl of soup. Maybe some crunchy bread to go with it. I wanted Asra to check on me with those kind blue eyes, smooth my hair out of my face and kiss me on the nose. To call me Tulip and make sure that I will be okay whilst he goes to the office.

But it will never happen.

Because I was here. Trapped and failing at even staying healthy.

"Luna?"

I barely registered the voice as a new one. Most of my days I stayed in the room's corner, huddled to keep warm. It was October; I was sure of it. The air was chillier and there was a draft down the hallway. I was a human. Everyone else here was a wolf; the only ones ballsy enough to stand up to Asra.

Since the rumour of me being forced down here came to be, nobody else arrived.

"Ailia?"

I raised my head, squinting through my cold-induced headache.

"Geez, you look like crap," Caleb muttered. "I brought you a blanket."

An appreciative hum escaped me as he threw it through the bars. It didn't come close enough, so it forced me to rise onto my hands and knees and pull it close. My body groaned at me, begging me to lie down and sleep. The concrete floor was far from comfortable, but at least now I had a blanket to lie on.

Back in my corner, I lifted the soft, heavy fabric to my nose and inhaled deeply. It was clean, free of other people's scents. I was grateful, because I wasn't sure if I could handle sleeping in a blanket that smelt like my mate.

"Thanks." I croaked, sniffing.

"You okay?"

"Yes." I muttered.

Now I can be at least warm.

"You don't sound okay."

"It's a cold. I'm fine."

Caleb frowned, glaring at me. I knew he didn't direct it toward me personally, but I couldn't help but drop my gaze. What if it was for me? What if I was so pathetic because I couldn't handle being locked in a room?

"You can't live like this."

"None of us can." I snapped weakly. "It's stupid."

Caleb looked around, nervously rubbing his hands on his elbows. "He's lost his shit."

Piquing my interest, I looked back up at him. "Asra?"

He nodded, lowering his voice.

Which was funny, because it was a room full of wolves.

"We have never undergone such rigorous training before. Wolves are passing out.. Three... three are even dead."

"He killed people?" I gasped.

Caleb shook his head. "They had to fight to the death."

My heart cried.

"Why is he doing this?" I whispered.

"I don't know, Ailia." Caleb muttered. "There's talk of an... uprising of sorts. Well, not an uprising, more of... escaping."

"Good for you." I weakly smiled.

He frowned, shaking his head. "You are coming with us."

"He will get mad." I mumbled. "I don't like it when he's mad."

Mad thoughts gave consequences. It was a golden rule. Never go near a madman.

Caleb sighed, about to leave. "Just hold on until tomorrow, okay?"

Tomorrow?

My confusion must've shown because he paused in his step. Without looking at me, he spoke so softly I wasn't sure I heard him right.

"We will get you out of there."

And then he walked away, and I stared at the spot he once stood. How was he going to get me out of here? I was certain Everett could not dismiss an alpha command, which meant he could let nobody out.

Resting my head on my knees, I let myself sleep with these thoughts.

In sleep, I always felt on edge, my memories haunting me of darker days. When awake, I could hide from them, blend in with the shadows. The past of being locked in the dark by Darius stayed there. But in sleep, it came out of their corners and followed me home. I was unaware, my mind able to unlock all those doors I kept tightly sealed.

So, to say being locked in a cage did not follow me into my dreams would be a lie. Before I could even embrace sleep's warm embrace and forget about my present, I found myself back in the cold room in Darius' house.

I wore a nightie, a common piece of beige cloth that I often wore. He would usually only get angry near bedtime, as that was when he drank the most. I was shivering cold and exhausted, craving the comfort of my room. The wind whistled excitedly, rain rattling against the windowpane.

I would rather be outside in the rain tied to a damn tree than in here. I wasn't entirely sure what I did to be put in here. After showering quickly, I had just put on the nightie before he barged into my room. He was sprouting unintelligible words, trailing on about something that happened at his parent's house.

Through the mass of drunken thoughts, I caught onto how he was unhappy that they were pressuring him about grandchildren. I curled my lip up with disgust, and that had been it. I became the source of his hatred. He grasped me by the jaw, spat disgusting words into my face that made me flinch, before tossing me into this room.

Not without a few more choice words and slaps sent my way.

And here I was. Hours alone in the room with no company or comfort.

Curling in on myself, I succumbed to the darkness of the past and before I could blink; I woke in another place, on another day.

My feet crunched through the dry, dense twigs. The forest was riddled with them; the summer heat drying all the fallen debris from winter. Nobody came this way, most of the town too scared by what could lurk in the trees.

I listened intently, hearing beyond the crunching of my own two feet. My breaths were steady and even, my steps evenly matched to drown out the background noise.

And then I heard it, the smallest of cracks of a nearby branch.

He was up high.

I stalked toward the sound, finding the right branch by how the sticks had fallen. Sweat was pooling across my skin, sticking hair to my neck. I breathed low, ignoring how much I wanted to pant with exertion.

I wasn't sure how I had been stalking through the forest. Thanks to the heat, I wore only my sports bra and shorts. I often complained about the colder weather, but I think today the sun is my enemy.

The tracks came to a stop at a thick, ancient oak tree, and I tutted. How obvious could he be? Hiding in the biggest tree with the most branches?

On second thought.

That was too obvious.

Running my finger through the mud scraps on the tree, I climbed it to see if they would fit my feet.

They didn't, and the mud was old and dry, which meant it had been here awhile.

Cheeky fucker planted these.

I shook my head, looking for further clues. The smallest of misshapen leaf, twig or scuffle of dirt. I followed what could be an animal; it could be him on all fours. I wouldn't put it past him to be that dramatic. It made more sense than the oak tree.

Following the trails, I saw a small den in the distance. It was perfectly large enough for a six-foot man to hide in, especially one like Jeremy.

I went sideways, hiding myself in the trees as I stalked toward the back of the mound. Only when I was a top it, did I jump down and dive inside. Completely ballsy and reckless, I grabbed hold of the first thing I found. Which so happened to be Jeremy's ankle.

He yelled as I tugged him, sliding myself on top of him. Pinning him to the ground, I grinned triumphantly at his impressed expression.

"Well done, Ailia."

"Thanks." I laughed, sliding off him.

"How did you find the trails?"

"How muddy are your hands?" I mused.

"You are getting good. I would say as well as I." He smiled, sitting up.

I shook my head, scoffing. "I say better than you, oh wise one."

He rolled his eyes, dusting off his trousers as he rose to sitting. "I am only wise because I am older than you."

"By like five years, I hardly call that old."

"Oh, I am wiser than you think." He smirked, winking at me.

"Weirdo." I muttered. "So, what now?"

He glanced at the watch on his wrist. "I think I have overcooked you long enough."

Pushing stray tendrils out of my face, I tutted at him. "You think?"

He chuckled, patting me on the shoulder. Jeremy was always hot. Even in the winter months, the heat of his hand would seep through my jacket. Today was different, because I think I am running hotter than he was.

"Thank you again."

He shrugged. "I am the wise one, may as well give some wisdom to somebody who will need it."

I frowned, wondering what he meant.

Noticing my expression, he shrugged and dropped his gaze. "I just mean, if anything ever happens around here... You can hold your own ground, yeah?"

"Evermore is the least boring place in existence. The scariest part about it is my mother." I laughed.

"You never know!" He chuckled. "Anyway, I better go. My partner is probably got lunch ready and I don't want to miss out on that."

My nose wrinkled. "Ugh. Please. You saying partner is weird. You are barely over twenty."

"I am twenty-seven, Ailia." He laughed. "Older than you realise."

"That's eleven years on me, and still you are married." I pointed out.

He shrugged. "I love him. When you find that someone who is made for you entirely, you will know."

"Nobody is made for somebody entirely." I shook my head. "The wolves made up the whole concept of soulmates to trick you into being their dinner."

"They did not!" He laughed..

I snorted a laugh. "Did too!"

"Ailia, even without soulmates, there is somebody out there who will be the perfect match for you." He mused. "They will be able to deal with your squabbling nature and tendency to bite back just as much as I can. That means it's probably somebody who needs bringing down a peg or two."

"I am glad you appreciate me." I sarcastically bowed.

He chuckled, bringing me in for a one-armed hug. "I do, Ailia. Otherwise, I would not be here."

Despite the bickering nature, I blushed. "And I thank you every time, don't I?"

"You do, but you don't have to."

"You come a mile out of your way just to make me exercise." I laughed. "It needs appreciating, too."

"It's my job."

"Your job?" I quirked an eyebrow. "Am I a task now?"

He laughed, loud enough to scare the birds. "You sure are."

I scoffed, elbowing him lightly. "Goodbye, Jeremy."

"See you tomorrow, Ailia."