y

see if Cally is breathing, my heart thumping with relief when I discover she is. This morning, it's la

ustomed to the stench, I hardly notice it anymore, but the air itself

lung capacity that lets them thrive in this hell hole. It seems strange since wolves have such a stro

n... about us, sometimes. I can tell they're drinking because their rank breath chokes me when they bring us food or come by just to g

his bride. Maybe this i

s a child, so this existence is likely killing her. Each time they b

deeper in my ve

I hurry over to pat her back gently. She waves me off, looking up through p

ls me, though I kno

gh her matted hair, but it's impossible. Normally a lovely butt

en hold you here, the bride of the king! There is no

usly. "No. I'm going t

nd a way out toget

be the one to extinguish it. "Okay," I

he guarded hallway to hint that there is any life outside this cage, though in my state, weak from what must be mont

is no

ughts from Cally. "Let's

torch, I can see her eyes bri

few choices, with nothing but our fingers tracing the filthy d

its frame deep from so many weeks-months?-of play. I add my O far away from her turn. Time pas

me win," she com

nd regret boils through me. "Y

l and sits in the hard dirt. I join her, wrapping my

oblemen parties with a glass of bright pink punch. Then, I tried to ignore the endless conversations around me, thinking them silly and pointless.

ons hit har

g again," Cally

know the men by voice, some by sight. "His wife i

nt. We'd been refused food for at least a full day-it was h

s in the hallway. Cally and I stand quickly, trying to inhale a fragme

rongly commanding. "Is this how the Alpha King

lows, the familiar guards gr

them, Lazareth, of

down here, as long as the prisoners stay put," t

s, and Cally's frail

rth hall," Lazaret

ew man insists. "We're orde

nd I turn to Cally to meet

of here!" she whi

re to do as they say so th

biting her

ke their way down the hall, and I nearly squea

h disgust, but I don't blame him. He's clearly not used to the st

ead," a g

g's guard spits out. "They both look dis

f the guards, Henry,

g's guard says, and

t, but my heart slumps into my che

y nerves screaming at me to go back

u, and you only," he grunts. He turns around and walks away despite my continued pleas.

y drags me down the ha

ls after me, her voice hoarse and

Henry is already p

ody slinks to the cold hard floor, her hand

down. I don't deserve the fresh air I'm forced to bre