Chapter 28

LLOYD

Just before shift change, the guard did a circuit, stopping at every cell, starting with Patrick’s cells across from ours. When he finally reached ours, he stared at me.

“Traitor,” he spat, shoving the notebook and pen through the bars simultaneously. Luke slipped it dexterously into his jacket pocket, masking his astonishment.

~“Don’t ask for anything else. I won’t hinder you, but I also won’t help you,”~ he linked me and strolled back to his desk.

Calvin walked in, his eyes sweeping the dungeon. He carried a brown paper bag and set it down on the desk. I could smell the fresh rolls from here and almost drooled.

“Anything to report, Fritz?” he said condescendingly. His promotion had gone straight to his head.

“No. He went quietly to his cell,” Fritz said, his eyes finding mine.

Calvin turned and looked at me with a smirk. “Ready for another whipping? King Axel said I could whip you as often as I wished, but I have a hankering to stab you with one of those knives.”

I shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m up for it, are you?”

His grin widened. “Guards,” he called, and immediately, four guards entered. “Get him out of the cell and into the cuffs.”

He then took the paper bag, walked to the opposite cell, and handed it to Patrick, who tore it open and moaned as he bit into a roll. When Reese and Aaron tried to grab the packet, he fended them off.

“Fuck off. They’re mine,” he mumbled, his mouth full of food.

Reece and Aaron pried the bag out of Patrick’s hands in two seconds and were helping themselves, much to Patrick’s annoyance. The smell was enough to drive me crazy, and my stomach grumbled noisily.

The cell door slid open with a creak, and the guard motioned for me to come with a curl of his fingers.

Luke shook his head almost imperceptibly, and I grinned in delight. Putting me in the cell had been easy enough, but getting me out was going to be a different story altogether.

“Come and get me,” I chuckled darkly, my voice echoing. There were six of us and only four of them. Even if they had an entire squad, there was only one door.

None of them had the dominance to command me, and going to the king for something so trivial could cost them their lives. Not putting me in a cell on my own was a careless mistake.

Calvin stomped furiously to the cell, his face a mask of frustration. “Get him,” he ordered, pointing at me with an air of authority.

The guard hesitated, shaking his head and taking a step backward. “I’m not going in there,” he said, his voice trembling slightly.

I leaned against the wall, my smirk widening as I watched Calvin’s resolve crumble. He knew I had the upper hand and slid the door shut with an angry clang as he dismissed the guards.

~“Do you think he’ll link Axel?” ~Vetus asked.

~“Doubtful.”~

~“If he does, he’ll order you to kill everyone in the cell.”~

~“I know. They’ll have to knock me out.”~

~“Hmpf. You’ll have to let them, and you won’t be able to do that.”~

~“Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it.”~

Luke casually sat before me and retrieved the pen and notebook while the others provided cover, ensuring Calvin couldn’t see us.

I grabbed the pen and wrote: ~Is your pack close to the palace?~

~No, but my warriors are hiding close by,~ Luke wrote.

~How many?~

~Forty.~

~Which cell is your beta in?~

~Not here. His mate was giving birth, so he didn’t come along.~

~Did they see the palace warriors leave?~

~Yes.~

~We need to time this carefully. The keys to the cells are hanging on the wall, but three guards in the cell opposite us will link a warning.~

Tanner had been in charge of the guards; who had taken his position? Had King Axel appointed someone else? Who, if it wasn’t the three across from us?

The whole hierarchy in the palace was strange, and I wondered whether Egon had taken over some of the responsibility.

Even though I hadn’t confirmed Misty was a witch, King Axel was taking precautions, sending warriors to find her and leaving me in the dungeon.

I was surprised he hadn’t given me an alpha command to find her and wondered what he had up his sleeve.

~Yes, I saw them. They were in the throne room carrying out King Axel’s orders when someone named Tanner couldn’t be found. King Axel ordered the messenger executed after he told him Tanner was not in the palace. Is he on our side?~

~Yes.~

~Do you have a plan? ~Luke wrote.

~Maybe. Pass the paper around to the next cell. I’ll write another note when we have something concrete. We need everyone aware and ready. If King Axel does come down, he’ll give me an alpha command, and I won’t be able to resist. It will take all of you to hold me down. Understood?~

Luke nodded imperceptibly, determination in his eyes. I tore off the paper, masking the noise with a cough, and discreetly handed it to him. He stood up, and everyone in our cell read it before passing it to the next cell.

There was a lot of shuffling as the note made its way through the cells. The atmosphere changed to one of anticipation, each male silently preparing for what was to come.

Calvin, ever vigilant, stood up and looked at us suspiciously, his eyes narrowing as he tried to gauge what we were up to. The rest of the prisoners carefully passed the note, avoiding drawing attention.

Luke returned to his spot, giving me a slight nod to indicate the note had reached the other cells. Calvin’s suspicious gaze swept over every cell as he walked around the dungeon, but the paper was easy to hide with so many wolves in a cell.

I closed my eyes and linked Misty, but she was still out of range.

~“What are you planning?”~ Vetus asked.

~“Fritz said he won’t hinder me—I will take full advantage of that.”~

~“And use Luke’s warriors?”~

~“Precisely.”~

The day dragged on—each minute felt like an hour. I dozed off several times, unable to keep my eyes open against the weight of exhaustion.

I glanced around periodically, watching as the other prisoners fidgeted and murmured among themselves, the tension in the air almost suffocating.

Still visibly frustrated, Calvin prowled back and forth outside the cells, his expression growing darker with each passing hour. He hadn’t made another attempt to get me out, likely sensing the futility of it, but his agitation was evident in every sharp glance and muttered curse.

There was still no sign of Axel, which was a relief for the moment but a looming threat that could materialize at any time. We all knew that Axel’s arrival could change everything in an instant.

My mind kept wandering, picturing Misty and how wonderful it felt to have her in my arms. I was doubtful we would ever live together, but now there was a smidgeon of hope, and I would do everything I could to make that happen.

I didn’t expect to leave the palace, but now I had allies in the form of dozens of packs.

At shift change, Calvin snapped at Fritz the minute he walked in. “Watch them carefully. I’m going to double the guards outside. Something is going on…,” he said, looking directly at me.

I grinned cheekily and watched him walk out stiffly. Gesturing to Luke, I wrote another note, not bothering to hide away.

~Can you arrange for your warriors to attack the gate at 2 a.m.?~

~Yes, but they will never make it to the dungeon.~

~They won’t need to. Fritz linked me and said he wouldn’t hinder me but wouldn’t help me. I will bend or break the bars at the same time. The attack will draw most of the remaining warriors to the gate. Josh can open each cell, barring the one opposite us, while we fend off any warriors.~

~Fritz will likely lose his life…~

~No, he will link for help, and one punch will render him unconscious. Calvin will bear the brunt. The palace warriors will not expect to be attacked from behind.~

~What about the she-wolves?~

~Leave that to me.~

~What if you are given an alpha command?~

~We have to take that risk.~

Luke nodded but then wrote~ We need four volunteers to go with Lloyd to rescue the she-wolves. Most of you have mates, but we need you to fight, so choose wisely. Trust us. Send the note back with names.~

He stood up and handed the note to Anthony. After reading it, Anthony grabbed the pen and wrote his name down as a volunteer. He patted Josh on the shoulder, pointing out his task. Josh nodded.

The note and pen moved from cell to cell while Fritz pretended not to notice. I watched as they passed it between the bars, and eventually, it returned to us. Someone had scrawled at the bottom:

~Packs unite, and we’ll fight. Time to end the tyranny!~