We spend a while discussing and dismissing countless plans of attack.

"This is all fucking useless if we can't get out of these chains!" I cry in frustration.

"Well getting angry certainly isn't going to solve things. Just keep brainstorming. If you of all people lose hope, I fear the fight is already lost."

I sigh deeply, trying to think of any possibility of escape. It was hard enough the first time, I know it'll be impossible without outside help this time. I even my breathing and focus on calming myself down.

He's right. Getting angry won't work for me this time. I've never been this stuck before. Obviously I've been in a lot of sticky situations, but I've always been able to find my way out of them. It's a lot different willingly putting myself here with no solid game plan.

All I cared about was Jacob's safe return. If there was even the slightest chance that me giving myself up would ensure that, I had to take it. But I doubt Sage would be that honest and now, chained up across from a man I previously knew to be my enemy, I realize how much I've truly fucked up.

We're both distracted by the sound of the door sliding heavily across the ground. I know who it's going to be before I even look up.

Sage drags a chair through the open door and sets it down a few feet away from the both of us. He flips it around so the back of the chair is facing us and sits down as a Warrior closes the door behind him. He props his elbow up on the chair and places his chin in his hand, grinning at both of us menacingly.

My blood boils at the sight, but I bite my tongue. Going off on him would only make things worse for me.

"My, my, you've been quite the busy girl," he mocks, sniffing the air dramatically.

Of course he can still smell Killian's scent on me.

"I'd ask how our dear Alpha is doing, but I'm sure you've had difficulty getting a hold of him."

The low growl escapes my throat before I can even control it. My wolf. This is the first time I've heard from her since I was captured. Sage lets out a lighthearted laugh, never taking his eyes off me.

"Don't bother. Those chains were made to prevent any sort of shifting," he continues.

Ignoring his comment, I say, "you knew Killian and I were mates before you sent me to his pack. How?"

He shrugs, nonchalant.

"I had my suspicions. He'd been to the base a few times to speak with the council and he always seemed so distracted. I realize after the first couple of visits that your training would get rather sloppy and distracted as well every time he was close by. Didn't take long for me to put the pieces together."

Hot tears sting my eyes. We were all just pawns in this game of his from the very beginning.

"So me keeping an eye on him was just a test? of what? my loyalty to you?" I ask angrily.

"Yes, dear, one you've quite frankly failed miserably. I was disappointed and even a little heartbroken when you chose his side. You were like a daughter to me, destined to be the absolute best."

"I'm sorry, but my loyalty ended when you expected to stand idly by while you murdered your own kind," I scoff.

"Then I'm afraid to say that my patience with you has, too, come to an end. If you are not with me, then you are against me, and I won't be letting anyone get in my way. If you can't see that what I'm doing is for the greater good, then you are my enemy. Rest assured, you won't make it off this property alive."

The greater good. I recall the words from when Marcus preached them to me on base. He was obviously brainwashed and deluded by Sage, reciting Sage's sinister rhetoric like some fucked up mantra. Too bad for him, I wouldn't be falling for the same bullshit any time soon.

Sage stands up and walks out without so much as a glance in Lucas's direction. As he turns to close the door, he looks at me one last time, his eyes full of malice and contempt, and he shakes his head lightly.

As if he's sad that he's going to kill me.

As if I'm the one who's turned my back on our people, on humanity.

"Fucker," Lucas sneers under his breath, peeking up at the door as it slams shut.

"That we can agree on," I reply softly.

I stare down at the chains wrapped around my feet. No shifting. While I assumed they'd make shifting difficult at the very least, I'm surprised at myself for not thinking of contacting my wolf. I reach back into my mind, trying to coax her out.

She's there, but weak. I let her rest, knowing that if I do make it out of here, I'll need her to have as much strength as she can muster to fight.

"Lucas?"

He regards me curiously.

"You still have your wolf, right?"

I don't know how long he's been down here. I don't know if these chains are laced with wolfsbane or anything that can harm a person's wolf permanently, but the thought terrifies me.

"He's...dormant. He's there, I can feel him, but I haven't shifted since my mate died. He doesn't want to be part of a world she's not in and I don't blame him."

My heart breaks for him. Never having been one to console or comfort others, I don't know how to respond, but Lucas isn't looking for kind words or pity. Besides, what could anyone possibly say that would comfort someone that lost such a big part of themself?

Is this what Killian would become if I don't make it out of here? A haunted shell of a man with little desire to live?

For the first time, I start to regret mating fully with him. If I hadn't, maybe it would be easier for him to move on. Maybe he'd even find another mate.

My wolf lets out a soft whimper at the thought.