You guys know the drill. Vote, comment, follow. Ily.✨

CALEB VELLA

I counted every brick in this cell more than a hundred times. My brain felt like it was crumbling and my body was going to combust with every second that I continued to be stuck in this room. My eyes hadn't seen sunlight for what felt like years, I had no idea of the time reality.

It could have been a few weeks, a few months hell it could have even been a few days. Being in here was mentally damaging, I've lost a stupid amount of weight. Everyday I would be delivered food but I couldn't even bring myself to eat any of it, I was sick with guilt and had all the time to dwell on it.

My hope to escape and find Evan was decaying everyday, I was growing weaker and losing faith in everything. No matter how hard I tried to get out of this room, shifting into my wolf, trying to use my physical strength, the door would not open.

I couldn't take it anymore, my mental state could not last another day before I pulled my eyeballs out and wore them as a necklace.

Sometimes I'd dream with my eyes open like I was in a mirage, it was terrifying because I didn't even know what was real and what was fake anymore. It got to the point where I didn't even believe I was alive anymore, this was the afterlife.

The loud metal door clangs as the lock opens, my head snaps up to the sound instantly. "Vella," Wes, one of the guards alerts me. "It's time to go."

I don't even have the strength to push myself up from the floor so instead he drags me along the stones, wrapping my wrists up in silver. The pain barely touches me because the hurt I was feeling inside overrides anything else. "Today's your lucky day," Wes grins at me as he pulls me up to my feet, there was nothing inviting about his smile.

My eyes glare at him back but I don't reply. We walk down through the corridor but not once do I hear any screaming or shouting, the whole floor was silent and I found it eery.

I watch carefully as we walk past the endless cells, people inside but they sat on the cold floor with their mouths shut. Wes stops in front of a door and unlocks it with his keys, he pushes me inside. Holding my hands up so I don't collide into the wall, quickly recovering as I glance over everyone in the room.

There was a woman and her child, huddled together like this was their last day on Earth. On the other side of the room was a older man, his eyes staring at the bricks without blinking once.

My eyes wander over the walls, the same wet, nasty and cold cell I was in before. The only thing that caught my eye was the one put up bed in the middle of the room, the bed sheets were covered in dirt and slightly damp from where the ceiling was leaking.

The woman and her child look up to me as I inspect the room, even seeing another human being made me feel somewhat better. Somewhat sane.

"What's happening?" I direct to her, my voice croaky. Only realising it has been ages since I spoke aloud.

Her dark eyes widen as she shakes her head. "Shh," she says quietly.

My brows furrow in her direction. I watch as she presses her finger to her lips and points to the door, her thumb raising to drag across her throat.

I nod at her once understanding what she meant. Sinking down to the floor beside her as I rip the silver off my wrists again, my hands clasp together so I can rest my head.

. . .

At some point I fall asleep as I wake up on the floor, my cheek pressed into a tiny puddle. Pushing myself up from the ground and wiping my face with my t-shirt, my eyes look around the room and they meet with the woman again.

She offers me a small smile as the young girl rests her head on her lap, her eyes shut.

"I'm Fi," she whispers so quietly that I wasn't even sure if she spoke.

My eyes watch hers as I nod. "I'm Caleb," I say back. "I thought you said no talking?"

Fi's eyes wander over the door as she shakes her head. "They mostly go to bed when it's this late."

I tilt my head at her. "How do you know what the time is?" I question curiously.

She shrugs. "I know this place like clockwork," she says before half smiling.

"Why the hell are there so many of you down here?" I whisper. "Where is the pack?"

Fi let's out a huff of air from her nose as she closes her eyes like she's amused with my question. "We are the pack," she tells me.

I narrow my eyes at her answer. "What do you mean?" My legs shuffle closer to her.

"Ryker's idea of a pack is prisoners, he has a few guards and that's it." She explains as she gently strokes the girls hair.

"Like a dictatorship?" I question as I raise an eyebrow at her.

Fi nods instantly. "Exactly like that, there is no escape from this place." A deep sigh leaves her lips.

"Is she your daughter?" I question as I look down to the blonde haired girl.

Fi smiles as she admires her. "Yeah," she nods. "This is Lola."

"How old is she?" I ask as I look at her tiny little frame.

"I think she's thirteen now, I'm sure we've been here for a couple years."

Thirteen years old and keeping her in a rotten cell, my blood begun to boil.

I couldn't believe that my father was doing this to people, I can't believe he was keeping innocent people as prisoners.

"He killed my husband," Fi says after a few moments and my throat begins to close up. "He killed him and then kidnapped Lola and I and brought us here." I don't miss that her eyes glass over as she mentions her husband.

"I'm sorry," I say as my head drops to the floor.

"Why?" She asks sounding confused. "It's not like you were the one who did it."

I chew on my lip debating if I should say what I wanted to say but now wasn't the time to be keeping secrets if I wanted to find a way out of here. "He's my father," I say before clamping my eyes shut.

Saying those works physically made my heart clench because they made me feel completely disgusted.

"What?" Fi says and I was too scared to look at her. "Who is your father?"

I run a hand over my face and force myself to look at her. Her brown eyes flicking between mine with anticipation. "Ryker is my father," I say quietly.

"Oh my God," she lets out a shaky breath. "Wh-why are you here if he's your father?"

"It's a long story," I sigh as I wrap my arms around my legs and pull them into my chest.

Fi offers me a small weary smile after a few moment. "We have time," she nods supportively at me.

She was right, by the looks of things we had endless amounts of time. I shuffle closer as I rest my head onto the wall next to her. "My dad has never favoured me since my brother died a few years ago, he turned nasty and has always loved power," I say before snorting bluntly. "As you can probably tell."

Fi watches me with big open eyes. "He left me to build my own pack and then I met my mate," I pause to smile because thinking about him was the only thing that made me feel happy. "He is the best person in the world."

I have to stop before I burst into tears, my hand wiping my nose. "H-He," the lump in my throat was hard to swallow. "He is everything to me."

Fi continues to nod at me encouraging me to carry on. "And when my father found out he wasn't happy, he told me that I had to reject him otherwise he would kill him and I—" A tear rolls down my face.

"I left him in the hospital when he needed me the most, I completely shattered his heart and he thinks I've given up on him," I cry as I dig my fingers into my wet eyes. "But I did it because I knew that I couldn't stand a chance against my dad and the thought of losing him terrified me."

Fi's hand moves to grip my shoulder. "Hey," she says softly. I look up at her through glassy eyes. "You did the right thing," she nods at me.

"From someone who has spent a lot of time around Ryker, I know that he is deadly and fighting him off is near impossible," she explains. "You really don't need to beat yourself up about it, I know it hurts but if he's unharmed then it is the right thing."

I listen to her words and somehow try and convince myself to believe them. "Thanks," I mumble before wiping my eyes. "It's just hard to accept because it fucking hurts."

"I know," she tells me. "I know what it's like to have that bond ripped from you."

"It's rough," I croak before rubbing my eyes for the last time.

"But there is something you should know about your father," Fi tells me, her eyes turning serious.

"What?"

"Every month he takes a random prisoner and kills them as part of his sacrifice." She explains quietly.

"Sacrifice?" I repeat in disbelief. "What do you mean?"

Fi shakes her head at me. "I wish I was," she sighs. "He believes that his powers are from sacrificing wolves to gain supernatural powers, he's done it for as long as I can remember. Everyone is on edge because they're terrified of dying at the hands of him."

A growl almost escapes my lips, my blood boiling and raising to my head. "We need to stop this," I state.

Fi lets out a short breath. "Trust me people have tried," she nods towards me as she tucks her daughters hair behind her ear. "They have tried to rebel and ended up getting themselves killed. The guards then stepped up their security and this place is under watch all the time."

I clench my fists at her words. "There must be a loop hole somewhere, you said you know this place like clockwork," I say desperately.

A loud thump on the metal door behind us causes me to jump. "Hey!" Wes shouts. "Shut the fuck up before I serve you to your father!"

My eyes glare over my shoulder at him. "I'm watching you Vella," he spits through the railings.

Clenching my jaw tightly as I move to push myself up from the floor, Fi's hand instantly grabs my wrist. Turning my head back around to her she shakes her head before mouthing 'don't' towards me. I settle back into the floor and let my shoulders slump.

"That's what I thought," I hear him smirk from behind me.

Fi shakes her head at me again and I resist the urge to shift. The sound of footsteps walking away rings in my ears before it is silent again. "Take the bed," Fi moves forward to whisper in my ear.

I instantly shake my head at her. "No way," I whisper back. "Let Lola have it, the floor is fine."

She smiles at me, reaching for my hand again and gently squeezing my skin. "The second I saw you come into this room I saw something," she tells me enthusiastically.

I blink back at her feeling confused. "Saw what?" I question.

"Hope."

. . .

Hey guys, if you enjoyed this chapter please do leave a vote and a comment! Would love to know what you thought

I'm super quick on the updates, am I your fav person right now??

Also before any of you jump to conclusions that Caleb is gonna get with Fi🙄 she's in her forties and Caleb is gay, so please don't even say it hahah

The next few chapters are gonna be interesting and can't wait for you to read!!

If you haven't already pls vote for His Getaway for Diverse Fiction in @thefictionawards, only have a few days left to nominate and want to get to the next round. Love you guys that already have!!

Insta: SavRose.x

See you guys very soon, Savanna x