"They're going to kill them," Hobi whispers as he cradles my trembling body in his arms. He presses his head down against mine and lets out a shaky breath. "I can't believe we walked right into this."

It is the regret that destroys me from the inside out. It unleashes a new monster of havoc inside of my brain and forces me to look at my mistakes. It forces me to meet their ugly gaze and swallow down the bitter pill of deliberating making a bad decision.

I'm so stupid.

The jail cell is cold and dimly lit. The bars are frosted over as the temperatures continue to drop. I swear I saw spots of ice forming on the uneven concrete floor as we were shoved into this prison. I am beginning to feel the biting cold on my skin even as I draw closer to Hobi's body.

Namjoon isn't here.

The image of his body on the ground causes my sanity to spiral further.

He could be dead. They could be torturing him. We aren't there to protect him anymore.

The thought of Namjoon being dead makes me sick to my stomach. I fight back a rush of tears as the situation worsens by the second.

The pack is going to be killed.

Hobi says the pack is okay, based on the fact Xander hasn't returned to gloat about his vile victory over the Bangtan pack. The silence means that nothing is happening. At least, I hope it does.

"This isn't good," he continues, still shaken from the previous events. "We have to find a way out of here, and we need to rescue Joon."

"How?" I ask, clinging onto his clothes like a lifeline. I bury my head into his chest and force back rising sobs. "How are we supposed to get? The others don't know what happened, and they're probably fighting off whatever ambush Xander planned for them. We're going to be the last things on their mind."

"Don't say that," Hobi reprimands.

"It's true, and frankly I'd rather them focus on protecting themselves right now."

"I know that, but you make it sound like you aren't worth saving," he says with growing concern. He tips my face up and rests his hand against my cheek. "Have faith in them, and in us. I'm not doing a good job of staying positive, I'm sorry. I'll do a better job of staying calm now."

My heart sinks with disappointment. "No Hobi, don't do that. Don't hide your emotions from me. I'm sorry for saying that. It was immature."

"We'll work on it," he amends with a gentle smile. "But I am sorry for scaring you."

"I'm sorry too." I force myself to take deep breaths to avoid spiraling into a panic attack. That's the last thing we need right now. Yet when I look at the bars of the prison, my risen hopes deflate and sink down into quiet misery.

How are we supposed to get out of here?

I scoot away from Hobi's embrace and rise to my feet. I walk up to the bars and trace my hand over the metal. I study the small room beyond the bars: the wooden desk, the faded posters on the wall about work ethics, the stains on the peeling wallpaper, and the smeared footprints on the tile floor.

The room is empty, however, I am certain there is a guard posted at our door. We're unarmed and outnumbered. They confiscated our bags when they captured us and dragged us down to the basement level prison. I didn't realize the courthouse had a prison room; it must have been installed after the fall of man.

I rest my head against the bars, leaning forward, and wishing we had thought this through.

We were too hopeful. I don't know what we were thinking.

A loud clanging sound causes me to jump away from the bars. The door opens with a loud screech and standing in the doorway is Xander.

A low growl builds in my throat as pure hatred clouds my vision.

I'll kill him.

Xander merely grins at my reaction and steps into the room. It takes only a moment for me to catch his scent. The scentblockers must have faded because he smells faintly of plums. It is airy but its sour tone remains present. Xander having a recognizable scent helps in grounding me. He isn't a ghost anymore.

"Let us out of here!" Hoseok demands, rising slowly to his feet. His eyes are burning with rage. It is a rare and terrifying sight to witness Hobi's anger.

Xander tsks his tongue. "I'm not going to do that."

"Then what do you want?" I ask, pushing the words through my tight throat. I'm practically choking on the hatred I feel towards this excuse of an Alpha. "Why are you keeping us here?" Why didn't you kill us?

"Believe it or not, I still have use for you," he replies. He locks eyes with me and a sick feeling spreads through my body like liquid dread. "For starters, we only have one Luna. One Luna to keep the pack satisfied."

Hoseok grabs my arm and yanks me away from the bars. He wraps his arms tightly around my body and quickly backsteps to the farthest corner of the cell. "NO!" he shouts, his voice shaking with rage. "NO! You won't take her! You won't touch her!"

Xander laughs with creepy ease. "Oh, you'll just make it harder on yourself, Beta. If you would like to keep your life, you'll let go."

"I'll bite your fucking hands off," Hoseok threatens. "I'll fucking gut you, you son of bitch!"

"You won't get the chance," Xander says. Two guards enter the room with stoic expressions. They approach the cage.

My heart jolts and starts to race as panic flushes through my system. "No," I whisper, "no no..."

Hoseok lets out an inhuman growl causing his body to vibrate. His eyes darken in shade and begin to shift into wolf eyes. His hands grip my body tightly. His flat nails slowly elongate and curl as they thicken. He is on the brink of fully shifting.

I should shift! But I remember how difficult it was to shift earlier. How painful it was to go from one form to another. It would make me vulnerable if they try to drag me away. Worse, being in a wolf form could trigger a heat because I am more sensitive to my animalistic desires when in that form. It would end badly if Xander decided to shift as well.

He would use his wolf's form to his advantage; it would be even worse because he's an Alpha. He is physically stronger than I am, and he has the power to control me. In an Alpha's wolf form, the delivery of commands is wordless but still as effective. It's difficult to explain how it works. It might be their gaze or the expelling of pheromones. Whatever it is, it will put me at risk.

What do I do? I can't let Xander take me. I won't let him use me. I will never become their Luna!

Hobi presses back against the wall, still holding onto me. He continues to growl as the guards unlock the prison door. "I'll kill you if you come in here."

"For such a 'moral pack', you appear to have no qualms about murdering your enemies," Xander comments, offhandedly.

Hoseok's eyes narrow. "You're trying to rape Charlotte. You killed your Alpha. You're attacking our pack for a piece of stupid land. I think the gods would side with us if we murdered you."

"Blood for blood," Xander replies with an eye roll. "You really are a traditional pack, aren't you?"

The first guard opens the door slowly. She hesitates when she meets my gaze, her nostrils flaring. I saw her eyes flick nervously to the guard behind her.

"Your pack already spilled blood in return," Xander adds with a bitter look. "Alpha Grayson is dead because of them."

My eyes widen in shock. "What?"

Even Hobi stills. "They killed him?"

Xander glares at us, "Yeah. I don't know how you did it, but they were alerted of the attack. They were already on the move when Alpha Grayson arrived."

A flutter of hope breaks through the panic. They fought off Alpha Grayson's ambush. "They won," I state with a note of pride. "They defended themselves against your attack."

Xander sneers with malice. "This isn't over. This plan is more complicated than you can imagine, omega ."

"Then indulge us," Hoseok baits, still holding on to me.

We're stalling for time, I think to myself. If we can get him talking, we can distract him. We need two hours for the pack to come to rescue us. Whatever we do, we need to keep Xander and his pack distracted.

"You managed to communicate with your pack in that damn hallway without my knowledge. Like hell I'm going to tell you anything now!"

"You took away our radio," I remind quietly. "How are we supposed to talk with them now?"

"You're baiting me," Xander accuses, beginning to bristle with anger. "I'm not going to let you do that. Hernandez, Whaits, do your job and get the omega out of the cell!"

The guards stop hesitating and enter the cell with arms loose at their sides. I gasp sharply and try to hide behind Hoseok.

Hobi growls loudly and his body returns to its half-shifted state. He stares down the two guards, "Don't touch her!"

One of the guards lunges and Hoseok roars, already transforming. His wolf form surges forward and he takes down the guard, pinning her to the ground. He growls in her face and snaps his jaw, almost catching the tip of her nose.

The other guard runs around Hobi and comes for me.

I brace myself, already whimpering from the pain stretching through my body. Like a rubber band snapping, I feel my muscles splinter and ache as I try to transform. I gasp in pain and stumble back, hitting the wall, and sinking to the ground.

The guard grabs my sweater and yanks me up, almost tearing the fabric. I scream as he lifts me and I kick at his balls. I land a hit and he chokes in pain, dropping me. I run to the other side of the cell and try to transform again.

This time, my muscles feel as if they were being ripped apart.

I almost black out from the effort.

The second guard hobbles out of the prison, groaning loudly. He turns to Xander only to earn a hard slap across his face. "What do you think you're doing!?" Xander shouts. "Get her!"

The guard stifles a whimper. His body is frozen and his head remains turned away from Xander.

Hoseok growls deeply as he digs his curled nails into the female guard's shoulders, slowly drawing blood from her skin. She fights under his grip but his weight is too much for her to push off. Hoseok is lean in build, but his muscles are hidden in his toned limbs. He's stronger than he looks.

I gather my wits and stop trying to transform. I run to the cell door and slam it shut with a loud clang. Xander bristles at the sound and tries to grab the lock. I use my entire weight to lean back and force the door to remain closed, refusing to allow anybody else to come in.

Xander claws at my hands and shouts angrily at me. Spit flies from his mouth and gets on my face but I only scrunch my nose and glare at him. A fierce heat bursts inside of my chest and spreads up my neck; I'm practically leaking with scents.

Xander coughs and staggers back in surprise. For a moment, his eyes were hazy and distracted. The guard I kicked in the balls whips around, a red mark already forming on his cheek, and his eyes are glazed over with soft desire. Xander stares at me for a long moment before walking towards the door. "Fine then," he snaps as he plugs his nose. "You can't hide in there forever, anyway. We have all the time in the world to break you."

Hoseok steps off the female guard and she scrambles to her feet. She almost runs into me as she tries to get out. She stops in short beside me, making no move to grab me.

Xander leaves the room and slams the door behind him.

The second guard remains out of the cell, still staring at me with desire and growing confusion.

I take a shaky breath as my hands remain clamped around the lock of the cell door. Echoes of Xander's nails on my skin begin to sting and darken in color.

The female guard's eyes soften as she breathes in my scent. She withdraws from me, almost in a trance. "Please," she whispers.

I look back at Hobi, his eyes haven't left the female guard.

"You're going to listen to me," I whisper gently. "You are going to leave this room and keep the door unlocked."

Both guards find themselves nodding, mouths gaping as they breathe in my heavy scent.

"Where is Namjoon?" I ask, keeping my voice level.

"He's in the cell room beside your's," she answers. There is a faint look of surprise on her face. "He has more guards." Her body leans towards me and her hand reaches for my chest. "You smell so good... I haven't smelled anything so good since my Alex..."

I loosen my grip on the cell door. I open it cautiously and usher her out of the cell. "Leave us, don't tell anybody you talked to me."

The two guards, completely scent-drunk, nod and wander out of the room like mindless puppets. They shut the door quietly and I don't hear the turning of the lock.

I keep the cell door half-open and force myself to breathe out. I didn't realize I was holding my breath. I press my hand against my chest and walk back to Hobi. I bury my face into his fur, holding onto him tightly so I don't fall to the ground.

"Oh my God," I whispered. "What did I just do?"

Hoseok sits down and nudges his muzzle against me. He sniffs deeply for a moment before his body transforms back into a human. I lean against his body and adjust my arms to rest over his shoulders.

"That was too close," I continue shakily. "They almost took me away."

Hoseok sinks to the ground with me. "Let's stay here for a minute," he says gently. He cradles me in his arms and lays me on his lap. He presses a kiss onto my lips, almost in tears. "I'll never let them take you, Lottie. I won't let them."

I lean up and kiss him back. I run my hands down the sides of his face and imagine I was making a flower by cupping my hands around his jaw. "Thank you for protecting me."

"My dear, I think you were the one that protected us," he says with a faint smile. "What was that? How did you do that?"

I shake my head. "I'm not sure. It might have something to do with my scent."

"Your post-heat smell tends to be strong... but you were able to convince them to leave. It reminds me of Namjoon's power. I didn't know Lunas or Sols could do that."

I think back to my training all those years ago. "When I was being taught my duties, when I had presented as a Luna, they told me that I held more power than I thought. It isn't really talked about."

"It makes sense if you think about it," Hobi says, brushing my messy hair from my face. "That Lunas and Sols are the heart of the pack, and they have a special power to remain as such. Heats happen to you more frequently, but they cause others to fall into a heat or rut as well. The heart controls the pack, after all. Just as an Alpha does, but... it's different."

"You are strong, Charlotte. Just not in the way you would think," he adds.

"I always wanted to be like you guys," I admit. "I hated that I couldn't do that. I am always worried that I'm not good enough for this pack. It's frustrating. It's why I've had a difficult time lately. Winter was coming and I thought I wasn't doing enough."

I pause and mull over my thoughts for a beat.

"I'm finally realizing that I need to trust you guys. It's not like I didn't before... it's different. It's hard to explain, to be honest. Basically, I don't need to shoulder all of the burdens to be 'strong', whatever that vague word means."

"Yes," Hoseok presses his forehead against mine. "Trust us. You don't need to do this alone. We're a pack, right?"

"We are," I say with finality. "I don't understand why it took so long for me to get this."

"It takes time to adjust."

"Four years?" I question.

He nods, closing his eyes. The scent of warm cactus and succulents envelop me and lull my senses into a calm state. "There is no designated time of healing. We're complex people. Nothing is black or white in this world. And love is the most mysterious of it all. Love is orphic, with its fascinating and mystical way. It is beyond our comprehension at times, but it is as clear as the changing of seasons."

I stare at Hoseok in awe of his words. "That's beautiful."

Hobi smiles shyly and gently nuzzles my nose with my nose. "You're beautiful."

"No--," I stop myself and melt into a loving expression. "Thank you," I say, accepting the compliment instead of denying it. "Thank you, Hobi, for being there for me. For staying with me this entire time. I am so happy to be part of a pack with you. To live a life at your side... I wouldn't trade it for the world."

"Fate brought us together," he says with a fond look. "I'm happy Namjoon invited us to join. I still remember that day. And that night at the bonfire."

"I was so paranoid," I reminisce, embarrassed by my past self. "You two are angels for dealing with my dumb thoughts."

"Lottie, Lottie," he chuckles softly.

I grimace slightly and offer him a small smile. "Still working on it."

"That's my girl," he kisses my forehead. "My determined, hardworking, baby who never goes down without a fight."

I look to the half-open cell door and nod. "We're about to have the fight of our lives, aren't we?"

Hoseok nods. "Yes. We'll need to be careful. But we can do this. We're the Bangtan Pack, after all. We've been through a lot, but we can do this." His voice lifts with pride, masking the fear in his eyes. "We need a plan."

"I like plans."

"We need to find Namjoon and find a way out of the courthouse without being caught," he begins as the gears turn in his head. He watches the door to the prison room closely. "Your scent caused the guards to become hypnotized, but we can't rely on that if you don't know how to activate it."

"It just... happened . I wouldn't rely on it either. It's too risky, you're right."

"Once we find Namjoon, we might need to fight our way out but..."

"It hurts too much. I don't know what happened to me, but I think I screwed up my body."

Hoseok watches me with concern. "Were we too rough...?"

I shake my head. "I don't think it was the heats. I think it might have been shifting while in post-heat. I remember the Lunas back in my original pack saying it was hard on the body to shift during post-heat. I didn't realize what that meant until now."

"I'll shift," Hobi decides. "I'm not sure what state Namjoon will be in, but it will help to have you as a human."

"Somebody needs to open the cell door," I joke lightly. "But yes, that will help in the long run."

Hobi traces his hand over my cheek as his heart-shaped lips form a gentle smile. "We can do this, Lottie."

I ignore the flicker of doubt and nod along.

I lift up again and kiss his pretty mouth again. I bite at his bottom lip as I push up into his kiss. I slide my hands down his bare back and grip at the gentle slopes of his hips. He moans quietly as his tongue flicks out, tasting my mouth and savoring my touch. His hands move up my shirt and his fingers spread across my soft stomach, pressing the pads of his fingers into me.

We break apart for a moment and inhale each other in a short beat.

He laughs quietly and moves his mouth over mine again. His hands move higher and slide up my ribcage. His scent of cactus flowers and succulents deepens and turns warm in the air. Satisfied and eager for more, I begin to smell a sugary undertone to his scent.

"Careful," he whispers when we break apart. "I don't want to overstimulate you."

I inhale his heavy scent and feel my eyes roll back, eyelashes fluttering as pleasure hits harder than it should have. Or maybe it is because I can feel him hardening against my back.

"You're so handsome when you're naked," I comment lightly, sitting up from his lap. My hand lingers on his thigh and I lightly squeeze the muscle. "It's hard to stay focused when I have you in front of me..."

He laughs and starts to stand up. "Let's save it for next time. We have work to be done, peachy baby."

I stand up on shaky legs and feel the heat warm my entire body. I feel as if I am glowing. I tuck my hair behind my ears and pull down my shirt, covering my stomach. "We'll be home soon," I say hopefully.

"Exactly. Then I'll have all the time in the world to eat you out."

I smirk in response.

Then we look to the half-open cell door and the weight of our situation falls over us again.

It's time to escape. Hopefully, we waited long enough for the guards to be convinced the door was locked. We can take them by surprise.

We're coming, Namjoon. Just hold on a little longer!

Hoseok opens the door quietly and steps out. He looks over the prison room and searches through the desk drawers. He grins and pulls out a taser. He studies it closely and turns it on. A cluster of blue bolts jump out, almost scaring him into dropping it, and he quickly turns it off. He holds it up in the air, "This can come in handy."

"Yes, that will work." I walk over and take it from him. "Is there anything else?"

Hoseok finishes checking the drawers but finds nothing.

I turn to the prison room door and take a steadying breath, gathering my courage to face whatever is outside that door. I remember the path they took to drag us down here. It is fairly simple with one hallway marked with red paint and one set of stairs leading to the main floor. We need to stay in the red hallway.

Hoseok transforms into his wolf form and shakes himself out. He shares a meaningful look with me and nudges his nose against my arm, comforting me. I smile at him and pet the space between his perked ears. "We can do this. Stay close to me," I tell him.

Then I slowly open the door.

My taser is raised with my finger already resting on the small button. I peek through the sliver of the crack and see a guard standing nearby. Their face is covered with a bandana mask and leaving only their hardened eyes visible. I can only see one guard in the dimly lit hallway.

I strengthen my resolve and make a deliberate effort to convince myself that I need to use violence to escape. It is a strange mindset to exist within, but it is necessary if we want to escape. We will be fighting from a disadvantage, and I need to be ready to defend my pack at a moment's notice.

I won't hesitate.

My hesitation with Xander cost us our freedom and got Namjoon trapped in another room. They were on us before we could react and dragged us into the prison cell. I won't be stunned by fear anymore.

I am about to stab the taser through the crack and tase the guard when I hear footsteps. I withdraw from the door and angle myself to be out of the direct line of sight. I hold my breath as the footsteps grow louder.

Then the scent of vanilla and wilting jasmine fills the air.

It's Rosalie, the Luna.

"I've come down to talk with the prisoners."

My eyes widen with momentary fear. I share a look with Hoseok before shutting the door silently. "Come on, come on," I whisper, hurriedly ushering him back into the cell. We go back inside and I am careful not to lock it by accident. I keep my hand over the locking mechanism and hold it open by a small crack.

The door to the prison room opens and Rosalie enters alone. She changed out of her thin robe and thankfully, the scent of blood has vanished. She is dressed comfortably in baggy clothing and a pair of winter boots. Then I notice a small leather backpack slung over her shoulder; it appears to be stuffed to the brim with awkward bulges and the zipper seam already fraying from the tension.

She closes the door behind her and turns to us. She takes a deep breath and speaks quietly, "I'm here to help you."

My eyes widen. "Help us?"

She pulls out a key from her pant pocket and walks over. I let go of the lock and she pauses, realizing it was already open. She gives me a brief look of surprise. "There's not much time. Xander will be back soon. He's really angry."

I open the cell door, careful not to make it squeak, and rub at the red marks on my skin. "Why are you helping us?"

Hoseok exits the cell and glances between us, unable to add to the conversation in his wolf form.

"I'm helping you because you can help me," she replies. She presses her hand against her stomach. "I'm going to escape with you. I couldn't escape on my own because..." her voice trails off.

I nod in understanding. "You would need protection to escape from them."

"Not everybody is bad in this pack... but it is enough to live in fear. The journey to Calemari caused tensions to rise, and when Xander killed Nik... it all fell apart. I was forced to live with the Nightwalkers, I didn't come here by choice. But in the past, I thought I could handle it... just for a while longer. But now it's unbearable, and I'm afraid it's going to get even worse."

"That must have been awful..." I say quietly. Her life sounds like it was a nightmare from the start. Nobody should have to live like this.

Rosalie inhales shakily as memories flash through her eyes. "I think it's time I did something. For once in my life."

"We'll let you come with us," I offer. "After we escape. It might take some time, but... we can make a place for you with us."

Rosalie smiles softly. "Thank you, but we'll see." She turns to the door and watches it. "I've tried to escape before, back at home. But there were always wolves who knew the territory better than I did. But here... I know the area better as I've been granted more freedom to explore. And you who have just returned from your pack home might know a better trail to take, to be undetected. Right?"

"Right. Nobody was near the place we entered the town."

"There are tunnels underneath this courthouse," she continues. Hoseok and I stare at her in surprise. "They run underground and connect to a few buildings. I've spent my spare time exploring, as I'm not allowed to leave the courthouse without Xander's presence. I've memorized a path that leads to the edge of the city, near the abandoned sections. We can escape through there."

"That... that could work," I say, feeling a flicker of hope.

Rosalie moves her shoulder and causes the small backpack to bounce up. "I'm already packed to go. I have the key to your Alpha's cell. We need to move quickly before Xander comes back downstairs."

"What is he doing?"

"Calling Alpha Grayson's pack for a status update. It didn't sound like their pack was doing well," she pauses and adds, "it sounds like your pack won."

I break into a relieved smile. "That's good news, at least."

Rosalie returns the smile. "It is." Then she looks at Hoseok and bows her head to him. "Thank you, by the way."

He tilts his head slightly.

She turns to me. "And to you. Earlier, that was the first time anybody had stood up for me. You treated me like a person, and I'm grateful for that."

"You should always be treated as a person," I say. "They shouldn't have done that to you."

Rosalie reaches for my hand and I take it. She holds my hand up to her lips and she presses a soft kiss on my knuckles. "It wasn't my reality. But I have a chance now. Thank you for fighting for me in front of Xander. We should be going. Follow me."

She opens the prison room door and peeks out. "Eddy, I'm bleeding..." she whispers.

The guard answers her but I can't hear his reply.

Rosalie continues to half hide behind the door. "It's embarrassing, Eddy..." she whines pitifully. "Please go up the stairs and wait. I don't want to fix it in front of the prisoners, Eddy..." Her breath hitches as if she were engaged in a sexual act. Her lips pull down with sadness and pouts at him. "Go to the stairs for me, please... Xander wouldn't be pleased if you saw me..."

The guard must have listened to her because I hear the scuffling of feet and hurried steps moving away. The shadow of the guard vanishes from the opposite wall.

Rosalie looks back at us with a relieved smile. "Coast is clear."

We leave the room silently and confirm that the small area is clear. Rosalie opens the other prison room door and motions us to go instead. Hoseok goes in first and I follow close behind.

When I enter the room, I am immediately hit with the scent of blood and rotting forests.

My stomach falls with a rush of emotion when I see Namjoon lying in his cell. He is propped against the back wall with his hands pressing against his stomach. He's wincing, squeezing his eyes shut, and clenching his teeth.

"Joon," I say, my throat tight with emotion. "Joon, we're here," I whisper as I feel small tears prick the corners of my eye.

He looks up in awe and gasps out, "Charlotte. Hoseokie."

I run to the bars of the cell and try to pull at the lock on the door. "Oh my goodness, Joon, I thought we lost you!"

Rosalie sweeps around me and quickly unlocks the door. The moment the door is open, I run inside and collapse in front of him. My hands cup his face and feel his tears fall onto my shaking hands. "Joonie, Joon, I--" I struggle to speak as I stare into his eyes. "Are you okay? Did it get you? Gods above, I'm so sorry , Joon!"

Namjoon manages a small smile, despite his pain. "It's okay baby," he replies. His eyes flutter close and relief washes over his face. "I'm okay, it just nicked me. I'm going to be okay, I'm just happy you two are alright."

Hoseok shifts back into a human and runs forward. He kneels carefully at my side and gives Namjoon a light, cautious hug. He pulls back with tears already flowing down his face. "I don't know what I would have done. Oh Joon, we're going to get out here. Are you good to stand?"

Namjoon nods. He tries to move his body but his motions are restricted and stiff. He groans as he leans forward. His hands slip from his side and my eyes widen at the sight of blood.

"No no, don't move," I stammer as my hands hover shakily around his chest. "Stay back down, don't move! You're going to make it worse."

Namjoon sits back with a loud sigh. He covers his wound again and takes deep breaths.

"I... I think I almost blacked out," he admits quietly.

"This isn't going to work. We need to carry to him," I tell Hobi.

"I'm going to slow you down," Namjoon protests but I shoot him a look.

"You're not slowing us down because you're part of this pack. You're coming with us and we won't let you bleed out from trying to strain yourself. End of discussion."

He raises his brow at the command.

"I'm not going to sit here and watch you hurt yourself trying to stand up," I add as I touch his cheek. "I won't let you suffer like that."

"But if it's what needs to be done, Charlotte..."

"It doesn't need to be done because I can carry you," Hoseok says firmly. "She's right."

Namjoon looks like he's going to protest again but Rosalie comes into his line of sight. He stares at her for a beat, momentarily confused.

"She's helping us get out of here. She's going to escape with us," I explain.

Namjoon nods. "Thank you for helping us."

She bows to him and says nothing.

Hoseok steps away from us and shifts back into a wolf, signaling that we need to get moving.

It is a slow and painful process of lifting Namjoon onto Hoseok's back. I pale as Namjoon's blood is smeared over Hobi's brown fur. I try not to think about how much blood he is losing, and only focus on getting him home safely. Once Namjoon is securely laying on Hobi's back, we leave the prison room with watchful eyes and held breaths.

Thankfully, the area is empty and the air is scent-free. Rosalie leads us away from the main stairs and deeper into the maze of hallways. The walls shift from plaster to crooked pipes and hissing metal power boxes. The air grows hotter as we move further.

We continue walking in silence, heading deeper into the darkening tunnels of Calemari.

A/N: The plot thickens! Remember to leave a comment and a vote (if you haven't already)! Also, how would everyone feel about a possible prequel for WOL? To go into more detail about their past and backstories? There is just so much to explore, and I can't add it all without interrupting the main plot. Let me know what you think! <3 Take care of yourselves, remember to drink water, take your meds, and treat yourself!