Chapter 111

Chapter 111: Chapter 111

Selena

"Precisely." He smiled faintly.

"That girl was supposed to be a convenient replacement. Unfortunately, she has become more trouble than she is worth. If anything goes wrong with her delivery, it could expose the household and everyone connected to it."

My head began to feel strangely light. For a moment, I thought I might lose my balance.

Everything I had believed about the vampires’ oppression suddenly seemed incomplete.

I had always known that they demanded shewolves from the noble houses. I had known that innocent girls were taken from their families and sent away to satisfy the vampires’ demands.

But I had never imagined that werewolves themselves had been benefiting from that suffering.

The nobles had been helping the vampires.

They had found a way to protect their own daughters while sacrificing other people’s children. They had turned the oppression of their kind into a profitable business and had allowed the practice to continue for decades.

How could they live with themselves?

How could they look at their own daughters every morning, knowing that somewhere, another family’s daughter had been taken to die in their place?

I lowered my eyes briefly, forcing myself to breathe.

Lord Kavanagh finished his wine and stood. "Well, I suppose this conversation has been enlightening."

I looked at him. "What happens to me now?"

He smiled before speaking.

"I’ve already sent a rider to find Alpha William. I’m certain he’ll be delighted to hear that his lost daughter is sitting in a slaughterhouse."

My heart dropped.

My father... He had sent someone to get my father.

I kept my expression calm, refusing to let him see how deeply the revelation affected me.

But my thoughts immediately returned to Sally.

She was still somewhere below, locked in one of those filthy cells. I couldn’t leave without her.

I couldn’t abandon her after everything she had told me about Celeste.

Lord Kavanagh turned toward the guards. "Take her away."

Two guards immediately approached.

I didn’t resist as they grabbed my arms, but my eyes remained fixed on the nobleman.

He had no idea how much trouble he had just created for himself by telling me everything.

I would make sure the truth came out. Every name, every household, and every person involved.

But first, I needed to get Sally out.

The guards led me away from the office. I expected them to take me back to the cells, but after passing through the main slaughterhouse corridor, they pushed me toward a different exit.

The moment we stepped outside, I realised we were heading toward the back of the entire structure.

A large wooden loading dock stretched along the water. Several boats were stationed beside it, and workers were busy carrying goods and moving barrels from one place to another.

Except the people being loaded onto those boats weren’t goods.

They were captives.

Several men and women stood in a line, their wrists tied together. Some looked frightened, others appeared too exhausted to react. Guards moved among them, directing them toward the boats.

I stared at the scene.

Where were they taking these people?

Were they being transported to another pack, another slaughterhouse or perhaps somewhere even worse?

One of the guards pulled me toward a set of barrels. "Wait here and don’t move."

I looked at him. "Where are you taking me?"

"Did I ask you to speak?" He shoved me slightly before walking away.

I glanced down at my wrists.

They were still bound, and my body remained weak from the treatment I had received.

Even if I managed to break free, I doubted I could reach the end of the dock before someone caught me.

I needed another opportunity.

I shifted closer to the barrels, pretending to settle myself while studying the surroundings.

There were too many guards.

The boats were close enough to make escape seem possible, but I had no idea how far the water stretched or whether I could even swim with my hands tied.

I was still considering my options when movement near the entrance caught my attention.

My eyes widened on seeing Sally... She was just arriving with the rest of the captives.

For a moment, I forgot about the guards and everything else around me.

Our eyes met immediately and I almost called her name out of excitement, but she shook her head sharply. Indicating that I shouldn’t speak.

I understood.

She was trying to tell me something, and I needed to follow her lead.

I braced myself, watching as she approached with the others.

Suddenly, Sally coughed then she jerked violently forward as though her legs had given way beneath her.

"Hey!" one of the guards barked.

He reached out to steady her before she could fall.

Sally stumbled against him, and in that brief moment, her hand moved toward mine.

Something small slipped into my palm and I closed my fingers around it immediately.

My heart began racing. I didn’t look down and I didn’t even dare turn toward her.

Sally straightened with the guard’s assistance and continued walking with the others as though nothing had happened.

Only after she had moved away did I slowly lower my hand to find a small nail.

I stared at it for a second before hiding it inside my palm.

She had given me a way to work on the chains.

I glanced toward the line of captives being loaded onto the boats.

I wasn’t among them and they obviously weren’t preparing to transport me with the others.

They were keeping me here because Lord Kavanagh wanted to hand me over to my father.

That meant I had to escape before he arrived.

I moved closer to the barrels and turned my back slightly toward the guards. Then I brought the nail against the chain around my wrist.

It was difficult to reach the small opening, and my fingers were still trembling from exhaustion.

I tried again but the nail slipped.

I caught my breath and looked around. Nobody appeared to be watching me.

I tried once more, carefully working the metal against the narrow space in the chain.

It wasn’t easy...

The chain was thick, and the nail was small. I had to concentrate heavily, adjusting my wrist each time I felt it slipping.

Sweat began forming along my forehead and I could feel my heart pounding against my ribs.

"Come on... Just a little more." I pressed the nail harder, trying to find the right angle.

Then, suddenly, a loud bell rang across the entire dock.

I flinched so violently that my hand jerked, and the nail dropped, startled out of my skin.