Chapter 4: Trapped

Scarlett’s POVThe woman led me into a small, cramped room, finally freeing me from the silver shackles. The relief was immediate, though I still felt the burn of where the metal had pressed against my skin. She explained that I would stay here until the Alphas decided to see me again. Her words left an unsettling feeling in my gut.These were Valkin Alphas, after all. With no leader in the South, they could easily take the land in my absence—or worse, the other Valkin Alphas from the East or West might seize the opportunity.“While you wait for them to attend to you, you might want to find work around here to feed yourself. They haven’t thought of provisions for your upkeep yet,” she said, her voice practical, but to me, it was chilling.I was stranded, with nothing but uncertainty surrounding me. These men behaved as if they held some grudge against me, and their questions had been so strange, almost as though they were piecing together a story I couldn’t see. I didn’t understand. I hadn’t met them before, and yet they acted as if my father had introduced us, even accusing me of unspeakable things I’d never done.After she left, she handed me a plain, loose kaftan, and I slipped it on, feeling a bit more covered and grounded. But the hunger gnawed at me, too powerful to ignore. I couldn’t sleep like this, so I ventured outside, desperate for something—anything—to keep me going. I licked the edge of an icicle hanging from the roof to quench my thirst, the cold stinging my lips but offering some relief. I knew I wouldn’t last long without real food.