The Pet🐾 (Completed)

Chapter 52

Sophia

In the morning, I made sure to wake up before anyone else. Jared was still sleeping when I got out of bed. I slowly slipped out from under the covers, careful not to wake him, and changed into jeans, a tank top, and a zip-up jacket. It had been getting colder the longer I stayed here.

I stepped out of the room, leaving Coco curled up on the bed. As I walked down the hall, I opened the door only to be met with two unfamiliar guards. They both gave me questioning looks, and I forced a smile.

"Um, I wanted to go for a run," I said, hoping they'd let me go.

They exchanged glances and shook their heads. "No, it's too early," one of them said.

I huffed in frustration. "Fine, then at least let me go get a snack from the kitchen."

The other guard nodded. "Ten minutes, and we'll come find you," he said as I walked past them.

"Make it fifteen. I'll be eating it down there too," I told them as I sprinted down the stairs.

The hallway was dark, only dimly lit by faint lights. I made my way down the stairs, walking beneath them, and began to search for a way to open the secret door I had noticed before. My finger slipped into a crack I'd found, and I felt something. I slid the door open, revealing a black abyss in front of me.

I scanned the room for something to help light my way. There was a candleabra on the table nearby, so I opened the drawer and grabbed some matches. Lighting the candle, I stepped into the dark, damp passage. The further I went, the harder it became to breathe. The air felt thick with moisture.

After what felt like forever, I reached the bottom and saw a row of cells. One cell caught my eye—it had a solid metal door. I peeked inside, and to my shock, I saw Roman in the corner, clutching something to his chest. His eyes lit up when he saw the light.

"Sophia!" he gasped, stumbling forward, though he fell a couple of times before finally standing right in front of the bars. "Let me out, please, Jared—"

I held up my hand, stopping him. "Nope. Don't want to hear it. I already know."

Roman, panting, leaned against the wall with his free arm. "Well, if you already know, why not let me out?" he asked, his voice desperate.

I locked eyes with him, my tone unwavering. "Because he didn't kick out my soulmate, and he didn't banish his brother," I said, shaking my head. "You just can't do that kind of stuff to your blood relatives."

Roman sighed and looked down before looking back up at me. "Well, who do you think made him confess? Jared, that's who," he said bitterly.

"Yes, but I made a deal with him. If I help him, he'll keep Ashley safe," I said, my words bitter as I turned away. "I don't care what happens to you." I was disgusted as I began to walk back up the stairs. "The only reason I came down here was to see if Ashley was locked up here. Now that I know she's not, but you are, I'll sleep better at night."

"Wait!" Roman's voice stopped me. "How do you know she's safe? Have you seen her?" He leaned his hand out of the cell bars, and I watched his skin start to burn as he touched them. "Ahh, f***!" he yelled, pulling his arm back in pain.

I paused at the top of the stairs, my curiosity piqued. "What's with that?" I asked, looking at him from where I stood.

"The whole cell is made out of silver," he explained, his voice laced with frustration. "I can't break out or mind-link anyone. It's inhibiting my abilities."

I crossed my arms, my anger simmering. "So, why are you so offended by my brother? I get that you two are mates, but why me?" he asked, genuinely confused.

I stomped back down the stairs, my resolve hardening. I reached the door of his cell and stood in front of him, holding the candleabra close so we could both see each other. I looked him dead in the eye. "Maybe because not everyone gets to know their family," I said, my voice raw with emotion. "Maybe because family is all some people have. Did it ever occur to you that some people go their entire lives never knowing their parents, and they'd give anything to see them, even though their parents gave them up? It's like we don't even know what resentment means."

I wiped away the tears that threatened to fall. "No, of course you don't know. You've had it all!" I shouted before turning on my heel, storming back up the stairs.

The weight of his betrayal pressed on my chest, but I couldn't carry it anymore. People like him never understood how lucky they were.

I reached the top, blowing out the candle and placing it back where it had been. The door clicked shut behind me. I walked into the kitchen, grabbed an apple, and then checked myself in the mirror. My eyes were red and puffy, and I had dirt on my face. I quickly wiped it away with the sleeve of my jacket before heading back up the stairs, hoping to put the dark thoughts behind me, if only for a little while.

Roman

As Sophia stormed away, her words echoed in my mind. What's her past like? She never told me if she saw Ashley or not.

I glanced down at my chains and the silver bars of the cell. I'm going to be stuck in here forever if I don't get out. But how? I don't even know if Jared has a key. He probably threw it at the bottom of a lake.