My Orphan Mate ✓

Chapter Four

*picture of Zynthéa (pronounced Cynthia but with a Z)

LYRA
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I thought about my wolf and focused as hard as I could, urging her to take control. To my surprise, I didn't have to try much longer. My clothes tore apart, shredding into pieces before my eyes, and within seconds, I was standing on all fours in my wolf form.

A rush of excitement raced through me, I had shifted. I took a moment to admire my wolf- the power in her stance, the sharpness in her senses. But there was no time to marvel. I refocused on the task at hand.

I wasn't sure if we could do it, but I had nothing to lose. I mustered the courage to step back before I charged at the metal bars.

Pain exploded through me the moment I made contact. A searing jolt tore through my body, and I finally understood what Adam had said earlier. The bars were electrified. The current burned through my muscles, but when I spotted a dent in the metal, hope flared inside me. My efforts weren't entirely useless.

Ignoring the agony that came with every strike, I lunged again and again, battering the bars until I'd carved a narrow gap, just wide enough for my smaller frame to squeeze through.

Despite the burning pain radiating through my body, I had to escape. The fear of being dragged back to alpha Gabriel, of being caught between two rival packs, was stronger than the pain I was experiencing.

I had been too caught up in the thrill of finally escaping the cell to notice the guards charging toward me. My stomach dropped.

Of course, even if the cells were empty, they would've heard me trying to escape.

Two guards rounded the corner, both in human form but towering, their presence filling the narrow corridor. Broad shoulders, hard eyes, clearly built for power and not mercy.

One of them caught on to my fur before I could bolt. I snarled weakly, twisting, but his grip only tightened. The other one grabbed hold of my legs, keeping me firm.

"Escaping us won't be that easy," one of them grunted, dragging me upright. "You are stronger than you look, though, have to give you that."

I tried to snap my claws at him, but it was useless. My body trembled from exhaustion, every nerve screamed from the shock of the electrified bars. My wolf snarled in frustration.

They dragged me out of the cell, not bothering to shift themselves. Even in their human form, they moved with incredible power, seasoned enforces used to handling wolves twice my size. One hooked an arm around my chest, the other gripped my muzzle to stop me from biting.

"Stop struggling," one growled into my ear. "Your luck only goes as far as getting out of that cell."

"How did she do that?" I heard the other ask, sounding confused.

"The Alpha will deal with her."

The words made my wolf's hackles rise. Another alpha.

They pulled me up the narrow staircase, my claws scraping helplessly against the stone. The air grew warmer and fresher, and suddenly, the walls gave way to open light. I blinked hard against the sun.

The underground world of stone and damp vanished behind me, replaced by open fields that stretched endlessly ahead. It was vibrant, green and alive. The scent of pine and wildflowers hit me like a wave. Everything here pulled with life, the heartbeat of a thriving pack. The complete opposite of what I had been told about them.

As the two men dragged me through the dirt, my paws scraped against the ground. I needed to get out of here, even if my body fought against me. I tried to get out of their grip, failing miserably as their hold on me tightened more. My muscles trembled, but the sting of humiliation burned hotter than the pain.