The Beta's Forbidden Mate

Chapter Sixteen

The second Selara was gone, I began sweeping my eyes over the small confines of the cell, looking for any means of escape. I paced the tiny cell, the floorboards squishing unpleasantly beneath my boots.

Asher hung his head, sagging so that the metal shackles bit into the flesh of his wrists.

"Don't listen to her!" I banged on the iron bars, trying to keep him conscious, "You aren't unclean. That whole way of thinking is just twisted."

He didn't reply, didn't look at me, and I didn't know if he was even still awake.

I banged hard on the metal door, shaking it against its hinges. "Asher! You can't just give up!"

He didn't open his eyes, but I heard him mutter, "There is nothing we can do."

"There's never nothing." I took a deep breath, scanning the cage, looking for any weakness I might exploit.

It was made of tall rods of iron, nearly eight feet in length. The padlock was heavy, and securely fastened to the gate, with three hinges on the other side.

It was makeshift, definitely—but also very effective.

I took a deep breath, trying to focus.

*Drip*

*Drip*

Somewhere behind me was the musical sound of dripping water, but I ignored it.

If only I had some kind of lever, I might be able to pry the bars free.

But there was nothing strong enough I could use to lift up the heavy iron.

*Drip*

*Drip*

I scowled. The dripping was getting on my nerves.

I looked over at Asher, but he had lost consciousness again and was sagging against his restraints.

*Drip*

*Drip*

"For God's sake!" I spun around, trying to determine where the sound was coming from.

My jaw dropped open. My cage extended almost to the back of the cage, leaving a gap of about eighteen inches or so between the bars and the weathered wood.

A water faucet was fixed to the wall, slowly dripping water onto the barn floor. It stretched out in a wide puddle until it disappeared into a pile of moldy hay that extended over the edge of the bars into my cell.

I took a step toward the faucet. The floor under my shoes made a wet, squishy sound.

The water had seeped into the floorboards. Which meant the bars of the cage were sitting in dampness.

These bars were iron. And when iron was exposed to water and air—

I moved the hay away from the bottom bar of the cage, catching my breath in triumph.

—you got rust.

The bottom four inches or so of the vertical iron bars were dark red and pocketed with rust. Hidden under the hay, no one had noticed.

If I could just break the bars, I could squeeze out of the back.

"Asher, are you still awake?" I whispered, looking up at him as I took off my hoodie and wrapped it around my foot. Before I did, I made sure to put the pepper spray in the pocket of my jeans.

"S'sorry...'Livya," he mumbled in response. "N'vr wanted to...hurt you."

"Don't worry. I'm getting us out of here. But I need you to stay conscious, okay?"