Page 36 of French Quarter Heiress

"Ah, the loyal dog returns," he sneers, his voice dripping with condescension. "I trust you managed to fetch my paper and coffee without incident?"

I nod, not trusting myself to speak, and carefully set the items down on his desk. The Don leans back in his chair, his eyes raking over me with a sort of perverse satisfaction.

"You know, I must admit, I had my doubts about you at first," he muses, his fingers drumming lightly on the polished wood of his desk. "I thought you'd be more trouble than you were worth, that you'd fight and snarl and snap until we had no choice but to put you down."

He leans forward, his face mere inches from mine, his breath hot against my skin.

"But look at you now," he whispers, his voice a sibilant hiss. "So obedient, so well-trained. It's almost as if you were born to serve, isn't it?"

I clench my jaw, biting back the words that threaten to spill from my lips. I will not give him the satisfaction of seeing me break, of hearing me beg for mercy.

"Tell me, dog," the Don continues, leaning back in his chair once more. "How does it feel knowing that your precious pack, your beloved princess, have all abandoned you to this fate? That they've left you here to rot, to serve as my personal slave for the rest of your miserable life?"

I take a deep breath, my voice steady and calm as I reply.

"I will serve a hundred years," I say, my gaze locked with his. "A thousand years, if that's what it takes. If it means that my pack is safe from your cruelty, your tyranny, then I will endure any humiliation, any degradation. But know this. It won’t be tomorrow, maybe not even in the next year–but you will slip, and I will kill you. Mark my words."

The Don's eyes narrow, a flicker of anger passing across his face. For a moment, I think he might lash out, order my collar activated, or my body beaten. But instead, he merely laughs, a cold, mirthless sound that echoes through the chamber.

"Such terror." He laughs, shaking his head. "Oh, dog. I needed a good laugh. You kill me? And how? In what world could you possibly kill me?” He laughs again, handing me his dagger, then looks down at his paper.

“Polish that for me, boy.”

I pick up the dagger and think about where his approximate heart is.

“You may attack me and rebel, but in the end, it will avail you nothing. You are mine now, dog, and you will remain mine until I decide otherwise."

He waves a dismissive hand, turning his attention back to the papers on his desk.

"Now, get out of my sight. I have more important matters to attend to than the whimperings of a broken house boy."

I bow my head, my heart heavy with the weight of his words, and turn to leave. But even as I step out into the hallway, even as the collar around my neck seems to tighten with every breath, I cling to that flicker of defiance, that unbreakable core of strength that still burns within me.

And I cling to my memories of Elise. She’s the light amidst the darkness, the reason why I remain alive and breathing despite the torturous life I’m living now. At first, she was nothing to me.

But now, she’s become everything.

Hours pass, and my stomach gnaws with hunger. The meager table scraps they feed me are barely enough to sustain a child, let alone a grown werewolf. But I force myself to keep going, to cling to the knowledge that he will slip and I will kill him, then I will rescue the princess.

Just as I'm about to collapse from exhaustion, a familiar scent catches my attention. My heart races as I look up to see Elise standing before me, her face a mixture of sorrow and determination.

"Elise," I breathe, hardly daring to believe my eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to get you out," she whispers, her voice urgent. "Mimi, she knows a secret way into the dungeons. We're going to break you out, Beau. We're going to make a run for it."

My heart soars, even as my mind reels with the risks, the dangers. "Elise, if they catch you..."

"I don't care," she says fiercely, her eyes blazing with resolve. "I can't leave you here, Beau. I won't. We're in this together, no matter what."

I reach through the bars, my fingers brushing against hers. In that moment, I feel a surge of strength, of hope. No matter what lies ahead, no matter what challenges we face, I know that with Elise by my side, anything is possible.

"Okay," I say, my voice rough with emotion. "Let's do this. Let's get the hell out of here."

Elise nods, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Tonight, at midnight. Be ready. And Beau?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you. No matter what happens, never forget that."

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