Page 3 of Knotted By the Demon

The worn wooden floor creaked beneath my bare feet as I crept toward the unlocked cell door, my heart pounding against my ribs like a caged bird desperate for freedom. The musty air of the cell clung to my skin, a reminder of the suffocating filth that had become my constant companion.

I stopped just shy of crossing the threshold, a shiver running down my spine as my hand hovered over the edge of the door. Voices battled in my head, some screaming at me to flee, others whispering that this was all a cruel trick, that pain would await me on the other side if I tried to flee. The old alpha's voice joined the party, his words as sharp as the day he'd torn me from my family.

"You’ll help my children make some beautiful little alphas to rule and omegas to sell. And if you don’t, you'll fetch a pretty price at auction, omega," he'd sneered, his grimy fingers digging into my jaw. "Once we train you right, you’ll be worth a fortune. But if we catch you trying to run, we’ll carve those pretty silver eyes out. You’ll be worth less, but at least you’ll learn your lesson."

Bile rose in my throat, and I swallowed hard, forcing down the memories that threatened to drown me.Ugh. I couldn’tmake myself take another step forward. I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting the urge to retreat to the dark corner of my cell that had become my meager sanctuary. Curling up and hiding felt safer than daring to hope.

But the distant shouts and cries from above stirred something in me, a flicker of reckless courage I'd thought long extinguished. With a trembling hand, I pushed the door open a crack and paused. My breath caught in my throat as a man's agonized scream pierced the air, followed by the unmistakable sound of shattering glass.

"The Silver Claw Pack is attacking!" someone shouted, their voice laced with panic and fury. "Protect the leaders!"

The Silver Claw? That name sent a chill through my veins. I’d once heard Natalie say she’d kill me before she’d sell me to Lucius from the Silver Claw. Even before then, I'd heard whispers of their ruthlessness, their insatiable hunger for power and territory.

And now they were here, seeking to claim what the Black Fang Pack themselves had stolen - theland, thewellthat provided clean water for the pack, and...me. They wanted me. Nausea roiled in my gut at the thought. To the packs, I was nothing more than a pawn, a prize to be won and used until I broke.

The temptation to retreat, to hide away and pray the nightmare would end, tugged at me like a siren's call. But something else stirred within me, a fragile ember of defiance that whispered of a chance, however slim, to finally break free.

I sucked in a shaky breath, my fingers curling around the doorframe as I steeled myself. The Silver Claw might be just as cruel as the Black Fang, but their attack had created an opportunity, a distraction. If I could just slip away unseen...

"No!" a woman shrieked from above, her cry cut short by a sickening thud.

My heart stuttered, my resolve wavering. What if this was all a trap? What if they were waiting for me, ready to drag me back to my prison and make me pay for daring to hope? But the alternative - staying, submitting, allowing them to break me piece by piece until nothing remained - was a fate worse than death.

I'd rather take my chances with the unknown than endure another day in this hellish place. Gathering the tattered shreds of my courage, I pushed the door open wider, the hinges groaning in protest. I swallowed the lump of fear in my throat and worked up the nerve to step out of my cell.

I crept toward the staircase, each step a monumental effort. When I reached the top, the sounds of violence grew louder - snarls, shouts, the sickening crunch of bones being broken filled the air. I peeked out the open basement door, and what I saw almost sent me racing back down the stairs to lock myself in my cell.

It was chaos, utter chaos. I paused at the top, pressing myself against the wall as a body flew past, hitting the ground with a dull thud. I stared down. Cold, dead eyes stared back at me. It was Russel, a vicious beta who liked to hurt other betas to make himself feel like he was an alpha. I didn’t feel sorry for him.

But I did wonder if I’d be able to escape. Pack members were running, shouting, fighting for their lives. I had to make a move. It was now or never. The metallic scent of blood hung heavy in the air, mingling with the acrid stench of fear and rage. I scanned the room, searching for an escape route amidst the mayhem.

My gaze locked on the kitchen door, tantalizingly close. If I could just make it there...

A sharp cry drew my attention. A beta female, her face streaked with blood, stumbled toward me, her eyes wide with terror. Recognition flashed through me -Melanie, one of the few who'd shown me kindness in this wretched place.

She grabbed my arm, her grip desperate. "You can’t be here. They’ll tear you apart," she gasped, tugging me toward the kitchen. "We have to go. Now!"

Together, we ran, ducking and weaving through the fray. My bare feet slapped against the cold wooden floor, my heart a wild drum in my chest. We burst through the door, the cool air a balm against my flushed skin. I squinted in the sunlight, not used to the brightness of the outdoors.

It had been a while since I’d been allowed outside. I inhaled deeply, unable to remember the last time I’d smelled fresh air. This was the smell of freedom. It was almost within reach. Melanie and I started across the property. And then, a gunshot split the air. Melanie jerked, a surprised gasp escaping her lips.

She released my arm seconds before her body crumpled to the ground, her eyes already glazing over. I stared in horror, my mind struggling to process what had just happened. Slow footsteps crunched in the gravel behind me. I turned, my body numb with shock, to see a man with long brown hair leveling a shotgun at my chest. He inhaled deeply, his eyes glinting with a predatory light.

“We’ve got a wild omega!” he shouted, his Cajun accent thick. “And he’s a pretty one!”

Panic surged through me. I didn’t think. I couldn’t. I just turned and ran across the compound grounds, barefoot and clad only in dingy white boxers. That was all Natalie and Nathan would allow me to wear. Oh, and the blue barrette pinned in my hair that Natalie forced me to wear.

The color of the barrette depended on her mood. Blue meant she was bored with me. She usually left me alone when she was bored with me, which was great for me. But right now, I almost wished she was here to protect her property...me. My chest burned, my feet ached, but I couldn’t stop running. I wouldn’t. They’d have to kill me if they wanted to catch me.

I would never come back of my own free will. Voices shouted for me to stop.Never!I pushed harder. I'd run until I collapsed if I had to. Until my body gave out, and my soul fled this broken shell. I'd rather be dead than caged again, trapped in a nightmare of torture and degradation.

I'd tasted freedom, however briefly, and I refused to let it go. I stumbled to a halt at the edge of the compound, my lungs screaming for air. The sounds of pursuit grew closer, the thud of heavy boots, the snarls of cruel laughter. Desperately, I scanned my surroundings, searching for a way out.

There, just ahead, a dense thicket of underbrush. It could provide cover, a place to hide. But was it worth the risk? If they found me, the punishment would be unimaginable. Yet, if I kept running, my chances of escape dwindled with each passing second. They were stronger and faster than me. I didn’t stand a chance.

Hide or keep running? Fear and desperation warred within me, my mind a whirlwind of fragmented thoughts and half-formed plans. The pounding of my heart echoed in my ears, nearly drowning out the shouts of my pursuers. I had to make a choice. Now. With a shaky breath, I pushed forward, aiming for the thicket.

But before I could reach it, a gunshot cracked through the air, the sound like a whip against my nerves. I froze, my body trembling, expecting to feel the searing pain of a bullet tearing through my flesh. The pain never came. I spun around and watched a big, burly alpha drop to the ground.

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