Chapter 97

**Chapter 0097**
**Judy’s POV**

I woke up to the sound of quiet voices nearby. My memory of what had happened was a bit unclear, and my head hurt as if I had a hangover. But I couldn’t recall drinking any alcohol.

I mostly drank water, with just a few sips of white wine at dinner. It wasn’t enough to make me hungover. I don’t even remember falling asleep.

As I woke up, my fingers twitched. I could feel the cold concrete ground beneath me.

I could feel the cold and hard ground beneath me, which was part of the reason my body was aching. Then, I noticed the cold metal chains around my wrists. They burned against my skin, a painful reminder that they were made of silver. Silver was a werewolf’s weakness, and I knew this even before I opened my eyes.

I realized that I couldn’t connect with my wolf or reach out to anyone in my pack. I felt a wave of fear wash over me, knowing I was in danger.

Suddenly, a memory flickered back to me. I remembered the joy of running and laughing with my friends in the forest.

Irene was by my side. Was she really here with me? Did she somehow set me up? Maybe she didn’t believe me when I told her that nothing was going on between Ethan and me. Perhaps this was part of her plan, to make me doubt myself.

I was worried that the guards didn’t follow us, which would give her a chance to kidnap me and possibly even kill me.

Suddenly, a painful memory came back to me. I remembered seeing Irene fall to the ground after a man attacked her. He stabbed her in the neck with a syringe, and she passed out right away.

My heart raced, and I could feel my breath becoming uneven. I focused on calming myself, just in case I wasn’t alone wherever I was.

I could hear soft whispers from some men nearby, and I tried to listen closely.

I tried to focus on my wolf senses to hear better, but it didn’t work. Still, their voices got louder as their footsteps got closer. Even though I didn’t have my wolf senses, I could smell them once they were near enough. It was a strong scent that filled the air.

The air was filled with the same sickly scent as before.

“Rogues,” one of them whispered harshly, “I thought we were only paid to capture one girl.”

“Then we’ll just ask for more money,” another replied, his voice low and serious.

“Who are they anyway?” one of the rogues chuckled.

“I don’t know,” another rogue replied, shaking his head. “I didn’t ask any questions. He just gave me a price, and I said no problem.”

“I’m starving,” the first rogue said. “Let’s get some food while we can.”

“Wait for them to wake up. It will probably be a while. We used a lot of wolfsbane.”

They walked away, and I could hear the sound of their shoes fading into the distance. Then, I heard a door opening and closing.

could hear three voices nearby. They were talking, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. I remembered that I had heard more voices before I passed out.

When I opened my eyes, I realized I was in a dark cellar. The air was cool and musty. My heart raced as I tried to figure out where I was and how I got there. I felt weak and disoriented, but I knew I needed to stay calm.

I listened carefully, hoping to catch more of the conversation. The voices sounded close, but I couldn’t see anyone in the dim light. With each passing moment, I felt a mix of fear and determination. I had to find a way out of this place.

I lifted my head, trying to ignore the pounding in my temple. It felt like I was trapped in a large cage, just like a caged animal. With each passing moment, my anger grew stronger. I looked around, trying to understand where I was and regain my bearings.

It was difficult to see without my wolf instincts helping me. However, I could see well enough to realize I wasn’t alone.

**Chapter 0097**

**+25 BONUS**

My heart dropped when I noticed Irene lying next to me.

Irene was lying on the ground, completely unconscious. There was a deep cut on her head from when she fell, and she looked very pale.

“Irene…” I whispered, trying to crawl over to her side.

I felt a sharp pain as the metal around my wrists pressed against my skin, making it burn.

I touched her cold cheek and felt a wave of panic rush over me. I quickly searched around her neck for a pulse. When I finally found a faint heartbeat, I let out a sigh of relief.

I brushed her blood away, trying to stay calm. It was a scary moment, but knowing she was still alive gave me hope.

She pushed her wet hair out of her face and looked at me.

“Please, wake up,” I whispered. “We have to get out of here.”

The problem was, I had no idea how we were going to leave. I knew one thing for sure: we needed to find a way out fast.

I knew one thing for sure: these men thought I was still passed out. They weren’t going to do anything until both of us were awake. This meant I had to pretend I was still asleep when I heard them coming back.

I leaned my back against the wall and stayed still.

I took a deep, shaky breath, coughing a little at the musty air filled with dust. I was surprised at how quickly I had recovered from the wolfsbane, but I figured Irene would still be asleep for a while. I knew I needed to make the most of this time.

I gently reached down to slide her across the floor, so her head could rest on my lap. As she settled in, I softly stroked her hair and hummed a quiet tune. I wanted her to feel safe and not be scared when she woke up.

I’m not sure how long we stayed like that, but it felt peaceful.

We stayed like that for a long time. There were no windows and no clock, so I had no idea what time it was. But I knew it had to be hours at least. I felt groggy, and my head kept bobbing up and down.

I felt a rush of anxiety when I heard footsteps approaching. I quickly moved Irene off my lap, making sure her head rested gently on the ground again. Then, I laid my head down next to hers and closed my eyes.