Chapter 9: Quiet
9
~Lisa’s POV
I was starving. It wasn’t just hunger anymore. It was the kind that clawed at my insides like a beast, sharp and constant, refusing to let me sleep. My stomach had been empty for so long that it hurt. Every time I shifted on the cold floor, every breath I took reminded me of how drained I was.
They had locked me in without food or water. Not a single drop. Not a crumb. I didn’t know how long it had been. Hours? A day? Maybe two? I had lost track. My throat was dry and sore, and my lips had started to crack. I couldn’t even cry; there were no tears left in me.
I sat against the wall, hugging my knees to my chest, staring at the door. It was quiet in the room, so painfully silent. My mind kept drifting, looping through memories of when they helped me during our young days. They were so sweet to me.
But now? I was nothing more than a prisoner. An unwanted presence, they didn’t know what to do with. I shifted again, flinching at the sting in my back. Sleeping had been impossible. Every time I closed my eyes, the hunger brought me back. I had been awake the entire night.
When the morning light slipped in faintly through the tiny, barred window, I blinked against it, my vision hazy. I wondered, just briefly, if today would be the day they’d finally release me. Or maybe they’d just forget I existed. I didn’t know which thought was worse.
My head jerked up when the door creaked open suddenly. A maid stepped inside, her face cold and her voice sharp.
"The Alphas are waiting for you in the lounge," she snapped.
Her tone was as if I’d done something wrong, as if I was the one who needed to be scolded. I blinked slowly, struggling to push myself up. My limbs felt heavy, like they were made of stone.