Feral Bonds: Claimed By Rogue Alpha Brothers

Evaline:

The silence stretched long enough for it to start feeling alive.

Like it was watching me.

Waiting.

I didn’t know how much time I had before Damian returned. And waiting blindly for him to return didn’t seem like a good plan. That was surrender. And I wasn’t about to do that.

My fingers curled slightly against the cold ground as I forced myself to focus. My body still felt weak, heavy in that unnatural way that told me the drug hadn’t fully worn off, but I needed to know just how bad it was.

Could I stand? Could I run? Or would I collapse the moment I tried?

There was only one way to find out.

I took a slow breath, bracing myself as I planted my feet more firmly against the ground. The chains shifted faintly around my ankles, making the sound echo too loudly in the silence.

"Okay..." I whispered to myself before I pushed. And the moment I tried to stand, my body betrayed me.

My legs trembled violently, refusing to hold my weight. My vision tilted, the world spinning just enough to disorient me... and before I could correct myself... I fell.

Hard.

A gasp tore from my throat as I hit the cold ground, pain exploding through me.

The silver bit into my wrists and ankles at the same time, a sharp, searing burn that felt like fire licking at my skin. It was sudden, brutal, and unforgiving.

"Ah-!" I sucked in a sharp breath, my body curling instinctively as I tried to pull away from the pain... but there was nowhere to go.

It clung and burned mercilessly.

For a few seconds, I couldn’t do anything but lie there, trembling as the agony pulsed through me in waves.

How...?

How was it still this bad?

After so many hours... I should have at least grown used to it.

But no.

It still hurt just as much. If not more.

My breathing came out uneven as I forced myself to stay still, waiting... enduring... until the pain dulled into something more manageable. A low, constant sting.

I swallowed hard before slowly and carefully leading my hands closer to my boots. Every movement sent another flare of pain through my wrists as the silver burned my already damaged skin, but I didn’t stop.

My fingers slipped into the side of my boot, searching.

Come on...

Please still be there...

And then, relief hit me like a wave as the cold touch of metal met my fingertips.

I almost laughed.

"Oscar..." I breathed out faintly as I stared at the small multipurpose pin, the one he had given me a while ago, insisting I keep it on me just in case.

At the time, I thought I might never get to use it.

But now?

Now it felt like the only reason I even had a chance.

Carefully, I pulled it out, gripping it between my fingers.

My hands trembled, partly from weakness and mostly from pain. But I positioned it anyway, bringing it toward the lock on the chains around my wrists.

The silver burned with every slight shift, every hard brush, but I pushed through it.

The lock wasn’t simple. Of course it wasn’t. Damian wasn’t careless. But it wasn’t impossible either.

I adjusted the pin, angling it carefully, feeling for the internal mechanism.

I tried but the sound of click didn’t come.

I exhaled slowly and tried again. Minutes passed, long and painful, dragging minutes where every second felt heavier than the last.

My fingers ached and my wrists throbbed. The burning never stopped. And all the while, one thought echoed in the back of my mind -

What if he comes back now?

The fear sat there, constant and pressing. Because if Damian walked in and saw me like this - halfway through escaping - it would be over.

I wouldn’t get another chance.

So I worked faster. Despite the shaking, despite the pain, despite the exhaustion clawing at me.

And then, I finally heard a soft sound. It was si faint I almost missed it.

Click.

I froze for a moment before slowly and carefully, I pulled my hands apart.

The chain loosened and slipped, hanging from my wrists.

For a second, I just stared.

Then relief crashed into me so hard I had to bite down on a breath.

"Oh my stars..." I whispered.

I didn’t wait. I didn’t have that privilege.

I grabbed the chain and forced it off completely, ignoring the way my fingers screamed in protest as they touched the silver.

Pain shot through my hands, but I welcomed it. Because I was free. My wrists... they were free.

I flexed my wrists slightly, wincing as the movement pulled at the damaged skin, but I didn’t stop.

It hurt so much. But it felt right.

Next, I immediately moved to my ankles, bringing the pin down to the next set of locks.

This time, it was easier since my hands were free now and much steadier.

And unlike my wrists, my ankles hadn’t taken the same level of damage. The layers of clothing - thermal tights, socks, and trouser - had acted as a barrier, protecting my skin from the worst of the silver.

It still stung, but not as bad as my wrists felt. And within minutes, I heard another click.

The chains fell away and I pulled them off quickly, tossing them aside as I drew my legs closer, flexing them slightly.

For the first time since I had been brought here, I wasn’t bound, wasn’t restrained.

I was free.

A shaky breath left me as I slowly and carefully reached inward, toward my healing power.

For a brief moment, it responded with a soft flicker. A faint warmth spread through my core, making my hope surged. But then, it died.

Just like that.

My breath hitched. "No..." I whispered, trying again. But nothing came.

My power was still there, but muted. Like something was suppressing it.

The drug.

It had to be. It wasn’t just making me unconscious, it was weakening everything - my senses, my strength, my... bonds.

My chest tightened as I tried to reach for them - for Kieran, for River, for Oscar. For any sign of them.

But the bond remained silent, cold, and unresponsive. Like it had been cut off completely.

A sharp ache settled in my chest, but I forced it down.

Now wasn’t the time. I couldn’t rely on them. Not right now.

Which meant, I was on my own.

I looked around the dark cave again, my mind racing.

I couldn’t fight Damian like this. Not in this state when I could barely stand.

If he came back now, I would lose in a direct confrontation. So that left me with only one option.

I pushed myself up again, slower this time, using the wall for support.

My legs trembled, my body protested, but I stayed upright. Barely.

My breath came out shallow as I steadied myself and took a small step.

Then another.

And another.

I turned toward what I hoped was the way out. It had the faintest hint of air, of space, barely noticeable but enough.

My heart pounded and my entire body screamed at me to stop. But I didn’t.

Because staying here? That wasn’t an option anymore.

So I took a step forward. Then another. And without looking back...

I ran.