Chapter 4: I Have to Get Out
Hilde Kane POV
After my father and the others left, the basement fell silent once more.
Sonia and I were in agreement—we had to get out of here. But how? I couldn't even call for help. No one in the entire pack knew that their Luna was locked in the packhouse basement.
Time crawled by.
I groped through the darkness, searching for the source of that faint dripping sound, but found nothing. My throat burned with thirst, and my mouth had gone completely dry—not a drop of saliva left. The gnawing discomfort in my stomach reminded me how long it had been since I'd eaten. Yet no one came with food or water.
'Are they trying to starve me into submission?'
'Hold on, Hilda. Don't forget—you're a Luna. Your endurance far surpasses an ordinary werewolf's.' Sonia encouraged me.
I smiled bitterly. 'I should never have ignored your feelings about Stuart. You never liked him, did you? Which means I was never really a Luna at all.'
'No,' Sonia corrected. 'You're just not his Luna.'
I struggled to lick my parched lips, but it did nothing to help. 'Sounds like you think I might still be a Luna somewhere else in the world.'
Sonia suddenly went alert. 'Someone's coming.'
Sure enough, footsteps echoed outside the iron door again.
"Hilda."
It was my mother's voice. I rose slowly and made my way to the door.
She stood on the other side, her face pale, dark circles heavy beneath her eyes. Her gaze swept back and forth across my face, full of worry, and then tears slowly welled in her eyes.
"No—don't do this." I shook my head in anguish. "Are you here to persuade me too?"
Just like my father—calling me "princess" one moment, then slapping me and ordering me to obey the next. No, she might not slap me, but given how she always deferred to him, she would only echo his views and serve as his mouthpiece.
"If you understand what a mate means to a she-wolf—the way I do—then don't try to talk me into this. I will never do what Father proposed: stay here, pretend nothing happened, and be a puppet Luna."
I waved her away weakly.
"I've completely lost faith in this family. Please leave."
She didn't leave. After a few seconds of silence, as if remembering something, she reached into her coat and pulled out a plastic bottle of water and two slices of bread wrapped in paper, passing them through the bars to me.
My body went rigid.
She took my hand and pressed the items into my palm. "Eat something first. Build up your strength. If you want to leave, the first thing you need is energy."
I looked up at her in shock.
"To be honest, I'm just as stunned and heartbroken as you are. Gareth and Stuart… I never imagined Gareth had been hiding this from me, that your father had been hiding it too…" She paused, her voice catching. "He's my son. You're my daughter. I never thought something like this could happen. I'm sorry, Hilda—I found out too late. But… please don't hate Gareth. He's still just a child."
She covered her eyes with both hands and began to sob. I didn't interrupt. After a few seconds, she drew a heavy breath through her nose, wiped the corners of her eyes, and looked up.
"I don't agree with your father. But I can't stop him. I can't stop any of them. They're the Alpha and the Beta—they control all of Northwind. Whatever they say, everyone else must follow."
She reached through the bars and touched my face. Only then did I realize there were tears on my cheeks.
"I know your temperament. You've been strong-willed since you were little. They… they actually proposed 'sharing a mate.' I truly never imagined they could be so shameless." Mom's voice grew choked. "But I never thought it would be Gareth… Moon Goddess forgive me. I haven't been a good mother."
She sniffed hard.
"I know you won't give in. But the more you resist, the more they'll torment you."
Something pressed down hard on my chest.
"You have to leave. I'll help you." Her voice was utterly resolute.
Sonia let out a low growl. 'She means every word!'
I stared at my mother, still not daring to believe it.
These past days, everyone had been pushing me to surrender. I'd assumed Mom hadn't appeared because she had long since handed all decisions over to my father.
Yet here she was, telling me firmly that she would let me go.
"How will you help me?" I asked.
Mom glanced beyond the iron door and lowered her voice.
"First, pretend to agree to your father's plan." She gripped my hand. "What he wants most is your compliance. The moment you say you're willing to consider it, he'll think he's won. You know your father well, don't you? You've known since you were little how to make him happy."
I bit my lip.
"He'll bring you upstairs, let you eat, let you wash up. He doesn't want anyone seeing Northwind Pack's Luna locked in a basement. Once you're out of this locked cellar, everything becomes manageable. I'll take care of the rest."
Mom's expression softened, and the faintest smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
She gripped my arm and pushed the bread in my hand toward my mouth.
"Eat as much as you can. You haven't had anything for a full day. Once you're out of here, you'll need to run—as far as possible."
I looked at her. My heart lurched. I tilted my head back and took a long gulp of water, then bit hard into the bread.
"You have to come with me. Gareth chose to be with the Alpha—that's his decision. But you have to come with me, otherwise…"
I couldn't bear to imagine what my father and the Alpha would do to her once they discovered she'd helped me escape.
Mom shook her head. "I'm the Beta's wife. I've played this role for twenty years. I can't just walk away."
She squeezed my hand. "I can't be like you—refusing Alpha Stuart so cleanly, so bravely, severing the mate bond completely. I… I still have to look after Gareth."
A flicker of guilt and unease passed through her eyes.
"But Father will—"
Mom gave my hand a gentle squeeze and forced a smile, though her eyes were filled with sorrow. "There's nothing he can do to me. Don't worry."
My nose stung with the threat of tears.
"Mom…"
"Don't cry." She wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes. "Once you're out, don't look back. Don't come back to Northwind."
She paused.
"You must live well, Hilda. Promise me."
After Mom left, I quickly finished the bread, drained the water, and hid the empty bottle in a dark corner.
I waited in silence.
Sure enough, before long, the iron door opened again.
My father stood in the doorway, every trace of anger gone from his face. He held a jacket in his hands, as if nothing had happened.
"Hilda. Daddy knows you've been wronged." He walked in, crouched before me, and draped the jacket over my shoulders.
"I shouldn't have hit you." He sighed. "I regret it. But I'm Northwind's Beta—I have to consider what's best for the entire pack. Your mother tells me you've finally come around? That's my girl. I knew you'd understand."
"As for Stuart—he's a man, and I understand men. He's just young. He'll mature with time."
I nearly threw up.
But Mom's words echoed in my ears.
Pretend to agree. Make him happy.
I lowered my gaze and softened my voice. "I understand. I'm willing to consider the plan you proposed."
Father's eyes lit up instantly. "Really?"
I nodded. "Dad, I'm hungry. So hungry I can barely walk. I want some of Mom's pancakes."
He stood immediately, wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and helped me to my feet.
"Of course, of course. Daddy will take you right upstairs. Your mother's already got things ready."
My father had the widest, warmest embrace in the world—I'd believed that since I was a little girl. But this time, held against him, I felt nothing but cold.
The living room was bright, the last of the evening sun slanting across the carpet. It was already dusk. Hot food was laid out on the table.
I sat in a chair with a bowl of soup before me. Father sat across from me, talking endlessly about what the future would look like—how Stuart would make it up to me, how I would always be Northwind's Luna.
I said nothing. I just ate, mouthful after mouthful. I needed the energy. I had to survive. And this might be the last time I ever tasted my mother's cooking.
The moment that thought surfaced, heat rushed behind my eyes. I ducked my head and forced the tears back.
Mom emerged from the kitchen carrying a glass of wine.
"You've had a long day too," she said to Father. "Have a drink."
He took it without suspicion and drank a large mouthful.
He was still talking.
"When Stuart comes back and sees you here, he'll be thrilled—"
His voice cut off abruptly. The glass slipped from his fingers and shattered on the floor.
Father gripped the edge of the table, his face turning an ugly shade. "Ruth—what did you put in my drink?"
Mom didn't answer.
He tried to stand, but his legs buckled and he collapsed heavily onto the carpet.
