The Luna's Revenge: Chosen as his breeder, Born to rule

The escape plan had taken hours to plot and execute. All of it happened before I went to see the king at ten.

Me and Leah had made the plan to break Freya out, and the entire room full of she-wolves had agreed to it.

”What should we do, leader?” I asked Leah.

”Who told you I’m the leader?” She smiled at me ... a smile contagious enough to make everyone in the room do the same.

”You’re going to see the king this evening, aren’t you?” Leah asked.

”Yes, I am. What are you thinking?” I responded.

”We can use that to our advantage. Get him pleased and distracted while we get Freya out,” she said.

”That’s too risky. How are you sure it’ll work?” I asked her again.

Murmuring started up around the room. I didn’t think the plan was landing well with everyone.

”I can distract and please him for as long as possible, but you’ll have to be quick about it. By the way, how do you plan to get in?”

We kept discussing.

”Right, about that ... two of the girls here will get into the prison and pretend to beg for water.”

As we spoke, two girls stepped forward to volunteer. They were going to do the job. It was risky, but they took it anyway. Anything for their friend, who they treated as family. I loved the way everyone there looked out for each other like family.

”Then while they’re asking for water, the guards won’t agree to give it to them, because it’s strange to give water to the breeders,” I said.

”Exactly. That’s why there’ll be two extra people who go in and get the keys while the water request is happening ... we’ll use it as bait. Me and someone else will do that,” Leah said.

”No, Leah. It can’t be you,” I replied, and the whole room agreed with me.

Two other women stood up and volunteered to be the extra two while we were still talking it through.

”Thank you, girls,” I said. ”It’s an honor that you’ll be leading the team going in, Leah. Give them their directives.”

Leah nodded.

From everything Leah had told me, security at Winterwood’s prison was tight. Two guards stood watch at all times ... brutal wolves who apprehended, and even killed, threats on sight if ordered to.

But once we got past them, we could reach Freya and break her out.

That part had been planned too. We’d recruited one of the girls who knew locks ... opening them, picking them, manipulating them. She claimed her father had been a locksmith, killed in an attack years ago. Lucian had taken her as one of his breeders ever since.

She would fill that role.

That brought the team to five people total, going in to save Freya. We hoped it would work.

It did.

We added one more detail to the plan: the girls going in first wouldn’t just ask for water ... they’d be seductive about it. That part wouldn’t be hard.

It was approaching ten o’clock ... my date with Lucian, or whatever I could call it.

We gave each other a round of encouragement, courtesy of Leah. She really was a leader. The whole room was buzzing after her speech ... so much so that one of the guards opened the door. ”Why the fuck are you people shouting?” he snapped.

We quieted down fast, grateful he hadn’t heard anything specific. We were ready to move and carry out the plan. I made my way to the king’s chambers, supposedly there to please him ... that’s what he thought, anyway. I had an ulterior motive.

I danced and danced, and Lucian was completely lost in it ... until Tessa burst in with the news.

I smiled on the inside. Our plan had worked. I told myself I’d ask Leah how it went later, because I could only imagine what it must have cost them to pull off a heist like that.

I was overjoyed. After everything, I slipped back into our chambers, and we jumped around quietly, hugging each other in celebration. For the first time, I felt like I belonged somewhere.

”Where are Freya and Leah?” I asked the locksmith girl.

”They both got out of Winterwood, but the soldiers were chasing them,” she said.

”I hope they outran them,” I said.

”Of course. They’re good runners.”

Knowing the king and Beta Kael were both involved in the hunt, there was a real chance they’d be caught. I hoped they’d stay free.

We kept hugging in that room. I’d never been held that tightly before ... I didn’t know what it felt like to have someone’s warmth pressed against you like that. I hoped it would last forever.

Then we heard footsteps. The guards were coming. We scrambled to arrange ourselves so no one would notice anyone missing.

So far, nobody knew Leah was gone. If they found out, we were all in trouble.

The guards threw the door open like they already suspected something. ”What’s going on in here?” one of them asked, scanning the room. We stayed silent, staring back at them as they stared at us. We kept our cool, and finally the lead guard said, ”Let’s move.”

Relief flooded my chest as they walked away. I heard the girls around me exhale the same relief.

A few minutes later, a soldier came to summon me ... the king wanted to see me.

My heart started pounding, sweat prickling at my skin as I reached the council room door.

What could they want me for? Does he already think I’m involved in the escape?...

Questions kept racing through my mind.

I stepped inside and found Lucian, Tessa, and Kael all seated, waiting. Their postures alone screamed judgment.

I entered and said nothing.

”Welcome, Selene,” Kael said.

”Let’s get straight to business. Do you know?” Lucian asked.

I didn’t understand what he meant, so I asked, ”What do you mean, sir?”

”He means, do you know what happened to the prisoner Freya?” Tessa said.

I was shocked to hear Tessa address me directly.

”I don’t know... I don’t know anything about the prisoner, my king,” I said, fidgeting.

Lucian rose from his chair. ”I already know the truth, Selene. You just need to come clean now. Are you involved in Freya’s escape?”

His questions didn’t feel like questions anymore. They felt like a trap already sprung ... like he knew exactly what happened and just wanted to watch me squirm before admitting it.

I was in the hot seat now. How was I going to get out of this?