Chapter 31: My Real Views

Emma woke when someone opened the door to the room where her cell was located. She’d slept fitfully. With her stomach empty she couldn’t settle. She would starve before she agreed to anything Lucien had to say.
When she opened her eyes, one of the silent guards stared at her through the bars. She didn’t bother asking him anything. He would obey his Alpha. That’s just how things worked. She sat up and stretched, her stomach rumbling. There would be no food; Lucien had made that clear.
Dex must be going crazy with worry by now. As far as Emma could tell, she hadn't been here a full day, but it must have been half a day. She’d slept, but she didn’t know if night had passed or not. The room had no windows and Lucien had ordered them to keep the lights on all of the time.
The door opened again and Lucien stepped through it. He motioned for the guard to leave. When he turned to Emma a cruel smile split his face. “Hungry yet?”
she wasn’t going to rise to his bait. She wasn't the Emma he married. She’d tasted freedom. She’d tasted love and affection. There was an Alpha out there who was going to do everything in his power to find her. Not because of his ego, but because of what was in his heart.
Dex wouldn’t let her down. She would stay brave and figure out her own way out of here until then. She worked on the bracelet that kept her from shifting. They hadn’t clasped it properly, but she hadn’t broken it yet. She would keep at it. She hadn’t spotted any cameras.
Emma’s brain searched for another way out of here but hadn’t come up with anything. She couldn’t just sit here, no matter how hungry she was.
“You’ll come around, Emma. You always do.”
“Not anymore.”
“You think because some other Alpha came chasing your tail that you’re hot stuff now?”
“I already had one foot out the door, Lucien. It wouldn’t matter if another Alpha was interested in me or not. I never should have agreed to marry you.”
“Big talk from a wolf in a cage.”
“Big talk from a wolf whose Luna doesn’t even like him.”
His eyes flashed red for a moment, but Lucien couldn’t afford to lose his temper. He couldn’t afford to injure her. He would lose credibility with his pack if they saw his cruelty towards Emma. An Alpha could get away with a lot, but abuse was not tolerated, especially towards a Luna.
“Now you’re calling yourself my Luna? You are not worthy of the title.”
She didn’t want to be his Luna, but she would play along a little bit until she escaped. “I’m not your Luna, Lucien. And no amount of starving me out will make me want to be in that position.”
He leaned his arms on the bar. “I can wait, Emma.”
“Do you think my parents will appreciate you torturing their daughter?”
He didn’t flinch at the mention of her parents. That wasn’t a good sign. She didn’t have any delusions that her parents would be worried about her. She had stopped being a concern to them the day she married the Alpha in front of her.
“Your parents aren’t interested in your life. They probably don’t even know you were gone, and I doubt you’d tell them. No, Emma, you consider yourself brave, but you haven’t told them that you left.”
He had a point, but she wasn't close with her parents. She had no desire to be since, in her mind, they’d encouraged her to marry Lucien. He was a wolf who hadn’t even love d her. They’d made a business deal and she’d been the prize. What they thought didn’t matter to her.
She would take a different tack with Lucien. “You are a jerk, Lucien.”
“As if your opinion mattered to me.”
“This is all for your ego? You want me back to save face? Save that precious honor you talked about at the Council.”
He didn’t answer.
“You were the worst husband, Lucien. You never let me be a proper Luna to this pack. Every pack needs a Luna. You don’t think that some noticed this and left?”
He waved a hand. “Good riddance. I’m the Alpha.”
“Yes, you are and you set the tone for the pack,” Emma said. “You set a tone of abuse and anger.”
“I rule with an iron fist.”
He didn’t even see what was wrong with that. She was wasting her breath, but she would have her say anyway. “I wouldn’t stay with you if you were the last Alpha on earth.”
He didn’t flinch. He didn’t seem to care what she thought, but she was determined to say what she felt. “You were the worst husband. You never cared about my needs. Or what I wanted.”
“It doesn’t matter, Emma. You’ll be begging me for food and to come back.”
“No, I won’t Lucien. You don’t seem to understand that I’d rather die than be back with you.”
Still no reaction from him. What was going on? She’d never seen him so calm. His demeanor creeped her out. She would escape, but this time she’d be safer. Dex and his pack would protect her.
“You might as well get used to being here. I won’t be able to let you out until I know you won’t run.”
“You’d keep me here? Forever?”
“Yes, Emma. If that’s what I have to do.”
“What explanation will you give?” she asked.
“I’ll think of one. You’re mine, Emma. My Luna even if you don’t want to be.”
His words put a chill into her. Lucien was even crueler than she had realized. “You’d keep me here to salve your ego?”
“Yes, Emma. You can agree to stay with me or you can stay in this cage.”
“I won’t stay with you, Lucien. You’re an awful wolf. An awful Alpha.”
That time he flinched, but she wouldn’t have seen it if she hadn’t been looking. Would he let her go if she wore down his armor? She doubted it. It was up to her to get out of here. Dex might take a while to find her, but she did not doubt that he’d keep looking.
One of the guards came in and interrupted them. He whispered something to Lucien then left. Lucien smiled at her. “Seems we have an intruder in the territory. I’ve given orders to kill.”
Emma’s heart stopped for a moment, but then she steeled herself. Dex or no Dex, she wasn’t staying here. She just hoped there was a Dex when she left. She tasted his love and wanted more. She had seen what a good marriage could be.
She’d rather spend the rest of her life alone than with Lucien.
“Let’s see how good that boyfriend of yours is,” Lucien said. “Maybe he’ll just be half dead and I can kill him right in front of you.”
Emma didn’t let the tears in her eyes leak out. She wouldn’t give Lucien the satisfaction. Her fingers worked on the bracelet behind her back. She would get it off and shift. That would be her way out of here.
“I like that plan a lot. I will break you, Emma.
Lucien let out a laugh, then left her alone.