Chapter 4 Horrible Imprisonment

"Tell me, Debra. What the hell happened?"

The veins in my father''s forehead bulged like they were about to burst. "Who''s the father?"

I bit my lip, my mind going completely blank. The shock hit me so hard I couldn''t even think straight.

Marley decided to twist the knife deeper. "Debra, you''ve really disappointed us. An Alpha''s daughter sleeping around before finding her mate? This is absolutely unheard of! A scandal like this will destroy the pack''s reputation."

I had no choice but to tell the truth.

"I''ve only been with one man—Caleb Wright, the Alpha of Thorn Edge Pack. He''s my mate."

"What? Are you absolutely sure?" My father''s face went stone cold.

His expression shifted through several emotions before he gradually composed himself. "You better not be lying to me."

Sure, Caleb had a reputation as a player, but everyone knew he was a damn good Alpha. Thorn Edge Pack was thriving under his leadership.

Obviously, my father was more comfortable with Caleb being my mate. If that was true, the pack''s reputation would stay intact.

"I''m going to verify this," he said roughly, though his tone had softened considerably. "I''m sending someone to ask Caleb directly. If I find out you''re lying, you''ll face serious consequences."

Then my father ordered me to be locked up while they investigated.

What he didn''t know was that Marley had specifically instructed the guards to throw me in their worst cell—the one reserved for traitors and the lowest scum.

The cell was pitch black, reeked of piss, and felt like a dungeon. The only blanket was torn to shreds and looked worse than something a homeless person would use.

The second they shoved me inside, I started dry heaving. My stomach cramped so badly from throwing up that I had to curl up on the filthy floor, shaking uncontrollably.

At night, the cold was brutal. I genuinely thought I might freeze to death.

"Hey, wake up. Breakfast time," the guard barked at me.

He tossed me a piece of moldy bread and kicked a bowl of water in my direction.

The water smelled like raw sewage. Just catching a whiff from across the cell made me gag again.

The guard smirked. "Pretty picky for someone in your position, aren''t you?"

I fought back the urge to vomit and shot back, "This isn''t food!"

The guard kicked the water bowl over, spilling it everywhere. "If you don''t want to eat, then starve! Luna Marley specifically ordered us to make your stay here miserable."

Marley? That bitch again!

She hated me even more than I''d realized.

The only thing she hadn''t done was kill me outright.

Clenching my jaw with rage, I swore I''d make her pay for this.

I promised myself that as soon as my father discovered the truth and cleared my name, I''d gather every piece of evidence I could to destroy the partnership between Silver Ridge Pack and Frosty River Pack. Then I''d expose Marley''s schemes and show my father exactly who she really was.

That hatred kept me alive. Fighting through the pain, I reached out and grabbed that moldy piece of bread.

***

The nightmare lasted three full days. When Vicky finally came to visit me, I was curled up in a ball in the corner of the cell.

She rushed over to me, but I noticed she was walking funny.

"Vicky, what''s wrong? Are you hurt?" I asked, worried sick.

Vicky didn''t want to talk about it. She just set down a lunch box and pulled me into a tight hug. "Debra, sweetheart, you''ve been through hell."

She looked at me with tears in her eyes, gently touching my face. "My God, how could they do this to you? You''re still the Alpha''s daughter! You''ve only been locked up for a few days and you''ve already lost so much weight."

Crying, Vicky helped me sit up and opened the lunch box to feed me.

But when she raised her hand, I caught sight of something under her sleeve.

It was a long, deep gash running from her wrist all the way to her shoulder. I could tell immediately it was from a whip. The wound was so deep it had torn her skin wide open. Whoever did this had put their full strength behind every lash.

Horrified, I yanked up Vicky''s shirt. Her entire body was covered in wounds.

There wasn''t a single inch of her skin that wasn''t injured.

No wonder she couldn''t come see me sooner. She probably couldn''t even get out of bed.

I couldn''t imagine the pain she was in.

Pure rage consumed me, making my whole body shake. Seeing this, Vicky quickly tried to comfort me. "I''m fine. Don''t worry about me."

"Vicky, what happened?" I begged her to tell me. "Please!"

Vicky sighed and gave in. "After they locked you up, I tried to prove your innocence. I knew Marley wouldn''t let you off easy. I was looking for a witness who could confirm that Caleb took you away that night, but Marley caught me."

"She''s the one who whipped you, isn''t she?" I ground my teeth, seething with fury.

Vicky didn''t deny it. She just smiled gently and said, "It doesn''t matter. It doesn''t hurt at all. Don''t worry about me."

I shook my head, drowning in guilt.

I had lied to Vicky, but all she cared about was saving me. She never once blamed me for deceiving her.

Ever since my mother died, Vicky had raised me. She was like a second mother to me.

"Vicky, I promise I''ll behave once I get out of here." Tears streaming down my face, I took her hands and squeezed them. "I swear I''ll listen to you from now on."

"Okay." Like my mother used to, Vicky smiled at me with pure love. She touched my cheek and whispered, "Don''t cry. You''re a grown woman now."

Even though Vicky was trying to stay positive, I could see the worry in her eyes.

After all, this wasn''t some minor issue. News of my pregnancy had spread throughout the entire pack. It was absolutely critical that my story be verified, or the pack''s reputation would be ruined.

Otherwise, my father would never let me go.

"Vicky, don''t worry. I wasn''t lying to my father. The baby''s father really is Caleb."

Caleb was my mate—the one and only man I''d ever slept with.

"That''s good." Vicky let out a huge sigh of relief.

"This place is locked down tight. You''ll only be released once Caleb confirms everything."

Only Caleb could save me now.

I couldn''t wait for him to back up my story.

But the next day, my father delivered news that shattered my heart.