Ex-Alpha's Regret: Siren's Comeback novel Chapter 70

POV: Seraphina

The moment the guards' footsteps faded down the adjoining corridor, Elara turned the key. The lock slid open with a well-oiled, almost silent click. The door swung inward, revealing a long, torch-lit hallway, blessedly empty. This was it.

We didn't run. We walked, our steps measured, our heads bowed, two invisible servants on an unimportant errand. We moved through the labyrinthine service corridors of the manor, a hidden world of stone and shadow that ran beneath the opulent halls where my husband was celebrating his hollow victory. The air was thick with the smell of cooking grease and stale wine. Twice, we heard the boisterous laughter of a patrol up ahead and melted back into a dark alcove, our hearts hammering against our ribs, until they passed. Each near-miss was a jolt of pure, terrifying adrenaline.

We reached the small, hidden postern gate in the northern wall, the one used by the gardeners. Elara produced a key. The lock was old and stiff. It groaned in protest, the sound echoing in the silent night like a gunshot. We both froze, listening, every muscle tensed. Silence.

The gate swung open onto the cool, damp air of the forest. And there, standing like a wraith in the shadows of the ancient oaks, was Jax. He wasn't alone. A small team of his elite warriors, clad in black, stood with him, their faces grim, their weapons ready.

Relief, so powerful it almost buckled my knees, washed over me. I had made it. I was out.

Jax's eyes met mine. He didn't smile. He simply nodded, a silent acknowledgment of a promise kept.

And then, the night was shattered.

A single, piercing bell began to toll from the highest tower of the manor. The escape bell. An alarm that hadn't been rung in a generation. It was a frantic, clanging sound that spoke of a profound violation. A prisoner of the Alpha had escaped.

Lights began to flare to life all across the manor. The distant music of the party died, replaced by the sound of shouted orders and running feet.

They knew.

POV: Damian

The sound of the alarm bell cut through the banquet hall like a physical blow. The music stopped. The chatter died. A hundred faces turned towards me, their expressions a mixture of confusion and alarm.

My first thought was: Rogues.

Then Elias, my Beta, burst into the hall, his face ashen. He ran to my side, his voice a low, panicked whisper for my ears alone.

There.

Faint, weak, but still there. The thrum of the mate bond. To the north. Towards the deep woods.

She was running.

POV: Seraphina

Jax grabbed my arm. "Sera, we have to go! Now!"

We plunged into the darkness of the forest, his warriors forming a protective circle around us. We ran, crashing through the undergrowth, the frantic tolling of the alarm bell at our backs. And then, carried on the night wind, came another sound. A sound that chilled me to the bone.

The enraged, hunting howl of my husband. And it was getting closer.