Lyra's POV

I couldn't stop my heart from beating very fast, it almost felt like it was going to come out of my chest.

 Keto's grip on my hand was as firm as iron. He pulled me down to a dark, narrow hallway. 

The air inside the hallway was cool compared to the hot air outside.

We got to a spot where I saw a set of metal stairs, and it led to what had to be an underground basement. 

I became so scared, and the sheer terror of what awaited me once I got to the drilling pit hugged me tightly as we walked. What awaits me there? That question lingered in my mind like the pull of gravity.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked, even though my voice was shaky.

 It was quite obvious from my voice that I was really scared, but I couldn't help it.

Keto didn't answer. He just kept walking as though he was deaf and dumb.

His refusal to answer my question made my stomach hurt.  I haven't heard any tales about Keto, unlike Orion, but I could tell he was loyal to Orion.

 I was terrified of Orion, but Keto? I wasn't sure about him, I would try to get to him. 

I swallowed hard and summoned every piece of courage I had left.

 I stamped my feet and yanked my arm away from his hand. He stopped immediately. "I said, Where are you taking me?"

He turned to face me, and his silver eyes scanned the area as though he wanted to be sure no one was watching. 

 "You'd better come with me peacefully," he started trying to make his voice a little calm, "Don't make this harder than it already is."

Harder? My lungs tightened, but I stood my ground, even though my knees were shaking. "Tell me where we're going," I insisted, louder than I intended.

Keto sighed and ran his hand through his hair, pushing it back. 

He stared at me for a while, like he was considering his options. 

Then he opened his mouth to answer me.

"I'm taking you to a place where your chances of coming out in one piece are fifteen percent."

Fifteen percent of surviving? My eyes widened in fear, and it felt like his words went through me like a spear.

 For a while, I couldn't feel my legs anymore, and feverish sweat broke out across my forehead. 

The drilling pit sounded like a death sentence. I'd rather find a way to escape. 

"Please," I whispered as I stepped closer to him, my hands still shaking slightly.

 "Keto, please help me escape. Don't take me to the drilling pit. I'm begging you."

He stared at me, his expression neutral. 

And for a second, it seemed like I saw something in his eyes, like confusion or conflict.

 I remembered when we just met, how he was my mate, just like Orion. Perhaps I can use that as leverage to make him help me.

His eyes went soft, just a little bit, and I held on to that tiny hope. Is he torn between his loyalty to his Alpha and the bond between us?

Finally, he nodded his head. "Fine," he said. "I'll help you. But you have to do exactly what I say."

I felt relieved, so much that it almost pushed me to tears. 

 "Okay," I said, and nodded quickly. "I will. I'll do anything you say."

Without warning, he bent down and carried me on his shoulder without any struggle on his part.

 I gasped, and my hands instinctively grabbed his shirt to steady myself. "What are you doing? How is this helping me escape?"

"You'd slow me down if I let you walk," he grunted as he walked.

I squirmed, and somehow, my heart started racing again. 

We moved past the basement walls, but something felt odd. "Wait," I said as I lifted my head slightly. "Why are we going deeper into the basement? Shouldn't we be going out instead?"

Keto stopped walking, he tilted his head a little bit, "You want me to take you through the route where we came in? Orion is probably right behind us by now."

I zipped my mouth shut.  Leaving through the same route obviously wasn't a good plan. The possibility of running into Orion was high, like he said. 

When Keto noticed I had no more words to say, he took it as a cue to keep going.

At least he was helping me. I didn't know how, but if I had any chance of escaping, he was my only option.

We reached a staircase that was sort of narrow and steep, which led deeper underground.

 Keto didn't hesitate,  he descended through the steps and I held his shirt tightly. 

 At the bottom, we reached a worn-out metal door. He shifted me slightly and used one of his hands to push the door open. 

He stepped inside and set me down on the floor.

I still couldn't feel my legs, but I tried to steady myself.  

 He'd agreed to help me escape, and the least I could do was to appreciate him for risking his life to help me. So I lifted my head up to face him head-on and thank him.

But I swallowed the thanksgiving speech that was already on my lips when my eyes sighted things that looked like I was in a nightmare.

Dozens of men were scattered across the room, their eyes turned to me like a camera detecting motion.

 They were huge, really huge. Some smiled at me, others just kept staring, but they all looked like monsters devoid of feelings.

The relief I felt earlier was quickly replaced by a fear that was almost suffocating.

I returned my attention back to Keto, "What is going on?" I sounded like a child on the verge of sobbing. 

He wouldn't meet my eyes. He looked elsewhere. "I'm sorry," he said, "I can't risk disobeying my Alpha for you."

The words hit me like a knife to the heart.

 Betrayed. He'd lied to me. He'd never planned to help me escape. 

He'd brought me straight to the drilling pit, or whatever this place was. 

My knees gave in, and I held the wall to prevent myself from falling. 

How could I have been so stupid to believe he was actually helping me?

 One of the men, a fat guy with a handkerchief wrapped around his cheek, walked closer to me.

 "Looks like Alpha Orion brought us a new toy to play with," he said, smiling.

Panic enveloped me right from my head down to my toes; any moment from now, these men would be all over me.

Lyra's POV

Tears stung my eyes as I turned to Keto, "What are they going to do to me?"

The men in the hall started circling around me.

They looked really cruel, and their hungry stares made me feel disgusted. 

Keto folded his arms, his face hard but not as cold as Orion's. 

He took a glance at the men, then returned his gaze to me. "If I were you, I wouldn't worry about them," he said, "They're the mouth. Orion's the teeth."

My breath seized. Orion. Of course. He was the real danger, the one who could crush me with a single word.

 My eyes went to the heavy metal door we had just entered.

Good to see it was still open, but Keto's words interrupted me.

"Don't even think about it," He said.

But I didn't listen. His words meant no shit to me anymore.

 Panic surged all over me as I ran towards the door.

I could hear the men laughing behind me like a pack of hyenas.

The fact that Keto didn't try to stop me should have made me worried, but I was too preoccupied with my escape plans.

I ran as fast as I could, cared less about directions, just ran as far away as possible from the drilling pit, and Orion, but I couldn't get very far away. I bumped into a pair of red eyes and froze on the spot.

 Orion didn't say a word, he just held his gaze on me like a red traffic light at night.

 I became paralyzed at the spot, like a statue that lacked mobility. His massive height made me feel like an ant staring up at a giant.

That made him scarier, like he could easily squeeze me without any struggle.

He wore a white singlet that hugged his body, revealing all the strong muscles and dark tattoos he had on.

"Going somewhere?" he asked.

I nodded dumbly, my head moved before I could stop it. 

He twitched his lips, "Go back," he said, gesturing his head toward the hall.

I started to turn, ready to obey just to avoid his wrath.

 But then something unexpected happened within me, and the words came out before I could stop them. "I'm not yours to order around like a slave."

Orion's eyebrows went up, his eyes widening for a second. 

It was the kind of surprise that said no one had ever disobeyed his order before, especially not a woman.

My heart pounded fast, but I couldn't take my words back now. Although I wished I could.

"What did you say?" 

I swallowed my fear, even though my hands were still shaking. 

 I lifted my chin up. "I'm not yours to order around like a slave," I said, louder this time around.

Orion's face changed, he became red with anger, though that flicker of surprise was still visible.

 His gaze went to someone who was obviously behind me, but, before I could turn, I felt strong arms wrapping me from behind.

"Let me go!" I yelled, trying to yank free, but it was like fighting a steel gate.

 I knew it was Keto-his grip was unmistakable.

Orion didn't say a word as Keto carried me back into the hall, my kicks and shouts doing nothing.

 The men's laughter grew louder, mocking me.

 Keto set me down inside, and I stumbled, barely catching myself. 

I was about to stand when the door creaked, and Orion walked in. 

He had to bend his head to fit through the frame, his height made the door looked small.

 The men quickly cleared their throats and straightened up like soldiers.

 Orion's presence sucked the air out of the room, and every eye was on him-except mine. 

I couldn't look away from the ground.

"I know you're all wondering who I have brought in this time." Orion said.

One of the men, a huge guy with golden teeth spoke up. "She's too weak, boss. She's not gonna last."

Orion chuckled, and the men took it as a cue to laugh.

I didn't understand what they meant, but the fear in my gut told me it was bad. 

 "My initial plan was to let two of you have her for the night as you please," he said casually, "She was supposed to be for me, but she's not the kind of woman I'd want to fuck around with."

My stomach dropped. I felt like I might vomit.

 His words echoed in my head, have her for the night. 

He was going to give me to these men, like I was nothing. A whore, just like he'd called me.

The men were about ten, maybe twelve. I tried hard not to cry as I stared at them. 

Then one of them stepped forward. "Just give the word, boss, and we'll take turns," he said.

I wanted to scream, to run, but my legs were rooted to the spot. 

My mind raced, searching for how to come out of this troubles, but Orion's next words stopped my thoughts cold.

"But," he said, pausing for effect, "she showed me something earlier. The wit of a warrior."

I looked up, my breath catching. He was talking about what I'd said in the hallway, my defiance.

 Was that a good thing? Or had I just made things worse?

Orion turned to face me, "For daring to disobey a direct order," he said, "you're going to fight my strongest female werewolf tomorrow."

The room spun. Fight? Me? I could barely stand, not to talk of fighting.

"I've heard the rumors about how strong you are, Ravenna," Orion continued, his voice mocking. "You'll prove it tomorrow."

Ravenna. My heart skipped a beat. He thought I was Ravenna. But I wasn't. I was Lyra, stuck in Ravenna's body. 

Ravenna might've been a fierce fighter, but me? I'd never thrown a punch in my life. 

Back home, I was the weakling, the one everyone pitied. I was never trained to fight.

 Now I was supposed to face Orion's strongest werewolf? I'd be torn apart for sure.

Orion's gaze never left me, his lips curling into a cruel smile. 

Sweat dripped down my face, stinging my eyes.

 I wanted to beg, to tell him I wasn't Ravenna, but what good would that do? 

He'd probably laugh and throw me to the men anyway. 

My defiance had bought me a fight instead of a night of horror, but it felt like trading one death sentence for another.

Lyra's POV

I found myself in a small room, alone with Keto. He had dragged me down here at Orion's command. 

This time around, the only thing on my mind was the way Keto had betrayed me after he had agreed to help me escape. 

 We were alone now, and I couldn't keep the anger anymore.

"You betrayed me!" I shouted,  "You said you'd help me escape, and instead you led me straight to the drilling pit!"

Keto's face didn't look like he was feeling any atom of guilt. 

 He crossed his arms and leaned his back on the wall like he is enjoying the whole show. "Would you have had sex with the men instead, huh?" he asked.

I scoffed at him, "Stop acting like you did me a favor, you bloody coward!"

 I moved closer to him and raised my finger at his chest. "You're just Orion's errand dog, too weak to even be called a man. But you know what? I'll tell him you're my mate. Let's see how he is going to react."

Keto's eyes widened, and I could see fear spreading across his face.

He looked around the room, like he was watching out for prying ears, then he leaned in.

"I don't know what you want, but you'll be making a terrible mistake if you think telling Orion something like that will save your life."

I cut him off. "At least I won't be dying alone."

He scowled, his jaw tightened. "Die? Who says you're going to die? Have you forgotten you're Ravenna? You're as strong as Nikki. I'm more worried about her death than yours."

I blinked my eyes, "I can't fight," I protested, and my voice sounded cracked.

 I wasn't Ravenna-not really. I was Lyra, trapped in her body, with none of her strength or skills.

Keto laughed, a short, mocking sound that made my cheeks burn. "Stop pretending," he said. "I know about your exploits, Ravenna. Defeating Nikki will be easy for you."

The urge to just tell him the fucking truth was strong, but no words came out.

 How could I make him understand? I wasn't the warrior he thought I was. 

Ravenna might've been a legend, but I was just Lyra, scared, weak, and completely out of my league.

If I told him the truth, would he believe me? Or would he drag me back to Orion?

I pushed the panic down and clung to my anger instead. "I'm still telling Orion about our bond," I said, "Let's see how you squirm then."

Keto's eyes flashed with anger, and he stepped closer, his voice rising. "You think you're clever? I know about your affair with Kevin. If you tell Orion about me, I'll make sure he knows about you and Kevin. Good luck surviving that."

Kevin? My mind blanked for a second, confusion swirling. 

Then it clicked, Kevin was Jacob. My Jacob, the one who'd jilted me, who'd kissed me in the gym and dragged me into all this mess.

But an affair? I didn't understand how it all connected. Was Ravenna involved with him, too?

 A strange headache disturbed me as I tried to piece it together, but I didn't have time to think.

I heard Footsteps outside the door, and Keto heard it too; he swallowed his words immediately.

He turned to face the door as it opened.

 Jacob-Kevin-walked inside, and his familiar face sent a jolt of rage through me.

 Keto said something about resting for tomorrow to me, but I was too focused on Jacob to hear him.

He walked past Jacob and greeted him with a nod.

Through the open door, I saw two guards stationed outside, their eyes fixed on me like hawks. 

My stomach twisted. No escape.

Jacob closed the door behind him, and I wanted to scream, to demand why he kept showing up to ruin my life.

 But I stopped myself. I was in Ravenna's body, and as far as anyone knew, I was Ravenna.

 If I acted like Lyra, I'd blow my cover and probably get myself killed. 

So I bit my tongue, my hands clenching into fists.

He stepped closer, his eyes softening like he was about to kiss me again. 

My skin crawled at the thought, but he glanced at the door, wary of the guards, and kept his distance.

Instead, he leaned in and whispered, "Nikki might be strong, but you're stronger, Ravenna. Stick to the plan."

I nodded, forcing my face to stay neutral, but inside, I was burning. 

The plan? What plan? My mind screamed with rage. 

This was the man who'd betrayed me, who'd left me for another woman and shattered my heart.

 If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be trapped in this body, in this nightmare. 

The urge to lash out, to jump on him and kill him, surged through me, but I held it back. Barely.

He kept whispering, "Once you've seduced Orion and you sleep with him, we'll kill him, take his money,

 and run away together as lovers."

My eyes popped wide, shock hit me like a slap. Seduce Orion? Sleep with him? Kill him? And then run away with Jacob? The man I wanted to strangle to death? 

My stomach churned, and I had to clench my jaw to keep from gasping. This was the plan? Ravenna and Jacob-no, Kevin-had been plotting to murder Orion and escape as lovers?

 I couldn't wrap my head around it. Was this why Jacob had kissed me in the gym? Did he think I was still part of his twisted scheme?

I nodded again, my throat tight, but my mind was a chaotic storm.

I am not Ravenna. I didn't know her plans, her strength, or her love for Jacob. All I knew was that I hated him-hated him for breaking me, for dragging me into this, for thinking I'd ever want to run away with him. 

And Orion? The idea of seducing him made my skin crawl. 

He was a monster, a predator who'd called me a whore and thrown me to his men. Killing him might sound good, but I wasn't a murderer. I wasn't even a fighter.