Chapter 91

Valerie

The only sound within the cell were the occasional footsteps I could hear overhead.

It was a loud, hollow sound—like there was a room located above us. But the people within it did little to hide their presence, which made me think it was not connected to the cells at all. Rather, the room simply sat beneath it.

And then, of course, there was the never-ending patter of water dripping from the damp ceiling.

The cloth that had been tied around my mouth burned hot against my skin. Already, it was damp with saliva and sweat. It would not be taken off, I was informed, until it was time to eat. And when that time came, I took every opportunity to speak out.

It was the wolf himself who came to feed me. He knelt beside me with a bowl of porridge and yanked the cloth free from my mouth. “Eat,” he said. “And don’t cause a fuss. There’s nothing magic in here. Just some shitty gruel cooked up to keep you alive.”

I ate every spoonful he offered, thankful for the watery porridge. It wa