Bred Behind Bars

Lilith POV

In a world where genders were nothing more than secondary traits, the world was divided by these traits. There were alphas, the apex and predators of the food chain; omegas, who followed closely behind, especially those born to prestigious families; and then, there were betas. I was a beta. I was normal, like normal, constantly struggling to make ends meet in a system against anyone without status or power.

I stepped down from the cab, taking a sharp breath as I felt nervousness crawl up my spine. I nervously fiddled with my fingers, my eyes lowered to the tattered shoes on my feet. The shoes screamed years of poverty and were used despite my effort to wash and scrub them two days ago to make them presentable.

I wanted to turn and run away, knowing I didn’t fit in a place like this. Yet, I couldn’t because everything in my life depended on me being here. I slowly raised my head, gulping a little as I stared up at the gigantic stone walls and the heavy iron gate. It felt like a lifeline standing between me and the ruin—well, it was really a lifeline; it truly was.

The Stoneview Prison.

My friend Lilian had pitched me into this work to save me, and I had been eager to take it because I had no other choice. Stoneview Prison offered shelter for the officers, meals, and money. It was money I needed to send to the hospital for my mother’s medical treatments and pending debts.

I drew a breath in through my mouth while my stomach twisted in knots. Blinking rapidly as I repeated a silent mantra inside my head to calm my racing pulse. I could do this. I had to do it for the money and for my mom.

I rummaged through my worn bag, pulling out the folded acceptance letter. I stared at the official stamp of acceptance for a moment, clutching the strap of my bag tightly; my knuckles turned white before I walked up to the security guard at the entrance.

I cleared my throat softly; my throat bobbed, but nothing came out when the man turned his hard gaze at me. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand; I couldn’t do it. The environment—everything—was intimidating and terrifying. But I swallowed and clenched my fists at my sides; I could feel tears sting the backs of my eyes from anxiousness to spill over.

“I-i,” I choked out, couldn’t get the words out, but I passed the white envelope across the desk to the guard.

The man stared at me coldly from head to toe, letting out a dismissive scoff before muttering, “Freak.”

I flinched slightly at the familiar insult. It was a word I had heard throughout while growing up—freak, weirdo. I wetted my dry lips as the man roughly tore open the envelope, pulled out the acceptance letter, and scanned the contents.

The guard let out a tsk after finishing the text, then raised his eyes to rake them over me once more with disdain, making me wish I could disappear.

“Can you survive here?” the man sneered, his voice dripping with condescension. “This place isn’t for soft girls!” he shouted, and I flinched again from the harshness of his tone. “This is a prison for alphas, not for…” He looked me up and down one more time. “You.”

I clutched my side, forcing my chin up slightly to get whatever backbone I could get. “I-I’m here for the re-replacement,” I managed to force the words out.

“Replacement work,” the man mimicked mockingly, laughing at his taunting joke before pressing the button to open the heavy iron gate. As I took my first hesitant step inside, an overwhelming sense of dread washed over me, making me feel as though I had just signed my life and freedom away.

I was given a pamphlet, or rather the guard tossed a pamphlet at me, making me scramble quickly to catch it. I blinked, holding the paper to read the printed map. The prison grounds were massive and gargantuan, housing some of the most dangerous criminal alphas locked away.

When I finally reached the warden’s office, I let out a shaky breath, staring at the mahogany door as I tried to calm my jarring nerves. I had been surprised when my application was accepted in the first place—a beta, and a woman at that—but what could go wrong? I raised a trembling hand; I knocked once on the door.

“Come in!” a deep, commanding voice boomed from the other side, causing me to draw in another shuddered breath before I pushed the door open and stepped inside with my head lowered.

A sharp screech sounded with a chair scraping the floor, followed by footsteps closing the distance between them, making my heart hammer against my ribs. Was the warden walking toward me?

As I slowly raised my head, my eyes widened in horror as I recognized the familiar face that had haunted my nightmares and tormented me throughout my high school days.

“You are finally here,” he said clinically, speaking in that voice that sent chilling goosebumps down my spine. I should have known the moment I received that acceptance letter that something about it was suspicious.

“K-Kane,” I stuttered, my voice barely a whisper.

“Yes, it is me, darling,” he grinned, stepping close for me to catch the suffocating scent of his cologne. “Welcome to my domain.”

And I gulped, wondering if it wasn’t too late to turn around and run.