My Professor Is My Alpha Mate (Lila) novel Chapter 223

Lila’s POV

It felt like my entire body was numb, and yet, all I felt was pain. It wasn’t the same fiery feeling I felt earlier, but it felt as if I was just beaten. My body felt heavy, and my breathing was rash, but at least I was breathing.

I had yet to open my eyes, but I knew once I did, I wasn’t going to find myself in the arena. I wasn’t sure where I was expecting I was, but I knew Professor Xander had to do with this.

I also had this strange sense of loneliness, but it wasn’t that I felt alone in general, I somehow knew, without even opening my eyes, that I was alone in this area. I didn’t feel safe, but I also didn’t feel as if I was in immediate danger as well.

Managing to open my eyes, I finally got a glimpse of the darkness that surrounded me. I heard myself groaning as I lifted my head, trying to get a grasp of my surroundings, but I was getting nothing. All I felt was pain and all I smelled was nasty mildew and maybe even Hay.

Was I in a stable?

The school didn’t have a stable, which meant I wasn’t on campus. But I can’t imagine he took me far from school.

How long have I been out for?

I moved my hands, trying to grip the ground under me and I was relieved to feel that my hands were free of any cuffs. When I moved my feet, I was even more relieved.

He didn’t shackle me for whatever reason, but that didn’t help me if I didn’t know where I was. The quick movements of my body caused pain to shoot through me and I gritted my teeth at the very sensation, trying to keep myself from screaming in agony.

That fiery feeling was returning to my veins, and I took a steady deep breath to keep myself from passing out again. I gripped the dirt that lay under my body, silently begging for the goddess to relieve some of this pain.

Soon, the pain eased, and I found the strength to sit up.

I scooted backward until my back was able to rest against a wall and I allowed my body to relax slightly. Once my eyes adjusted to the darkness and I was able to get some kind of look at my surroundings, I realized he didn’t shackle me because he had locked me in some kind of cage.

I was also right about the hay; I was surrounded by it. It was like a stable, but I didn’t sense any life around me, which meant there were no animals. The walls were made of rustic wood and on the very top of the tall wall sat a couple of windows. They weren’t big enough to crawl through though, so I didn’t find much hope for them.

In front of me, beyond the cage I was placed in, I saw a giant arched closed door with streaks of light breaking through the cracked corners and I realized I was inside of a barn.

My heart was racing rapidly; why would he bring me here to just leave me?

I tried to remember the last thing he said to me.

“You need to learn to escape the impossible.”

Was this some kind of test?

“Val?” I whispered out loud to my wolf. “Are you with me?”

I knew the answer long before I even asked the question; her silence only confirmed it. I was completely on my own. She was too weak to say or do anything, but I knew she was there in the back of my mind, itching to come out.

Take it in. Embrace it. Own it.

Those words still haunted my mind.

I wondered if Enzo could feel my distress, even if I was out of range.

“Professor Xander?” I called into the dark, knowing he wasn’t there.

I lay defeated on the ground, with zero hope of getting out of here.