Page 96 of Bad Wolf's Nanny

The alpha line held, but barely.

And time was running out.

Chapter 21 - Lola

The air in the basement was thick and damp, the scent of mildew clinging to every surface. Lola’s fingers trembled as she swept them along the edge of the stone wall, her breath shallow and controlled only by sheer will. Overhead, the heavy footfalls of guards echoed like thunder, every creak and shift in the floorboards above making them all flinch.

The women huddled close, their eyes wide with fear but shining with determination. Daisy crouched beside Cassie, whispering softly, trying to keep her steady. Poppy and Bree took their places near the stairs, listening intently, ready to signal if anyone came too close.

Lola moved through the basement with methodical purpose, scanning, searching, every nerve in her body screaming to panic, but she couldn’t afford that now. Not when they were so close.

She pulled aside a broken shelving unit, its wood brittle from years of rot. Behind it, half-concealed by debris and dust, she found a rusted cabinet pressed into the stone. With effort, she dragged it away, grunting softly with the strain.

“Cassie,” she whispered, “over here.”

Cassie hurried over, brushing her hair out of her face. Lola dropped to her knees, brushing away a thick layer of dust. A grate, corroded and ancient, stared back at them.

“Is that it?” Cassie asked.

“I think so. There’s no reason for this grate to be here; there must be a tunnel behind it.”

Lola grabbed the edge and pulled, but it didn’t budge. The hinges were stiff with rust, the latch a tangled mess of old iron and grime.

Cassie leaned in, brow furrowing, “It’s locked. Old iron bolt.”

“Can you pick it?”

Cassie blinked at her. “With what?”

Lola’s fingers darted to the ribbon in her hair, pulling it loose. Beneath the messy bun, she retrieved a pin. Cassie took it, examining it like a surgeon preparing for delicate work.

“Give me a minute.”

Tension mounted as Cassie knelt beside the grate, working the pin carefully into the bolt. Every scrape of metal was painfully loud in the stillness.

Lola stood guard, her eyes darting to the stairs every few seconds. Above them, a laugh rang out. One of Red Teeth’s alphas. Cruel. Cocky.

Her skin crawled.

“Come on,” she murmured.

Cassie didn’t speak, her focus absolute. Then, a click.

The bolt slipped.

Cassie exhaled hard. “Got it.” She handed the hairpin back to Lola with an unreadable expression. “You know, Dane taught me and the boys how to do that.”

Lola swallowed, her throat dry.

No, no she couldn’t think about Dane right now. She had to focus.

They eased the grate open together, revealing a narrow, dust-choked tunnel entrance. Just beyond it was a small, rusted door, the handle discolored with age.

Lola pulled it open and peered into the dark. Cold air rushed out like a sigh. The tunnel sloped downwards, barely tall enough for a person to crawl through.

“I think it leads to the Grove,” she said. “It’ll take a while, but it’s safe. We can get out.”

Cassie grinned with shaky relief. “You’re a genius.”