CHAPTER 7

Pain was the first thing my body registered the moment I opened my eyes. It wasn't sharp and excruciating like the aftermath of Hunter's guards torturing me, neither was it as destabilizing as Vivian's insults. The pain that woke me was dull , just barely there to hint that I was still alive.

My eyes blinked to a ceiling I couldn't recognize. Even the stone walls didn't help in jogging my memory. Warm light filled the room and I traced it to a lamp shining in the corner. A small part of me had expected blood stained walls, and perhaps the stale stench of decayed bodies. That was usually the signature scent in the dungeons, so why was this different?

One more look at my surroundings proved I wasn't in the dungeon and I couldn't help but wonder why.

I tried to sit up, and winced as pain spread through my body. Something poked at my sides, and I came to realize they were bandages. Someone had tended to my wounds. Why?

I was a rogue, and rogues didn't get kindness. All we got was pain and suffering, and in the end, death too. I knew I should be grateful that I was safe, but I didn't feel safe. It felt more of a trap than anything else, and it made my skin crawl.

Alongside that, I couldn't remember how I'd gotten here. I remembered being roused to consciousness by those two people, and I still remembered walking out of a room that wasn't this one, so how had I ended up here?

Something was wrong, and the words had barely registered itself before a thought made its way to my mind. It was the answer to my question, and as it replayed itself in my mind,I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

His eyes were the first thing that flashed in my mind. They were cold and said everything his mouth didn't. He didn't trust me, but somehow he didn't order for my execution immediately. Like I wasn't already going through it all, my wolf had decided it was okay to play tricks on me.

Wolf.

The soft whisper of my wolf haunted me over and over again. There was no way a man as ruthless as Alpha Darius could be my mate. It just had to be some kind of sick prank,or misunderstanding.

Before I could register it any further, I pushed the thoughts aside. I had better and more important things to think about than a silly and non-existent wolf bond.

I wasn't sure what else I was going to do, but luckily, before I could make any choice, fate intervened. Voices from the other side of the door reached my ears, and I perked up immediately. They were faint at first, until they got sharper with each breath, and I paused, just so I could catch everything properly.

“She'll have to prove herself?” The first voice was more of a question than anything else, and I quickly realized, it was feminine. She sounded familiar, and in no time I'd put it together. Hazel. “Is that really what he said?”

“Yes.” Another masculine voice cut in, and it was Davis. “But she's still healing. She could barely stand. You saw her, didn't you?”

“The Alpha won't care.” Hazel's voice every bit of sadness I could find. “Alpha Darius' orders are final.”

Alpha Darius. The name snapped me more awake than I already was, and a searing pain filled my chest.

“Do you really think she's a spy?” Hazel spoke up again. “She looked really terrified, and her wounds…”

“She could be faking it.” Davis huffed in response. “You remember what happened last year, right? The rogues are getting smarter and she could just be a part of their new strategy.”

“What do you think will happen?” Hazel asked, and I wished she didn't. Somehow, a small part of me already knew the answer she was going to give would be nowhere near good.

“i have no idea.” He hesitated. “But he won't go easy on her, especially not now.”

“Come on.” Hazel let out a sigh. “We should leave. We don't want her waking up and getting all worked up again. It'll only make things worse.’

The sound of footsteps receding reached my ears, and only when they'd disappeared fully did I let out a breath I had no idea I was holding.

My heart slammed furiously in my chest as the weight of their words hit me like a train.

Did they really want me to prove myself, and to him too?

My eyes darted around the room in panic, and it landed on some clothes spread out on the bed. It was a long sleeved tunic and leggings, and judging from how soft they were, you could tell they had been worn, not just once.

A shudder raced down my spine at the thought of what was going on. They were nursing me back to health, just so they could test me.

My stomach twisted, and goosebumps made its way up my arms. This wasn't safety at all

. I knew what it meant to prove myself. It meant fights, shifting, trials meant to break and damage you. I'd seen it happen before and I wasn't the least bit ready to go through with it.

There was no way I could be mated with a monster like him. He looked like the kind that tortured people just for fun, just to see how much they could take before he discarded them.

No, no no.

I pushed my weight off the bed, before staggering towards the window. My legs protested the weight, and a wave of dizzy spells hit me square in the jaw. My hands found the walls in a weak attempt to steady myself, and only when I'd gotten a hold of my balance did I continue my journey.

Outside, the moon was high, it's light casting shadows on the world below. The forest was close, and I knew for a fact that the trees would provide the perfect cover for what I was about to do.

I had to run before morning came, I had to run before they came to drag me into some kind of arena and made a spectacle of me.

I had no idea what the forest or the outside world held, but it was a risk I was willing to take. Anything was better than being caged up in here like an animal waiting to be slaughtered.

As the moon shonr bright, I decided deep down and inside of me.

I was going to run away, and before morning too.