CHAPTER TWO

The darkness is heavy, suffocating. It presses in from all sides, dragging me under, pulling me deeper. I can’t move, can’t breathe. It’s as if the weight of the world is crushing me, pressing down on my chest until I feel like I might shatter.

Then, the pain comes.

A sharp, searing ache that pulses through every inch of my body. My limbs feel like lead, my head throbbing with every weak beat of my heart. I try to move, to claw my way out of the abyss, but my body refuses to obey.

Somewhere in the distance, a voice calls my name. Low. Rough. Familiar.

I don’t want it to be familiar.

The darkness begins to crack. Light seeps through the fractures, burning at the edges of my vision. The pain sharpens, dragging me further into consciousness.

I blink.

Once. Twice.

The world comes into focus in slow, aching increments. A fire flickers somewhere nearby, casting a dim glow over rough stone walls. The air is thick with the scent of pine, smoke, and something darker. Something that makes my stomach twist.

A scent I know.

I go rigid.

Alderon Kane.

The realization sends a bolt of icy terror through my veins. My breath catches, and suddenly, I’m no longer in this room—I’m back there, in the past, with his hands around my throat, his voice whispering poison into my ear.

The fear almost consumes me. Almost.

But fear is useless now.

I shove it down, locking it away with all the other pieces of myself I refuse to let him break. My body is weak, my muscles aching with exhaustion, but I force myself to move. I push the thick fur blanket off of me and try to sit up, only for the room to spin violently around me.

A low, knowing hum reaches my ears.

“You shouldn’t be moving yet.”

His voice is smooth, almost lazy, but there’s an edge to it. A warning.

I don’t look at him. I won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing the way my hands tremble as I steady myself.

“Where am I?” I ask, my voice hoarse.

A pause. Then—

“Home.”

My head snaps toward him.

He’s sitting in a chair across the room, one leg stretched out, his arms resting casually on the armrests as if he has all the time in the world. The firelight flickers against his face, casting sharp shadows over his chiseled features. His golden eyes watch me, unreadable, but there’s something else in them. Something that makes my skin crawl.

I glare at him. “This isn’t my home.”

Alderon tilts his head slightly, as if considering my words. Then, with agonizing slowness, he stands.

The movement is effortless, predatory.

Every muscle in my body tenses as he takes a step closer. Then another. He stops at the edge of the bed, towering over me, his presence suffocating.

He lifts a hand. I flinch before I can stop myself.

His lips curve into something that’s not quite a smile.

“I should kill you for trying to run,” he says, his tone almost thoughtful.

My pulse pounds in my ears, but I force my voice to stay steady. “Then do it.”

Something flashes in his eyes. Amusement. Interest. Something darker.

He reaches out, his fingers brushing against my wrist. A jolt of warmth shoots through me, sharp and unwelcome. My breath stutters, my stomach twisting violently.

No.

No, no, no.

Not this.

Not the bond.

Alderon’s eyes darken, as if he feels it too.

As if he’s always known.

“now wouldn't it be cruel for me to kill my mate, little wolf.” His voice is quiet, but it carries through the room like a sentence. “You’ve always been mine.”

I rip my hand away, ignoring the way my skin burns where he touched me. My breathing is uneven, my pulse frantic.

I won’t accept this.

I can’t.

Alderon studies me for a moment, then steps back, as if giving me space. As if it matters. His next words seal my fate.

“You can hate me all you want,” he murmurs, turning away. “But you’ll never escape me.”

he walks toward the door, stopping in front of it, to throw me a look. " rest, you'll need all the rest you can get"

The door closes behind him, the sound echoing in the silence. and the anger is back. the rage.

but I knew that these rage is useless, because the moment his next to me. it totally worthless

The silence in the room is deafening. My heart pounds in my chest as I stare at the door Alderon walked through, my body still tense from his presence.

I should be planning my next move, thinking of how to escape, but all I can focus on is the lingering heat of his touch, the way his scent still clings to the air like a curse.

Mate.

The word slams into me again, unwanted, unwelcome. I grit my teeth, shoving the thought away. He is not my mate. He is my captor. My enemy. The monster who took everything from me.

I turn toward the window, my only connection to the outside world. The moonlight spills across the floor, casting eerie shadows that stretch toward me like ghostly fingers. The night is alive with the sounds of the forest—crickets chirping, the distant howl of a wolf, the rustling of leaves in the wind.

The wind.

My pulse quickens. If I can feel the wind, that means this window isn’t sealed shut.

Moving quickly, I cross the room and press my hands against the wooden frame. The glass is old, the wood slightly warped. If I apply enough force—

A sharp creaking sound filled the room as the door swung open.

I whirl around just as the door creaks open, and a man steps inside. He’s tall, broad-shouldered, with sharp blue eyes that miss nothing. Unlike Alderon, his gaze lacks amusement.

He looks at me like I’m an inconvenience.

"Get up," he orders, his voice clipped.

I stay where I am, my fists clenched. "Who are you?"

He exhales sharply, clearly irritated. ". Caleb,Beta of Mooncrest."

Alderon’s second-in-command.

My stomach tightens, but I keep my expression blank. If he’s here, that means Alderon sent him. But for what?

Jarek steps closer, eyes narrowing. "The Alpha wants you downstairs."

A cold knot of dread forms in my chest. "Why?"

"Get up," he repeats, ignoring my question.

I don’t move.

His jaw ticks. "You can come willingly, or I can drag you there. Your choice."

I know better than to think he’s bluffing. I don’t doubt that he’d enjoy forcing me.

I take a slow breath, my mind scrambling for options. Fighting him would be useless. Running isn’t an option—not yet.

So I do the only thing I can.

I push to my feet and follow him out of the room.