Chapter 5 – A Prisoner's Past

                One moment, I was half-naked and vulnerable, huddled in a damp cave with a dominant Lycan Prince claiming me as his mate.

                One moment, I was half-naked, damp, and shivering in a cave, with a Lycan Prince looming over me like some overconfident predator announcing I was his mate. The next, I was dressed like a reluctant runway model, tucked into the plush interior of a limited-edition Maybach.

                 The smell of leather and cologne was so strong it practically screamed money, a jarring contrast to the earthy mildew of my cave hideout. I stared out the tinted window, watching trees blur past, trying to keep my hands from shaking. The thought of returning to my old pack made my stomach twist. I could already picture my parents’ faces, grim, furious, because I had managed to evade their clutches for weeks.

                “Why do you seem so reluctant to return to your own pack, Ana?” Romani’s voice cut through my spiraling thoughts. Calm, smooth, but sharp enough to slice. He sat beside me, perfectly composed, eyes on the road, yet somehow aware of every twitch I made, every flicker of emotion.

                “What exactly is wrong? Your Alpha will surely be relieved to see you, he’s your protector, isn’t he? And from your scent, I can tell you’re no rogue, the link to your pack isn’t entirely severed.”

                Damn him and his supernatural lie detector!

He peeled back my defenses like they were cheap wrapping paper, exposing everything I wanted buried. He was a master at dissecting my reticence, patiently seeking out every vulnerability.

                “I already told you, I don’t want to go back there,” I retorted, sharper than I intended. “But you’re forcing me. I’d rather head to Human Town. Moonlight Walkers has nothing left for me.”  

                His authoritative demeanor was beginning to grate on my nerves.

                He continued to insist we were mates, yet I felt no discernible bond, no magnetic pull, and Era remained equally unconvinced by his persistent assertions. Our shared disbelief in his claim only intensified my suspicion.

                “But procedures must be followed,” he explained, his tone even, as if explaining a simple formality to a stubborn child. “I must inform your Alpha that you are my mate and that I’m taking you to the Kingdom. And I need to know why you were alone in the forest when you clearly belong in a pack. You can start with the basics now.”

                I had skillfully dodged this topic, the true story of my departure, in the cave.

                But now, as the luxurious car sped along the winding forest road, I knew the truth was inevitable. Soon, it would all come to light, whether I volunteered it or not. I inhaled deeply, bracing myself.

                “I was promised to the Alpha’s son, Axel,” I began, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. “But I despise him. They wanted to use me. Hybrids are exploited as breeders or sacrificed in rituals. Surely you’ve heard of such practices?”

                I risked a quick glance at him, trying to gauge his reaction, to determine if he was genuinely ignorant or simply playing a cruel game.

                A deep frown creased his forehead, and he briefly cast his gaze out the window, his expression unreadable.

                “Yes,” he confirmed quietly while his eyes scanning the passing trees. “The shaman wasn’t chasing you for sport. He could have collected thousands of dollars if he had captured you. Increasingly shamans are hunting hybrids, your blood makes them stronger, grants them power. That, in turn, draws them more clients and allows them to charge exorbitant fees.”

                A chill ran down my spine, even though I had heard all of this before.

My grandmother, wise and cautious, had recounted tales of such horrors, filling my childhood with warnings about the dangers of my unique lineage. That was precisely why I had fiercely rejected Axel.

 The forced mating had been a grotesque arrangement, had felt fundamentally wrong, a violation of my very being. The unspoken interests at play had been more than clear, the Alpha and Luna’s thinly veiled excitement over the potential pups we could produce had been sickeningly transparent.

                “And you, what are your motives, then?” I pressed, my gaze unwavering, searching for any hint of deceit in his striking features. “Why do you want me?”

                 I remained focused, determined not to let this man sway me with his pretty words or charming façade. He had, after all, purchased an entirely new, exclusive wardrobe for me from one of the most elite designer stores in Human Town.

                It was an investment, of course. He, too, would be calculating his potential return once he had me completely in his power.

                “Motives?” He turned fully to me now, a bewildered expression on his face, as if my question itself were absurd. “You are my mate! You belong to me! We will always be together, later we will start a family and take over the Throne from my parents. In the meantime, you will learn the etiquette that befits Royals. There is a battery of experts ready to initiate you.”

                I shook my head slowly, a deep, weary sigh escaping me.

                I sighed, long and heavy. His grand plans sounded like a parody of a fairytale, almost comical in its absurdity, given my desperate desire for a quiet, free life.

                “We are not mates,” I stated firmly, meeting his gaze. “It’s merely an idea of yours, a delusion. And I have no ambition whatsoever to become Queen. I don’t even want a mate, not now, perhaps not ever. All I desire is freedom and a life of my own in Human Town, far away from the supernatural species who see me only as prey, as something to be used or hunted.”

                His eyes shifted, sea-blue drowning into obsidian black. His aura, previously one of commanding presence, now flared into a suffocating heat, pressing against me like a warning flame that promised pain if I dared lean closer. The air in the car grew heavy with his barely contained power.

                “You stay here with me!” he snarled, a dangerous growl that vibrated through the luxurious car. “And don’t test my patience, woman, I’m not exactly known for it. There are many who would gladly take your place. Be grateful that I waited for you, that I even kept myself pure for you. We are following this procedure out of respect for you, Ana. You will be accepted more readily by my family and the wider werewolf community if they know I have treated you correctly, with respect.”

                I refused to flinch.

                I’d spent too long being controlled. Under no circumstances would I give him the idea that he could simply rule over me, that I would bend to his will like those in my former pack.

                “And of course, for your own reputation,” I added dryly, a cynical edge to my voice, my gaze challenging his. “As the future King, you’ll make a better impression, and your transition to the throne will proceed much more smoothly, won’t it?”

                His jaw twitched, a growl rumbling deep in his chest. His coal-black eyes locked onto mine, dangerous and relentless.

                In this confined space, he could rip my head off and end me in seconds. And that would be the swift, brutal end of my hard-won, fleeting freedom.

                The air buzzed with unspoken threats, and I wondered how long my defiance could hold before the storm broke.