An Unexpected Verdict

He could hear murmurs, but he didn't care. 

Why should he care about these women when none of them were related to him? 

Alpha Caius scanned the room. 

They were pretty women, with pretty tears clouded up in their eyes. But why should he care? As he was thinking, demarcating each woman and their tasks for him, his eyes stopped in the face of a woman he wanted to check out. 

It was Daphne. 

There was something about her. 

Something he could not lay his hands on. 

Something that made his wolf react aggressively. 

Who was she? 

But why should he care? 

Because he's seen so many women in the past, but not one as pretty as this exact woman. 

Aside from her beauty, there was something else about her that was different. Something he could not fathom. Something he could not place. 

Caius, for a moment, hesitated, then he walked closer and moved back a little, managing a smile he knew fully well he did not mean. 

He looked around the room once more, scanning each woman's face. After a long while of speculation, the Alpha stopped at Daphne's face, realizing again how beautiful she was. 

She was the finest in the room. 

Long hair. Sharp eyes. Pointed nose and a defined face. What more could he ask for in a woman? A cocky smile came on his lips and he gave a nod. 

She had the kind of beauty that stood out even in the dimly lit room. 

For a moment, he felt drawn to her. 

The next moment, everything he felt was rage. Something about her presence irritated him, and he could not tell what it was. The more he tried to find out, the more hate he felt for Daphne. 

Everything he felt for this woman was not certain. 

He didn't know what to do, what to say. 

But one thing was certain, it was high time Caius left the room. He tried to walk away, but something held him from moving. 

Everyone in the room moped at him, while Caius, on the other hand, fought with himself. 

What was happening? 

He looked away for a moment and came back, fixing his gaze on Daphne only to get—

A reaction from his wolf. 

The creature stirred. 

Aggressively. 

It was restless, agitated, and possessive. 

As he fought with the creature from within, Caius wondered what was happening to him. 

Why did it happen in the presence of Daphne, the same woman he was moping at? A woman who looked at him with so much hatred—hatred he could not explain. Did she know him before now? 

These and many more questions he wished to throw at Daphne, but he couldn't. 

The thing that went on inside of him was much worse than what he wanted to do. This feeling ate him up and it became worse at every moment. 

“Mate—”

A deep growl vibrated through the Alpha's chest as the realization struck him. 

This woman, the one he went from liking to hating, was his mate. She was the one he had searched for for a very long time. 

Caius's hand clenched into a fist. 

His countenance deepened and there was an urge to shout running around inside of him. 

How could he wait this long to be given—a woman he despised? Why was this happening? As he thought about it, his wolf reacted more to the union that had just taken place. 

But how come she did not notice? 

How come Daphne moped at him as though she could not feel anything happening to her? Or did she not know he was her mate? 

What was wrong with her? 

Was she even complete?

As these thoughts and more ran around in his head, he relaxed his body. Then, he turned to look at his men—the ones in charge of bringing many women to the pack on several occasions. 

“Where was she found?” 

One man walked to the front. 

He bowed. 

“My lord. Myself and the other men had no idea where she was running to when we found her. First, she was hiding in the wild, and the next thing she was running. We don't know why.” 

Interesting, Caius thought. 

Where was she running to? Who was she running from? He looked at her hand, searching for something she could be hiding. 

When none was seen, he ordered. “Search her.” 

“No!” Daphne shouted. “You and your minions will not lay a finger on me. Do you understand?!” 

Despite her shout, two of the men behind him caught up with Daphne. Without her consent, she was checked thoroughly and when this was done, she turned to look at the Alpha. 

“We didn't find anything.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yes, my lord.” 

The Alpha didn't care about the other women, at least, for now. He concentrated on Daphne, more than ready to find her roots. 

Daphne on the other hand seemed stubborn, unwilling to speak with him. 

There was an angry look on her countenance and from the look of things, she looked like she would run away and he was not going to allow such. 

After so much thought, he looked at Daphne. “Where were you running from and where were you running to when you were caught?” 

Daphne moped at him. 

Who did he think he was to ask her that? 

Hatred rushed through her veins, stomach, and even her heart. Why did he think he would question her and she would answer? 

“Who were you running from?” 

Still, Daphne did not say a word. 

Her thoughts raced as she thought about how this man had killed her parents. Despite not wanting to think about it, she could not help but think about how her parents had died for no reason. 

Was she going to die for no reason like them? Daphne's heart ached at the thought of it, and no matter how the question was thrown at her, she did not give Alpha Caius an answer. 

She met his eyes, a storm of hatred swirling within her own eyes. He was the man who killed her parents and shouldn't be indulged. 

Once again, Caius asked. “Don't you want to speak? What were you doing out there?” 

“My story should be the least of your problems, Alpha Caius—” Annoyed that he had to ask her again, Daphne spoke with so much gut. 

The room fell silent. 

Even the men who stood behind the Alpha looked at each other before facing Daphne. 

No one had ever spoken to their Alpha in such a way. Where did she get so much guts from? Shock could be seen on their countenance. 

Even if someone talked back at the Alpha, it was never going to be in this way. 

There was tension in the room. 

The Alpha's men stealing stares and the Alpha himself was shocked, even to the extent that his mouth was opened. 

Who was this woman? Caius wondered. 

No one dared to talk back at him, but she had done the exact thing without thinking twice. 

He should be annoyed, but he wasn't. 

There was something about her defiance that intrigued and infuriated him. Just something, and despite his anger at her being his mate, his wolf wanted her—yearned for her even. 

“Did you just say that to me?” 

Daphne bowed. It was sarcastic. 

“No, my lord. I didn't mean to offend you if that's what I have done. But I see no reason why you should ask me where I was running to and from. My business should be the least of your concern.” 

She was still talking. 

What was wrong with her?!

Didn't she know where she was? 

Once again, Caius's fist clenched. 

His jaw tightened. He hated that Daphne was his mate. A woman he clearly could not control. Even if he could not control her, he still hated the idea. 

He was not a man to believe in love. 

He was not one to be affectionate with a woman. 

What was he going to do with her? 

There was no way he would use her for meat like he wanted to do with some women. There were just many other things she could do for him. 

As Caius turned and walked towards the door, he tried to make a decision quickly. 

Just then, it struck him. 

He turned to look at one of his men but he pointed at Daphne before looking at the man. “You must take her to the royal quarters. The woman will serve as my next sex slave.” 

Daphne's blood ran cold. 

This monster—a man who destroyed her life by taking the lives of her parents, was about to do more than he already did. 

He wanted to claim her in the worst way possible. Just as he claimed the lives of her parents in that war, and she won't allow it. 

She wasn't going to break for him. 

Fighting him with all her might, she would do. 

While she planned an escape. 

It was him she was running from, after all. 

“No—” 

“Yes, wolf—” Caius looked at her. 

“You clearly don't know where you are and I will make you understand what you've done. Unless of course, you're going to apologize to Alpha Caius for being a menace, then you won't be punished.” 

Instead of an apology, she burst into laughter. Her laugh was mockery, annoying Alpha Caius.

“You've done more than enough, Alpha Caius. Take me to the royal quarters already. I'll have become a slave than to do what you're asking for.”