Chapter 3 - The Prisoner Mate

Aveline's P.O.V

"From now on, you don't breathe without our permission," Darius snarled, dragging me into the Blackthorne fortress.

My feet barely touched the ground as his massive hand gripped my arm, pulling me through corridors that seemed to stretch on forever. The fortress was nothing like the modest pack house I'd grown up in, this was a castle built for kings, with stone walls that towered above us and torches that cast dancing shadows across elaborate tapestries.

It should have been beautiful. Instead, it felt like a tomb.

"Let me go!" I struggled against his grip, but it was like trying to move a mountain. "You can't just kidnap me!"

"Watch us," Darius chuckled darkly, not even slightly affected by my attempts to break free. "You're ours now, little wolf. The sooner you accept that, the easier this will be."

We climbed what felt like a thousand stairs, past windows that showed the forest growing smaller below us. With each step, my hope of escape dwindled. Even if I could somehow get away from Darius, how would I ever find my way out of this maze?

Finally, he stopped in front of an ornate door and produced a heavy iron key. The lock clicked open with finality that made my stomach drop.

"Welcome home," he said, shoving me inside before I could protest.

The room took my breath away and not in a good way. It was luxurious beyond anything I'd ever seen, with silk curtains, a four-poster bed that could fit six people, and furniture that probably cost more than my entire pack's annual budget. Persian rugs covered polished marble floors, and oil paintings in golden frames decorated the walls.

But the windows were barred.

And I heard the lock click behind me as Darius sealed me inside.

"No, no, no," I whispered, rushing to the door and pulling at the handle. It didn't budge. I pounded on the wood with my fists until my knuckles bled. "Let me out! You can't keep me here!"

Silence was my only answer.

I sank to the floor, pressing my back against the door as the reality of my situation hit me. I was trapped. Completely and utterly trapped in a gilded cage, claimed by three Alphas who saw me as property rather than a person.

The Moonstone pendant felt warm against my chest, pulsing gently like a second heartbeat. It was the only comfort I had in this nightmare, the only reminder that I was still me, still the girl who'd grown up dreaming of finding her place in the world.

Though apparently, my place was as a prisoner.

I must have dozed off against the door, because the sound of the lock turning made me jolt awake. Damon stood in the doorway, his cold eyes taking in my disheveled appearance with what might have been amusement.

"Comfortable?" he asked, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. The lock clicked again – a sound I was beginning to hate.

"What do you want?" I scrambled to my feet, pressing myself against the far wall.

"To talk." He moved with predatory grace, each step calculated and controlled. "We need to establish some rules."

"Rules?"

"You're going to live here now. As our mate, you'll have certain... privileges. But also certain expectations." He stopped a few feet away, close enough that I could see the silver flecks in his dark eyes. "First rule: you don't leave this room without one of us."

"I'm a prisoner," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"You're protected," he corrected. "Second rule: you don't speak to anyone in this pack without our permission. Third rule: you will learn to submit to us, in all things."

"And if I refuse?"

His smile was sharp as a blade. "You won't. We'll make sure of that."

The threat hung in the air between us like poison. I wanted to scream, to fight, to rage against this injustice, but something in his eyes told me it would only make things worse.

"I want to go home," I whispered.

"This is your home now. The sooner you accept that, the happier you'll be." He turned to leave, then paused at the door. "Dinner will be brought to you soon. I suggest you eat. You're going to need your strength."

The lock clicked again, leaving me alone with my fear.

Hours passed before the next visitor arrived. This time it was Dominic, carrying a tray that smelled like heaven and looked like it came from a five-star restaurant.

"I thought you might be hungry," he said, his voice warm and concerned – a complete contrast to his brother's coldness.

"I'm not," I lied, though my stomach growled traitorously.

"Of course you are. Come, sit with me." He set the tray on a small table and pulled out a chair, gesturing for me to join him. "Please."

Against my better judgment, I found myself moving toward him. There was something about Dominic that was harder to resist than his brothers' obvious threats. He was dangerous in a different way, like a spider spinning a beautiful web.

"That's better," he smiled as I sat down across from him. "I know this is difficult for you, but it doesn't have to be. We can make you very happy here, Aveline."

The way he said my name sent shivers down my spine. "By keeping me locked up like a prisoner?"

"By protecting you from a world that doesn't understand your worth." He reached across the table, his fingers brushing mine. "Your old pack treated you terribly. Here, you'll be cherished, worshipped, even."

"As long as I do what you want."

"As long as you let us love you the way you deserve to be loved." His thumb traced across my knuckles, and I hated how my skin tingled at the contact. "The mating bond is a gift, Aveline. Don't fight it."

Before I could respond, he stood and headed for the door. "Eat," he said softly. "For me."

And then I was alone again, staring at food I was too terrified to enjoy.

The third visit came late at night. I'd been lying on the enormous bed, fully clothed and afraid to sleep, when Darius entered without knocking.

"Still awake?" His voice was a low rumble in the darkness.

"Hard to sleep when you're being held against your will," I muttered, sitting up.

He laughed, the sound sending chills down my spine. "You think this is bad? You have no idea what we're protecting you from."

"Maybe I'd rather face whatever's out there than be trapped in here with you."

In an instant, he was across the room, his hand wrapped around my throat, not squeezing, just holding me in place as his eyes burned into mine.

"Careful, little wolf," he whispered. "You might think my brothers are the dangerous ones, but I'm the one you should really fear. I don't have Damon's patience or Dominic's charm. If you push me, I will break you."

"Then do it," I gasped, surprising myself with my boldness. "Because I'll never willingly submit to any of you."

His grip tightened just enough to make breathing difficult. "We'll see about that."

He released me and headed for the door, but turned back one last time. "Sweet dreams, mate. Tomorrow, your real education begins."

The lock clicked, and I was alone with my racing heart and burning throat.

I waited until I was sure he was gone, then crept to the window. The bars were thick, but maybe if I could find something to pry them with...

The window wouldn't budge. Neither would the bars. I was truly trapped.

Desperate, I tried the door again, pulling and pushing and praying for a miracle. Nothing.

"There has to be a way out," I whispered to myself, searching every inch of the room for some weakness, some flaw I could exploit.

That's when I heard footsteps in the corridor outside. Heavy boots that could only belong to one person.

Damon.

I pressed my ear to the door, holding my breath as I listened.

"She tried to escape tonight," his voice carried clearly through the wood. He must be talking to his brothers.

"I told you we should have chained her to the bed," Darius replied.

"Give her time," Dominic said. "She'll come around."

"No," Damon's voice was final. "She won't. Tomorrow, we will take more... direct action."

My blood turned to ice. What did that mean?

"Weak as she is, she'll never make it past the gates anyway," Damon continued. "But we can't risk her trying again."

The footsteps moved away, leaving me shaking with fear and rage.

They thought I was weak. Helpless. Just a broken little wolf who couldn't even shift.

Maybe they were right.

But as that thought crossed my mind, the Moonstone pendant against my chest suddenly blazed with light so bright it illuminated the entire room. Power surged through me like lightning, making my hair stand on end and my skin tingle with energy I'd never felt before.

The surge was so strong that I heard all three brothers cry out in surprise from somewhere in the fortress, their Alpha senses reeling from the shockwave of pure, ancient power that had just erupted from their supposedly powerless mate.

The light faded, leaving me gasping and confused in the darkness. What was happening to me?