CHAPTER 5

Tessa’s POV

Eric pushed me towards the men, and I did not resist.

What was the point?

If I didn’t go with them, I would remain in a small, dank cell for the rest of my life until either Paige or Eric decided the mate bond was too much trouble and put me down or something.

Immediately, two men rushed forward and held my shoulder and arms on either side so tight that I squirmed in pain.

I’ll never be valuable to my pack or my family. Hell, even my mate didn’t care much, so why should I? Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad with the Dark Lord. And if it was, I could always escape.

Couldn’t I?

I cooperated meekly, walking where they led, but one of them still felt the need to nudge roughly at my back, making me stumble as I went outside.

I was pushed into the back of a truck, eyes widening at the sight of the other scared, helpless women inside. Most of them were very well dressed, with tasteful, understated jewelry to boot, like some Lunas or at least very high-born ladies whose families had probably sacrificed to escape the wrath of the Dark Lord.

I fought tears and huddled in a corner, trying to think of anything other than the fate that awaited before me the moment the wheels stopped. An hour later, a woman separated from the group shifted closer towards me.

She wore a fine dress that looked like it cost more than my entire wardrobe put together. From the pearls that adorned her throat and her large opal ring, I could bet she was a Luna. They tended to wear jewelry to symbolize their pack’s status, so I was given Paige's heavily brocaded dress, which was ill-fitting given that she was taller and slightly bigger than I was.

“Forgive me for saying, but you look decidedly out of place here.”

Oddly enough, I wasn’t offended that she had clocked that I wasn’t a Luna.

Omega wolves hardly ever became Lunas. We just weren’t powerful enough to be fated or chosen mates of Alphas. We were liabilities, through and through. I sighed.

“I’m not.”

“You should run. You don’t need to suffer the fate of a title whose privilege you never enjoyed.”

I shook my head. “What’s the point? It’s not like I can refuse the Alpha's orders and remain in the pack.”

She made a sympathetic noise. “Chin up and wear it as best as you can then.” Her face blanched. “It’s about to be difficult, and I’m not talking about this trip.”

I shuddered. She was right.

The rumors I’ve heard about the Dark Lord…were not encouraging at all. Again, I tried to keep the thoughts at bay, fishing desperately for a change of topic.

“How about you? How did you come to be here? Traded by your Alpha? Or a substitute for your Luna?” I asked, even though I guessed she was probably a Luna herself.

Her mouth tightened.

“I was given up by my chosen mate of five years. He met her a few days ago, and our five years meant nothing after that.”

She glanced at me.

“I’m sorry your Alpha rejected you. His actions towards you were certainly unfair, but I have to admit, he did a good job as a husband. I’m a bit jealous of your Luna and how he protected her. If only my Michael loved me that much, she would be here instead of me,” she said sadly.

I suppose, in a lot of ways, it was true. I could resent Eric all I wanted, but he kept his vows to Paige, whom he had promised them. He had protected her till the very end, giving the power of a fated bond away just so he could keep her.

I suppose I couldn’t blame him, but I couldn’t also be blamed for feeling like an abandoned pawn. Considering the way it had all played out, it just couldn’t be helped.

“What’s your name?” My new acquaintance asked.

“Tessa. How about you?”

“Carolina,” she said, and I nodded.

We fell silent after that, and I leaned against the window, looking at the unfamiliar scenery outside. To be honest, Carolina wasn’t the only one who envied Paige. I’d been worthless all my life to the people who were supposed to love me.

How would it feel to be valued so dearly, as she clearly was? If my own mate could not love me enough to spare me this fate, would anyone ever do it?

After a while, the car slowed, sliding within the gates of a large compound, and pulled over in front of a huge mansion. We disembarked from the car in a short while and asked to process in a single file until we were all out of the vehicles.

“Alright. Move this way.” One of them said, leading us around to the back.

“Stand separately. There is no huddling into groups. Lunas go in front. The rest of you go to the back.” I heard but was not used to the title, so I didn’t move until I was nudged forward.

I knew what awaited me within these walls. The same thing happened to most of the females the Dark Lord kidnapped for other packs.

We were usually earmarked as sex slaves to the Dark Lord’s men. A few of us would be reserved especially for him, and that would be that.

We were led to a room with barely any furniture and only two windows. I eagerly took position by one of the windows, trying to hide from the guards' scrutinizing eyes, which already seemed to be sharing us amongst themselves.

Through some unlikely bit of luck, I found an old, rusty slip of iron on the window sill. Not stopping to wonder why they would be so careless, I snatched it immediately, closing my fist around it and gritting my teeth when one of the guards catcalled out to me.

“Look at that tiny one by the window,” one leered. His friend looked me up and down and shrugged. “Nah. I like them with a little more meat on their bones, like the redhead over that corner.”

They didn’t even care that we could hear them. They just kept talking about us like we were meant to be slaughtered and shared.  

I gritted my teeth and clenched my fist around the rusty iron in my palm. Sex slave or not, I wouldn’t back down to any of these men without a fight. We stood in the room quietly, with the guards watching us, until someone appeared in the doorway.

He was a tall man who wore simple black pants and a dress shirt. Yet he was perhaps the most dangerous-looking man I’d ever met. A powerful demeanor hung around him, dark and commanding, and despite my earlier burst of defiance, I dropped my gaze the moment he caught it, terrified to be in the presence of such a domineering wolf.

This had to be him.

I was almost one hundred percent sure of it. I kept my head down, trying my best not to draw attention to myself, until a shadow appeared in front of me.

My heart galloped in my chest.

“Hold out your hand.” A low, masculine voice rumbled. Shaking like a leaf caught in the wind, I looked up at the most handsome face I had ever seen.

He had dark, thick brows, a straight nose, and a jaw that looked cut from marble. He was gorgeous, but his dark eyes were also very cold and terrifying.

“Your hand. What is in it?” he asked again, and I flushed to the roots of my hair.

With a shudder, I extended my arm and held open the palm, revealing the rusty iron that stained my palm.

He closed a large hand over mine, picking up the iron and examining it before suddenly pressing it to my neck. I squealed like a stuck pig, cold sweat breaking out on my brows. I could barely move; his demeanor was too strong, too choking, too all-encompassing.

I’d been planning to use the iron on him if we so happened to meet. However stupid that sounded, it had been my only weapon in this strange, horrifying place.

Now that we did meet, my so-called weapon was against my neck, a slight smirk about my captor's full lips.

“Now what?” he asked, looking directly into my eyes. I swallowed helplessly, and seeing my dismay, he laughed.

It was not laughter that spoke of happiness or even humor. It was mocking and disdainful, and it caused a shiver to run down my spine.

“You should thank me for preventing you from doing something undoubtedly stupid. You would have failed, and then, you would have regretted it.” His brow raised when I remained quiet.

“Well?” he asked again, pushing the iron closer to my neck, making me feel a sting as it cut superficially into my skin.

I flinched and struggled to get air past the tightness in my chest.

“T-Thank you, Alpha," I stuttered. He studied me a moment more before turning on his heels, ignoring us as he walked towards the door.

He let out a menacing smirk that brought a chill to my spine as he ordered, “Fiesty… Send her to my room.”