CHAPTER SIX: DANGER

Renzo’s lips curled into a smirk, his eyes dark with amusement.

“Ryker?”

He said the name like it was something foul on his tongue.

“I don’t care about some human prince. But if you ever say his name in my presence again, I’ll cut it off your tongue myself.”

His grip on my arm tightened, his fingers pressing hard into my skin. I winced but refused to let out a sound.

“You think saying his name will bother me? That I’ll feel threatened? Cute.”

He let me go with a scoff, stepping back like I was something worthless.

“But let me make one thing clear—if you ever mention him again, you’ll regret it. Maybe I’ll let my enforcers teach you a lesson about obedience. Or better yet—” his smirk deepened, his voice cruel—“maybe I’ll burn something else you love.”

I flinched, Elara’s name flashing through my mind. She hadn’t spoken to me since that awful night. Maybe she never would. Maybe she blamed me as much as I blamed myself.

Renzo stepped toward the window, then turned back to me.

“Get out of my chamber. Now.”

His eyes glowed red, his voice like ice. I swallowed hard, my feet rooted in place—until the door suddenly swung open.

Elijah stepped inside.

“Hmm.”

He let out a low hum of disapproval, his sharp eyes full of disgust as he looked at me.

“Alpha, the council is here,” he said, turning his attention to Renzo, who was already seated, flipping through an old book like none of this mattered.

Without even glancing up, Renzo said, “There’s nothing important to discuss. Send them away.”

I took a few steps out the door, clutching my torn clothes to my chest as Elijah’s eyes roamed over me with disgust. I kept my head high and walked forward, trying my best not to show any emotion.

“They’re here to discuss the upcoming mate bonding season.”

That was the last thing I heard before I carefully shut the door behind me.

Now, I wish I had stayed to see Alpha Renzo’s reaction. He has always loved mate bonding season—because every time, he picks a new mistress.

Morning light streamed through the high windows, casting soft golden hues on the stone walls. The scent of firewood lingered from the night before, mixing with the faint aroma of damp earth. Torches had burned low, their embers barely glowing.

I had to escape. Somehow, I would get past these walls. Ryker and I would run—far from here, far from him. And I would find Elara too. We would all be free.

I stood at the back house, scanning my surroundings. There were no werewolves in sight—everyone seemed preoccupied with their daily routines. My eyes trailed along the fence, searching for a possible way out.

Just as I was lost in thought, someone approached from behind. My body tensed, but when I turned, I saw Mira. Relief flooded through me.

“I need you here, please,” I said, stepping closer to her.

“I want to leave too,” she whispered, her voice trembling with unshed tears.

I took her hands in mine, squeezing gently. “I promise I’ll come back for you.”

Her eyes shimmered with emotion. “You don’t have to go through what you did today again. I’ll be here. We’re in this together.”

Reaching out, I brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. It was still disheveled from that morning—tangled from the way Renzo had gripped it, from how he had taken her.

She inhaled sharply, then straightened. “I have an idea,” she said, determination flickering across her face.

“Yes, tell me,” I urged, my pulse quickening.

“I’m going to get a rope. There should be one in the storage shed behind the training grounds.”

“Yes, please. Yes,” I said, energy surging through me.

I watched as she hurried off, my heart pounding with anticipation. Every second felt like an eternity.

This was it.

I could already see it—Elara and I slipping into the night, Ryker waiting beyond the trees, his hand in mine. The wind in my hair. Freedom.

I clenched my fists, grounding myself in the moment. I had to stay patient. Just a little longer.

Then, footsteps.

My pulse quickened. She was back. Mira was back with the rope.

I turned, relief swelling in my chest—

Only for it to shatter in an instant.

It wasn’t Mira.

Elijah stood before me, and behind him, Mira.

My breath caught.

Mira’s expression was unreadable, but she wouldn’t meet my eyes.

The rope. The escape. The hope I had dared to hold onto—all of it slipped through my fingers like sand.

***

“You think you can run from here?”

Elijah’s voice was laced with amusement as he grabbed the loose fabric of my clothes, yanking me toward him.

“You’re hurting me,” I gasped, struggling against his grip. But he didn’t loosen his hold. If anything, his fingers dug deeper, a silent warning that resistance was useless.

Behind us, Mira followed in silence. My chest tightened. I knew where Elijah was taking me. Each step brought us closer to Alpha Renzo’s chamber.

“No, please,” I whispered, desperation creeping into my voice. I turned slightly, trying to catch Mira’s gaze, searching for an answer—why had she betrayed me? But she refused to look at me, her expression unreadable.

Elijah let out a cruel chuckle. “You’re going to dance to a difficult tune.” His eyes gleamed with mockery as he dragged me forward.

A few sharp knocks on the Alpha’s door, and we were ushered inside.

The moment I stepped in, I felt it—the weight of his presence. Alpha Renzo stood by the window, bathed in the dim glow of the setting sun. When his gaze fell on me, it was filled with pure disgust.

“Elijah?” His voice was calm, but the command in it was undeniable.

“Mira caught her trying to escape the pack’s fence,” Elijah reported flatly.

Silence.

Renzo remained still, his face unreadable, but the tension in the air was suffocating. Then, at last, he moved.

“You’re stubborn,” he murmured, stepping toward me with slow, deliberate steps.

I swallowed hard, refusing to look away as he reached me.

“But I promise to break you.”

His fingers lifted my chin, his grip firm, possessive, unyielding. His thumb brushed against my jaw, but there was no gentleness in his touch—only control.

“You are never leaving these walls. I promise, mate.”

Then, as if I were nothing more than an afterthought, he released me and turned back to the window. Then, in a voice as cold as death, he said—

“Throw her into the dungeon.”