Chapter 3

Freya's pov

Hours, days and weeks passed and Thorne hadn't come to check on me, except for the maids who had brought in food. He locked me in my room, scared that I would leave him.

I prayed for a miracle and one day, the miracle came in form of his beta.

He took one look at me and hissed. “Luna"

“Don't call me that," I replied weakly

He stared at me for a moment, eyes roaming my body. "The Alpha is away tonight. He went for a council meeting"

I stared at the opened door. "Why should I care?”

"Leave. You should leave.”

I blinked. My heart started to beat faster. “Really?"

He nodded.

“What if… "

“Just go," he said. “And don't ever come back"

I stood up on my feet and moved to my suitcase. I blinked the tears away. I was finally leaving.

“Why are you helping me?"

He looked away. “This place isn't safe for you anymore. I kept the doors opened for you…you have one hour. After that, I can't protect you anymore"

My throat tightened. "If he finds out …"

“He won't," he cut in immediately. “And if he does… I will handle it”

"Thank you.”

"For what it's worth,” he added quietly. "You deserved better”

He left me alone in the room. I didn't waste time either as I gathered myself and ran out of the pack house.

The crazy thing was I almost made it and that would haunt me later. I was so close… so close to the northern border and I would be free.

Then wolves jumped out of the forest. Their eyes on me. They were in their wolf form, massive and slowly stalked toward me.

My breath shook. I didn't look back as I ran.

I made it perhaps fifteen steps before the ground disappeared under me.

My leg caught a tree and I went down hard onto the forest floor.

“Ow,"I screamed. My legs hurt. The small suitcase I'd carried hit the ground, its contents spilling across the floor. No. I wanted to scream.

I crawled away but the wolves shifted back to their human form, revealing four large uniformed men with an insignia on their chest but because it was so dark I couldn't see.

They stepped closer and wait… these weren't Thorne’s men. They were royal guards.

I forced my legs to move but something hit my head and I fell unconscious.

The next time I woke up, I was tied up in a cage. No. No. No. I couldn't run away from one cage only to end up in another. The cold pressed into me and I shivered.

I looked around me to find the guards far away.

“Hey!" I screamed. “Let me out!"

None of them even spared me a glance.

“Please," I whispered.

I rested my back on the cold bar. How did I get here? How could I get out?

Then I heard footsteps.

“Is anyone there?" I called. “Help"

“Shut up!" One of the guards said. He opened the cage, bending my head backwards as he gagged my mouth with a rag.

I mumbled.

Then a man walked out of the darkness and stopped in front of my cage.

His brows furrowed in anger.

He had enormous, broad shoulders, his large muscles pressing into his clothes.

His piercing gold eyes met mine.

“Is this what you brought me out here for?"

“We didn't know what to do with her," one of them said.

He crouched down, bringing himself to my eye level studying my face for a long moment. He looked casual but was still more intimidating as he towered over me.

“What is your name?"

I mumbled a reply to him. He then cursed. “Remove the cloth from her mouth"

The guard did as asked immediately and I sighed, resting my head on the bar.

“Freya," my voice sounded weak. “Freya Asher"

“Asher," he repeated. “The Beta bloodline?"

I nodded.

"And what exactly is a Beta’s daughter doing at my northern border at this hour alone,” he said. His eyes moved towards the discarded suitcase. “With a bag packed like she doesn't intend to come back."

I met his gaze. "Running”

"From?”

"None of your business”

He laughed. Heat crawled up my spine. I expected him to use his Alpha force on me but he didn't. Most Alphas pushed their authority because they hated being not being in control. Alpha Thorne used it on me at times when I rebelled.

“You are in my territory. So, yes, it's my business”

"I was trying to cross out of it”

He shook his head.

"Without a clearance or a pack escort even," he said, then he paused. "You don't have a mate's permission either”

I scoffed. "Do I need his permission to breathe?"

He smiled.

“Legally, in cross border transit, you do," he said. "Whose mate are you?”

I couldn't answer for a moment as his face flashed in my mind. I wrapped my hand around myself. "Thorne Ruinfang”

His expression suddenly softened. That was the first time his expression would change. "That's my nephew”

I gasped. That means he was the Alpha king. The one everyone was scared of.

" And you were running from him?”

"Yes”

He said nothing else and unhooked the cage. He stretched his hands towards me.

I stared at it in confusion.

“Stand up," he said quietly.

I knew I didn't have to take his hands but then it would be considered rude to leave the King waiting. I took his hand.

And the world ended.

I mean, that was the only way I could describe it.

I sucked in a breath.

It was pain and not pain at the same time. It was like I could feel everything at once.

“MINE!!!"