Chapter 5

I cry out in pain, holding my chest as the bond severs. It feels like my heart is being ripped apart, like I'm being torn in two.

"Why?" I whisper, my voice shaking with agony. "Why did you do this to me? It hurts so bad."

Lucien's expression is cold, his eyes gleaming with a cruel light.

"Aww, my little Thorn," he says, his voice dripping with malice, patting the back of my head. "You can never be my mate. You can never get my love."

I feel a wave of despair wash over me, and I sob uncontrollably.

"Why?" I demand, my voice rising in anguish. "Why did you do this to me?"

Lucien laughs, a cold, mirthless sound. "You should ask your dead father," he says, his eyes glinting with hatred. "The only reason I took you, the only reason I stopped you from escaping and getting mated with Caleb, is because I want revenge for what your father did to me. To my family!"

I stare at him, my mind reeling with shock and pain. The look in his eyes is one of pure hatred, a deep-seated anger that seems to burn within him. I feel like I'm staring into the eyes of a monster, a creature without compassion or remorse.

"You're doing this because of my father?" I whisper, my voice barely audible.

Lucien's smile grows wider, his eyes flashing with triumph.

"Yes, Aria," he says. "You're mine now, forever bound to me, even if it's not as my mate. And you'll pay the price for what your father did to me."

I cry out more, the pain and anguish overwhelming me. Lena, my wolf, howls in despair, mourning the loss of what could have been. I'm trapped in a nightmare, and I don't know how to escape.

Lucien brings out a contract, his eyes gleaming with a possessive light. "Time to make it official," he says, his voice cold.

I feel a surge of fear and anxiety as he forces me to hold out my hands. He takes my thumbs and presses them onto the paper, making me imprint my fingerprints on the paper.

"What's this?" I demand, trying to struggle free.

"It's a contract," Lucien says, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "One that states I have claim over you. The world will know and see that you're mine, even if we're not mated."

I shake my head, horror rising up inside me. "No," I say, trying to pull my hands away. "I'll never agree to this."

Lucien's smile grows wider, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I wasn't pleading," he says, his voice cold. He holds my hand firmly, forcing my thumb onto the paper again.

I feel a wave of despair wash over me as he imprints my thumb on the paper multiple places.

"See?" he says, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "It wasn't that hard."

I'm consumed by regret, wishing I'd never paid attention to Lena, my wolf, and accepted the wolf bond. I feel trapped, like I've made a terrible mistake.

Lucien stands to his feet, his eyes gleaming with dominance.

"You'll stay in this house," he orders. "You'll obey me. But don't mistake this for affection. You'll pay dearly for your father's errors."

I feel a chill run down my spine as I look up at him. I'm trapped, bound to him by this contract, and I don't know how I'll escape.

I look up at Lucien, my voice shaking with fear. "What did my father ever do to you?" I demand, trying to understand the depths of his hatred.

Lucien's expression remains cold and detached, his eyes devoid of emotion.

"You'll know in due time," he says, his voice dripping with menace. "After I'm done with you, your memory will jog, and you'll remember."

I feel a wave of fear seething through me, my mind racing with worst-case scenarios. I think back to the seconds before the way Lucien looked at me, how I thought for a second he was a saint, how leaving Caleb for him didn't seem like a bad idea. I'm consumed by regret and shame, cursing my father for allowing me to go through all this.

"Please don’t do this to me." I whisper, my voice barely audible.

Lucien's gaze pierces through me, his eyes cold and unyielding.

"You should be grateful I'm not killing you outright," he says, his voice devoid of emotion. "You're lucky I'm willing to keep you alive... for now."

For now? I shudder at his words, feeling a chill run down my spine. I'm trapped in a living nightmare, and I don't know how to escape. I curse my father for for a second time, for his actions, for putting me in this situation. For having enemies before he died. I curse myself for being so blind, for trusting Lucien.

Lucien's expression remains unyielding, his face a mask of cold calculation. I realize that I'm nothing more than a pawn in his game of revenge, a means to an end. And I'm not sure if I'll survive this ordeal.

"You're my prisoner now," he says, his voice cold and detached. "My revenge against your father. And you'll stay here, in this house, forever until I'm done with you."

Lucien's words cut deep, and I feel like I'm drowning in a sea of despair. I look up at him, my eyes filled with tears.

"You’re very cruel." I confirm, my voice shaking with emotion.

Lucien's expression remains unyielding. "I'll never mate you," he says, his voice dripping with cruelty. "I'll never consummate the bond. You're just a pawn in my game of revenge, a means to an end."

I feel a wave of shame and humiliation wash over me. I'm trapped, bound to him by the contract, and I'll never be free. I'm a prisoner, a captive, a tool for Lucien's revenge.

"Please…" I beg, my voice barely audible.

Lucien's smile grows wider, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I'm just getting started," he says, his voice dripping with menace.

I shudder at his words, feeling a chill run down my spine. What more is there? I'm trapped in a living nightmare, and I don't know how to escape. I'm at Lucien's mercy, and he's not showing any.

"I hate you," I say, my voice filled with venom.

Lucien's expression remains unyielding. "I don't care," he says, his voice cold and detached. "You'll do as I say, and you'll stay here as my fake mate."