27

I knelt frozen on the floorboards, staring down at my open palm as dark crimson blood welled up from the gash, overflowing in steady streams and dripping heavily onto the wood. All of this pain, all of this blood, was entirely because of the heartless monster sitting just a few paces away from me.

The sight of my own blood proved to be the final straw. Tears burst from my eyes, hot and unstoppable, streaming down my blotchy cheeks as my chest heaved with quiet, agonizing sobs. I couldn't hold back the crushing weight inside me anymore.

I am such an absolute fool, I screamed mentally at myself, my throat tight with bitter regret. I am so ridiculously stupid! How could I have been this blind? I should have gone with him that night when I had the chance! I should have followed him without looking back! Everything terrible that is happening to me right now in this dark fortress is completely my own fault!

It wasn't anyone else's fault but my own. This nightmare was the direct result of my own foolishness, my own terrible choices, and no one else was to blame.

A quiet, desperate wish rose from the depths of my broken heart. How I wish my true mate would suddenly burst through those doors, tear this bastard Alpha Lucien to shreds, and rescue me from this hellhole... How I wish he would wrap his arms around me and carry me far away to the safety of his own pack...

But the harsh reality crashed over me like a wave of freezing water, shattering my hope into pieces.

How could my mate ever track me down when the binding spell on my neck completely hid my mate mark from the world? How could he possibly sense my presence or feel my pain when my aura was completely blocked?

Oh God, I am so unbelievably stupid, I wept internally, digging my fingernails into my uninjured hand. I hate myself so much. I am always making the wrong choices. I am always making useless, destructive decisions that ruin everything. I am a complete failure who can never seem to get a single thing right in life...

Even if my mate somehow managed to track me down through sheer luck, a fresh wave of panic gripped my chest. What if he wasn't strong enough to stand against Alpha Lucien? The horrifying stories I had heard about Lucien's terrifying power, his ruthless violence, and his unstoppable strength made my blood run cold. What if my mate came all this way to save me, only for this monster to slaughter him right before my eyes?

No... I cannot rely on anyone else, I told myself, swallowing down a hard sob. I must find a way to escape from this fortress on my own, no matter what it takes. And the moment I step foot outside these gates, I will find a way to break this cursed spell so my mate mark can shine again, so he can finally track me down.

But then another terrifying thought crept into my mind, poisoning my thoughts with deep dread. What if he had already given up on me? What if he had stopped searching for his lost mate by the time I finally managed to break free?

I had already made the ultimate, unforgivable mistake, and a sickening feeling told me it might already be far too late to fix it. I had done the most stupid thing possible by running away, and now I had no idea how long I would be trapped in this living hell. What if it took me months? What if it took two whole years to finally find a way past the guards and escape from this nightmare? Wouldn't my mate have given up hope and found another woman to take my place by then?

No! My mind screamed, my heart shattering into a thousand jagged pieces. All of this loss, all of this heartbreak, will happen simply because I made one foolish decision! I will never, ever be able to forgive myself if I lose him forever!

Tears blurred my vision completely, pooling under my chin and soaking the collar of my dress as I sat there on my knees, weeping uncontrollably over my bleeding hand.

Suddenly, a massive, dark shadow fell over my trembling body.

Before I could even register his movement, Alpha Lucien was crouching right beside me. His large, calloused hand reached down and grabbed my wrist, his grip firm and unyielding as he lifted my arm into the air.

He leaned his dark head down, his sharp, unreadable eyes fixing intently on my palm, watching the red blood stream down my skin and pool in the lines of my hand.

Then, without a single word of warning, Alpha Lucien pulled my bleeding finger directly toward his face and slipped it straight into his mouth.