7- Master's Collar

I woke up with Alpha Vance's arm draped around my waist. Half of his body rested over mine. His face snuggled into my neck as his chest moved steadily with every breath he took. 

Without the permanent scowl on his face, a deadly look in his eyes, and the tension lines on his forehead, he didn't look like the ruthless monster he was. Even with his power drained, Alpha Vance's strength was unmatched. 

His power was seeping inside my body, blending deep in my blood and filling my endless chasm of power-hungry core. I could still feel the warmth of his Alpha power inside, awakening the senses I didn't know I had. 

Slowly, carefully, I lifted his arm from my body and got up. But the moment I retracted my warmth, the magical scent he had consumed of me must have made him cold because he immediately opened his eyes and a dangerous, powerful growl escaped from his chest. 

"That's quite a powerful growl for someone who got drained last night—" I started with a taunting smile, and he immediately slammed me against the wall, his hand gripping my throat in a threatening hold. 

I raised my eyebrows at his actions. 

As I said before, he was exceptionally strong. With or without his Alpha Power. 

"You stole my powers again, you little runt!" He growled in my face, and I clicked my tongue, expressing my distaste towards the title he awarded me. 

"Did you forget my warning from last night, My Lord? In the privacy of your chambers, you will address me by my name. Kaelen. Or do you want me to show you who dominates whom away from the gaze of your pack?" I said, easily removing his hand from my throat, and he glared at me.

The humiliation of being dominated by a scentless thrall could be seen in his eyes. 

"You dominate me because my powers let you. You are nothing without me." His words hit me right on my core where his powers were burning, causing a sharp pain to jolt through me. 

"And since you have forgotten who you are, I shall remind it to you." He said, moving away from me. 

I looked at him curiously as he disappeared into the small room I didn't know was attached to his room. My eyes narrowed in displeasure when I saw him returning with a silver collar. His name was engraved on it. 

Alpha Vance's servant. 

My wolf snarled inside me. Being one of the top-tier wolves and the only unbeatable species, being collared only bruised his ego. If Alpha Vance thought he was the most domineering Alpha, he had clearly never seen my wolf in its glory. 

"I might be powerless inside the four walls of this room, little runt." He stressed my title, making my jaw grind. "But remember who I am outside my chambers. I am your Master, and you are my servant."

Walking closer to me, he smiled brutally at me. Unlatching the collar, he held it in front of me, mocking me. 

"And in my pack, every servant is collared by their Master." With that, he clasped the collar around my neck, making my wolf growl inside me. 

'I will fucking break this metal and then ruin his mouth for even thinking of collaring us.' My wolf snarled, and I let out a sigh. 

'Quiet!' I ordered him. 'Silver burns only normal wolves. You're an Eclipse blood. Let him play the victory song for now. I will make him pay for trying to humiliate us.' 

"When the silver burns your core, little runt, you'll come on your knees apologizing to me. And until you get on your knees, begging me like a good little pup, I won't unlock it from your neck." I raised my eyebrows at his threat, and an amused smile formed on my face. 

Stupid wolf didn't know Eclipse Wolves are immune to everything. 

"Your fetishes and fantasies are wild, My Lord. I thought only I had a kink of collaring my boys. Looks like we both share the same fantasy." I said, looking at the silver collar around my neck.

His eyes darkened at my words. Apart from him trying to humiliate me, irritating him was fun. 

"I'd see if you'd still have the knack for cracking jokes when you'd walk with my collar around your neck in front of everyone. You love dominating me, no, Kaelen?" My body shivered when he gripped my jaw, his hold screaming of domination. 

"Follow me." He didn't wait for my reply and started walking outside. 

True to his words, everyone looked at us— looked at me. The collar around my neck felt like a cage. It was like collaring a lion, misunderstanding it for a dog.

"Why would you put an enchanting silver collar around a scentless runt's neck, Alpha Vance? Aren't they meant for your soulmate?" One of the royal mages, who had apparently stayed the night, asked him, and Alpha Vance's gaze shifted to mine. 

My eyes widened in shock as I touched the silver collar around my neck. 

Why would he make me wear something that was meant for his soulmate? And most importantly, why would he even collar his soulmate? Aren't soulmates equal? 

While I was just a sacrificial mate to him, meaning a person marked just for sexual desires, his soulmate would be the one given by the Moon Goddess herself. 

"I don't do soulmate crap; you must have heard it by now. I just need a sacrificial mate to satisfy me. And enchanting silver collars mean nothing to me. As long as he sates me sexually, he can keep wearing it. Besides, the burning pain of silver shall keep him in line." He said, his lips curling in a cruel smirk, making me glare at him. 

'What a fool to think he can hurt an Eclipse wolf with silver.' My wolf laughed inside before its laughter turned sinister. 'And what a fucking idiot to think he can tame us.' 

"Eyes down, you thrall!" One of the other Alphas who came to meet him barked at me. He raised his cane to hit me, and my eyes almost glowed silver. 

With Alpha Vance's power dwelling inside me, my wolf often surfaced, especially at unexpected events. So when the other Alpha raised his cane to hit me, the dominating side of my wolf almost took over me. 

But before the cane could touch me, a sword brutally clashed with the cane, sending it down on the ground with a loud noise. 

"Sacrificial mate or not, Alpha Callum, you won't touch what's mine." Alpha Vance's voice thundered in the quiet hall, making everything around tense. 

My wolf purred in response. 

"Apolo—Apologies, Alpha Vance. I didn't know you were so possessive of him. You never expressed such a strong reaction for your other sacrificial mates. So, I thought he would be no different. Please forgive me, My Lord; I won't touch him again."

I looked at Alpha Vance, but he didn't spare me a single glance. He didn't answer Alpha Callum either. He simply sat down on the royal throne-like chair at the dining table, and everybody assumed their positions. I, however, had no idea where I was supposed to sit. 

"Sit on the ground, runt." Alpha Vance said dismissively, and I felt my insides burning with humiliation. 

He would pay for this. Very dearly. 

Before I could comply with his orders, a servant arrived with a royal decree in his hand. 

"Apologies for the interruption, My Lord, Lycan King Tristan has sent a royal decree, and demanded it to be immediately delivered to all the Alphas." The servant stammered out, and Alpha Vance removed a key from his waistband and handed it out to him. 

"Get it placed on my table." 

Once the servant returned after placing the royal orders on his table, I concentrated my eyes on the keys Alpha Vance handed to the servant and with a blink of an eye, the key fell from his hand and disappeared. A smirk formed on my face when Alpha Vance glared at him. 

The key appeared in my pockets. All thanks to Alpha Vance's power. 

"You imbecile!" Alpha Vance growled, already on his foot to grab the poor servant by his throat. "Get off my sight before I behead you!" 

"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom." I said, and rushed away, without waiting for an answer. 

Clutching the key tightly in my hand, I unlocked Alpha Vance's study and found the royal decree on the table. Without wasting any time, I unfolded it, and my eyes widened at the message. 

By the orders of Lycan King Tristan, a "Blood-Stone" Altar has been finalized. All the royal mages, Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Executioners, and other higher authorities must bring their mates, servants, slaves to check for any hidden powers, forbidden bloodlines or banished races. 

Any servant, mate or slave found carrying such blood shall have their heart cut out in front of the Altar, and their Masters shall be stripped of their powers. 

My eyes widened as I checked the date for the "Blood-Stone" Altar ceremony. It was scheduled after three weeks. 

I spun around when I heard heavy footsteps advancing towards me. Alpha Vance stood outside his office, his golden eyes flashing with raw fury as he stared at the royal decree in my hand.