Chapter 5

I blinked, trying to process what that male had just said.

He had said I would be his hostage until I received my wolf? But that would be a whole year from now! My face must have gone pale, because he cleared his throat and added:

"If you obey me and behave yourself, we won’t have any problems. That mark on your neck means you’ll be a tracking wolf, and I need to find someone. Once I do, you’ll be free to go."

He said all of this as if it were some kind of irresistible offer, as if he were telling me I’d won a scholarship or a contest—and I could see in his eyes that he truly believed he was doing me some sort of favor.

"I will not be your prisoner. Find whoever you need on your own." It was the first thing that came to mind, spilling out before I could even think about it.

He frowned, then threw one leg over me. I tried to get up, but he pressed a hand against my chest, shoving me back onto the couch.

In doing so, my blouse—already in bad shape and held together only by the makeshift knot I had tied the night before—came undone.

Marius’s large, rough hand brushed against my breasts, and his shock was stranger than anything—I barely had time to react before he practically jumped off the couch.

Turning his back to me, he stammered:

"I’ll find some clothes for you, but they probably won’t be feminine."

I pulled the blanket up to cover myself while staring at his broad, muscular back, watching his shoulders rise and fall.

"I wouldn’t need clothes if you hadn’t kidnapped me. Let me go, and I promise that when I receive my wolf, I’ll remember you saved me—and I’ll help you. You can trust me," I said.

Without turning around, Marius replied harshly:

"Trust? I don’t trust anyone."

. . .

Three days had already passed since Marius had kidnapped me. He kept me locked in a room with the door and windows bolted shut. I could only tell day from night by the slivers of light through the cracks in the windows.

Three times a day, Marius would show up to bring me food and ask if I needed to use the bathroom. I only agreed to go when I absolutely couldn’t hold it anymore. But I still hadn’t taken a shower—I didn’t feel comfortable being naked in the bathroom while sharing the cabin with him.

Marius used some kind of dry toilet, and I had no idea where the waste went afterward. It was always uncomfortable knowing he was right outside the door. The bathroom was outside the cabin, and I suspected he used another place to bathe, somewhere near the toilet.

One evening, as I sat on the bed flipping through an old book I’d found—wearing one of his oversized T-shirts and a pair of shorts I had to tie several times just to keep on—the door opened.

Marius walked in, his hair wet, shirtless, wearing only a pair of worn black shorts.

He always seemed to bathe at night; at least, he always smelled freshly washed whenever he brought dinner.

Were all his clothes this old? Of course—they must have been, if he’d been hiding out here ever since the massacre of the Silver Moon Pack.

The memory of how the bodies had been found sent a shiver down my spine.

“I brought your dinner,” he said, pulling me back to reality.

Marius’s meals consisted of fruit, meat, and fish he caught in a nearby river. Nothing was processed, and I suspected he drew water from a well, since he never wandered far.

I glanced at the meat and vegetables. His face looked… expectant.

I said nothing, as always, and he went to a small table near the bed, setting down the tray.

I swallowed hard, catching the clean scent of him. He didn’t seem to use soap or shampoo, yet he still smelled good.

I imagined him always hiding out here—after all, the Alpha King and his wolves were still seeking justice for the Silver Moon pack massacre.

Before he could turn to leave, I grabbed his hand.

“I need a bath. Please.”

Marius turned to look at me and nodded.

“I’ll prepare one for you.”

He left the room, and minutes later he returned with what looked like a towel in his hands. Clearing his throat, he said,

“Shall we?”

I nodded and got up, following him into the main room and then outside the cabin.

We walked for a short while to a small wooden structure behind the cabin. Marius opened the door, revealing a large wooden barrel filled with water in one corner, and a wooden rack holding jars—one with a faintly scented transparent liquid, another empty, which I assumed was used to draw water from the barrel.

I turned to look at him.

Marius stepped inside the cramped bathroom, brushing past me to pick up one of the jars. Holding it out, he explained,

“This is soap made from the soapberry plant that grows nearby. Use it—it cleans your skin and hair well.”

When he handed me the jar, I caught the same subtle scent that clung to the clothes I was wearing.

I gave him a faint smile and thanked him.

But when he didn’t make a move to leave, just watching my face, I decided to take advantage of it.

“I forgot the clothes. And I think you did too. Could you fetch them for me?”

He seemed to hesitate for a few seconds, and I placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Please, Marius. I won’t run.”

His jaw flexed, and I felt him shiver under my touch. Quickly, he turned his gaze aside and muttered,

“Wait here.”

The moment I saw him walk away, I turned and darted into the forest behind the bathroom, running with every ounce of energy I had stored during those three days of eating everything he gave me.

Unfortunately, it was a moonless night, the darkness thick—just like the night he had taken me.

I kept running, my heart pounding erratically, my legs aching, my mind a storm of panic.

Suddenly, thunder cracked overhead, and I froze for a second, struggling to catch my breath.

If I already had my wolf, I’d be stronger than this. I wouldn’t tire so easily. I’d see through the blackness. But I didn’t. Not yet.

And I couldn’t trust Marius’s promises of freedom. He had slaughtered his own pack.

How could I ever trust a male who was such a ruthless killer?