Chapter 4

Amalthea's POV

The masked man didn't say a word, and walked past me without much of a glance as he walked out the door.

What the hell just happened? One minute I thought he was going to touch me inappropriately or worse still kill me, and now, he was covering me up?

What in the world is happening?

“You got lucky,” the gruff man that brought me here muttered darkly. “If he didn't like you, you'd have begged for death–and it wouldn't come.”

A shiver ran down my spine as his words sank in. I'm I really lucky as he said? Or would death have been a better option.

I barely had time to process all that just happened when a knock came on the door, and Lara stepped in, her eyes buried to the ground as if afraid to meet my gaze.

“These are for you,” Lara quietly handed me leggings, a plain top, boots and a jacket.

I stared at the clothes for a few minutes, tempted to ask Lara questions, she looks like she'll have an idea of what I'm getting into, but with the way her eyes were on anywhere but on me, tells me it was a lost cause.

She wouldn't breathe a word no matter what I asked her.

“Thank you,” I muttered, not knowing what else to say, I changed into the clothes.

Lara led me outside, and the masked man stood by a car–his car. He glanced at me with an unnerving intensity, before looking over at the gruff man.

“Get your ass into the car,” the gruff man whispered harshly, and as always my legs obeyed without complaints. “Don't forget to put in a good word for me to his majesty,” the gruff man said as soon as I got into the masked man's car, and as if the gruff man didn't exist, the masked man moved over to the driver's seat, and started the car.

We had barely driven fifteen minutes when my eyes began to feel heavy, like I haven't slept for days.

I tried to fight the urge to sleep–I needed to at least know where I was being driven off to, but the more I fought to keep my eyes open the heavier they became.

The violent screeching sound of tires jolted me awake. My heart nearly jumped out of my throat as our car veered off the road, and crashed into the woods.

Pain exploded in my skull, as my head slammed against the dashboard.

“Shift, we are being ambushed.”

“W–what?” My heart skipped several beats. We're being ambushed? By who? I looked around but didn't see anyone–or anything.

“Shift,” he stated firmly, and stepped out of the car. “Unless you want to die.”

Die? The words seemed to clear my vision and senses as I saw seven hefty looking men emerge from the woods.

Panic surged through me at their imposing form.

“We're here for the lady,” one of the bulky men said, as I stepped out of the car.

“Me?” The words left my lips before I could even blink, and this time around I feared my heart would jump out my throat.

Was Lilian not satisfied with kicking me out of her brother's life that she has to send people over to kill me?

Oh goddess! Please don't let him hand me over to them.

“Hand her over, and we ‘might’ not hurt you,” another added

Dread washed over me in different waves at their words. I looked over at the masked man, is expression unreadable.

A cold sweat broke out my forehead.

Dead.

I was good as dead. This is definitely the end of the road for me.

Back at the dungeon I thought I was ready to embrace the afterlife, but being face to face with death is on a whole different level than actually wishing for it.

“Did you hear a word I just said?” The masked man hissed harshly, his eyes not leaving the men as they made their way towards us.

“I–I c-can’t shift,” I stuttered, my voice barely above a whisper, tears streaming down my cheeks as the reality of my predicament dawned on me.

“Skies above,” he stared at me in disbelief. “You're wolfless?”

Before I could respond one of the men lunged at the masked man, shifting mid air.

“Oh goddess!” I choked out, every ounce of air in my lungs getting stucked in my throat. My mind couldn't process what I was seeing for a moment, then it hit me.

A werebear!

I'd heard stories of them–terrifying beast from the north–but I'd never seen one. That explains while the men looked so huge, and the size of them in their beast form was–was beyond frightening.

Bam!

Without breaking a sweat the masked man sent the werebear flying into a tree with a single punch.

My jaw dropped, for a moment I couldn't blink, every fiber in me screaming for me to take to my heels. This was my opportunity to be free, from the masked man and from the werebears.

But my feet stayed rooted to the ground, dread washing over me with every single breath. I didn't know which was more terrifying, being captured by the werebear–for goddess knows what reason, or being taken away by this terribly frightening masked man.

I was still trying to decide what to do when I felt a cold hand grabbed me from behind.

“Gotcha!”