Chapter 11

Zenaya pov

Judging from the way everyone stared at me in shock, it seemed like the person I had just insulted was someone important, maybe even someone royal. I had heard them calling him an Alpha, but honestly, I didn't care. My fingers were still pressed against my ear, and when I pulled them away, they were stained with blood.

How dare he slice my ear like that?

The pain was even worse because I was wolfless. Before, my wolf would have helped me heal almost instantly, but now even a small wound like this lingered, the sharp sting spreading through my ear and making my jaw tighten.

“You shouldn't speak to Alpha Dieman like that,” Daniel suddenly said.

His eyes widened as he looked at me, and I could see the fear clearly written across his face. His voice had dropped, almost as though he was warning me before I made things even worse.

But I didn't care.

I didn't care who the fuck this Alpha was.

I glared at him, my hand falling slowly from my ear as anger burned through me. “How dare he?” I snapped. “How dare he attack me without even knowing me?”

A few people around us exchanged nervous glances, while others looked at me as though I had completely lost my mind.

“An Alpha is supposed to protect his people, not harm them,” I continued, my voice rising as I pointed accusingly toward Damon. “If this is how an Alpha treats someone who hasn't even done anything to him, then what's the point of having that title?”

The entire field seemed to go silent.

Everyone's eyes widened even more, and Daniel looked like he wanted to stop me but didn't know how.

I swallowed hard, my chest rising and falling as I fought to control my anger.

Slowly, my eyes landed on Dieman.

He hadn't said a word. He simply stood there, staring at me.

His expression was impossible to read, but the longer he looked at me, the darker his gaze became. Something about those cold eyes made a strange shiver run down my spine, yet I refused to look away.

Then, without saying anything, he started walking toward me.

One slow step after another.

My fingers curled into fists at my sides as I watched him approach, my heart suddenly pounding harder against my ribs.

I had no idea what he was about to do.

But I wasn't going to back down.

“Who is she?” he asked.

His voice was calm, but the question alone was enough to make everyone lower their heads. Not a single person dared to answer him. The sudden silence around me made my stomach tighten as I glanced from one person to another, wondering what exactly they were so afraid of.

Dieman's eyes slowly raked over me, taking in everything from my face to my bloodstained ear. A look of disgust briefly crossed his face, and his lips twitched.

“You're quite brave for someone who doesn't even have a wolf.”

His words struck a nerve.

I clenched my fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms. Yes, I knew I had lost my wolf. I knew I was different from everyone else here, but that didn't give them the right to bully me or make me feel small.

I had already been through enough.

I wasn't going to stand there and let another person treat me like I was worthless simply because I was wolfless.

I lifted my chin, meeting his cold gaze.

“And you're quite cruel for someone who's supposed to protect his people,” I snapped.

The words had barely left my mouth when everyone's heads shot up.

Their eyes darted between Dieman and me, their faces filled with disbelief.

I could almost hear their thoughts.

She actually said that to him? Dieman remained silent for a moment.

Then, slowly, a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

He raised both hands slightly, as though surrendering, but there was nothing harmless about the expression on his face.

“Wow,” he drawled, his eyes narrowing with amusement. “I've never seen someone as courageous as you.”

I swallowed, suddenly feeling the weight of everyone's attention pressing against me.

Dieman took a slow step closer.

“But do you know the problem with people who pretend to be courageous—or simply choose to be rude?”

My heart gave a nervous thud. He tilted his head, his smirk widening.

“They don't seem to live to see the next day.”

A cold chuckle escaped his lips. My confidence faltered for a second.

He leaned slightly closer, his voice dropping into a frightening calmness.

“You know why?”

I said nothing. My throat suddenly felt dry.

“Because I've fed people like that to the dogs while they were still alive,” he said casually, as though he were talking about something completely ordinary. “Or burned them alive with my own bare hands.”

The words sent a violent chill down my spine.

My fingers slowly loosened, and for the first time since he had approached me, I found myself struggling to maintain the defiance on my face.

His expression remained almost amused, but there was something behind his eyes that told me he wasn't joking.

The soldiers around us remained completely silent.

“Dieman!” A thick, commanding voice suddenly cut through the tension.

Everyone turned toward the entrance, and my eyes followed theirs. Aerion stood there, his eyebrows slightly raised as he looked between Dieman and the group surrounding us. His expression was as cold and unreadable as ever, but there was a hint of confusion in his eyes.

“What’s going on, and why is there some sort of gathering?” Aerion asked as he approached.

The soldiers immediately straightened, their heads lowering respectfully. The fear that had settled over them a moment ago seemed to deepen with Aerion’s arrival.

Dieman scoffed, his eyes still fixed on me.

“Not a gathering,” he snapped, disgust dripping from his voice. “They’re about to watch a real-life murder. This wolfless thing had the nerve to speak rudely to me.”

My heart skipped at his words, and I instinctively clenched my fists again. The blood from my ear was still warm against my neck.

Aerion’s gaze shifted to me. His eyes briefly landed on my bleeding ear before moving back to Dieman.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Aerion sighed quietly.

“Let it go, Dieman. She’s under me. I brought her.”