Chapter Six

Selene’s POV

 

I jostled awake to a cold liquid pouring down on my face. I panted, my body going into a frenzy. A lot of scents wafted through my nostrils but the moment I caught a whiff of cinnamon again, the memories of all that happened before I passed out came in like a tidal wave.

 

I sat up, feeling a lot of eyes on me. And just as I did that, a new bottle of water was dumped on me.

 

What the fuck?

 

“Don’t manhandle her!” I heard Liam say, and a part of me calmed down on knowing that he was right beside me and that he could talk too. That only meant that he was fine, at least.

 

“Liam…” I trailed off and I felt him come closer to me, “What’s going on?” I asked.

 

“Are you fine? I was so worried about you when you passed out earlier.” He changed the topic.

 

“I’m okay. What’s going on?”

 

The whispers around us never stopped, instead they increased. I overheard someone asking another person if we were mates.

 

I really didn’t want to believe that I was in the pack I thought we were in. But they were the only ones who had cinnam—

 

It just wasn’t possible that we had wandered close enough to their borders. They didn’t even live amongst people, how the heck could Liam have driven over to—

 

“Alright, let’s begin.” A loud voice boomed, commanding silence in the clearing or wherever we were. Liam still hadn’t said anything.

 

I inched closer to where I sensed Liam was. We were on the bare ground, and it was so rough that pain coursed through my legs the moment I moved them. I hadn’t even felt the metal chains on my legs till they rattled with the movement.

 

We were chained up too?

 

“Liam, who are these people? Please tell me we’re in Silvercrest.” I asked in a pleading voice, holding onto that wish with every single breath left in me.

 

“I’m sorry.” Was all that he said.

 

The loud voice from earlier came on again, “Where were you two coming from?”

 

“Moonbound. I said that already.” Liam responded through gritted teeth.

 

“Explain how you found yourselves on the borders of the Lycan pack?”

 

My heart stopped, and even the world seemed to go still as the words registered in my mind.

 

I was right all along. We were in the Lycan pack.

 

Fear coursed through me and I knew we needed to get out of here as soon as possible. I shouldn’t ever be seen here or around the pack.

 

They’d even betray you if you gave them your trust. They hold only themselves in high esteem. And their King? He was said to be a wolf’s worst nightmare if you ever crossed paths with him.

 

“We were being chased by those rogues, and in a bid to lose them, I took a sharp turn at a road I didn’t know. I had no idea that it was the direction of the Lycan pack.” Liam responded calmly but I couldn’t miss the tinge of panic in his voice.

 

Silence enveloped us for a moment and I wondered why no one said anything till a different voice spoke again.

 

“I don’t think I believe them. Their appearance at the border wasn’t a coincidence.”

 

“Exactly, why would they suddenly appear here on a day that the King wasn’t around? They must have known that he’d kill them on the spot if he had seen that they were with rogues.”

 

What the heck?

 

I spoke up, “That’s not true. We don’t even know your King or this pack.” I turned my head around even though I couldn’t see them, “We weren’t even armed! Just let us go already, we were on our way to a different pack.”

 

The man with the gruff voice from earlier boomed again, “You both are spies and in extension, a threat to this pack.”

 

I gritted, biting my lips angrily. Can these people just fucking let us go!

 

“You’ll be punished severely, but for a start—” He was cut off by a very loud voice.

 

“The King is here!” Thumping of footsteps followed as people seemed to assume their normal position, “All bow to his Majesty!”

 

My breath caught in my throat as I heard them all drop to their knees, but I was still. I couldn’t even bring myself to move at all. A teeny tiny bit of me wished I could see what the King looked like, even though that shouldn’t bother me.

 

I heard his footsteps, though slow and almost unnoticeable. But I still picked it up. I didn’t know his name, but I’ve heard of him in stories that I was certain I knew more about him than anyone else.

 

And for some reason, I used to feel like I knew him more than in the books. Or that I was meant to know him.

 

“All rise.”

 

My heart skipped a beat at the sound of his voice. And suddenly, he seemed to be moving in my direction.

 

I sat straighter than before and Liam also stiffened beside me.

 

His cinnamon scent was way stronger than the one I had smelt on anyone here. He kept coming closer and the scent only got stronger, travelling deep to all of my senses including my skin which was my sense of touch.

 

He didn’t touch me, yet my skin got hot and itchy. I hated that scent so much, and I even hated it more because it seemed to have annulled every other scent I had gotten used to, including mine!

 

I stiffened when I sensed him stop before me, his eyes intent on me. The hairs on my nape rose completely, and my wolf pranced around in my head like never before. I could barely even deduce if it was out of fear or excitement. Her emotions were just everywhere.

 

“Unchain them.”

 

His voice…. It sent deep shivers down my spine and I found myself swallowing thickly.

 

Two words, that was all he said and his warriors were fiddling with my chain and Liam’s.

I could feel his hard gaze on me and that same chill from earlier returned, but thicker this time around. I exhaled slightly, trying to calm my nerves.

 

Before I could tell what was happening, his soft fingers touched my jaw gently, raising my head a few inches up.

 

“Something isn’t right…” He trailed off, and Liam cut in before I did.

 

“She can’t see.”

 

The King’s thumb was a bit warm on my skin, and for someone who hated being touched without her permission, I seemed to like that warmth because it calmed my nerves a bit.

 

“Oh, I see. What’s your name?” He asked, his voice patient.

 

“Selene.”

 

“What were you both doing at my pack’s border?”

 

“We had no idea we were at your border. We were being chased and attacked by some group of rogues.” I repeated what Liam had said earlier.

 

Thick nerve-wracking silence reigned for a few minutes before he stepped back, his thumb leaving my jaw at the same time.

 

“One month.” He finally said, and my lips edged up in a frown. “You both will be in this pack and under strict supervision for one month before I decide to have your heads or not.”

 

Oh.

 

“And if anyone or even I sense anything funny from either of you…” An icy silence followed, no one seemed to be breathing even.

 

“You’ll beg for death but won’t get such niceness from me.”